Originally Posted By: Jim 5
Fair enough overkill. He can stick with just about any xW-40 HDEO available in North America or just about any ACEA A3 oil, climate permitting, for a 7.5k OCI. It would be hard to find one that is
It is my perception that the HTHS requirement is designed for long autobahn blasts at full throttle while still running the oil to 15k miles.
My view is that for a 7.5k OCI on this car, where the speed limits rarely exceed 75mph (assuming no track days), he's really not taking chances on his 100k miles car in any meaningful way by using a garden variety synthetic 5w-30. But to be safe, let's say any oil that has an HTHS of >3.5 like any HDEO or A3 oil. The LL-01 is after all a one-size-fits-all oil is for every car (except for a few 10w-60 spec'd) in the BMW line. This 330ci is perhaps one of the least challenging cars (oil-wise) in the line-up. On the other hand, if he was running down the Autobahn at 150 MPH for long stretches, or tracking the car, my opinion would be different. Sure I'm second guessing the engineers, or am I? Really, would they disagree
in the circumstances?
We've learned a few things over the years here. After all, those same engineers spec'd the same LL-01 for 15k miles in both the OP's engine and the N54 and N55. Do they have the same engine protection standards in this case? Many BMW owners do not believe so.
Here I am also second guessing the one-size-fits-all BMW engineers' spec. I'm running the LL-01 in my N55 (right now GC green), but have only had the nerve to run it out to 4,500 miles so far. If I had a 100k mile BMW 330ci, I bet the UOA would look better at 7.5k miles on RTS 5w-40 than my N55 will look at 5k miles on LL-01. I've seen many UOA's on those N54 and N55 engines that indicate 15k miles is not a great idea. How do you like the BMW engineers now?
I wouldn't be saying any of this if he was running to 15k, though I've seen at least 2 OCI's of 15k on this engine @ 15k with RTS 5w-40 that were as good as or better than M1 0w-40.
We're here on BITOG to think critically about oils (as you are by rightly expressing concerns about the HTHS). The proposition that LL-01 is the only oil for every BMW made since 2001 that will not cause failure is surprising to hear...
here. If that were really true, what are we all doing here?
Anyhow, this is just my two cents, if it's even worth that. It's an interesting topic that I've considered often over the years. To that end, there's some good reading in this thread:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1677700&page=1
Some great points made by knowledgeable people discussing the issue of HTHS in BMW's LL-01 spec and in how certain BMW cars are being used. The opinions in that thread are as diverse as they are in this one.
Cheers right back at you sir
However, I'm also one who doesn't hold substantial stock in the value of inexpensive UOA's for determining things other than contamination and how a lubricant holds up.
The BMW engineers have the virtue of being able to do something we cannot: field tests followed by tear-downs. And these results may not mirror those that we think we are observing through the clouded lens that is Used Oil Analysis.
At the end of the day all we have to go on are guidelines established by what the manufacturer recommends, our own experience, and what testing protocols we have available to us. I think a regiment of using an approved lubricant in conjunction with UOA's to determine how well that lubricant is holding up is the best we can do. Along with all other regular maintenance of course
And don't confuse my hang-up on the HTHS of BMW's LL-01 spec as a hang up on the LL-01 spec in itself, for that is hardly the case. My hang-up is on the HTHS.
