I just purchased a 2002 BMW 525i wagon (2.5L M54 motor / manual transmission) with 134,600 miles on it. It was reasonably well maintained, but from what I could tell from CARFAX and talking to the local BMW dealer where it was serviced, I have reason to believe the previous owner maintained the engine using BMW's recommended 15,000 OCI.
Anytime I pick up a BMW (this is #5), I always freshen the fluids, filters, and spark plugs. I did notice a slight amount of sludge, along with the typical BMW red varnish, on the oil fill cap. Because it was winter (Jan - Apr for this OCI), I decided to go with Mobil 0w-40. Now that it has warmed up, I am using M1 10w-40 HM in an attempt to clean out any remaining sludge.
Anyway, I sent in a UOA sample of the M1 0w40 to Blackstone. The results surprised me, and I'm interested to get thoughts and opinions from BITOG'ers. My iron reading was fairly high, my fuel dilution was nearly 3%, and the oil sheared to a not very thick 30 weight...all in about 3,100mi. My driving habits during this UOA were daily cold starts (temps between 5-20F) and regular trips of less than 5mi. The engine was at operating temp when I took this sample, so the fact that fuel was that high surprises me.
Below are the results, I welcome any comments.
==================================
Blackstone Comments: Universal averages show normal wear for the BMW 2.5L engine after ~7,000 miles on the oil. Considering your oil run was shorter than average, the extra iron in this oil is a little unusual, but since you don't know how this engine was run prior to your purchase, we're inclined to wait until we see another sample to determine if the iron is concerning. The fuel can be the result of something operational, like starting the engine, or idling, and while it may have caused the low viscosity, we doubt it's a problem. Check back in 3,000 miles. No dirt or coolant found.
Element --- my sample PPM --- Univ. Avg @ 7,000mi
Aluminum --- 3 --- 3
Chromium --- 0 --- 0
Iron --- 31 --- 12
Copper --- 8 --- 9
Lead --- 4 --- 4
Tin --- 4 --- 4
Moly --- 91 --- 76
Nickel --- 1 --- 0
Mag --- 1 --- 2
Silver, Ti, Potassium --- 0
Boron --- 136 --- 53
Silicon --- 7 --- 4
Calcium --- 2621 --- 2341
Phos --- 897 --- 784
Zinc --- 1013 --- 950
SUS @ 210F --- 64.9
cSt @ 100C --- 11.58 (30 weight)
Flashpoint (F) --- 320 --- >375F
Fuel % --- 2.8%
Antifreeze --- 0
Water --- 0
Insolubles --- 0.3
Anytime I pick up a BMW (this is #5), I always freshen the fluids, filters, and spark plugs. I did notice a slight amount of sludge, along with the typical BMW red varnish, on the oil fill cap. Because it was winter (Jan - Apr for this OCI), I decided to go with Mobil 0w-40. Now that it has warmed up, I am using M1 10w-40 HM in an attempt to clean out any remaining sludge.
Anyway, I sent in a UOA sample of the M1 0w40 to Blackstone. The results surprised me, and I'm interested to get thoughts and opinions from BITOG'ers. My iron reading was fairly high, my fuel dilution was nearly 3%, and the oil sheared to a not very thick 30 weight...all in about 3,100mi. My driving habits during this UOA were daily cold starts (temps between 5-20F) and regular trips of less than 5mi. The engine was at operating temp when I took this sample, so the fact that fuel was that high surprises me.
Below are the results, I welcome any comments.
==================================
Blackstone Comments: Universal averages show normal wear for the BMW 2.5L engine after ~7,000 miles on the oil. Considering your oil run was shorter than average, the extra iron in this oil is a little unusual, but since you don't know how this engine was run prior to your purchase, we're inclined to wait until we see another sample to determine if the iron is concerning. The fuel can be the result of something operational, like starting the engine, or idling, and while it may have caused the low viscosity, we doubt it's a problem. Check back in 3,000 miles. No dirt or coolant found.
Element --- my sample PPM --- Univ. Avg @ 7,000mi
Aluminum --- 3 --- 3
Chromium --- 0 --- 0
Iron --- 31 --- 12
Copper --- 8 --- 9
Lead --- 4 --- 4
Tin --- 4 --- 4
Moly --- 91 --- 76
Nickel --- 1 --- 0
Mag --- 1 --- 2
Silver, Ti, Potassium --- 0
Boron --- 136 --- 53
Silicon --- 7 --- 4
Calcium --- 2621 --- 2341
Phos --- 897 --- 784
Zinc --- 1013 --- 950
SUS @ 210F --- 64.9
cSt @ 100C --- 11.58 (30 weight)
Flashpoint (F) --- 320 --- >375F
Fuel % --- 2.8%
Antifreeze --- 0
Water --- 0
Insolubles --- 0.3
