My Friend's BMW 525i (2005)

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He asked me if I would help him do an oil change because he is tired of getting ripped off at the dealer. He also asked what oil he should use in the car. I gave him a few options of M1 ow-40, GC, and T6. I told him to just buy the M1.....is there a better choice than what I recommended? Thanks all.
 
Well now that you can get a 5qt of 0w40 for 25 dollars every day... I would say M1 is the better choice.
 
Thanks Trav and Brenden. I knew the GC was on the pricey side and that T6 or M1 were on the cheaper side. I'm not to prevy on European cars so I'm glad i recommended the correct oil.
 
The reason that everyday price of M1 and T6 is cheaper is because you can buy those at Walmart and GC is only available at AZ or PB.

For most German engines, M1 0W40 is an easy pick.
 
Expect that warranty issues are not at play here given it's age... I would use any of those oils. I have always preferred GC for any application that I could justify. But the M1 choice is probably a great one. I also love RTS (Rotella T Syn) & use it for my diesel truck & bike... I know, I know, nothing close to the 5 sedan, fair enough. All three are tremendous engine oils & I would seek out the GC even though I have tons of RTS on my shelves. GC is realy good oil & my old 1.8T ran like a top while using it (UOA's were wicked!). Have you looked at the UOA section to see what others have done w/ this engine? That 2.5 inline six was a pretty ubiquitous application for BMW...

My two cents' worth.

John.

Originally Posted By: asharris7
Is T6 BMW approved?
 
I actually have searched the UOA forum. Can't find anything that matches the oil to the application. Maybe I am not did not input the correct "tag." I really appreciate your feedback my friend.
 
Yeah, weird... I can't seem to get anywhere searching fairly open topics... Something ain't right.

Maybe somebody can chime in here...

GC always gave me a warm, fuzzy... Yeah, barring any UOA information showing that another oil serves better in the application, I would use GC. I would check it at 5,000 miles through a UOA & see where that indicates you go next. You can do that w/ either of the two other oils as well, in my opinion.

John.
 
Originally Posted By: asharris7
I actually have searched the UOA forum. Can't find anything that matches the oil to the application.

What exactly are you trying to find?

If you want to play it safe, any oil meeting the BMW LL-01 spec will work well in this application. This means M1 0w-40 and GC 0w-30, Castrol 5w-40, Castrol 0w-40, Pennzoil Ultra 5w-40, etc.

Rotella T6 does not carry the spec. But would it work in your application? Most likely, IMO. However, on a per unit price, M1 0w-40 at walmart is actually cheaper.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: asharris7
I actually have searched the UOA forum. Can't find anything that matches the oil to the application.

What exactly are you trying to find?

If you want to play it safe, any oil meeting the BMW LL-01 spec will work well in this application. This means M1 0w-40 and GC 0w-30, Castrol 5w-40, Castrol 0w-40, Pennzoil Ultra 5w-40, etc.

Rotella T6 does not carry the spec. But would it work in your application? Most likely, IMO. However, on a per unit price, M1 0w-40 at walmart is actually cheaper.



Thanks for the response. He has asked me if I had tried to locate a UOA, which I tried unsucessfully. Do they sell PU 5-40 at WW? Thanks
 
All Castrol Edge products are on sale at Advance this month, paired with a Fram Ultra for $28 after rebate. I just picked up the 0W-40 for my Audi.

Unfortunately, they no longer give a discount on additional quarts like they used to.
 
He ended up with the M1 ow-40 in the sump. It was my first BMW oil change I have ever done. Pretty easy. Only thing that was weird was the 36mm socket to get the oil filter cap off. He ended up with the Bosch filter. Next time I will tell him to get the Mann filter.
 
Originally Posted By: asharris7
He ended up with the M1 ow-40 in the sump. It was my first BMW oil change I have ever done. Pretty easy. Only thing that was weird was the 36mm socket to get the oil filter cap off. He ended up with the Bosch filter. Next time I will tell him to get the Mann filter.

That oil is tough to beat. I was considering using it in everything I own as the miles are racking up,clearances are getting a bit bigger,however I have yet to see a 5 litre jug,and at 12 bucks a quart I just cannot justify that cost. Not when jugs of pp can be had for 24 bucks.
Great choice though. Tough to go wrong there. I've just learned that Donaldson are also a premium filter if they make one for your friends application.
 
Yeah the 5.1 qt jug cost him $24.95 at WW. We also bought 2 additional qts because his calls for 6.5. $6.97 a qt for individuals. So all in all, $39 bucks is not bad! I would love to find a Donaldson filter for my Honda. Know if they make one eh? Thanks
 
Originally Posted By: asharris7
We also bought 2 additional qts because his calls for 6.5.

FYI, the capacity is actually 6.5 liters which makes it 6.9 quarts. I usually just dump 7 quarts in mine and call it a day.
smile.gif


YMMV, so always verify with the dipstick. I'm hoping his 2005 car still has one.
 
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