New oil for old owner

[idickers]

I've been reading through a bunchy of pages here, and II'm a bit perplexed by the new oil specs, and could use a recommendation. I have a 2001 BMW xiT (6 cylinder), a 2009 Mini CLubman S (4 cylinder turbo), and a 1991 BMW 318is (4 cylinder). I'd like to keep one oil for all 3 cars, and in the past have used 5w40 (either Redline or Rotella T6). In the past I've been concerned about wear resistance for lower viscosity oils, and have used the 5w40. But this is probably left-over from my oil use with '70's and '80's generation cars, where 20-50 and 15W50 oil was called for. I live in upstate NY so we see cold temps in the winter, and after reading through this site, wonder if I should switch to a 0w30 or 5w30. I checked on MobilOnes' web site, and was recommended 0W40 for all three cars, in contrast to the oem spec of 5w30. What would be a good viscosity for these three cars?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[05foresterXT]

I'd stick with a 0w or 5w for winters. To decide between 30 or 40, I'd go with the lightest recommended viscosity for the car that requires the heaviest.

Mobil 1 0w40 is an very good choice for many applications, and is available at an excellent price.

 

[Quattro Pete]

M1 0w-40, without a doubt. It meets the spec and is readily available locally.

 

[bubbatime]

If the cars originally called for 5W30, I would run 5W30 or 0W30 without hesitation during the winter. 0W40 year round would be fine also.

 

[demarpaint]

I see no problem using Mobil 1 0W40 all year long.

 

[R80RS]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I see no problem using Mobil 1 0W40 all year long.


+1. Great oil, arguably the best in the M1 lineup, widely available and for a reasonable price. Plus it meets the requirements of the listed vehicles.

 

[stchman]

To the OP:

I would stick with proper viscosity that the manufacturer calls for. Now if all 3 of your vehicles calls for 5W-30 in their owners manual, great. Get some Mobil 1 and all is good.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: stchman
I would stick with proper viscosity that the manufacturer calls for. Now if all 3 of your vehicles calls for 5W-30 in their owners manual, great.

Owner manuals for his cars sometimes leave something to be desired. What his 2001 BMW and 2009 Mini require first and foremost is actually an oil meeting the BMW LL-01 spec. The actual SAE grade is less important. Oils meeting the LL-01 spec are available in a number of different SAE grades, including 0w-30, 5w-30, 0w-40, and 5w-40.

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I see no problem using Mobil 1 0W40 all year long.


+1 because it meets the BMW spec

 

[Garak]

Additionally to Quattro Pete's correct point, the older BMW probably would have recommended a regular API rated 5w-30 under certain temperature conditions. But, I bet it also had some pretty thick options, too, up to and including a 20w-50.

The 0w-40 would be the path of least resistance for all vehicles.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Garak


The 0w-40 would be the path of least resistance for all vehicles.


+1 and would fit his desire to use one oil for all his vehicles. Nice and simple, and IMO you're using one of the very best products Mobil offers.

 

[idickers]

Thanks so much for the recommendations. I'll go scour the autoparts stores for some Mobile One 0W40 for our daily drivers.

As long as I'm here, perhaps you could help me with one other engine I've got. It's a 1989 BMW S14, which is the engine from the e30 M3. This is a 4-cylinder engine that revs to 7500 rpm. It's in a car that is primarily used on the track and occasionally on the street on weekends. While it won't see winter driving, we do occasionally get frost or light snow at Watkins Glen in May. In the past I've run Mobile One 15W50 in this engine when I lived in south florida. It's been in hibernation for the past 10 years, and I wonder what the current thinking is on oil for track engines? My inclination would be to switch to Redline now that I have a local distributor, but I haven't figured out if I should change the viscosity. Redline recommends 10w40, but I'm inclined to think about 5w50, since it has lower viscosity for starting, and higher viscosity for extended rpm on the track. In the "old days" such a wide range of viscosity would have been suspect, but perhaps formulations have improved? Or do I really need a 50w with the new formulations?

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: idickers
Thanks so much for the recommendations. I'll go scour the autoparts stores for some Mobile One 0W40 for our daily drivers.


You can get it at a decent price with a filter special at Advance or Autozone. Wal-Mart now has it in five qt. jugs for like $25...

Quote:
As long as I'm here, perhaps you could help me with one other engine I've got. It's a 1989 BMW S14, which is the engine from the e30 M3. This is a 4-cylinder engine that revs to 7500 rpm. It's in a car that is primarily used on the track and occasionally on the street on weekends. While it won't see winter driving, we do occasionally get frost or light snow at Watkins Glen in May. In the past I've run Mobile One 15W50 in this engine when I lived in south florida. It's been in hibernation for the past 10 years, and I wonder what the current thinking is on oil for track engines? My inclination would be to switch to Redline now that I have a local distributor, but I haven't figured out if I should change the viscosity. Redline recommends 10w40, but I'm inclined to think about 5w50, since it has lower viscosity for starting, and higher viscosity for extended rpm on the track. In the "old days" such a wide range of viscosity would have been suspect, but perhaps formulations have improved? Or do I really need a 50w with the new formulations?


You could also try Mobil 1 High Mileage 10W-40...

 

[idickers]

Interesting recommendation. What about the MobileOne high mileage oil makes it a candidate for a track engine? I forgot to mention that the S14 engine only has 44,000 miles on it, so it's not really at the point yet where it's got wear-related issues.

 

[OVERKILL]

M1 0w-40 for the bunch.