Recommendation for '08 MINI Cooper S cabrio Oil

[cadfaeltex]

Just bought a new car. A 2008 MINI Cooper S convertible with ~70,100 miles. Looks like it got the BMW oil through the free service through it's first three years. Most of my driving will be be suburban and back highway. It's a manual with the JCW kit installed (bigger injectors and more aggressive tuning plus other goodies). This is the last of the Supercharged Mini's.

So any recommendations? It's showing -3,xxx on the maintenance minder.

BMW recommends 5w40, 5w20 and API SH or higher.

 

[michaelluscher]

You double posted.
Contact the mods!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
BMW recommends 5w40, 5w20 and API SH or higher.

I'm pretty sure 5w-20 is not one of the recommended grades for your Mini.

FYI, I gave you my recommendations in the other subforum where you posted.

 

[cadfaeltex]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
BMW recommends 5w40, 5w20 and API SH or higher.

I'm pretty sure 5w-20 is not one of the recommended grades for your Mini.

FYI, I gave you my recommendations in the other subforum where you posted.


Fat fingered - should be 5w30 not 5w20.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
BMW recommends 5w40, 5w20 and API SH or higher.

I'm pretty sure 5w-20 is not one of the recommended grades for your Mini.

FYI, I gave you my recommendations in the other subforum where you posted.


Fat fingered - should be 5w30 not 5w20.


BMW Longlife-01 would be the preferred selection.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Just bought a new car. A 2008 MINI Cooper S convertible with ~70,100 miles. Looks like it got the BMW oil through the free service through it's first three years. Most of my driving will be be suburban and back highway. It's a manual with the JCW kit installed (bigger injectors and more aggressive tuning plus other goodies). This is the last of the Supercharged Mini's.

So any recommendations? It's showing -3,xxx on the maintenance minder.

BMW recommends 5w40, 5w20 and API SH or higher.

Get BMW LL-01.
My choice would be Catsrol 0W30.

 

[cadfaeltex]

Is the BMW oil as decent as any of the other choices. I found it in a kit with filter and o-ring for a pretty good price. They also have Liquidmoly (IIRC) and Motul for about the same price.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Is the BMW oil as decent as any of the other choices. I found it in a kit with filter and o-ring for a pretty good price. They also have Liquidmoly (IIRC) and Motul for about the same price.


It's not BMW branded oil, but an actual approval from the manufacturer.

Mobil 1 0w-40, for example, carries it -- available at Walmart for $25/5qts.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Is the BMW oil as decent as any of the other choices. I found it in a kit with filter and o-ring for a pretty good price. They also have Liquidmoly (IIRC) and Motul for about the same price.


It's not BMW branded oil, but an actual approval from the manufacturer.

I think he was asking how the BMW Synthetic 5w-30 oil that's sold at BMW dealership (and other places) compares to other LL01 approved oils, but I may be wrong.

 

[cadfaeltex]

That's right Quattro Pete.

 

[Quattro Pete]

It's an OK oil. But if you plan on running long OCIs, there are probably better choices out there.

You can get 5qt of M1 0w-40 for $25 at walmart plus a Mann cartridge filter online for $6, and that's probably significantly cheaper than what you'd pay for that 'kit'.

 

[rick92f]

Mobil 1 0W-40 and MINI filters. Mann filters are typically used on the German stuff but MINI OEM on this generation are made by Purflux.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: rick92f
MINI OEM on this generation are made by Purflux.

Anything special about them?

 

[rick92f]

They have hard end caps, zig-zag pleats, snap securely into the filter cap, and the o-rings always fit. The build quality is superb.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Thanks. Cool looking filter!

 

[LotI]

Originally Posted By: rick92f
Mobil 1 0W-40 and MINI filters. Mann filters are typically used on the German stuff but MINI OEM on this generation are made by Purflux.

Nope. He mentioned his is supercharged and it doesn't use that filter.
Mann

 

[cadfaeltex]

I knew my filter looked different. Wasn't sure if that was for R56 etc or what.

I ended up getting the BMW oil (ordered it before this last flurry of responses). But keep it going since I need to think about what oil to run in the future.

Why does something like Mobile 0w30 fall short of the recommendation?

In my wife's Acura I run Sustina 0w20; does Sustina 0w50 meet the need? A mix of the two?

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
I knew my filter looked different. Wasn't sure if that was for R56 etc or what.

I ended up getting the BMW oil (ordered it before this last flurry of responses). But keep it going since I need to think about what oil to run in the future.

Why does something like Mobile 0w30 fall short of the recommendation?

In my wife's Acura I run Sustina 0w20; does Sustina 0w50 meet the need? A mix of the two?

In simple terms, Mobil1 0W30 would be too thin. It is not ACEA A3/B3 oil, HTHS is I thin 3.0, and for example Castrol 0W30 has HTHS 3.58. Now HTHS (High-Temperature-High-Shear) is VERY important for turbo and supercharged cars. HTHS of minimum 3.5 is required for 90% of European cars (some Volvos and Ford's could go for example with that Mobil1 0W30).
So for you application, like for mine, wether oil is 5W30,5W40, 0W30 or 0W40 is not important. What is important is that HTHS number. So if on bottle it says BMW LL-01 that means it is ACEA A3/B3 approved, although I heard that BMW oil has HTHS of 3.35, but obviously they think that is enough.
Why not 0W50? First, it is too thick (something like RL 5W40). The HTHS number is important there and if it is above 4.0, it is not necessary, and your MPG will suffer, and car will feel sluggish (for example I can feel difference between Mobil1 0W40 and Castrol 0W30. With Castrol car always felt more readily to rev).
Bottom line, if it does not say BMW LL-01 on the back of the bottle, do not get it.
If you wanna be on the safe side and save money, get in Wal Mart Mobil1 0W40 or Castrol 0W40. Both are $25 for 5 qt.

 

[cadfaeltex]

Thanks edyvw. Makes sense and I understand a bit better now.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Why does something like Mobile 0w30 fall short of the recommendation?

edy pretty much covered it already. Basically "30" is not a specific viscosity but a range that encompasses many viscosities from as little as 9.3 cSt to as much as 12.5 cSt at 100 degrees C. Typically only those oils formulated in the upper range of the "30" grade are able to achieve sufficient HT/HS viscosity to qualify for ACEA A3/B4 and LL-01 spec. M1 0w-30 is formulated with fuel economy in mind, and as such is not in the upper range of "30".

Anyway, don't concern yourself with a particular grade. If you go with an LL-01 approved oil, this will already ensure that it's thick enough.