Safe to use Rotella T6 15w40 in BMW M54?

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Originally Posted by 330indy
15w40 is Not a good weight for the vanos operation, which is oil dependent.
5w40 Redline would serve you well. It's what I use


That is a totally incorrect statement - both are the same 40grade at operating temperature.

Thanks for the extra RedLine plug....since you know what you are talking about.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I live in the bay area. Id say the coldest it gets year is 45F and that's rare. It's usually 60-70F here.
 
Originally Posted by Olas
Quote



So basically you are saying that everyone can use 20w50 in the winter and see no difference versus a 0w30?



What is the coldest temp you see in winter? You have to remember that climate dictates viscosity. In Australia they use 40w70 in the winter because the climate dictates that they do so. In Norilsk, they use 0w16 for summertime track days - its all about climate.

45F
 
45°F???!!!!

15W-40 is your huckleberry - like Gokhan pointed out with the valid reasons.

I would do the same if it got down to 15°F
 
Originally Posted by kossimak
Thanks for the advice everyone. I live in the bay area. Id say the coldest it gets year is 45F and that's rare. It's usually 60-70F here.

One of the interesting oils, which I am not sure is available anymore was Castrol Edge 10W40 that was specified for ACEA A3/B3 B4.
For Bay area 15W would be ok, but I would still go 10W or better 5W.
 
Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by kossimak
Thanks for the advice everyone. I live in the bay area. Id say the coldest it gets year is 45F and that's rare. It's usually 60-70F here.

One of the interesting oils, which I am not sure is available anymore was Castrol Edge 10W40 that was specified for ACEA A3/B3 B4.
For Bay area 15W would be ok, but I would still go 10W or better 5W.


Why? What does it do better for the way higher price?

Nothing.
 
Originally Posted by tundraotto
Originally Posted by 330indy
15w40 is Not a good weight for the vanos operation, which is oil dependent.
5w40 Redline would serve you well. It's what I use


That is a totally incorrect statement - both are the same 40grade at operating temperature.

Thanks for the extra RedLine plug....since you know what you are talking about.

There is difference.
40grade is a range.
And both oils, especially Redline are very heavy W40 oils. M54 was already developed with LL01 5W30 oils in mind, and I am not sure I would go with either in that engine nor it is necessary.
 
Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by tundraotto
Originally Posted by 330indy
15w40 is Not a good weight for the vanos operation, which is oil dependent.
5w40 Redline would serve you well. It's what I use


That is a totally incorrect statement - both are the same 40grade at operating temperature.

Thanks for the extra RedLine plug....since you know what you are talking about.

There is difference.
40grade is a range.
And both oils, especially Redline are very heavy W40 oils. M54 was already developed with LL01 5W30 oils in mind, and I am not sure I would go with either in that engine nor it is necessary.


You have one thing right, you're not sure - about anything, because what you said is hogwash.
 
Originally Posted by tundraotto
Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by kossimak
Thanks for the advice everyone. I live in the bay area. Id say the coldest it gets year is 45F and that's rare. It's usually 60-70F here.

One of the interesting oils, which I am not sure is available anymore was Castrol Edge 10W40 that was specified for ACEA A3/B3 B4.
For Bay area 15W would be ok, but I would still go 10W or better 5W.


Why? What does it do better for the way higher price?

Nothing.


And more hogwash.
 
BMW owners- the M52/54 engines' double vanos likes clean oil and 5w40 (LL98) is the highest viscosity you would want. 5-30 was introduced with the BS LL01 spec.
Lots of experts on here ...›ðŸ™„
Know your BMW engines, and keep your vanos channels clean
 
Originally Posted by 330indy
BMW owners- the M52/54 engines' double vanos likes clean oil and 5w40 (LL98) is the highest viscosity you would want. 5-30 was introduced with the BS LL01 spec.
Lots of experts on here ...›ðŸ™„
Know your BMW engines, and keep your vanos channels clean

The oil you recommended -- Red Line 5W-40 -- is as thick as any 15W-40 HDEO with its HTHS = 4.4 cP, if not thicker.

Why spend $$$ for oil for an old car that's worth no more than $5,000? Mobil Delvac 1300 Super 15W-40 is $10.97 a gallon at Walmart. I would use that in California in this car with 5,000-mile OCIs, and everything will stay clean. Rotella T6 15W-40 is a waste of money, as you probably don't want to do 10,000-mile OCIs with this car.
 
Originally Posted by 330indy
BMW owners- the M52/54 engines' double vanos likes clean oil and 5w40 (LL98) is the highest viscosity you would want. 5-30 was introduced with the BS LL01 spec.
Lots of experts on here ...›ðŸ™„
Know your BMW engines, and keep your vanos channels clean

15W-40 is not a higher viscosity than 5W-40 unless it is very cold.

If 5W-30 was "introduced with the BS LL01 spec" then why suggest a 40-grade oil at all?

Longlife oils are not BS as has already been shown to you here since you made that statement.

What does grade have to do with being "clean oil"?

As Gokhan notes, Redline has a very high HTHS. Way far away from any 5W-30.

Please stop posting nonsense.
 
Actually, the Redline is a 5W oil. At 32 degrees F its viscosity is "5."
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Olas
Originally Posted by jeepman3071
A thicker oil won't help if they bleed down overnight. You want oil that will reach them quickly upon cold start like a 0w40. Castrol 0w40 or Mobil 1 0w40 would be better choices than a HDEO like Rotella 15w40.


This is not correct. 0w/5w/10w/15w makes NO DIFFERNCE to how quickly the oil reaches any part of the engine - you have to remember that the oil pump is a *positive displacement* device so it will pump the same amount of oil every time it spins round - it doesnt care how think the oil is, it just pumps a fixed volume with every rotation. Thickness doesnt affect how fast oil gets to the top of the engine.



I agree with jeepman - a thicker oil will take longer to flow through the tiny holes in the lifters, especially when cold. The positive dispacement pump will always pump the same volume, but when cold more of it will end up going through the pressure relief valve in the pump, and possibly a second valve by the oil filter (the LS engine I'm familiar with has two such relief valves, don't know about BMW).
 
As an X5 owner I stick with the 5w-30. The Vanos can be a finicky mistress and expensive to repair.
 
Originally Posted by Aquamania
As an X5 owner I stick with the 5w-30. The Vanos can be a finicky mistress and expensive to repair.

I'd stick with the required approval and forget the grade which is irrelevant in light of the approval.
 
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