What oil to use on my 2006 BMW 325i?

[dreamweave12]

I know there is a lot of talk regarding what oil to use in BMWs if you aren't using their brand synthetic oil? I have searched through many online forums. My car just went out of warranty since it I just drove it over the 50,000 miles (currently at 54000) I live in South Florida so it does get in the 90s in the summer. I am planning on changing my oil every 7500 miles.

I know the below oils are approved with BMW Long-Life rating, but does it matter which one I pick? OR should I just buy whichever one below I can get the best deal on?

BMW Long-life rating LL-01 Approved Synthetic Oils for the US Market:

* Castrol Syntec European Formula SAE 0W-30

* Mobil 1 SAE 0W-40

* Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30

* Valvoline SynPower SAE 5W-30

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you!

PS What do you think of these oil drain valves www.qwikvalve.com. I just bought one. U think there is any risk in using one?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Either one of those would be fine. However, one note about Valvoline SynPower 5w-30 - this one doesn't actually meet the BMW spec. BMW's literature has a mistake there. The one that is LL-01 approved is SynPower 5w30 MST, but finding it may be a challenge. Same goes for PP Euro Formula - it only seems to exist on paper. So, for practical purposes, GC 0w-30 and M1 0w-40 are your main options here.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Syntec or Edge 10w-40 in FLA.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Edge 10w-40

No such thing.

 

[Trajan]

Stick with the GC or the M1.

 

[sprintman]

The Synpower listing is incorrect, it should be Synpowerr MST 5W30 or Synpower Euro Formula 5W30 which are both rarer than hens teeth. Again as long as the oil meets ACEA A3,B3 you can use what you like. E46 325CI here.

 

[Craig in Canada]

GC is a great oil, and I like the overall results with it better than M1 0W40 (although the latter is well respected) in my 528i.

However, if my Bimmer and I were in SOUTH FLORIDA, I'd probably be running 15W40 dino HDEO. You could make that 5W40 syn HDEO if you think you need better "cold" startup protection in South Florida or you want to extend OCIs.

You have no special engine or climate "challenges" in FL with a 325i.

 

[sprintman]

Yes you do. BMW's run exceptionally high sump temperatures around 105C and that is no place for a dino oil. Driven hard in Florida 130C could be seen and dino has long given up by then. As a member of 15 worldwide BMW forums I've seen way to many horrendously sludged BMW engines to remember, from people following 'advice' like this. I'll be kind and call it nonsensical, but I'd like to use stronger language which I won't.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Originally Posted By: sprintman
Yes you do. BMW's run exceptionally high sump temperatures around 105C and that is no place for a dino oil. Driven hard in Florida 130C could be seen and dino has long given up by then. As a member of 15 worldwide BMW forums I've seen way to many horrendously sludged BMW engines to remember, from people following 'advice' like this. I'll be kind and call it nonsensical, but I'd like to use stronger language which I won't.


N54s do (135/335/535), but I don't believe any of the more modest power plants have any issue with outrageous oil temperatures.

It gets pretty hot in turbo-powered diesels too, Sprintman, which is where the HDEOs are designed to operate. I didn't say to throw any old dino in there. It's nice of you to generalize about all "BMWs" into one category in such a manner.

 

[sprintman]

Yup they do. My indy shop wanted to see why so many sludged BMW's were coming in so set uop an E46 with sensors to check oil temperatures, needless to say they were amazed. On the U.S BMW forums (the best in the world by the way) there are scary pictures of sludged engines and not all were using dino I must admit. Again a BMW engine is expensive, oil and filters, particularly in the U.S are cheaper than dirt!

 

[Craig in Canada]

The only evidence I've seen of sludged BMWs (outside of the issues with the N54 turbos) has been full factory extended OCIs and short trips. That's it.

My E39 spans the same engine families as the E46 and there are no oil temperature problems in the M52, M52TU, M54 or M62 engine families that any of us have ever seen in street applications. I've changed M52 and M62 oil nearly straight off the "Interstate class" highway and it certainly isn't over 100C. Maybe I'll shoot an IR thermometer at the pan next time just for fun. We certainly haven't seen many sludge monster BMWs in NA - I don't know what's going on in Oz that it's so "common".

I stated that if *MY* Bimmer were in South Florida I would run 15W40 HDEO as it does just fine on it during my summers which go to 100F too (I've used it for ARX cycles, and this past summer for the heck of it and 1/3 the cost of GC). I would personally never run the factory extended intervals on any oil, certainly not dino. That was a given assumption of mine about the OP, but was unstated.

The point I was trying to make was that in South Florida, where cold starts aren't an issue, I would look at light 40 weights and not all of the 30s on the OP's list. There are lots of 5W40s to choose from if the OP chooses to stay synthetic - Delvac, Rotella, XD-3, Amsoil AFL, Castrol, M1 TDT.

In the de-tuned N52 in the 325i, I still contend that a good 15W40 dino HDEO would probably serve him just fine as well were he looking to avoid wasting money and changes it "often enough" - at least more often than the factory specs on LL-01/04 oils.

If the OP insists on running a 30, then my vote is for GC.

If the OP will run a 40, my vote is not for M1 0W40, but for at least a 5W40 since there is nothing close to winter to contend with.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Easy call, Florida? Any $2 15w-40 HD oil will work EXCELLENT at 5000-6000 miles. Apparently the TBN of HD oil exceeds even BMW synth, so maybe longer ocis are justified, but I would stay at 5k.

 

[smithsonga]

what about the Mobil 1 5w30 ESP that meets LL-04? Pepboys sells it now...isnt LL-04 better than LL-01?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
BMW recommends against LL-04 oils where fuel may contain ethanol.


If you're sure that gasoline in your area does not contains ethanol, then you can use M1 5w30 ESP or any other ESP formula oil.

 

[jaj]

Originally Posted By: sprintman
... oil and filters, particularly in the U.S are cheaper than dirt!


Because of the cost of compliance with environmental regulations, dirt has become prohibitively expensive for automotive use. Mobil 1 0w-40 is both cheaper and more environmentlally responsible. In fact, I'd recommend it every time.

 

[sprintman]

LL04 for Europe mot U.S.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Originally Posted By: smithsonga
what about the Mobil 1 5w30 ESP that meets LL-04? Pepboys sells it now...isnt LL-04 better than LL-01?



I don't have a BMW new enough to call for LL-04, but some things which I read indicated that it was focused more on chemical composition and the environment than on performance. This parallels the way that API SM specifies new, lower maximums for ZDDP and some other compounds which kill cat converters. I have no references to quote on hand.

 

[smithsonga]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
BMW recommends against LL-04 oils where fuel may contain ethanol.


If you're sure that gasoline in your area does not contains ethanol, then you can use M1 5w30 ESP or any other ESP formula oil.


Well, that wont work...all gas around here has ethanol

 

[oliveoil]

+1!

 

[sprintman]

LL01 for you.