Which oil and OCI for BMW B46O engine?

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I have this engine variant in a 2015 Mini Cooper S. The first two dealer services were 5w-30 LL01 oil and its final service this spring, it came back with the 0w-30 LL01FE listed. The 5w-30 was originally spec’d so the change caught my eye but I do t see any harm it.
 
Originally Posted By: gatorfast
Here is a good example. A quick search on BMWusa.com yields this result when searching for the M3 owners manual. It states you should only use LL-01FE oils but in a pinch, you can use up to 1qt of LL-01 oil if you are low. Then it goes on to recommend 0w30 for viscosity (which makes sense as that is BMW's LL-01FE offering) but also says 5w30, 0w40, and 5w40 are suitable as well. However there are no LL-01FE oils with 5w30, 0w40, or 5w40 viscosity grades to my knowledge, only LL-01 oils. So on one hand they are saying to only use LL-01 in an emergency if you get a low oil light and on the other they are saying its perfectly fine to use for a full fill.
Their advice on viscosity is worse than useless. Run whatchabrung. I surprised they left out 70-140.
 
Originally Posted By: gatorfast
Here is a good example. A quick search on BMWusa.com yields this result when searching for the M3 owners manual. It states you should only use LL-01FE oils but in a pinch, you can use up to 1qt of LL-01 oil if you are low. Then it goes on to recommend 0w30 for viscosity (which makes sense as that is BMW's LL-01FE offering) but also says 5w30, 0w40, and 5w40 are suitable as well. However there are no LL-01FE oils with 5w30, 0w40, or 5w40 viscosity grades to my knowledge, only LL-01 oils. So on one hand they are saying to only use LL-01 in an emergency if you get a low oil light and on the other they are saying its perfectly fine to use for a full fill.
There's probably isn't a market for LL01FE in grades other than 30. [censored], they were never sold in the US until recently and that specification has been around for almost 15 years. The viscosity grades aren't all that bad. Probably has something to do with M&M (The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) much like their use of the word "suitable". TBH I'm surprised this piece doesn't just specify ACEA A(C)x is required.
 
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Originally Posted By: bimmerdriver
The manual says the following: BMW Longlife-01 FE BMW Longlife-14 FE+ API SL API SM API SN SAE 0W-20 SAE 0W-30 In that order. The sticker on the underside of the hood says 0W-20 (nothing else).
In that case, I would highly recommend the LL-01 FE 0W-30 over the 0W-20.
 
Originally Posted By: BMWTurboDzl
OP: Don't obsess over it. 0w30 will be fine to use in a pinch. Enjoy that FWD BMW. wink
Dude, I'm not "obsessing" over it. BITOG is where people discuss oil. This discussion is about oil. And BTW, the car is AWD. wink
 
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Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: bimmerdriver
Is there any reason to think the factory fill isn't 0W-20? Should I change it before driving another 1500 kms or when I get back?
No idea what the factory fill is. Maybe the dealership or BMW USA can tell you. Drain it sooner rather than later, IMO.
I called the dealership to ask what the factory fill is. The guy had no idea what a factory fill is. He said the car doesn't need an oil change until 15k kms. I'll change it when I get home.
 
Originally Posted By: bimmerdriver
Originally Posted By: BMWTurboDzl
OP: Don't obsess over it. 0w30 will be fine to use in a pinch. Enjoy that FWD BMW. wink
Dude, I'm not "obsessing" over it. BITOG is where people discuss oil. This discussion is about oil. And BTW, the car is AWD. wink
Ya I know it's "AWD" but IIRC it is setup like a FWD w/AWD (eg Audi). Take a peek at let me know.
 
Originally Posted By: BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted By: bimmerdriver
Originally Posted By: BMWTurboDzl
OP: Don't obsess over it. 0w30 will be fine to use in a pinch. Enjoy that FWD BMW. wink
Dude, I'm not "obsessing" over it. BITOG is where people discuss oil. This discussion is about oil. And BTW, the car is AWD. wink
Ya I know it's "AWD" but IIRC it is setup like a FWD w/AWD (eg Audi). Take a peek at let me know.
I know it's a transverse layout. Just pushing back... You can't tell the front wheels are doing the work in stop and go traffic...
 
Originally Posted By: Bullwinkle007
You can run Castrol 0/40. Or order Castrol 0-30 on Amazon
Wrong. Oil must be LL-01 FE or LL-14 FE+... Castrol EDGE 0W-40/30 are LL-01 (ACEA A3/B4-based).
 
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Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Originally Posted By: Bullwinkle007
You can run Castrol 0/40. Or order Castrol 0-30 on Amazon
Wrong. Oil must be LL-01 FE or LL-14 FE+... Castrol EDGE 0W-40/30 are LL-01 (ACEA A3/B4-based).
It does not. This engine is also specd. for LL-01 in Europe. BMW actively pushing FE oils here in the U.S. due to heavy city usage by customers.
 
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Originally Posted By: Bullwinkle007
You can run Castrol 0/40. Or order Castrol 0-30 on Amazon
Wrong. Oil must be LL-01 FE or LL-14 FE+... Castrol EDGE 0W-40/30 are LL-01 (ACEA A3/B4-based).
It does not. This engine is also specd. for LL-01 in Europe. BMW actively pushing FE oils here in the U.S. due to heavy city usage by customers.
They are moving away from LL-01 in Europe as well. I wouldn't advocate for someone to sidestep their owners manual in a new car. I think that's disingenuous.
 
Quote:
They are moving away from LL-01 in Europe as well. I wouldn't advocate for someone to sidestep their owners manual in a new car. I think that's disingenuous.
Sure, due to warranty issues I would use what is in manual (I would not be surprised that LL-01 is there too as "in case" oil. However, after warranty I would never used FE oils in any of those engines, period.
 
LL-01 FE isn’t all that light. It’s your typical A5/B5 synthetic which has to pass all the same tests and thresholds as A3/B4 and LL-01. Would I use it on an older BMW engine? No. But I see no problem using it in a new B series engine designed to operate on a viscosity down to 0W-20.
 
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
LL-01 FE isn’t all that light. It’s your typical A5/B5 synthetic which has to pass all the same tests and thresholds as A3/B4 and LL-01. Would I use it on an older BMW engine? No. But I see no problem using it in a new B series engine designed to operate on a viscosity down to 0W-20.
The HTHS of LL-01 FE is up to 3.1 as it is in another oils fo that grade. ACEA is not particularly stringent in the first place. By the way BMW is using LL-01FE strictly in the US in N55 engines due to issues with excessive city driving. Yes in B engine one could go to 0W20, but can use HTHS 3.5 and above too as it is case in Europe. The question is why BMW is using 0W20? Better protection or CAFE? I do not think it is hard to figure out. Until I see hard driven B48 or B58 with 300k+ in good conditions using 0W20, I am at least staying clear of that in any future BMW I get.
 
I’m totally with you that LL-14 FE+ is only here for MPG-aspirations. Luckily the current administration has some common sense and is revising CAFE. My point was that LL-01 FE has to meet and pass everything in LL-01 and A3/B4. When given the option, though, I’d take LL-01 all day long.
 
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
I’m totally with you that LL-14 FE+ is only here for MPG-aspirations. Luckily the current administration has some common sense and is revising CAFE. My point was that LL-01 FE has to meet and pass everything in LL-01 and A3/B4. When given the option, though, I’d take LL-01 all day long.
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL Manufacturers do not like back and forth. I would say luckily there is CARB, so whatever they envisioned (and I highly doubt there is any vision there) will not work simply bcs CARB and 12 other states have too much grip on auto sales. What happens in CA matters. What happens in Oklahoma it does not.
 
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Originally Posted By: Bullwinkle007
You can run Castrol 0/40. Or order Castrol 0-30 on Amazon
Wrong. Oil must be LL-01 FE or LL-14 FE+... Castrol EDGE 0W-40/30 are LL-01 (ACEA A3/B4-based).
It does not. This engine is also specd. for LL-01 in Europe. BMW actively pushing FE oils here in the U.S. due to heavy city usage by customers.
FYI, the B46 engine is only used in NA X1 and X2, at least according to realoem. (I looked up the p/n for the short block of the engine in my vehicle.)
 
Originally Posted By: bimmerdriver
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Originally Posted By: Bullwinkle007
You can run Castrol 0/40. Or order Castrol 0-30 on Amazon
Wrong. Oil must be LL-01 FE or LL-14 FE+... Castrol EDGE 0W-40/30 are LL-01 (ACEA A3/B4-based).
It does not. This engine is also specd. for LL-01 in Europe. BMW actively pushing FE oils here in the U.S. due to heavy city usage by customers.
FYI, the B46 engine is only used in NA X1 and X2, at least according to realoem. (I looked up the p/n for the short block of the engine in my vehicle.)
That just one of the versions of the same engine. BMW introduced modular engines and in reality now you have three engines, 3cyl version, 4 cyl version and 6 cyl version (I think V8 is coming in 2020). Whatever oil is possible to use in B48, you can use in B46. In EU recommended oil is BMW LL04 (duel to low sulfur in gas) or LL-01. Same thing goes for B58 6cyl.
 
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