Thinking of trying 20w50 Valvoline Maxlife synthetic blend in my older BMW. It is a 95 525i 6 cylinder with 183,000 miles. I have always heard that BMWs like heavier oil.
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opinion of Maxlife 20w50 in older BMW
- Thread starter Russell
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An older BMW???
Hah, I used to run 20W50 in my 1967 BMW in the old "thick oil" days, at least in the summer. Winter starts, anything below about 0 were impossible. Switching to 10W30 would give easy starts down to -20f. I got caught several years with the first cold spell, having to be jumpered, pushed, etc, finally just gave up and ran 10W30 year around.
Maybe if your motor is a smoking oil burner I would run 20W50, but if it does not burn lots of oil........ why?
I am still running 0W20 at 300K miles with my current cars, and they would seem to be lesser vehicles than BMW's!!
Hah, I used to run 20W50 in my 1967 BMW in the old "thick oil" days, at least in the summer. Winter starts, anything below about 0 were impossible. Switching to 10W30 would give easy starts down to -20f. I got caught several years with the first cold spell, having to be jumpered, pushed, etc, finally just gave up and ran 10W30 year around.
Maybe if your motor is a smoking oil burner I would run 20W50, but if it does not burn lots of oil........ why?
I am still running 0W20 at 300K miles with my current cars, and they would seem to be lesser vehicles than BMW's!!
Overkill. Try a 10w-40 HM, that's a thick oil.
20W50 is the standard oil for older BMW's worldwide. That what the local BMW dealer would use when I had them change the oil in the summer (10W30 for winter) I use 15W40 in mine just so I get better fuel economy, however I only have 63,000 miles on it. Next oil (in stash) will be 20W50 GTX and then Pennzoil 5W50. Both of which I bought on sale for $2 per liter. I am a big believer in thicker oil for high miles cars
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Hermann
Site Donor 2023
Works great in older BMW motorcycles also, and really does help oil leaks.
I'd use a 15W-40 HDEO instead.
Originally Posted By: Russell
Thinking of trying 20w50 Valvoline Maxlife synthetic blend in my older BMW. It is a 95 525i 6 cylinder with 183,000 miles. I have always heard that BMWs like heavier oil.
What are you running now and why isn't it working? Are you experiencing leaks?
Have you tried Rotella T6 in it yet?
Thinking of trying 20w50 Valvoline Maxlife synthetic blend in my older BMW. It is a 95 525i 6 cylinder with 183,000 miles. I have always heard that BMWs like heavier oil.
What are you running now and why isn't it working? Are you experiencing leaks?
Have you tried Rotella T6 in it yet?
The Maxlife HM blend 10W-40 would work fine.
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Russell
Thinking of trying 20w50 Valvoline Maxlife synthetic blend in my older BMW. It is a 95 525i 6 cylinder with 183,000 miles. I have always heard that BMWs like heavier oil.
What are you running now and why isn't it working? Are you experiencing leaks?
Have you tried Rotella T6 in it yet?
Currently running 5w50 castrol syntec. This is sort of an experiment as I do not believe my vanos(variable valve timing)is advancing timing at lower rpm due to worn/aged seals. Just wondering if heavier oil (hence the 20 weight) will make it respond more correctly. However, it may have the opposite effect.
I also have what sounds like lifter tap on a warm engine after a oil fill has been in the car around 3,500 miles??? I want to see ethe effect of the heavier oil. May make the lifter tap worse. Just experimenting a bit.
have not tried Rotalla T-6. What weight is that oil?
Originally Posted By: Russell
Thinking of trying 20w50 Valvoline Maxlife synthetic blend in my older BMW. It is a 95 525i 6 cylinder with 183,000 miles. I have always heard that BMWs like heavier oil.
What are you running now and why isn't it working? Are you experiencing leaks?
Have you tried Rotella T6 in it yet?
Currently running 5w50 castrol syntec. This is sort of an experiment as I do not believe my vanos(variable valve timing)is advancing timing at lower rpm due to worn/aged seals. Just wondering if heavier oil (hence the 20 weight) will make it respond more correctly. However, it may have the opposite effect.
I also have what sounds like lifter tap on a warm engine after a oil fill has been in the car around 3,500 miles??? I want to see ethe effect of the heavier oil. May make the lifter tap worse. Just experimenting a bit.
have not tried Rotalla T-6. What weight is that oil?
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Originally Posted By: Russell
Currently running 5w50 castrol syntec. This is sort of an experiment as I do not believe my vanos(variable valve timing)is advancing timing at lower rpm due to worn/aged seals. Just wondering if heavier oil (hence the 20 weight) will make it respond more correctly. However, it may have the opposite effect.
Yeah, I've read some opinions that Vanos does not like very thick oil, but it may have just been an unsubstantiated claim.
FYI, my Vanos seals may be on their way out as well... my idle is becoming more rough on cold starts lately.
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have not tried Rotalla T-6. What weight is that oil?
5w-40.
Currently running 5w50 castrol syntec. This is sort of an experiment as I do not believe my vanos(variable valve timing)is advancing timing at lower rpm due to worn/aged seals. Just wondering if heavier oil (hence the 20 weight) will make it respond more correctly. However, it may have the opposite effect.
Yeah, I've read some opinions that Vanos does not like very thick oil, but it may have just been an unsubstantiated claim.
FYI, my Vanos seals may be on their way out as well... my idle is becoming more rough on cold starts lately.
Quote:
have not tried Rotalla T-6. What weight is that oil?
5w-40.
Been using a 50/50 blend of 20W-50 MaxLife & SynPower in the '91 420SEL for the last 10K or so... 6.6K OCI's.
Gas mileage on the last two tanks of mid-grade was 21.0 and 20.3 mpg for mostly highway miles. Consumption has been good, too, at about a quart (total) added between changes.
I just use my stockpile of $0.99 Formula Shell, Chevron Supreme or Havoline dino 20W-50 to get the oil level between the two red beads on the dipstick.
I would not hesitate to use 20W-50 year-round in almost any German car of that era, except in the coldest of locations.
Cheers!
Gas mileage on the last two tanks of mid-grade was 21.0 and 20.3 mpg for mostly highway miles. Consumption has been good, too, at about a quart (total) added between changes.
I just use my stockpile of $0.99 Formula Shell, Chevron Supreme or Havoline dino 20W-50 to get the oil level between the two red beads on the dipstick.
I would not hesitate to use 20W-50 year-round in almost any German car of that era, except in the coldest of locations.
Cheers!
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