Mobil vs. Castrol: Battle of the Walmart 0W-40s

[1JZ_E46]

Given that the sump in my X5 holds 9 quarts and eats through about 2 quarts during the OCI, I've decided I need to start factoring cost into my oil changes. Right now, it is between Mobil 1 0W-40 "FS" and Castrol Edge 0W-40 (black bottle with fluid titanium). Both are ~$23 per 5 quart jug and are A3/B4 oils.

Castrol states it is "three times stronger against viscosity breakdown than the leading synthetic." Mobil 1 and Mobil 1 EP were included in that test (this was only for 5W-30 weight, though). Castrol also has its proprietary titanium additive, and it's used by Koenigsegg One:1 (1,341 horsepower...). The Mobil is a bit thinner, but with a high VI and better cold-start viscosity. I couldn't find any UOA results with the new M1 "FS" 0W-40. Since it is already starting as a thick 0W-30, I am concerned about it shearing down.

M1:
KV40: 71.0
KV100: 12.9
VI: 186

Castrol:
KV40: 79.3
KV100: 13.5
VI: 169

Would love to hear your opinions. It will be used during the winter here in Portland, OR: high 20F to high 30F in the morning.

 

[Quattro Pete]

FS no longer meets BMW LL-01 spec, which your engine calls for, if that matters.

Other than that, it's probably a coin toss.

Some people claim that M1 0w-40 makes their engines sound noisy. I guess you can try it and see for yourself.

 

[RooflessVW]

As said, Castrol meets LL01.

At least in my mind, that settles the argument.

 

[1JZ_E46]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
FS no longer meets BMW LL-01 spec, which your engine calls for, if that matters.


It bothered me at first, but now not so much. It is still Porsche and Merc approved, which are nearly equally stringent tests.

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
As said, Castrol meets LL01.

At least in my mind, that settles the argument.


See above.


If this was for a Mercedes V8 application, would you have a different answer?

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
FS no longer meets BMW LL-01 spec, which your engine calls for, if that matters.


It bothered me at first, but now not so much. It is still Porsche and Merc approved, which are nearly equally stringent tests.

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
As said, Castrol meets LL01.

At least in my mind, that settles the argument.


See above.


If this was for a Mercedes V8 application, would you have a different answer?


Yes, because it carries Mercedes approval. Actually, I'd probably still use Castrol because it carries the most approvals.

Does your BMW manaul say, "only use oil that is Mercedes 229.5 approved?"

 

[1JZ_E46]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Yes, because it carries Mercedes approval. Actually, I'd probably still use Castrol because it carries the most approvals.

Does your BMW manaul say, "only use oil that is Mercedes 229.5 approved?"


Look, I get the point you are trying to get across. I'm aware my manual says LL-01 required. That aside, I was asking for opinions on the two oils, as compared to eachother, and hopefully, for firsthand experience or UOAs. Please move along if you have neither.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Mobil 1 with the $10 rebate...

 

[1JZ_E46]

Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
Mobil 1 with the $10 rebate...


Is it $10 per 5 quarts or $10 for 5 quarts or more? If I were to purchase four 5-quart jugs, would I get $40 back? I also don't see Walmart on the participating retailers list... bummer.

 

[Nate1979]

$10 rebate per 5qt. Limit 2 rebates per household. Walmart works perfectly fine.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Yes, because it carries Mercedes approval. Actually, I'd probably still use Castrol because it carries the most approvals.

Does your BMW manaul say, "only use oil that is Mercedes 229.5 approved?"


Look, I get the point you are trying to get across. I'm aware my manual says LL-01 required. That aside, I was asking for opinions on the two oils, as compared to eachother, and hopefully, for firsthand experience or UOAs. Please move along if you have neither.


Well you're a ray of [censored] sunshine. Do you actually get my point?

I used M1 for years in all of my cars until it lost LL01 early this year, then I switched to Castrol. My 4.2 is quieter with the Castrol in the sump. Noticed no difference with it in the X3.

All you can really compare is approvals. People think star gazing with VOAs and UOAs mean something; they don't. The only guarantees of performance you have are SAE, ACEA, and OEM approvals.

If an oil meets the specifications set forth by your engine manufacturer, use it with confidence. If not, don't.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
The only guarantees of performance you have are SAE, ACEA, and OEM approvals.


Someone make this a sticky. Brilliant yet simple point.

 

[1JZ_E46]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I used M1 for years in all of my cars until it lost LL01 early this year, then I switched to Castrol. My 4.2 is quieter with the Castrol in the sump. Noticed no difference with it in the X3.


That was the sort of response I was looking for.

I understand the LL-01 spec issue you bring up, but we are talking about M1 0W-40 here, which is A40 and 229.5 rated... those rating usually also coincide with an LL-01 rating. It would be different if I was considering a Dexos 5W-30 in this comparison, which I'm not. Also, from what I can gather, it was the N20 engine test that caused the failure. I don't have a turbo, and I have 8 cylinders, not 4.

While I agree UOAs don't tell the whole story (especially with wear metals), they work fairly well to determine how well an oil stays in grade. I'm curious how well the M1, which starts out pretty light, stays in grade. From Castrol UOAs I can find show it staying in grade well.

 

[02s4audi]

I used m1 0w40 in my 02 audi s4. It seemed to work well no real complaints other than it seemed to make the engine loud. I then switched to castrol 0w40 just because and noticed instantly a quieter engine than m1. Also just seemed to run smoother with castrol. Based off my experience I would run castrol and not m1. Also castrol meets your manufacturer requirement

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
FS no longer meets BMW LL-01 spec, which your engine calls for, if that matters.

Other than that, it's probably a coin toss.

Some people claim that M1 0w-40 makes their engines sound noisy. I guess you can try it and see for yourself.

But others say it makes their engine quieter.

 

[RooflessVW]

I think one of the requirements of all these specifications IS shear stability... I wouldn't worry about them shearing out of grade.

 

[double vanos]

FWIW my Ecoboost 3.5 has been on the Castrol for almost 4 years with no problems whatsoever. It's a great oil!

 

[1JZ_E46]

I think the pendulum has swung towards Castrol for me. I can't find a bad UOA, it is LL-01 approved, it is supposedly "three times stronger against viscosity breakdown," and it has fluid titanium for increased film strength.

 

[FCD]

Mobil 1 0w40 seemed to be the darling of Bitog, has that changed?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: FordCapriDriver
Mobil 1 0w40 seemed to be the darling of Bitog, has that changed?

It dwindled a little bit, ever since XOM can't give us a straight answer why it no longer meets the BMW LL-01 spec, at least here in the US.

 

[1JZ_E46]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

It dwindled a little bit, ever since XOM can't give us a straight answer why it no longer meets the BMW LL-01 spec, at least here in the US.


It is very odd that it still carries no LL-01 certification. Certainly XOM can produce a 0W-40 that passes LL-01...