Mobil1 0w-40 FS, 2003 BMW 330Ci 10,000 mile

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Here are the last two UOAs on my 2003 BMW 330Ci at about 140,000 miles.
Particle counts for a Mahle and Mobil 1 filter.
I am running a WIX XP filter and hope to have a UOA / particle count in a year or two
smile.gif

(Blackstone charges $14 more for the particle count with a UOA)

Seems like the M1 filter did better between 4 and 20 microns.
I did have the usual Oil Filter housing leak during the last OCI, seems better now
smile.gif

Replaced the thermostat and expansion tank during the 4/30/16 oci.

I believe the Blackstone Averages are for about 6,000 miles.
My averages are from 20 UOAs from about 20K to 140K miles on the car.
My average OCI has been about 6600 miles.
For the last 7 years I have been averaging closer to 8,000 miles per OCI.

Code
+-----------+-------------------+-------------+----------+---------+

| 2003 | BMW 330 Ci | | | |

| | | | | |

| | Miles on oil | 7935 | 10815 | |

| | Total miles | 132,935 | 143750 | |

| | Date | 4/30/2016 | 9/5/2018 | |

| | Make up oil | 0.8 | 3.0 | |

| | Oil Brand | Mobil 1 | Mobil 1 | |

| | Weight | 0w-40 | 0w-40 | |

| | | 11427512300 | | |

| Universal | Filter | Mahle | Mobil1 | My |

| Averages | | OX 154/1D | M1C-252 | Average |

| 4 | ALUMINUM | 7 | 3 | 3.5 |

| 0 | CHROMIUM | 0 | 0 | 0.1 |

| 15 | IRON | 23 | 27 | 11.6 |

| 9 | COPPER | 23 | 13 | 17.2 |

| 4 | LEAD | 6 | 4 | 1.9 |

| 1 | TIN | 1 | 0 | 0.4 |

| 91 | MOLYBDENUM | 92 | 73 | 141.3 |

| 1 | NICKEL | 1 | 0 | 0.5 |

| 1 | MANGANESE | 4 | 2 | 2.6 |

| 0 | SILVER | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |

| 2 | TITANIUM | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |

| 3 | POTASSIUM | 42 | 11 | 8.4 |

| 60 | BORON | 108 | 157 | 27.8 |

| 5 | SILICON | 6 | 5 | 5.6 |

| 13 | SODIUM | 11 | 8 | 8.0 |

| 2331 | CALCIUM | 2399 | 2792 | 2479.2 |

| 167 | MAGNESIUM | 17 | 17 | 121.4 |

| 835 | PHOSPHORUS | 789 | 910 | 946.6 |

| 989 | ZINC | 941 | 1018 | 1151.2 |

| 0 | BARIUM | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |

| | | | | |

| | SUS @ 210F | 70.7 | 67.8 | |

| | cSt @ 100C | 13.15 | 12.38 | |

| | Flashpoint F | 380 | 380 | |

| | Fuel % |
| | Antifreeze % | ??? | 0 | |

| | Water % | 0 | 0 | |

| | Insolubles % | 0.3 | 0.2 | |

| | TBN | 1.8 | na | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | ISO Code (2) | 23/16 | 22/14 | |

| | NAS 1638 Class | 12 | 12 | |

| | ISO Code (3) | 24/23/16 | 24/22/14 | |

| | SAE AS4059 cpc | 12 | 12 | |

| | 4 Micron µm(c) | 143566 | 129901 | |

| | 6 Micron µm(c) | 55703 | 35285 | |

| | 14 Micron µm(c) | 411 | 84 | |

| | 21 Micron µm(c) | 74 | 44 | |

| | 38 Micron µm(c) | 6 | 23 | |

| | 70 Micron µm(c) | 0 | 7 | |

| | total particles | 199760 | 165344 | |

| | total wear metals | 60 | 47 | |

+-----------+-------------------+-------------+----------+---------+
 
The '03 models (M54B30) had known problems with oil filter housing leaks? Wow, BMW actually continued that weakness with the next engine, the N52 as well. You'd think the geniuses in germany would have fixed the issue by then. .......UOA looks basically OK. Iron is trending higher, which could mean loosening of the timing chain pins or something like that, very hard to say for a high-ish mileage engine such as this.

Originally Posted by Bjornviken
please use a ---> BMW LL01div>
Understandable concern. Likely makes no difference at all though. If it was me, I might be trying to use a high-moly oil such as Redline in a BMW off-warranty and with some miles on the timing chain, rings, etc. in hopes of getting some better surface tribofilms.
 
Last edited:
The E46 BMW has probably fallen off the Mobil 1 marketing target segment.
Mobil 1 does not have any oil that currently meets LL-01.
I doubt they will pay to get the LL-01 17 year old certification for 12+ year old cars if BMW even still offers the certification.

Wear rates except iron were about the same with Red Line 0w-30 and 0w-40 with high moly.
The Red Line 5w-40 without high moly (diesel rated) seemed to show the least wear.
Most of my other UOAs are posted here somewhere
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted by shanneba
I doubt they will pay to get the LL-01 17 year old certification for 12+ year old cars if BMW even still offers the certification.
BMW these days seems to be having dealers put in a lot of LL-01FE (HTHS 3.0) and LL-14FE+ (HTHS 2.7) oil in newer vehicles, according to a BMW technician that posted here a while back. The high-HTHS LL-01 is still used in some newer BMW engines, I think, not sure which ones exactly, since even a 2017 M4 (example) with the blown six takes 0w-30 LL-01FE these days.

Suggestion: Try Pennzoil Ultra SRT 0w40 (not the Euro formula one), the Hellcat SRT oil. Why? BMW has used it (maybe still does?) it in motorsports, and it does have 275 ppm moly. Very good oil and will do at least as well as M1 0w40. Here was a previous thread that discussed it:

Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Penske & Pennzoil have been partnered a while. Pennzoil has advertised use of PUP SRT 0w40 in Helio's Indycar for about 4 years(?) I think.
Interesting, I would have expected them to use the Euro 5w-40 or 0w-40
21.gif
That's the typical choice. M1 0w-40 was somewhat notorious for its presence at the 24hrs of Daytona just as an example.
It gets even weirder: BMW racing even uses PUP SRT 0w40.
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
BMW Motorsports RLL has used the SRT "hellcat" engine oil before, the Pennzoil Ultra 0w40 SRT oil, also re-branded Mopar dealership oil. ... It has 275 ppm moly."In 2015, Pennzoil® became the Premium Technology Partner for BMW Motorsport. BMW Team RLL uses Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ with PurePlus™ Technology in both BMW Z4 vehicles competing in the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship GTLM field." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaLGIZHO9Y0 ...So I'd guess it likes BMW/Mini engines too, but of course not LL-01 officially.
 
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Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
The '03 models (M54B30) had known problems with oil filter housing leaks? Wow, BMW actually continued that weakness with the next engine, the N52 as well. You'd think the geniuses in germany would have fixed the issue by then.



The OFHG leak continues to this day. Typically it's replaced at least once maybe twice during the lifetime of the vehicle. I suspect BMW purposely saves $$ on the gasket material and simultaneously throws the dealers a bone in the form of a $600-$800 repair.

By-the-book repair for the OFHG includes coolant flush, new gaskets for intake manifold (manifold needs to be removed in order to reach one of three nuts holding the OFHG to the block). DIY'ers typically save money by never just loosening the manifold and not replacing the manifold gasket and then just bleed/top off the coolant. The gaskets for the OFH itself run about $25USD.
 
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interesting, Is it really dusty in your area. I test unfiltered gear boxes cleaner than that.
the last batch of m1 oil I baselined had a start particle count of 19/16/11.
 
A gear box would not have to deal with any combustion byproducts.

The Mobil 1 filter seems to have done a little better.
According to Mobil 1's help line it is rated as Mobil1 M1C-252 20 microns 99.90% 10 microns 57%


I have several particle counts from another engine and they run similar to the BMW.
If I was getting dust into the engine I would expect the silicone level in the UOA to be higher.
 
To add fuel to the fire, the oil filter housing gasket has been a problem since the M50 came out in 1990. My 92 525i needed it twice, although its not a bad job on them, especially when doing an alternator or P/S pump. Like someone said, its gotta be a way for them to make easy money. And when the N20 came out in 2011-2012, they had a PLASTIC oil filter housing, that would warp and actually lose oil pressure, so had to go back to the metal housing after a huge recall. They have been going downhill since 2006. I had to replace a $1800 USED (plus labor) active differential on an X6 the other day, just an insane overly complicated diff that uses clutch packs to control power application.
 
I changed the OFHG in my n54 in about an hour for $9. I changed the o-rings on my oil cooler too, since I have to remove the lines every time I work on anything on the front of the motor.

It's really not that bad if you stay on top of it. If you don't, problems arise. If the OFHG leaks on to the belt, which it will because it's right above it, the belt will break. If that happens, it can wrap around the crank, get sucked in past the seal, and do one of two things: it can block the pickup, and it can jam up in the timing gears. Since the timing gears are PRESSED on and only held by the friction of the crank bolt, it's not that hard for the belt material to pull the gears out of time. Which means the valves go out of time. Pucker up if that happens.

The moral of the story is don't let small problems turn into huge ones.
 
Originally Posted by shanneba
I did have the usual Oil Filter housing leak during the last OCI
Originally Posted by antonmnster
I changed the OFHG in my n54...
Originally Posted by Audios
...the oil filter housing gasket has been a problem since the M50 came out in 1990. My 92 525i needed it twice, ....
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
You'd think the geniuses in germany would have fixed the issue by then.
The OFHG leak continues to this day.


Over the many years, other car brands have fixed issues, given 3 years or so. BMW is supposed to be an expensive brand. One day BMW will realize it is important to not tick off the owners at trade-in time.
 
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Originally Posted by shanneba
I did have the usual Oil Filter housing leak during the last OCI
Originally Posted by antonmnster
I changed the OFHG in my n54...
Originally Posted by Audios
...the oil filter housing gasket has been a problem since the M50 came out in 1990. My 92 525i needed it twice, ....
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
You'd think the geniuses in germany would have fixed the issue by then.
The OFHG leak continues to this day.


Over the many years, other car brands have fixed issues, given 3 years or so. BMW is supposed to be an expensive brand. One day BMW will realize it is important to not tick off the owners at trade-in time.


BMW's selection of gasket and seal material baffles me. They use butyl rubber instead of silicone and the results are predictably awful.
 
Originally Posted by shanneba
The E46 BMW has probably fallen off the Mobil 1 marketing target segment.
Mobil 1 does not have any oil that currently meets LL-01.
I doubt they will pay to get the LL-01 17 year old certification for 12+ year old cars if BMW even still offers the certification.

Wear rates except iron were about the same with Red Line 0w-30 and 0w-40 with high moly.
The Red Line 5w-40 without high moly (diesel rated) seemed to show the least wear.
Most of my other UOAs are posted here somewhere
smile.gif


LL-01 is still active. Various FE specifications are mostly pushed in the US.
Getting oil approved for LL-01 is not expensive and runs at around $5000.

Mobil1 has LL-04 specifications which are HTHS 3.5cp or higher and are recommended for gas vehicles also in Europe. Probably Mobil1 decided not to offer LL-01 together with LL01.
One can get Castrol 0W40 in Wal mart which has LL01 approval. By the way, LL01 is not 17 years old. It was updated numerous times.
 
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