What engine oil do most 50i owners use?

[Stev_chu]

What are the better engine oil for the 50i?

Thanks in advance

[r33_RGSport]

Use OEM. It is special blend made for BMW.

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by Stev_chu

What are the better engine oil for the 50i?

Thanks in advance

I assume you are under warranty still? Then just let BMW dealer replace it. I would highly recommend doing a oil change in between BMW dealer visits. That way you can cut down interval by half. I would never do this for any other engine, but 50i will benefit from it (and valve stem seals will thank you too). Our engines (n63tu) are a known oil killers and oil change interval is critical. Ideally 5k interval is best. I know people who change oil every 4k even - but they are in NYC in stop-n-Go traffic constantly including cold winter starts with car parked outside etc. For normal usage 5-6k interval should be fine.
I would go with LL-01 oil (there are several out there) that has either ester base or even better alkylated naphthalene:
1. Red Line 0w-40 (this is the best there is IMHO)
2. Castrol 0w-40 (good old tried and true)

This is all just my subjective opinion (but based on countless research regarding our n63tu engine issues)

[Stev_chu]

Originally Posted by DuSh

I assume you are under warranty still? Then just let BMW dealer replace it. I would highly recommend doing a oil change in between BMW dealer visits. That way you can cut down interval by half. I would never do this for any other engine, but 50i will benefit from it (and valve stem seals will thank you too). Our engines (n63tu) are a known oil killers and oil change interval is critical. Ideally 5k interval is best. I know people who change oil every 4k even - but they are in NYC in stop-n-Go traffic constantly including cold winter starts with car parked outside etc. For normal usage 5-6k interval should be fine.
I would go with LL-01 oil (there are several out there) that has either ester base or even better alkylated naphthalene:
1. Red Line 0w-40 (this is the best there is IMHO)
2. Castrol 0w-40 (good old tried and true)

This is all just my subjective opinion (but based on countless research regarding our n63tu engine issues)

Thanks a lot..I am under warranty but I don't have the maintenance service warranty..do different engine oil affect the engines performance?

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by Stev_chu

Thanks a lot..I am under warranty but I don't have the maintenance service warranty..do different engine oil affect the engines performance?

In that case I would buy in bulk and do oil changes every 5-7k or if you are in a lot of stop-n-go traffic it's better to rely on motor hours instead of miles driven, but I'm not sure if x5 has that indicator anywhere in the menu (I know it can be read using OBDII scanner). Usually 200 motor hours is the good interval to change oil, especially if you have majority of your driving in the city rather than highway. Highway driving is the best for 50i, but you need to WOT (wide open throttle) occasionally to really burn those deposits and build-ups

50i is a high-performance engine by BMW classification (that is what number "3" stands for in engine code) and is twin-turbo and direct injection - all this makes it sensitive to oil and fuel - there's nothing else that cleans and lubricates internals - only oil and fuel

Additives in oil and in general ability of oil to properly lubricate engine deteriorates with heat and time. 50i is a high temperature loaded engine - it can destroy oil faster than other engines and bad things will follow. Previous engines like n62 and partially n63 had rod bearings issue - expensive to fix. Valve stem seals issue is another example of expensive repair. Majority of this issues were due to not adequate oil supply and/or oil that was not lubricating internals as it was intended. Frequent oil changes guarantee fresh oil and additives to rejuvenate seals and lubricate everything properly. It's a lot cheaper than dealing with issues down the road - this is the only reason I do my oil changes twice as frequently as BMW maintenance schedule requires. It's worth mentioning here that n63tu engine design has a 2 huge cats positioned right behind the turbos at the back of engine. Distance from cats to valves is like couple inches! Heat from those cats is around 750F at idle and 1300F at spirited driving
I'm not an expert and once again this is just my opinion. You can read about n63tu engine and make your own conclusions

To sum up - it's not necessarily performance that we are looking in oil, but a longer life of engine imho (to answer your question - in terms of performance you won't notice difference between a good and so-so oil)
With that been said LL-01 oil like a Castrol 0w-40 is a good starting point

This is the oil filter wrench you'll need: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ilpage_o04_s00

This is oil filter Mann (IMHO the best filter): https://www.bavauto.com/catalog/prod...ive50i-4516130

This is the Castrol 0w-40 oil that I use (you'll need 2 jags of it since 50i takes 9.5L of oil with filter change): https://www.amazon.com/Castrol-03101...=castrol+0w-40

As you can see it comes to total: around $80 + tool you'll buy one time. It's fairly simple to change oil on 50i: both filter and oil drain plug are under the engine easily accessible if you are up to a DIY. IMHO it's a small price to pay for longevity of your engine (price for used complete n63tu engine alone without swap labor is north of $14k and new one from BMW is just ridiculous price)

[Maverik259]

any thoughts on Mobil 0w-40? I used that religously on my AMG and never had a single issue through 130k miles. it is what AMG recommended at the start but then moved to cheaper standard 5w-20 blends (but pretty sure that was more a dealership thing than anything from AMG) I also did every one of my oil changes myself at 7k mile intervals.

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

any thoughts on Mobil 0w-40? I used that religously on my AMG and never had a single issue through 130k miles. it is what AMG recommended at the start but then moved to cheaper standard 5w-20 blends (but pretty sure that was more a dealership thing than anything from AMG) I also did every one of my oil changes myself at 7k mile intervals.

Yes, Mobil 0w-40 is another top tier oil and I would not hesitate to use it in 50i

[Stev_chu]

Originally Posted by DuSh

Yes, Mobil 0w-40 is another top tier oil and I would not hesitate to use it in 50i

You mean mobile 1 oil?

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by Stev_chu

You mean mobile 1 oil?

yes

[Stev_chu]

Originally Posted by DuSh

yes

Ok..Thanks

[Stev_chu]

Originally Posted by DuSh

In that case I would buy in bulk and do oil changes every 5-7k or if you are in a lot of stop-n-go traffic it's better to rely on motor hours instead of miles driven, but I'm not sure if x5 has that indicator anywhere in the menu (I know it can be read using OBDII scanner). Usually 200 motor hours is the good interval to change oil, especially if you have majority of your driving in the city rather than highway. Highway driving is the best for 50i, but you need to WOT (wide open throttle) occasionally to really burn those deposits and build-ups

50i is a high-performance engine by BMW classification (that is what number "3" stands for in engine code) and is twin-turbo and direct injection - all this makes it sensitive to oil and fuel - there's nothing else that cleans and lubricates internals - only oil and fuel

Additives in oil and in general ability of oil to properly lubricate engine deteriorates with heat and time. 50i is a high temperature loaded engine - it can destroy oil faster than other engines and bad things will follow. Previous engines like n62 and partially n63 had rod bearings issue - expensive to fix. Valve stem seals issue is another example of expensive repair. Majority of this issues were due to not adequate oil supply and/or oil that was not lubricating internals as it was intended. Frequent oil changes guarantee fresh oil and additives to rejuvenate seals and lubricate everything properly. It's a lot cheaper than dealing with issues down the road - this is the only reason I do my oil changes twice as frequently as BMW maintenance schedule requires. It's worth mentioning here that n63tu engine design has a 2 huge cats positioned right behind the turbos at the back of engine. Distance from cats to valves is like couple inches! Heat from those cats is around 750F at idle and 1300F at spirited driving
I'm not an expert and once again this is just my opinion. You can read about n63tu engine and make your own conclusions

To sum up - it's not necessarily performance that we are looking in oil, but a longer life of engine imho (to answer your question - in terms of performance you won't notice difference between a good and so-so oil)
With that been said LL-01 oil like a Castrol 0w-40 is a good starting point

This is the oil filter wrench you'll need: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ilpage_o04_s00

This is oil filter Mann (IMHO the best filter): https://www.bavauto.com/catalog/prod...ive50i-4516130

This is the Castrol 0w-40 oil that I use (you'll need 2 jags of it since 50i takes 9.5L of oil with filter change): https://www.amazon.com/Castrol-03101...=castrol+0w-40

As you can see it comes to total: around $80 + tool you'll buy one time. It's fairly simple to change oil on 50i: both filter and oil drain plug are under the engine easily accessible if you are up to a DIY. IMHO it's a small price to pay for longevity of your engine (price for used complete n63tu engine alone without swap labor is north of $14k and new one from BMW is just ridiculous price)

Thanks for such useful informations..

[RFGuy_KCCO]

Originally Posted by DuSh

Yes, Mobil 0w-40 is another top tier oil and I would not hesitate to use it in 50i

Keep in mind that Mobil 1 0w-40 is no longer LL-01 certified, so if that matters to anyone they should use the Castrol 0w-40 instead, as that is LL-01 certified.

[turboawd]

Originally Posted by BMWDude49120

Keep in mind that Mobil 1 0w-40 is no longer LL-01 certified, so if that matters to anyone they should use the Castrol 0w-40 instead, as that is LL-01 certified.

i doubt mobil changed its formulation. bmw probably changed their LL-01 specs. or it probably has to do with bmw switching from castrol to shell/penzoil for their oil supplier.

[iconoclast]

OEM BMW TT 0w30 as stated on the vehicle in the engine bay.

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by iconoclast

OEM BMW TT 0w30 as stated on the vehicle in the engine bay.

That's an excellent oil too. It's a Shell oil based on GTL oils and their Infinium line. Oil analysis (on oilclub forums) yielded very good results (which is not always the case with OEM)

The only downside is that it's more expensive (for what it is - a re-branded Shell oil with a BMW luxury tax), but for someone on free maintenance plan - it's excellent!
Just my opinion

[iconoclast]

I purchase a few just to have on hand if I ever need one but I also use Shell Helix 10w60 for the E46 M3 and Rotella for other applications. I used to purchase Castrol Edge (EF) which is not available in the US and worth every penny to me. Maintenance plan alone is not the reason I go with it since I purchase Shell for my other vehicles.

[Stev_chu]

Originally Posted by DuSh

That's an excellent oil too. It's a Shell oil based on GTL oils and their Infinium line. Oil analysis (on oilclub forums) yielded very good results (which is not always the case with OEM)

The only downside is that it's more expensive (for what it is - a re-branded Shell oil with a BMW luxury tax), but for someone on free maintenance plan - it's excellent!
Just my opinion

Dush..any thoughts on mobile 1 5w-30s?

[turboawd]

Originally Posted by Stev_chu

Dush..any thoughts on mobile 1 5w-30s?

walmart sells castrol 0w-40 european oil. meets bmw spec.
$25 for 5qt jug. but $8 if you buy single quarts...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Castrol-E...-5-QT/35931146

[Stev_chu]

Originally Posted by turboawd

walmart sells castrol 0w-40 european oil. meets bmw spec.
$25 for 5qt jug. but $8 if you buy single quarts...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Castrol-E...-5-QT/35931146

Thank you..the mechanic I went to put in mobile1 5w30 full synthetic..do I need to redo my engine oil again?

[sj22]

Originally Posted by Stev_chu

Thank you..the mechanic I went to put in mobile1 5w30 full synthetic..do I need to redo my engine oil again?

Not really, unless you are in true upstate new york where its consistently below freezing and you park outside and need a cold start and go.

the winter numbers 0w vs. 5w matter really much below freezing.

[puckybadger]

Oil is cheap so don't be cheap. Use OEM

[alphaod]

BMW seems to have changed the oil requirements a bit from 5W30 to 0W30.

I would buy the BMW 0W30 from the dealer if you have a good relationship with the parts department (AKA they can give a good price), otherwise Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5W30 is available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZEK6Z64/

(Current BMW oil is rebranded from Shell Helix Ultra which is sold in the US under the Pennzoil Platinum Euro brand)

Just FYI, BMW sells oil in Liters whereas the Pennzoil is sold in Quarts.

You need 9 L or 9.5 Qt for one change.

Here's the filter if you are looking also:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AFVT5OQ/