OEM 0W-30 ?? What are you using?

[Yuille36]

Originally Posted by Chilled

I would say the biggest thing is change the oil frequently. Aim for every 6mth/5000km. Do check the level occasionally, just so you can see it drop and add as needed. Don't rely on the car telling you because if you got on a shorter/ spirited drive, it may not auto detect in time.

This is advice that I live by. And my next oil change is in October.

[I Luv BMW]

Originally Posted by Chilled

I would say the biggest thing is change the oil frequently. Aim for every 6mth/5000km. Do check the level occasionally, just so you can see it drop and add as needed. Don't rely on the car telling you because if you got on a shorter/ spirited drive, it may not auto detect in time.

BTW, looks like Motul X-Cess Gen 2 is now officially been imported. You should be able to ask autobarn to get you some or the online retailers.

Good advice. Checking the oil level after a longish drive is something I needed to get into the habit of doing, maybe at least once a week. Note sure how long I will keep the car but not leaving it to chance this time. I have now completely ingrained the habit of leaving the hood open after a long/spirited drive to get the heat out, courtesy of Sophisticated Redneck lol!

Just got my first oil change after about 2,500km post new engine (along with rear diff and transfer case fluids). Filled with Castrol Edge 0w-40. Going forward I will aim for 5,000km - 6,000km OCI and will also consider changing to the Shell Helix 5w-40 LL01 or maybe Motul X-Cess Gen 2 if I can get it.

[I Luv BMW]

So I measured the oil after a 45min drive.

Questions:
- Should that meter/bar ever be at the very max?
- At what point (before the low engine oil warning) should I be topping up in between oil changes? E.g., when it gets down to halfway?
- Assuming I top up at the halfway point, how do I know how much to top up? When the low engin oil warning comes up, it says to top up at least 1 litre. Would 1 litre be too much to top up at the halfway point?

[Yuille36]

To each his own, but whenever the vehicle indicates that my oil level is low, I immediate top it off regardless. Typically, I only need about 1 Qt/Liter of oil.
I always keep it at the max level. And I don't want my vehicle being starved of oil, and parts are expensive to replace, especially turbos. If you wait until the oil level is halfway, I will theorize that you would require at least 2 liters.
As for me, I always keep 2 Qt/Liters of oil in my vehicle at all times. Especially useful if you're on a long road trip and the next service center is 100 miles away.

[Djhumvee]

Originally Posted by I Luv BMW

So I measured the oil after a 45min drive.

Questions:
- Should that meter/bar ever be at the very max?
- At what point (before the low engine oil warning) should I be topping up in between oil changes? E.g., when it gets down to halfway?
- Assuming I top up at the halfway point, how do I know how much to top up? When the low engin oil warning comes up, it says to top up at least 1 litre. Would 1 litre be too much to top up at the halfway point?

1: yes, max just means full.

2: whenever it's below max

3: pretty sure the volume of oil between min and max is 2 liters, so if at the halfway point add 1 liter.

[I Luv BMW]

Thanks for the replies folks, this is very helpful. It would have been good if idrive showed the actual quantity (in numbers) remaining. Is it possible to get this info via Bimmerlink?

How are people determining how much to top up? E.g., how many quarts/litres between the "max" line and the very top of the bar - i.e., the unhighlighted portion in the above photo?

Edit: should the oil even be up to top bar (i.e., past the "max" line)? Or would that be indicative of overfill?

Edit 2: just answered my question from another thread.

[bert2stone]

I used Millers Oils EE Performance C3 5W-30 during the previous change at 13K KM, the engine noise went little down comparing the previous BMW LL04.

Now at 20K KM I will use the same, the engine burned from max to slightly under 1/2 mark, I use the vehicle's performance potential and normally drive on D2 to raise the minimal RPM above 1500. Also I never shut down the engine cold, let it warm up at least to be visible on the oil temp gauge.

I'd like to follow 5K KM intervals, however this time I wanted to align that with the brake fluid change indicated by the vehicle for August (I bought Castrol React SRF Racing).

[I Luv BMW]

edycol what are your thoughts on this Penrite 0w-40 which is LL01 approved, as compared to the Castrol Edge 0w-40?

https://www.penrite.info/en/engine-o...-premium-0w-40

https://penriteoil.com.au/assets/pis...thetic)%20.pdf

The name has "racing" in it but assume still ok for normal road use? Also has Porsche A40 and MB 229.5 approvals.

How do the HTHS' compare? It also seems to have Zinc additive, which I read may not be great for the engine.

[edycol]

Originally Posted by I Luv BMW

edycol what are your thoughts on this Penrite 0w-40 which is LL01 approved, as compared to the Castrol Edge 0w-40?

https://www.penrite.info/en/engine-o...-premium-0w-40

https://penriteoil.com.au/assets/pis...thetic)%20.pdf

The name has "racing" in it but assume still ok for normal road use? Also has Porsche A40 and MB 229.5 approvals.

How do the HTHS' compare? It also seems to have Zinc additive, which I read may not be great for the engine.

Penrite is not approved oil. And I really hate these blenders that bend backwards to moot language. In their pds it says: performance level. That is not same as approved! I worked on oil approvals and they are cheap! That doesn’t mean oil is not good. But, I don’t, you don’t, no one knows why blender didn’t send oil for approval except blender itself.
There are oils that are not approved but blender is clear about that. Redline became more straightforward about it as their target audience is track customers. Motul is VERY clear which oil is approved and which is not.
I avoid companies like Penrite just bcs. their marketing.

[I Luv BMW]

Getting my first oil change done just less than 6,000km / 3,700 mi after changing to the Castrol Edge 0w-40. Until now the car has used/burnt about 0.6 litres (about 0.63 quarts?). This is purely an estimate not based on any scientific measurement. I basically measured the engine oil level through idrive once a week typically after a long-ish drive and topped up with approx. 0.2 litres everytime it was at the 3/4 mark between the Min and Max points. So, 3x 0.2 litre top-ups.

Interested in thoughts on this rate of oil usage. I am running a new/remanufactured engine.

Seems a remarkable improvement from the 0w-30 LL-01 FE approval oil previously used which showed the "engine oil at minimum, fill up with at least 1 litre" on idrive after only 2,000 km.

[Trion_f85]

Thats really good almost 5x less oil consumption, Did your new engine come with new turbos?

[I Luv BMW]

The new engine was just the long block only, all other peripherals like manifolds, turbos, etc., needed to be transferred across or replaced. I am still on the original turbos.

[I Luv BMW]

Another oil update:

About to have my 3rd oil change on the new/rebuilt S63TU engine. Approximately 6,000km (3,700 miles) since the previous oil change, and idrive is apparently saying that the car has consumed NO oil??? idrive indicator showing right on the "Max" line. Is this a good thing or something to be concerned about? Is there a chance the sensor is faulty? Maybe a dumb question, but is there any issue with an engine not consuming any oil? Or is a certain amount of consumption required to keep things 'fresh'?

Just some context around my driving habits:
- The car is driven at least once a day, a minimum 30min round trip, so the oil is reaching at least operating temperature on every drive.
- Several longer distance drives a week, e.g., 1hr+ round trips.
- Always observing warm up and cool down procedure. Keeping RPMs under 2k until oil reaches operating temperature, and driving in sport+ 10mins prior to engine shut off to try and cool down. Some mild spirited driving in Sport mode in between.
- OCI between 5.5K KM - 6.5K KM.
- The first ever oil used in the new engine was LL01 FE 0w-30. On this oil, the low oil warning came up after approximately 2,000 KM (1,200 miles)
- After 1st OCI switched over to Castrol Edge 0w-40.
- Between 1st and 2nd OCI, idrive indicated about 0.6 litres (about 0.63 quarts?) consumption. I filled up about 0.2 litres every time idrive indicated about 3/4 between the MAX and MIN lines. This happened 3 times.
- After 2nd OCI stayed with Castrol Edge 0w-40.
- As mentioned above, about to hit 3rd OCI after approximately 6,000km (3,700 miles) and indicator showed oil at MAX line every single check.
- I measure the oil via idrive 3-4 times a week as I am paranoid about oil given my well documented catastrophic failure.
- I am on a remanufactured RK Autowerks S63TU.
- Car has been ostensibly running well between 2nd and 3rd OCI. I.e., no concerning sounds coming from the engine, etc.

So, a few questions for the experienced folk here:
- Is it normal for there to be no oil consumption? Is some oil consumption necessary for a healthy engine?
- Is it possible that the piston rings in the new engine have now 'seated', hence the decrease in oil consumption between 1st OCI and 3rd OCI? I am sure the remanufactured engine is great, but can it be this great?
- Any concerns with checking oil via idrive (engine runs faster briefly) multiple times per week like I do?

[zeroping]

I'd certainly say it's possible. My 18 F85 just ticked 70k miles and I rarely need to add oil between my 6k OCI's. Last two changes I measured (weighed) 8.7 quarts going to top of interval and adding no oil those cycles.

I keep on top of basic maintenance, have common sense, and this beast continues to treat me well. My favorite vehicle to date and one that actually seems to "keep up" with me!

I essentially have the same driving times, distances, routines as you. I'd say don't change a darn thing.

[Djhumvee]

No consumption is good.

[I Luv BMW]

Thought so, but wanted to check as it "seemed too good to be true".

A kind of related question on oil. So I know that in Sport+ mode both water pumps will turn on in an effort to keep the engine cool during spirited driving. Does anyone have issues with the cooling working TOO efficiently? For example, if I switch to Sport+ while the oil temp gauge is just past the first notch (which I understand is optimal temp), it only takes a couple of minutes in Sport+ mode for the temp to drop just below the first notch. Does this mean that I am not driving the car hard enough in Sport+ mode to maintain temp?

Also, when the temp drops in this manner, is it best to go easy on the throttle and keep revs lower, similar to when the engine is cold during warm up procedure?

All this stressing over oil and oil temps makes me think I need to switch to an EV, as much as I love the V8. It also sucks getting out paced by entry level EVs during warm up phase lol.

[Chilled]

Dam I wish mine was that frugal with the oil.

Perfectly fine to run the car like that all the time. At that point the oil is somewhere between at best mid 80°C to 90°C-ish if your sitting still in traffic.

[I Luv BMW]

Originally Posted by edycol

Edge 5W40 is a step below 0W40 in the Castrol hierarchy (Mobil1 is a bit more confusing in regard to this).
HTHS is key. It is a different measurement of viscosity (basically the same methodology as measuring cold flow, just at 150c).
All LL01 HTHS is a minimum of 3.5cP, regardless of grade. Can you get in Australia Castrol Edge 0W30 LL01? If so, that is premier Castrol oil.
If you still think 5W40, go Shell Helix 5W40. That is exceptional oil, and I think you guys should have it readily available.

I see that Castrol Edge 5w-40 now has BMW LL01 approval, along with MB 229.5 and Porsche A40 (which I understand are highest level approvals) and is now available in Australia as "new". https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...id=SCA01070403

Thoughts on how the new Castrol Edge 5w-40 compares to Castrol Edge 0w-40? Would you still consider 0w-40 to be superior to 5w-40? Is this the reason why 0w-40 is quite a bit more expensive than the 5w-40? https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...id=SCA01070403

From a protection perspective would the 5w-40 carrying LL01 approval perform better than the 0w-40 which does not have LL01 approval, and would it make sense to switch to 5w-40 for the colder months?

[edycol]

Originally Posted by I Luv BMW

I see that Castrol Edge 5w-40 now has BMW LL01 approval, along with MB 229.5 and Porsche A40 (which I understand are highest level approvals) and is now available in Australia as "new". https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...id=SCA01070403

Thoughts on how the new Castrol Edge 5w-40 compares to Castrol Edge 0w-40? Would you still consider 0w-40 to be superior to 5w-40? Is this the reason why 0w-40 is quite a bit more expensive than the 5w-40? https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...id=SCA01070403

From a protection perspective would the 5w-40 carrying LL01 approval perform better than the 0w-40 which does not have LL01 approval, and would it make sense to switch to 5w-40 for the colder months?

So, protection wise, LL01 or not, that is not issue. Both oils are HTHS 3.5 and above (0W40 has hgher HTHS=more protection margin). The reason why it doesn’t have LL01 is that that API SN version was created when BMW eliminated 0WXX oils from LL01 and LL04 approvals. In 2022 they revised approvals and allowed it again but oil blanders need to catch up. New version of 0W40, API SP has LL01 but I am not thrilled with that new version.
0W40 API SN is PAO based. It is much, MUCH better stuff than 5W40 which is Group III based. 0W40 can be used in any climate. There is no downside using that oil in hot climate. Now, if 5W40 was same, PAO based oil, I would say go 5W40 bcs. less VI. But, this 5W40 is honestly step down from 0W40.

[I Luv BMW]

Originally Posted by edycol

So, protection wise, LL01 or not, that is not issue. Both oils are HTHS 3.5 and above (0W40 has hgher HTHS=more protection margin). The reason why it doesn’t have LL01 is that that API SN version was created when BMW eliminated 0WXX oils from LL01 and LL04 approvals. In 2022 they revised approvals and allowed it again but oil blanders need to catch up. New version of 0W40, API SP has LL01 but I am not thrilled with that new version.
0W40 API SN is PAO based. It is much, MUCH better stuff than 5W40 which is Group III based. 0W40 can be used in any climate. There is no downside using that oil in hot climate. Now, if 5W40 was same, PAO based oil, I would say go 5W40 bcs. less VI. But, this 5W40 is honestly step down from 0W40.

Awesome, thanks for the clarification (which I am sure I have asked about previously). I guess the price difference makes sense then and in the end you get what you pay for. It is comforting to know that I have been using a high quality oil.

[M5 Jed]

Located in SoCal here. With the hotter climate I use LM Molygen 5w40, both in my F10 M5 and F85. F85 doesn’t consumer any oil at all, F10 however needs 1 liter added between every 3k mile oil change.

[Ebtahi98]

18 F85 - M ///. Motul 0-30 / CT - also every change EPR (BG) -And two cans of Ceretec - S63R(TU)-pushing between 18 and 22-25 psi So Cars HP is close to or abt 800hp