What motor oil to use 2001 325i

[mbquart3000]

I know this question has been asked before but I'm really confused.

The dealer says to use Castrol Synthetic 5w30 yet the specs on the bottle do meet the ACEA A3 spec.I read somewhere that BWM oils need to meet this spec or the BMW longlife LL-01 spec.Castrol Syntech 5w30 or Mobil 1 5w30 from Walmart do not meet these specs yet the dealer tells me to use Castrol and some people on the board use the Mobil as well.Is the dealer Castrol 5w30 oil the same as the one found at Walmart.

Please note that I live in Quebec, Canada if it makes any difference.

Can someone please shed some light on this matter. Do not know what to do but I definately want to change my oil before service indicator says so.

Thanks

Nick
[???1]

 

[lpquick]

Part of the problem is there's a difference between US Castrol Syntec 5-30 & GE Castrol Syntec 5-30. Then you have the long interval (life) recommended by BMW of approx 14,000 miles between oil changes. If the vehicle is still under warranty, I'd follow BMW's recommendations, let them change the oil if it's free and for my own I would do a 7,500 interval on my own, between dealership changes. If the vehicle is no longer under warranty I would use whatevere I thought was best, which at this time is
Amsoil S2000 0-30 and Mann oil filters. It's probably not the most cost effective since I know through UOA that I can get just about as good protection from Mobil 1 or GC for a lot less but like I said, it's a personal choice.
Visit http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi for one of the best, informative do it yourself oil and filter change forums on the web, not to mention info on additives, UOA, extendede OCI, tires and more. You can do a search and find out what other bimmer owners are using for their oil and filters. Best of luck to you.

 

[mbquart3000]

Thanks lpquick.

Yes the car is still under warranty but I do want change the oil in between service intervals.
It's a CPO which I just picked up in August, so maitenance is at my expense none the less.


I also found that Castrol syntec 0w30 and 5w40 do meet the BMW specs for longlife and ACEA A3 but the dealer told me to use 5w30. What would you use for an inbetween service oil change?

Maybe just get the oil from BMW for now?

Thanks again.

Nick

 

[lpquick]

If you use a good quality synthetic you should get 7,500 between oil changes, but driving conditions make it impossible to guess for sure how long you can go before the oil shears. I do regular used oil analysis (UOA) so I know using my driving habits, my oil and filter how long before my oil needs changing. The one thing everyone agrees on regardless if you go 3,000 or 10,000 or 6 months to a year is the oil filters give up way before the oil does. When I change my oil and filter, I'll go 10,000 miles before my next oil change but at 5,000 I replace the oil filter and top off if necessary. Fortunately my bimmer uses no oil between changes and with the design of the filter being on top, I can change the filter without adding any oil. I loosen the filter and jiggle it a bit and let it sit for 5 min or so before removing it. I really like the filter design too, it does a great job at removing everything, which again I know due to my low insolubles during ea. of my three UOA.