What weight oil does BMW put in our cars at the factory?

[bmwrocks]

It is time to do the first interim oil change for me and I was wondering what weight they put in at the factory?

I was wanting to use the same weight as well as the same oil.

I've seen on here I think that BMW oil is really Castrol Syntec........IS THAT TRUE?

 

[rjp325i]

Yes it is true. Even the oil filler cap on my 2004 ZHP says use Castrol. The factory oil is provided by Castrol under a contract with BMW. It is a 5W-30 synthetic. However, I'm thinking about using the Castrol Syntec 5W-50 for my next changeout especially due to our hot summers here. New M3s use 10W-60 synthetic.

 

[MrElussive]

5w-30 is good for all different weather conditions...most manufacturers recommend and use this oil weight. rpj32i, 5w-50 would be a good idea for an NV summer...nothing 5w-30 can't handle...I think the only noticeable difference of 5w-50 during the summer would be smoother, easier starts.

 

[rjp325i]

Thanx MrElussive. I am always concerned when hard driving is involved or when the outside air temp is 110 - 120 deg in Jul-Aug. Too much of the factory recommendations are for satisfying CAFE standards so I don't always trust them when harder driving is encountered. Engine longevity is my goal but I don't need the BMW/Castrol 10W-60 M3 oil at about $10 a qt. Our driving school at LVMS is in mid May but it is sometimes quite hot there at that time. In the Las Vegas area we are running in the 80s now but the temp has already hit 92 last week. I used the 5W-50 for the last several years in my 1989 325i. It never gave any problems or ever required an oil top off even after 126K miles. The oil was changed about every 8K miles. I love the 2004 330 but I stillI miss my old 1989 E30. It got totaled this past New Years day, the day after I was notified it won its class in the 2003 Bavarian Autosport photo contest. Its before pic can be seen on their website.

 

[aNoodle]

I'm thinking you should be careful before changing the manufacturer's oil recommendation. The thing with these new synthetics is that they offer bizarre, wacky weird spreads that natural oils never could have achieved. With my 2.8 liter...they originally recommended 5-40...then they went 5-30 when the car was in its 2nd year.

5-50 is a crazy oil to begin with. How can it be all that at soupy when cold, yet dissipate so much heat when hot?

I was out in Henderson last summer and will be again this summer. My god, I have an appreciation for the heat we're talking about. It's unbelievable.

Heck, I drove into Death Valley on my 5-30 Mobil One without my radiator needle moving a fraction. I say don't second-guess the factory recommendation. But I'm no engineer here. Ask your dealer there in LV whether they suggest departing from dealer recommendations.