I currently have a 2001 530i 5 speed with 165000 miles and have been using Mobil 10w40 with no problems.I have seen ads for Mobil 0w40 for use in European cars, and would like to know if anybody has any pros or cons on this.
mobil1 0w40 No I was not aware of www.bobistheoilguy.com. I just went there for a quick look and will need about a month to sort through all that information. Thank you for the reply.
just keep in mind, it is full of a lot of 'opinion' over there also at www.bobistheoilguy.com Have fun reading -- it will soak up hours of your life! LOL Mike Miller is a trust-worthy expert and if you are familiar with his Tech Talk articles in Roundel and Bimmer, he would probably tell you you're good! ...especially at your mileage. Stick with what is working. And change it at a reasonable interval, not the extreme 15k miles that BMW says is OK. Most people cut that interval in half at 7500, maximum mileage. He uses Redline 10w40 oil and goes to 10k miles, with oil analysis. (I change our e39's oil out at shorter intervals than that - like 5k. It has 125000 on it. I use M1 High Mileage 10w40)
+2 IMHO I would stay away from 0W anything in a car that was designed before such oil was developed for use. Keep doing what you are doing, looks like it is working for you, if you have got that mileage without problems.
Use Mobil 1 0W40 BMW requires you to use oils that meet BMW LL (long life) 01 spec. Mobil 1 0W40 is the only Mobil 1 oil that meets this spec. Your 10W40 does not and thus, is NOT approved for use by BMW. Here is the official position from BMW's website: http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Owner/SyntheticEngineOils.aspx I have used Mobil 1 0W40 in my 2000 323i for more than 5 years and have had no issues.
Agree on 0W40 Mobil 1. I've used it on my S4 for years with nothing but excellent results. I've been using BMW 5W30 synthetic on all the BMWs as it is also a great oil, and if I had any engine issues, there would be no argument with BMW about the oil used. Of course I change every 7500 or sooner on the 6 cylinder cars and about every 4k miles on the M5. I've done a few Blackstone Labs UOAs, and they've all come back excellent. BMW's 5W30 syn tests closer to a 40W on the high temp viscosity tests fwiw.
+1 on using BMW oil! It might cost more but I will never have a issue at the dealer with a warranty problem. I don't foresee ever switching from it at any milage.
