Have a 2003 530i in need of oil/oil change Liqui-Moly,Mann filter a good choice? Also ready for complate brake job pagid red pads and standard BAV rotors ok?
There are many good oils available but you need to chose the one that is proper for your engine in both viscosity and chemistry. For your vehicle it's typically BMW LL-98 if memory serves me correctly. LL-01 might supercede this but you'd need to confirm this. Mann filters are good.
why wouldn't you just use the BMW castrol 5W-30 synthetic and a BMW filter? It doesn't cost that much more than the alternatives. Do you really want to skimp on the oil and filter, your engines lifeline?
Refills and pads Yes, the proper Liqui-moly or Mobil one is fine for oil and Mann or Mahle makes a good OEM type filter. The rotors and pads, I have not had very good luck with Padgid street pads and on brake rotors I might shop around. Contact me off-forum if you would like a reccomendation.
OEM filters and A3 rated oil So far, filter prices at the dealer with the BMWCCA discount haven't been bad at all and you don't have to worry about buying a substandard filter. I switched my '02 330ci over to a 10w-40 A3 rated oil after I read that Mike Miller uses that weight in his M54 engine. Since I am over 100k miles, I switched to Mobil 1 10w-40 Hi Mileage - it's an A3 rated full synthetic oil and the product data sheet confirms that it more than up to the task of lubing my Bimmer. The last time I bought filters at the dealer they were about $6 apiece and the M1 oil at Walmart is $23 for a 5qt jug; I am wrapping up my 5k oil changes for under $50. If you are uncomfortable using Mobil 1 10w-40 oil, Mobil also has a 10w-30 Hi Mileage that is A3 rated as well. Same price. If staying absolutely in spec is your desire, you could also use M1 0w-40 which carries BMW's LL 01 endorsement. The 0w-40 oil is a bit pricey though as it does not come in the 5qt jugs. Hope this helps. Cheers!
I'm sure BMW uses many suppliers Regardless of who makes the oi filters for BMW I'm sure they must pass some kind of quality control before becoming a part that is sold at the dealer. When I did the first brake job on my 330ci the OEM pads had Pagid stamped on the back. I expected to see BMW stamped there, but instead Pagid was the supplier. Just goes to show you....
My issue with Lubri Moly, BMW synthetic, Castrol Syntec, Amsoil, and a couple others are that they are not true synthetics. They are all hydrocracked or highly refined mineral oils. A true, polyalphaolephin (PAO) synthetic is much more desirable. Mobil 1 0-40 meets BMW's LL01 standard and is reasonably priced. I have heard German Castrol synthetic is a full PAO and has quieted down slightly noisey timing gear. It comes in a 0-30 and it also meets at least the LL01 standard. I'm trying it next. Do note thst this is not the same as US Syntec. This will say European Car formula and will state specifically made in Germany.
Base stock oils are important but not the primary consideration in determining an oil's performance. That is why no car maker specifies what base oil must be used to meet their oil specifications. It's the total oil formulation that determines it's actual lubrication properties and performance in the engine. Without having BMW's actual LL-01 oil test sequence data on all LL-01 oils, there is no way possible to determine if one oil is better than another. Even with the data there may be no appreciable difference. I have seen people switch brands of oil and swear one oil made their engine quieter, more powerful, improved mpg, etc. over another. No offense intended but this is extremely unlikely. Without instrumented testing, it's just a subjective opine when it comes to noise or changes in performance and very subject to great error and fantasy.
