Best oil?

[gas guzzler]

I'm sure everybody has their favourite oil. Going across to Belgium in a couple of weeks thought I'd treat the Z to an oil change. Car has always been seviced and has 96k on the clock, what do you reckon?
Andy

[geminimustang]

Fuchs fully-synthetic.

[gas guzzler]

What about grade 5-40 ?. been using 10-40 or 20-50 in my other cars being older engines.
Andy

[Mike Fishwick]

A 5-40 synthetic will be fine - I use Fuchs 5-40 Titan.

Engines with hydraulic tappets prefer a fairly thin oil at the cold end of the scale.

Look at the oil chart in the handbook, or download it.

[geminimustang]

5-40 in ours too.

[Del]

I’m afraid I have no brand loyalty. For my next change will be using Euro Car Parts own brand Triple QX, fully synthetic 5W/40. Approved by VW, MB & BMW and only £17.10 for 5 litres. It also has the newest API SN rating.

[gas guzzler]

Thanks for replies, will get oil and filter for next weekend

Andy

[Jonco]

Thanks for replies, will get oil and filter for next weekend

Andy

Don't forget the `O' rings

[Devon Z]

I’m afraid I have no brand loyalty. For my next change will be using Euro Car Parts own brand Triple QX, fully synthetic 5W/40. Approved by VW, MB & BMW and only £17.10 for 5 litres. It also has the newest API SN rating.

I'm going to give that a try, really good price for fullsyn

[Zed Free]

Personally as you can get Mobil 1 or Castrol Edge for less than £30 from Costco I know what I will be using.

[Badman gee]

mobil 1

[swamper]

mobil 1

for the M
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-715-castrol ... eries.aspx

[Badman gee]

mobil 1

for the M
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-715-castrol ... eries.aspx

i use thinner than that.

5w 30 or 5w 40

for the vanos

[swamper]

what when you really put the vanos under pressure ...

[Badman gee]

what when you really put the vanos under pressure ...

oh yes.

but on a serious note.

ive done 900 miles since last may, have all 5 bars on the display.

should i have an oil service regardless?

[Badman gee]

what when you really put the vanos under pressure ...

i had stronger bolts fitted as it gets pushed so hard.

[swamper]

every 2 years i believe Mark.....maybe wrong

[Badman gee]

every 2 years i believe Mark.....maybe wrong

can you or anyone confirm please.

[Del]

Top Oil Mobil 1 – loads of drivers and experts rave about it as if it were the best available. As well as BMW/MB & VW approval it is also on the official Porsche approved list. BMW seem to only give guidance on the frequency of oil changes that is linked to their service lights – these can take up to 15,000 miles to go out. As you are only averaging around 1000 miles a year I would say that if the oil on the dipstick still looks nice and clean after one year, it would hardly be much of a risk leaving it in for a 2nd year.

I’ve only got a 1.9 and can’t afford to feed it Mobil 1 all the time – it would be like feeding my pet pooch finest Aberdeen Angus fillet steak from Waitrose, for breakfast.

[Zed Free]

mobil 1

for the M
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-715-castrol ... eries.aspx

i use thinner than that.

5w 30 or 5w 40

for the vanos

On the mobil 1 web site they also recommend the 10 w 60 for the z3 m. Not for any of the more humble motors that the rest of us drive. I assume it is because of the temperatures and pressures seen in the highly stressed engine.

[drillerman]

Could someone let me know if Castrol Magnetec 10-40 fully synthetic is ok?
I have a 1998 2.8l
Thanks in advance

[Del]

To put your mind at rest put your registration into the Castrol Oil Finder (UK) at http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectionb ... Id=7072854
Castrol will give a true, authoritative view.

[pingu]

I would only use what BMW approve, not what Castrol / Esso / Opie / guy in the pub says.

10W/60 is for the S54 ZM. This is info that BMW tell you, but others just say it's for the ZM and peeps assume it is OK for the S50 (which it is not).

The links on the sheet below are from the BMW TIS...

http://www.porterbility.co.uk/BMW_Oil_Sheets.htm

[Mike Fishwick]

Oops!

[Mike Fishwick]

With the exception of the S54, BMW engines used in the Z3 are not too particular about their oil - as per the owner's handbook:



Most owners, just use any synthetic of 0 or 5 at the cold end of the scale, as per the 'Special' or 'Longlife' parts of the table. There is no reason for a 2.8 engine to be fed only with Longlife oil, unless you are obsessed with having your car serviced by a dealer, but cannot afford to have it done at frequent intervals.

It is more important to change the oil - while hot - at sensible intervals such as once a year/8000 miles - rather than obeying the Service Indicator lights. Some owners just follow the lights, and their cars may not get an oil change for 3 or 4 years.

Using a longlife oil is all very well for company car drivers, who may be doing 30,000 miles a year of long runs at decent speeds, but over two or three years is can accumulate plenty of moisture and acids which in the long term the oil's additive pack cannot really counteract .

[Devon Z]

It says in the service book if you do less than 10k a year to change the oil annually, I've never used long life oil since the warranty ran out, I reset the lights at the same time.

[Mike Fishwick]

That is one of the problems when people buy a car without he handbook - or cannot read fully it if they have it! I remember reading of one low-usage owner whose car had not had an oil change for three years - because the idiot lights did not prompt him to do so, even though he had the coolant and brake fluid changed when the the little clock symbol appeared . . .

[aceman]

Just picked up two 4 litre bottles of Castrol Edge FST 5w40 for £24 each from Costco.

Time to get my hands dirty.

[Badman gee]

Good stuff Ian,

Just done my oil, filter, air filter and gearbox oil.

Nothing till next years inspection 1!