Oil top up... stuck with BMW oil?

J

j24

Member
 Bristol, UK
I'll be installing new oil filter housing and oil cooler gaskets on my coupe soon (N52 3.0si engine). I've read that I'll need to top up oil/coolant post completing the job before driving the car again.

My car has only ever been serviced at BMW main dealers... from what I understand they used to use Castrol engine oil, but switched a few years back to Shell engine oil.

However, I'm seeing mixed things online as to whether I need to top up with genuine BMW engine oil, or if I can use off-the-shelf Shell Helix Ultra Professional 5W-30 AM-L (the BMW LL-04 approved version).

I've read differing things on whether it's the same thing or not, some seem to think there's a bit of a difference between the OE BMW stuff and the Shell stuff.

Obviously mixing and matching is never a good idea with engine oil, so keen to avoid that!

If I do need to get the OE BMW engine oil, does anyone know which one I'll need to get for my car?

Cheers all.
 
You can use any oil you like as long as it meets BMW’s specifications, out of interest when was the oil and coolant last changed? Why not simply do a full oil, filter and antifreeze service?
 
Chippie said:
You can use any oil you like as long as it meets BMW’s specifications, out of interest when was the oil and coolant last changed? Why not simply do a full oil, filter and antifreeze service?
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Thanks - I’ve booked my car in with a BMW indy for an inspection 1 service in three weeks, so figured I’d simply top up oil rather than replace this close to the service.

Coolant wise, I’ve got a new water pump waiting to be installed, so will refresh the coolant when that happens. I actually had to replace the expansion tank a couple of weeks after getting the car, so the current coolant has only been in the car since November. :headbang: Ah well!
 
Mixing and matching engine oil is not a problem unless you top up with completely the wrong oil (in which case you'd have a problem even with a full oil change).
 
As above; BMW oil isn't made of magic beans. LL-04 isn't a particularly demanding or obscure spec and BMW engines don't generally give the oil a hard time. I certainly wouldn't pay over the odds for the marketing-heavy oils.

FWIW, my Diesel E46 has only ever had whatever oil is cheapest to the correct spec (usually Halfords own or Triple-QX from ECP) from when I got it at 127k to now at 285k. And that's got a turbo. Which is original.
 
plenty said:
Mixing and matching engine oil is not a problem unless you top up with completely the wrong oil (in which case you'd have a problem even with a full oil change).
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smorris_12 said:
As above; BMW oil isn't made of magic beans. LL-04 isn't a particularly demanding or obscure spec and BMW engines don't generally give the oil a hard time. I certainly wouldn't pay over the odds for the marketing-heavy oils.

FWIW, my Diesel E46 has only ever had whatever oil is cheapest to the correct spec (usually Halfords own or Triple-QX from ECP) from when I got it at 127k to now at 285k. And that's got a turbo. Which is original.
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Awesome, thanks both. That was my thinking, but if you search long enough on the internet you'll find a couple of comments out there that insist mixing is an absolute no go! I'll just make sure it's the correct spec (5W-30 and LL04).

And Scott, that's a hell of a mileage on your E46 - 285k on the original turbo, massive kudos!
 
The internet is a hot bed of weird ideas in the vein of "I always strain my engine oil thru the bra of a Balinese virgin and I've never had engine problems" and other voodoo. Simple fact is that in the last 30 years or so surface finishing has improved, material science has got really good with ever cleverer alloys, fully synthetic oil arrived and, most importantly, carbs were abandoned. That last one killed off bore wash and knackered piston rings at 100k overnight. I find it funny when people run about doing 3k oil changes with some vague idea that they're extending the life of an engine. Yes it probably does, but they fail to realise that just means that instead of expiring at 450k miles, it'll make it to 750k instead!

When I had an E36 <mumble> years ago I was at the local BM dealer and the parts guy I was talking to pointed out an E34 5 series. Owner still brought it to BMW and serviced it by the book. That would have been having 10w40 semi-synth at best. At the time it was on 400k miles.
 
smorris_12 said:
The internet is a hot bed of weird ideas in the vein of "I always strain my engine oil thru the bra of a Balinese virgin and I've never had engine problems" and other voodoo.
Click to expand...

:rofl:

So what you're saying is a regular bra will do? That'll save me some money/questions from the wife!
 
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