Oil...

TheRuss

Member
 Brizzle
Ok, so I've done tyres, what about oil?

Personally, I like to feed my cars Mobil 1 0W40, as it seems to protect best from very cold, to very warm.

Do the Z4 need any special type of oil, or would the above be fine? If there's anything better, I'm all ears.
 
Yeah, 5W30 is the norm for my current car too. However, from what I understand 0W40 just offers extra protection at low temperatures and extra protection at high temperatures, plus the Mobil 1 stuff boasts good engine cleaning properties too. It's even good enough for the Nissan GTR, so surely it's gotta be fine for the Zed?!
 
I pondered the same question when i first purchased my Z

I then read a few posts on http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm and thought :? I'll just stick to 5W30
 
Any particular post? As far as I'm aware, the 0W40 protects better than 5W30, unless anyone knows otherwise...?
 
TheRuss said:
Any particular post? As far as I'm aware, the 0W40 protects better than 5W30, unless anyone knows otherwise...?

Why and in what way does it protect better than 5-30?
 
As far as I'm aware, it's less viscous at lower temperatures, so therefore can begin protecting the engine from cooler temperatures than a 5W30. Also, I thought the higher top end number meant that it protects better at higher temperatures, too.

That said, I'm not professing to be an oil expert, so I'm open to being told otherwise if I've got that totally wrong.

The blurb on the oil bottle would suggest that's the case though, as it professes to keep engines like new by reducing wear and offering good cleaning properties vs regular oils.
 
I've not heard any issues from anyone using 5w30, so begs the question - why use a different grade?

Suppose if you're doing really high mileage, and burning lots of oil, it might be worth getting a slightly thicker oil. I believe thicker oil is recommended for Alpinas which tend to burn more oil than an ///M or 3.0... I think Markeg uses the thicker stuff...
 
Honestly? It's for my OCD-like mechanical sympathy plus a bit of peace of mind.

I figure that having an oil that protects faster and from colder temps can only be a good thing, bearing in mind that most engine wear occurs when the engine is cold, just after starting. If I can get extra engine protection for minimal extra cost, then why not?
 
ranski said:
Why would BMW recommend 5W30?

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That was my thinking. Mine tends to burn around 0.5l of oil per 1,500 miles hard driving. Or if I'm driving miss daisy it can go nearer 6k before needing a little top up.
 
It was suggested that the reason many manufacturers recommend 5W30 is because it's cheaper. Many manufacturers also recommend semi synth, probably because it's cheaper than fully synth. And anyway, many folks also like to "upgrade" their transmission and diff oils from the manufacturer defaults and claim improvements.

In fact, there's many things about theZ4 that could be questioned in the same way. Does BMW always make the best decision for us? If so, all our cars would surely be standard...

It's in my interest for my engine to last as long as possible and stay in tip top condition for as long as possible. It's in BMW's interest for it to survive the warranty period. After that, why would they care?
 
If you want real feedback instead of speculation then get it from the horses mouth and ask what oil some of the forum members who have 100+k on their Z use...




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Ok then, what oil is everyone using? That is, assuming that people aren't just letting their dealers choose... And, why are you using it?
 
BMW's own recommendations ...
http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/owner/syntheticengineoils.aspx


I use M1 0w40 ... although as I mention in another thread, under (very) hard cornering, I'm beginning to get some lifter clicking... not sure if this is oil foaming/starvation or what. So wondering, if I should be using something heavier or (some have recommended elsewhere on the web) running an extra half/full quart during racing... or if there's really no resolution for the problem (more of a nuisance really, as it goes away shortly after it starts).
 
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