Spring and Summer Prep - Oil Analysis Done

[just-right]

My Z4M is near the two year limit on its oils so it was time for some spring and summer prep. 8)

- 6L Castrol Edge Supercar 10W-60
- 1L Castrol DOT4 Brake fluid
- OEM Mahle oil filter



As I was about to start it appeared my trickle charger wasn't quite doing what it was supposed to do and knackered the OEM battery. I found a good deal on a Bosch S5 A08, which is also an AGM battery. The Bosch one looks almost exactly the same as the OEM BMW which makes one wonder... The only differences are the cold crank Amp and the presence of two vent holes. You have to plug one and connect the other to the vent tube. The Bosch S5 A08 is also 0.4 kg lighter at 20.1 versus 20.5.





I have managed just shy of 4000 miles in two years. The drain bolt took a bit of force to get out but replacing the oil filter was an absolute charm. The oil although clearly starting to get contaminated with various deposits was still looking pretty decent. My car is at 47800 miles so I bought a Miller oil analysis kit as well. I primarily want to see what the lead and copper content is.



http://www.millersoils.co.uk/services/oil-analysis

I still have to do the brakes but will do that later. Once I have shipped out the oil sample and got some feedback I will post it here.

 

[srhutch]

The battery will look very similar, they are made to the same sizes so they fit, a bit like tyres :wink:

 

[earthdweller]

Interesting re your oil

Mine was changed in April 17 since which time it’s done 2500 miles

I’m planning on changing it again next month

 

[Beedub]

ill be doing an oil, and VC check now i have my own work unit..... really tempted to stop using indies now too.

 

[Truth]

ill be doing an oil, and VC check now i have my own work unit..... really tempted to stop using indies now too.

I’m sure urs is only prepped for summer! oke:

 

[just-right]

I will still get the inspection 1 and 2 done by a specialist. Replacing the engine oil and filter is not as daunting as it might seem. I have got the Z4M up on axle stands in the garage. You could also get an extractor unit that goes through the dip stick if you rather keep the car on the ground. I am waiting for some higher temperatures to do the brakes 8)

The majority of the battery shape and size is defined by the type which for our cars is 096. What surprised me though was that unlike some of the other brands, the Bosch S5 A08 is almost exactly the same. The only different detail is a small square recess on the top. Some of the other popular brands are missing a lot of the other little bits.

I have been a bit lazy going to the post office, so no update yet on the oil

 

[just-right]

After a bit of a wait I finally got the oil analysis back. The car is at a tad over 47000 miles and I had done 4000 miles on the oil. The overall conclusion from Millers Oils is that it was in a healthy condition : "Wear Metal levels are low - good condition for continued use." The main wear metals for the S54 read as follows:

Lead (Pb) : 17 ppm
Iron (Fe) : 15 ppm
Copper (Cu) : 8 ppm

Fuel dilution of 1.1 % has lowered the actual viscosity and so sits slightly below the 10W60 grade. The Lead and Iron is on the higher side compared to some of the samples I have seen on the forums. I am not worried just yet so I will track the evolution on the next oil change.

 

[MrPT]

After a bit of a wait I finally got the oil analysis back. The car is at a tad over 47000 miles and I had done 4000 miles on the oil. The overall conclusion from Millers Oils is that it was in a healthy condition : "Wear Metal levels are low - good condition for continued use." The main wear metals for the S54 read as follows:

Lead (Pb) : 17 ppm
Iron (Fe) : 15 ppm
Copper (Cu) : 8 ppm

Fuel dilution of 1.1 % has lowered the actual viscosity and so sits slightly below the 10W60 grade. The Lead and Iron is on the higher side compared to some of the samples I have seen on the forums. I am not worried just yet so I will track the evolution on the next oil change.

Copper is nice and low. Has this engine had bearing shells replaced?

 

[Philjwb]

I'm thinking of having my bearing shells replaced, but could this kind of oil analysis provide a definative assessment as to weather it is required? If so what should we be looking for in the result (eg copper concentration above a certain threshold)?

 

[MrPT]

I'm thinking of having my bearing shells replaced, but could this kind of oil analysis provide a definative assessment as to weather it is required? If so what should we be looking for in the result (eg copper concentration above a certain threshold)?

Hard to know what to make of the info/opinions as a layman. The impression I get is that sudden changes from one oil analysis to another are more significant than absolute numbers. For example, once the outer coating of your rod bearings wears through you’d expect to see a jump in copper content.

That said, you also come across lots of examples of engines that produce “high” copper or lead content for years with no issues. It feels like those engines are eating themselves before you remember that “ppm” is quite a small unit!

In terms of why I think the OP’s copper value is good - that is just based on all the forum posts I read re. S54 failure before buying a car with a top end failure in its history! :google:

Maybe one of the S54 experts can chime in on this?

 

[just-right]

The car still has the original rod bearings. As per MrPT comments the main thing I will keep an eye on is sudden changes in the wear metal content from one oil change to the next. High lead values can indicate wear of the outer layer while high copper content would indicate more severe wear on the shells.

l change the oil every 4000 miles and always keep the car below 3000 rpm and at light loads before the engine is fully warmed up. I am anticipating having to replace the shells at around 60 k.

 

[Chris_D]

Blimey 17ppm? That's purer than tap water!
:lol:

 

[Philjwb]

Thanks guys, useful info. I think I'll also perform this oil analysis on my next oil change.