Which engine oil at 159k miles? 2.5 N52

[Tango22]

Sorry, this probably gets asked a lot but what oil would you recommend for a 2006 Z4 2.5 N52 engine? Looking for recommendations on grade and brand. A yellow oil can popped up today on the dash after I switched off the ignition which I presume is telling me to top up and the engine oil check button when pressed is saying '+ 1 litre'.

The car has done 159k miles, previous owner put 5W30 Millers fully synthetic in it. Should I go for 5W40 to top up then switch to that grade at its next oil change since its done 159k? Or stick with a good 5W30? It's not burning oil and as far as I can tell since I've owned it since September the oil consumption doesn't appear to be high. I'm planning on changing oil and filter every 3000 to 4000 miles as the car is basically a weekend toy which gets used for the odd commute now and again. For a top up just now I was looking at this Halfords own brand which is LL04 BMW spec:-

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-and-fluids/engine-oil/halfords-5w30-fully-synthetic-oil-9---2-litres-285678.html

Thanks for any advice, folks.

 

[Scooba_Steve]

The car has done 159k miles

How many miles have you done with it?

Personally I'd drop it and start with exactly 6.5 litres (takes the same as the 3.0 right? Either way exactly the volume called for) of 5W30 then see how you get on for 6 months.

Brand is a personal preference as long as it meets LL04, that doesn't necessarily mean approved.

I am of the opinion that I'd rather see 6 month/annual changes depending on mileage of a "lesser" brand than SII changes 2/3/4 years apart with premium brands.

But it's your car and it's up to you.

 

[Tango22]

How many miles have you done with it?

I've done around 600-700 miles since I got it a couple of months ago. The previous owner had just done an oil and filter change prior to putting it up for sale, using Millers 5W30 Fully Synth.

 

[Scooba_Steve]

I've done around 600-700 miles since I got it a couple of months ago. The previous owner had just done an oil and filter change prior to putting it up for sale, using Millers 5W30 Fully Synth.

Well if you're already getting +1.0L then I'd be a little concerned. The only way you'll know is to drop and fill yourself.

If you're paying someone to do them then put a litre of the same in (only if it is 100% saying add 1 litre).
If you're doing your own changes then it's cheap enough for peace of mind.

 

[Tango22]

Good point. To be honest, when I bought it the previous owner said it had been given a 'recent' oil and filter change but didn't elaborate on when and how many miles he had covered since that so doing a full change again is indeed peace of mind and will give me an idea of consumption.

 

[Smartbear]

If it’s not leaking oil then it’s burning it, it’s more likely to need the ccv system replacing at that mileage than the engine internals.
Rob

 

[Mr Tidy]

I had my 330i with an N52 serviced at RBM Hampshire (bowser134) earlier this year, and knowing he uses Shell Helix Ultra (as do BMW now) I bought some of that for top-ups.

As it's done 115K it does use a bit so when I found 5W/40 cheaper than I could find 5W/30 I bought that as I couldn't see how it could do any harm!

My local Tesco has an own brand oil that claims to meet LL04, but I've always stuck to Castrol or more recently Shell for my BMWs. How much does a cheap brand actually save you - £20? Doesn't seem worth it to me.