z4mc 07 oil
- Thread starter RC1
- Start date
England
Liverpool
No, no reason not to change...but not necessarily because it's a better road use oil (it's primarily intended for frequent changing in a racing/track day scenario), but because it's usually cheaper than the oils that have manufacturer approval behind them.
The race oils tend to use a Group V ester base stock and not a cracked dino oil / blended 'synthetic' base (such as Mobil 1). This is not necessarily to say a full ester is better for your use case, but I don't see the point in paying a premium for a blended synthetic when you can get a full synthetic for less - although some blended ones can perform better in non-racing uses.
If you want to know a lot more about oil, then there's a great resource here...https://bobistheoilguy.com
You can usually find this info on the spec sheets for each oil., and lets you have a look at their relative performance at low & high temps to ensure the oil you're buying isn't too thick/thin at cold/hot temps.
Tech sheets for the two you mention are linked below, and in the 2 examples, the Motul stays thicker than the Mobil 1 at 40ºc and 100ºc, but the Mobil 1 is more resistant to shear although is a blend not a full class 5 ester base.
Other popular, value for money options are the Fuchs Titan Supersyn 10w60 and Millers CFS Nanodrive 10w60 and Castrol Edge Titanium 10w60 (although usually on offer at Halfords for a similar price to the Fuchs/Millers ranges)..but they're both a bit stingy with sharing their full spec sheets...and they're not ester racing oils...so more similar to the Mobil 1 composition/performance at a much lower price.
Motul 300V Le Mans 10w60
Mobil 1 Advanced 10w60
…and just for completeness, I used Castrol TWS/RS 10w60 in my e34 M5s, and Castrol Edge 10w60 for all the oil changes in my Z4MC (probably every 3000 miles or less due to the amount of track days it was doing)...and I never saw any good reason to change. My Z4MC did show ‘early’ signs of rod bearing failure, but that was at 140,000 miles of commuting, trackdays, ring trips and hooning.
The race oils tend to use a Group V ester base stock and not a cracked dino oil / blended 'synthetic' base (such as Mobil 1). This is not necessarily to say a full ester is better for your use case, but I don't see the point in paying a premium for a blended synthetic when you can get a full synthetic for less - although some blended ones can perform better in non-racing uses.
If you want to know a lot more about oil, then there's a great resource here...https://bobistheoilguy.com
You can usually find this info on the spec sheets for each oil., and lets you have a look at their relative performance at low & high temps to ensure the oil you're buying isn't too thick/thin at cold/hot temps.
Tech sheets for the two you mention are linked below, and in the 2 examples, the Motul stays thicker than the Mobil 1 at 40ºc and 100ºc, but the Mobil 1 is more resistant to shear although is a blend not a full class 5 ester base.
Other popular, value for money options are the Fuchs Titan Supersyn 10w60 and Millers CFS Nanodrive 10w60 and Castrol Edge Titanium 10w60 (although usually on offer at Halfords for a similar price to the Fuchs/Millers ranges)..but they're both a bit stingy with sharing their full spec sheets...and they're not ester racing oils...so more similar to the Mobil 1 composition/performance at a much lower price.
Motul 300V Le Mans 10w60
Mobil 1 Advanced 10w60
…and just for completeness, I used Castrol TWS/RS 10w60 in my e34 M5s, and Castrol Edge 10w60 for all the oil changes in my Z4MC (probably every 3000 miles or less due to the amount of track days it was doing)...and I never saw any good reason to change. My Z4MC did show ‘early’ signs of rod bearing failure, but that was at 140,000 miles of commuting, trackdays, ring trips and hooning.
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@RC1 the oil recommended by BMW for the S54 is Castrol Edge 10W-60 (formerly known as Castrol Edge Supercar, Castrol Edge Professional TWS and Castrol TWS Motorsport).
I have been running this oil for circa 60,000 miles (incl. some track work) and have not had any issues.
I used to change it every 6,250 miles as stipulated by the service booklet but over the past couple of years have reduced this to 5,000 mile intervals. Regardless, the oil has been changed every year during my ownership (and sometimes more than once throughout the same year).
Previous owners (only three and one of which who was a BMW tech) have either changed the oil annually or biennially (also using Castrol) with the average interval being ~7,000 miles up until I picked the car up at 75,000 miles.
I changed the rod bearings after the car had done ~80,000 miles and there was minimal wear. Which I believe was a testament to the way that the car had been maintained (including the regular oil changes) throughout its years.
The odometer just ticked 132,000 miles last night. I’ve done fairly long Euro trips (i.e. last year I drove to Corsica and this year Sardinia) and have not had an oil related problem during my ownership.
I think it is quite easy to get caught up on oil brands (which I think makes sense if you are regularly tracking the car). However if you are using it primarily for fast road use, then as long as you are using a good quality oil in the right spec which is changed regularly - I don’t think you’ll have any issues.
So my advise would be to simply use Castrol Edge 10W-60 or a high quality alternative in the same weight. Either way, ensure that is changed regularly, i.e. every 5,000 miles or every year (whichever comes first).
This is what I have been doing (religiously with Castrol) and will continue to do until I retire the car.
One thing I will say however is to watch out for Millers. There were reports that their oil caused premature wear of cam lobes in S54s a while back. I haven’t heard any recent updates on this and run Millers in my 997 (as recommended by Hartech), and have not had any issues either…although a completely different engine…
I have been running this oil for circa 60,000 miles (incl. some track work) and have not had any issues.
I used to change it every 6,250 miles as stipulated by the service booklet but over the past couple of years have reduced this to 5,000 mile intervals. Regardless, the oil has been changed every year during my ownership (and sometimes more than once throughout the same year).
Previous owners (only three and one of which who was a BMW tech) have either changed the oil annually or biennially (also using Castrol) with the average interval being ~7,000 miles up until I picked the car up at 75,000 miles.
I changed the rod bearings after the car had done ~80,000 miles and there was minimal wear. Which I believe was a testament to the way that the car had been maintained (including the regular oil changes) throughout its years.
The odometer just ticked 132,000 miles last night. I’ve done fairly long Euro trips (i.e. last year I drove to Corsica and this year Sardinia) and have not had an oil related problem during my ownership.
I think it is quite easy to get caught up on oil brands (which I think makes sense if you are regularly tracking the car). However if you are using it primarily for fast road use, then as long as you are using a good quality oil in the right spec which is changed regularly - I don’t think you’ll have any issues.
So my advise would be to simply use Castrol Edge 10W-60 or a high quality alternative in the same weight. Either way, ensure that is changed regularly, i.e. every 5,000 miles or every year (whichever comes first).
This is what I have been doing (religiously with Castrol) and will continue to do until I retire the car.
One thing I will say however is to watch out for Millers. There were reports that their oil caused premature wear of cam lobes in S54s a while back. I haven’t heard any recent updates on this and run Millers in my 997 (as recommended by Hartech), and have not had any issues either…although a completely different engine…
Since I bought my car on 76K miles it has only ever had the Castrol 10W/60 that BMW recommended, presumably for good reason!
As it had 7 previous keepers I got the bearing shells replaced at 78K for peace of mind and while worn I've seen much worse. It's now on 99K and still running fine. As my Indy still uses Castrol for Ms I'll stick to that.
As it had 7 previous keepers I got the bearing shells replaced at 78K for peace of mind and while worn I've seen much worse. It's now on 99K and still running fine. As my Indy still uses Castrol for Ms I'll stick to that.
I use genuine BMW M spec oils.
- Gearbox takes ~1.7 litres and so you’ll need 2 litres of MTF-LT-2, which is rebranded Castrol Syntrans B 75W-80. The Castrol has been discontinued, however the oil can still be obtained from BMW (in BMW branded bottles). The p/n is 83222339219 x2 (as the oil comes in 1 litre bottles). You should also replace the drain and fill plugs (p/n 23117531356 x2 which come with gasket rings).
- Diff takes ~1.2 litres and so you’ll need 1.5 litres of 75W-140 (again produced by Castrol). BMW sell two fluids for the diff (83222365988 and 83222282583). You want the latter as it has friction modifier premixed in it which will prevent diff groan (although for a track car you are better off with the fluid that does not have friction modifier, as it slows down the time it takes for the diff to lock). You will need 3 bottles of 83222282583 (as the fluid comes in 500ml bottles). When changing the diff fluid you should also replace the drain and fill plugs (p/n 33117525064 x2). It is advised that a figure of 8 (or some tail happy driving) should be done after the fluid is changed.
You may find the below FCP videos helpful. Although they are for an E46 M3, the process is practically the same for the Z4M.
nerdy point but is the factory oil now shell?
It depends on the region…
I believe BMW’s oil suppliers (at current) are as follows:
- Europe: Shell
- Americas: Castrol/BP (until 2026)
- Asia: Shell (until 2026/2027)
- RoW: Shell (until 2027)
From 1999 to 2014, I believe Castrol/BP were BMW’s sole supplier.
Why do you ask?
Engine oil partners: bp & BMW | Castrol® USA
bp, the leading supplier of high-performance lubricants has been selected as the engine oil partner for BMW. Learn more about the partnership here.
www.castrol.com
Shell remains supplier of engine oil to the BMW Group in Asia and RoW | Shell Global
Shell has renewed its partnership with the BMW Group in the Rest of World (RoW) and Asia clusters. It will continue to supply the aftersales business of all BMW Group brands as the exclusive producer and supplier of engine oil to these regions until 2027.
Shell and BMW M Motorsport announce renewal of longstanding partnership beyond 2025 | Shell Global
Abu Dhabi, UAE — Shell and BMW M Motorsport announce that they have signed the renewal of their dynamic and longstanding partnership, bringing collaboration across energy, innovation, and premium technology. The signing will see Shell continuing to support BMW M Motorsport’s factory racing...
Could you elaborate on what it is that your dealer said which made you switch to Shell?
I think this shows how irrelevant the manufacturer is given they have different suppliers in different regions - its all about the commercial deal for BMW.It depends on the region…
I believe BMW’s oil suppliers (at current) are as follows:
Also, it’s worth noting that earlier this year, BMW M Motorsport (based in Germany) renewed its contract with Shell.
- Europe: Shell
- Americas: Castrol/BP (until 2026)
- Asia: Shell (until 2026/2027)
- RoW: Shell (until 2027)
From 1999 to 2014, I believe Castrol/BP were BMW’s sole supplier.
Why do you ask?
Engine oil partners: bp & BMW | Castrol® USA
bp, the leading supplier of high-performance lubricants has been selected as the engine oil partner for BMW. Learn more about the partnership here.
Shell remains supplier of engine oil to the BMW Group in Asia and RoW | Shell Global
Shell has renewed its partnership with the BMW Group in the Rest of World (RoW) and Asia clusters. It will continue to supply the aftersales business of all BMW Group brands as the exclusive producer and supplier of engine oil to these regions until 2027.www.shell.com
Shell and BMW M Motorsport announce renewal of longstanding partnership beyond 2025 | Shell Global
Abu Dhabi, UAE — Shell and BMW M Motorsport announce that they have signed the renewal of their dynamic and longstanding partnership, bringing collaboration across energy, innovation, and premium technology. The signing will see Shell continuing to support BMW M Motorsport’s factory racing...
I have in the past religiously stuck to Castrol, then Shell when it switched over, but then discovered Fuchs oil (ex Valvoline) as its highly rated especially for track use, and on my last oil change used The Fuchs Titan Race pro full ester which I also use in the Track Clio. When I come to change the oil next I will send off to have it analysed as I have done previously as its a good way to detect early wear on the bearings (increasing lead content), and will use it in the Yaris at some stage. The GT3 uses Mobil 1, and I'm not diying that one!
abar121
Active member
Nothing much, other than it's the oil that they recommend and have been running on their M cars for several years.
Which has probably been developed for modern i.e. <15 years old) turbocharged BMW engines, and not for old (i.e. 20-40 years old) high reviving, race-derived, naturally-aspirated S54/S38 engines…which the Castrol/Mobil was developed for.
Of course a 10w60 is still a 10w60, do the weight won’t be different, but those older engines may require a different protection profile / chemical package than newer engines.
abar121
Active member
Yep, go with whatever you are comfortable with.
The thing is though, is that the Castrol Edge which is available these days is different to the original Castrol TWS Motorsport. The original TWS Motorsport was an ester/PAO blend, whereas the stuff since is purely PAO based (i.e. no ester). For this reason (along with others) a CSL friend of mine (who sometimes tracks his car) runs Fuchs Titan Race Pro S 10W-60 which is also an ester/PAO blend.
Interestingly though his car is still under BMW warranty which requires him to service at main dealer where they use BMW’s M Twin Power Turbo in 10W-60 form (which is practically Shell Helix Ultra Racing 10W-60 rebranded). So he only uses the Fuchs in between his main dealer services. He also informed me that the Fuchs these days has been reformulated and is not as close as it was the original TWS Motorsport.
It’s also worth pointing out that BMW initially advised that the S54 should use 5W-30 oil, which was then upgraded to 10W-60 a year or so post production of the first set of E46 M3s due to cases of rod bearing failure. A rod bearing recall was issued shortly thereafter and the recommendation since has been 10W-60.
Although, there is some debate on the oil that the engine was designed to use - some say it was designed on 5W-30, others say it was designed on 10W-60 and then at the last minute BMW switched to 5W-30 due to an eco-friendly marketing decision. One for BMW Classic or BMW M in Germany to opine on…
My engine is on 132,000 miles and runs Castrol Edge 10W-60 (and in the past ran the other variants of Castrol) and is still going strong.
I forgot to mention in my earlier post but on one occasion I serviced the car with BMW’s M Twin Power Turbo 10W-60 oil as I couldn’t get ahold of Castrol. The engine ran quieter and got up to temp slightly quicker too.
I did some research at the time (albeit anecdotal) and found that other M owners had noticed the same. I reverted to Castrol as I was informed that it offered more protection at higher temperatures and had better shearing capabilities, when compared to the M Twin Power Turbo/Helix Ultra Racing.
I must admit I never bothered to check this information out via the technical data sheets (knew less about oil those days - we’re talking over six years ago now).
It doesn’t really matter though. In my view any high quality 10W-60 will do (bar the Millers as mentioned). I simply use Castrol because that is what BMW recommended when these cars were new and like the idea of using the same spec of oil at each service interval.
Here’s a one owner E46 M3 on 287,000 miles currently up for sale: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510307526079. The car looks a bit ropey, but considering the miles, it might be worth giving the owner a call to find out what oil they used and how long their service intervals were. In addition to whether the engine is still original, as well as the rod bearings etc…
I have a feeling they were not particularly bothered though (or spending time on a forum discussing it).
Hi mmm, what are the "signs" you mention for the rod bearing failure?