[flexinator]

Can we use other oils if we decrease our oil change interval? There are so few that are long Approved. I plan on changing my oil every 5000 miles. Is anyone else using non ling life 01 oil's? I'm wondering if we were to use a high-quality synthetic oil instead of the ll-01 oils and change every 5000 miles. I had been using mobile 0w 40 until they lost the long life one certification and I've been using Castrol edge 0W 30 since. Your thoughts and experiences are much appreciated.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Yes.

Outside of the extended drain interval, LL certification really just pertains to whether it's an oil formulated for gasoline , diesel, or is for fuel efficiency. If you're planning on changing your oil every 5,000 miles, you can pretty much use any 5w30, 0w30, 0w40, or 5w40 for gas engines that you'd like.

If I was doing 5,000 mile oil changes, I'd personally just use an API-certified conventional 5w30, but ideally you'd want to use a full synthetic.

No need to think too hard about it with short drain intervals, but the only important part is that it has that API certification.

Edit: added full synthetic suggestion.

[Ozzie335i]

Jammer, anything for e85 cars, whether e40 or full tank? I have read that e85 burns cooler (and cleaner?), but does it do so to the point where someone can use 5w30 instead of 5w40? I have the oil cooler thermostat cheat. She runs 30 degrees cooler now. I am using 5w40 Liquid Moly. Wondering if 5w30 may be better.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Unfortunately I don't know anything about that. I haven't done my research on E85, so I can't give any advice on oil type there.

[JETmn]

I would disagree. I would always recommend synthetic in a turbo car. The oil runs through the turbo and the synthetic can handle the higher temps much better.

E85 won't make any appreciable difference to the temp of the engine.

[flexinator]

I agree with the synthetics for our high compression and high temperature N55 engines. Check out this lubrizol motor oil spec comparison. It looks looks like Porsche A30 surpasses the LL-01 specs by quite a bit.
https://online.lubrizol.com/relperftool/pc.html
Lubrizol makes the additives for many motor oils.
Any oil gurus on here?

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by flexinator

I agree with the synthetics for our high compression and high temperature N55 engines. Check out this lubrizol motor oil spec comparison. It looks looks like Porsche A30 surpasses the LL-01 specs by quite a bit.
https://online.lubrizol.com/relperftool/pc.html
Lubrizol makes the additives for many motor oils.
Any oil gurus on here?

You can't just use another manufacturers spec and call it "better."

Egines have different tolerances in their moving parts. A "better" oil specd for a Porsche engine is probably also thicker. This means it's probably not going to benefit you by running it in an engine with tighter tolerances that requires a thinner oil. All you end up doing is increasing oil pressure, oil temperature, and the risk of wiping the bearings.

Read the warning at the bottom of the lubrizol chart... it specifically warns users against making the kind of conclusions you're trying to make!

Ll-01 has a unique attribute of being oil meant for vehicles running high sulphur gasoline (usa). Only California has started carrying low sulphur gas. I don't know the specifics on why high sulphur content is bad, but BMW seems to think it'should pretty important so I'd stick to ll-01 approved oils. Ll-01 oils also generally are made from group 4 synthetics instead of some of the non-ll-01 synthetic oils on the shelf usingredients group 3 synthetics and more additives... Castrol edge is a good example of this. The non-ll01 edge is lower quality than the ll01 spec "euro formula" despite them both being the same oil... one with the badge and one without....

[JETmn]

Originally Posted by bbnks2

Ll-01 has a unique attribute of being oil meant for vehicles running high sulphur gasoline (usa). Only California has started carrying low sulphur gas. I don't know the specifics on why high sulphur content is bad, but BMW seems to think it'should pretty important so I'd stick to ll-01 approved oils. Ll-01 oils also generally are made from group 4 synthetics instead of some of the non-ll-01 synthetic oils on the shelf usingredients group 3 synthetics and more additives... Castrol edge is a good example of this. The non-ll01 edge is lower quality than the ll01 spec "euro formula" despite them both being the same oil... one with the badge and one without....

I agree with your top points, you must take in to account the viscosity. This point though I am not so sure about. The US has been using 30ppm gasoline since 2006, I would hardly call that high sulfur, unlike the 300ppm use prior to that. The EPA has put in to a rule for 2017 to drop that to 10ppm since Jan 1 of this year. So no, we are not running high sulfur gasoline.

[flexinator]

Mobile 0w- 40 no longer carries the long life 01 certification. That means we have very few options of certified oils for the and 55 engine. There's Castro edge, Amsoil and maybe one or two others. I'm trying to see whether there are any other good options. Perhaps you can't draw conclusions from the chart but the a30 Porsche certification seem to overlap and cover more area been our BMW long life 01 certification. I've been using the Castrol edge 0W-30, what oil does everybody else use in their cars ? I would think there are other high-quality oils on the market that would work well in our cars if the oil change interval was as short as 5000 miles. The long life 01 certification allowed for extended dream intervals of 15,000 miles which BMW has since shortened.

[Maniac0908]

So for us doing short intervals, is it smarter to use 5w or 0w? I read somewhere 5w is better for turbos. Especially since most of us are pushing more power and running hotter than oem

[flexinator]

Either of 0 or 5 should be fine. If you're living in cold northern winters, the 0 may allow easier starting and earlier engine lube, especially piston lubrication. I've been using 0w-30, especially during the cold season.

[STR8-6IX]

there are non- LL certified oils ou tthere that provide better protection and slow oil burning in compairson to the typical stuff that people use on here.

as for changing oil more frequently, that should be done regardless of what oil you ar eusing or not.

also, 5w30/5w40 is best for a BMW

[JETmn]

Agree with everyone above that we should be changing the oil more often than BMW says since we are pushing the cars harder. We cause more blowby because of the increased boost we run and ethanol blowby is even worse on the oil. Run a good true synthetic and change every 5k miles. LL01 isn't needed if you change more often.

[flexinator]

What motor oil are ya'll using in your N55s?

[weehe126]

Rotella T6 5w-40 ftw!

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by Maniac0908

So for us doing short intervals, is it smarter to use 5w or 0w? I read somewhere 5w is better for turbos. Especially since most of us are pushing more power and running hotter than oem

It's preferable to use a 5w if you live somewhere warm, and a 0w if you live somewhere cold (i.e. avg. < 32 F in the winter). Oil begins to thin out as temperatures climb beyond what the oil was designed for; conversely, oil gets thicker as temperatures decrease beyond what it was designed for.

For example, the M3 uses 10w60 because a 60-weight oil will be much more viscous under high temperature than a 5w30 when tracking; but, you wouldn't want to start the M3 in < 32 degree temperatures with a 10w60 oil and no engine block heater, as it will have a very high viscosity compared to a 5w or 0w.

Cold-starting your car is when you have the highest amount of wear, next to tracking it.

Originally Posted by JETmn

I would always recommend synthetic in a turbo car. The oil runs through the turbo and the synthetic can handle the higher temps much better.

Reading more about it, I can mostly agree with that.

[bbnks2]

http://blackstone-labs.us1.list-mana...7&e=4ae086ecff

Blackstone labs embraces thin oil. Definitely interesting that the Germans are the only ones still running thick oil... especially the Mb/Porsche/Vw spec oils (much thicker spec than LL-01, which is why it plots "better" on a chart).

[flexinator]

After some research and bobistheoilguy help it's clear I'll only be using LL01 castrol oil. Even with 5k oil changes it's apparent our n55 engines like German castrol. Make sure the castrol you put in is the European formula and LL01 approved.

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by flexinator

After some research and bobistheoilguy help it's clear I'll only be using LL01 castrol oil. Even with 5k oil changes it's apparent our n55 engines like German castrol. Make sure the castrol you put in is the European formula and LL01 approved.

German Castrol gets high praise on BITOG as a very well rounded oil.

Here is a thread just below yours on BITOG. Mobil 1 FS 0w40 vs Castrol Edge 0w-40 used oil analysis side-by-side: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ub..._V#Post4329995

Look how much the viscosity of the new Mobil 1 FS formula has fallen off after just 5k miles of use... Modern synthetics are design to temporarily shear under load, however, the Mobil 1 FS shows that the oil has PERMANENTLY sheared and is outside of spec after a relatively short oil change interval.

The "thicker" "better" 0w40 Mobil 1 FS oil doesn't seem to be a very good recommendation anymore despite many people still suggesting it is. the 0-40 oil you'll get on the shelf at any retail store is going to be this new thinner, obviously worse, "FS" variation.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

I generally don't make decisions based on one data point in a different car under varying conditions. If it's repeatable under controlled conditions, then I'll believe it.

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

I generally don't make decisions based on one data point in a different car under varying conditions. If it's repeatable under controlled conditions, then I'll believe it.

Good point but it's definetly interesting data. My gc uoas always come back mint after 5k miles even with multiple track days on the oil at 270f.

[flexinator]

That's why German Castrol is the way to go. There is no substitute for these engines.