Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: edyvw
I agree. I always hear "arguments" how BMW or Mercedes or Audi are unreliable. Like they have problems! Really? My friend took his A4 1.8T to some cheap fast oil change. Off course they were using some cheap mineral oil, and guess what, sludge fest after 70K. He blamed car, europeans etc. He said that was never problem with his 95 Camry! Really? He wants to drive Audi but to put $19.99 oil.
People are just plain stupid when it comes to cars, especially European cars!
Really agree, but here is the thing - A 1.8T has all these sludging issues (a friend of mine had one with over 190k on it that had no sludge, we kept 0w-40 M1 in it though) needs all this great care.
Well, I could go but a domestic or Japanese car and not have these issues.
...At least on the top-level view.
But it sure seems to me that when these things arise, it is primarily due to specific output. A 1.8T put out what? 100hp/L?
So that's going to change they situation compared to something with lower specific output. Sure seems to me that it was doable to prevent this back in 2004, if one used the right oil, and as more manufacturers are converging on high output engines, the oil specs are improving to reflect - much to the dismay of those with older, low specific output devices.
But my big issue is something like a 323i is NOT a high specific output engine. I doubt it is any more power dense than a camry or accord or malibu engine, and not necessarily run any harder.
So the blanket statement that euro cars need to be maintained at euro prices is a bit misleading, unless a real, sound basis for why this is relevant for every model and system is clearly spelled out.
Im not seeing why a 323i should be any different than a 2.5L camry in terms of maintenance and oil changes. And if done right, they both can be extended very far.
I would agree, except that BMW has more sophisticated engines regardless of output and HP per liter. I am from Europe, and 1.8T always required synthetic oil in Europe and I never heard of sludge issues in Europe with this motor or any other.
When I bought Passat 1.8T here in the US I found out about this issue.
BMW and Camry should not have same engines, because then BMW would not be BMW, it would be just another boring japanese car!
Im not saying that you are wrong. Im just saying that it is never really clearly explained why.
15k on an oil is bound to create degradation in oil of any type, especially basestocks susceptible to high oxidation. Sure is true.
But 15k OCIs aside, what makes the run of the mill european engine more sophisticated than a Japanese or Domestic engine? That is what Im getting at.
For its time, my M42 engine in my E30 was more sophisticated than many of its Japanese and domestic competitors. My N55 with DI and a twin scroll single body turbo is also more sophisticated. But for a run of the mill I6 engine, what is so much more sophisticated? Everyone has COP, everyone has variable valve timing. Specific outputs are roughly the same.
So what is it?