Best BMW LL-01 Approved Oil?

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I purchased 15 quarts of the Mobil 1 0w40 for the sale price. I plane on doing 5k OCI's with it. From the couple of UOA's I have seen from the Mini, it seems to like the Mobil 1 better than the OEM Mini 5w30 and the GC 0w30. Those and the Mobil 1 0W40 are the only UOA's I have been able to find for the Supercharged Mini. For the price of the Mobil 1 on sale, it was a no brainer to purchase it!
 
Originally Posted By: Medic_Coop
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
Watch consumption with that stuff.


Has Mobil 1 0w40 been found to have higher consumption than German Castrol 0w30?



Yes it produces high consumption. I just linked a number of examples where late-model Mercedes owners had horrific consumption issues with it that were cured with 5w-40. It burns in Hondas too.

Doug does not have access nor experience with using German Castrol. I don't know why he answers questions the way he does, other then to defend Mobil at all costs.

GC was the lowest consumption oil in my Audis while M1 0w-40 routinely burns off on many applications.
 
Hi,
AJ you said:
"Doug does not have access nor experience with using German Castrol. I don't know why he answers questions the way he does, other then to defend Mobil at all costs."

Oh you assume much! In this case your assumptions are WRONG!

I was one of the original users of Castrol Formula SLX 0W-30 here in OZ in 1996 - the ORIGINAL GC. It was API SH/CF and ACEA A3-96 and B3-96 Quality rated. It had VW500 and 505 (issue 11/92) Approvals along with Porsche, BMW (Special oils amd diesel M51) and was Energy Conserving 2!

It had the following specification;
Pour point of -57C
CCS@-30C - 3150
Viscosity at 40C - 65 cSt
Viscosity at 100C 11.6 cSt
HTHS vis. 3.5cP
TBN of 8

It was sold as having "unique controlled phosphorus and low chlorine additive technology" ! It was ester based at that time. I used it in a VW 2 ltr, a Sonata V6, Ford Explorer (German V6), Daewoo Nubira (GM2), BMW R100RS and some other engines. This was part of Castrol's Field Tests. Around 300kkms field distance was covered

It was used in Castrol sponsored V8Supercars here as a race lubricant during 1998

The VW engine failed after 80kkms in 1998, due to the OP drive seizing. It was due to the lubricant.It is my only lubricant related engine failure!
VW and MB were using the lubricant here as a Servivce Fill. They ceased using it after my experience and other "deposit" related issues

The VW engine was put on to M1 0W-40. My other engines were put on to Castrol R 10W-60 - a lubricant I helped to develop in the last 1970s-and into the early 1980s!

During this time I was working with Castrol in developing a semi-synthetic 15W-40 HDEO and I was field testing some versions in my Fleet at the samme time

GC was reformulated to SJ/CF and away from its original ester base and then finally to SL/CF around 1999. It sold very poorly here and was finally taken from the shelves during 2000-2001

I used the later versions spasmodically!

I have used M1 0W-40 since around 1998 (12 years or more) in a wide variety of engines and have never experienced any excessive oil consumption. This is also the case with the Senior MB and Porsche Contacts I have here in OZ and in Germany. Porsche Owners report the same. Aston Martin expect some oil consumption when using it as their race lubricant in long distance (24hr) events. They prefer this rather than moving into heavier viscosity lubricants!

I still use German based Castrol lubricants in both MCs and cars! At least one of their Senior Lubricant Engineers here once worked for me - he has been with Castrol for 25 years. We are still in contact and I maintain contact with a number of Engineers for Castrol in Germany
 
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Well....as for consumption. I guess I will find out on my own as each application must be a little different. Would I be correct in assuming since my car calls for a BMW LL-01 5w30 that that 0w40 would be less likely to burn off? I have three oil changes worth right now, and I will check the oil level regularly as i do with all of my vehicles. It will have the Mobil 1 in it in a couple of weeks. I will keep this post updated with what I find.
 
You just have to try it - there's no other way to find out.

My experience in BMW engines with M1 0w-40 is that if it's a high consumption engine, it'll consume the Mobil oil just as fast as anything else. If it's a low consumption engine it won't consume the Mobil any faster than anything else.
 
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie


GC was the lowest consumption oil in my Audis while M1 0w-40 routinely burns off on many applications.


Does it burn in your ecotec? It sure doesnt in mine over 14k mile OCIs.
 
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
GC was the lowest consumption oil in my Audis while M1 0w-40 routinely burns off on many applications.


Does this mean you have used the Mobil 1 in any of your vehicles and had a consumption issue that you did not have with the GC?
 
No, I can't directly compare the two back to back.

Doug, you railed so hard against SLX, and now you say you use it? Surely it's not the same fluid we get here, it's now a USA specific product that was just reformulated a few years ago.

The Ecotec did use a spit of GC in the last 6 months, 4k. It's barely enough to measure, maybe 1/4q. We do a lot of hard urban blasting around with a manual trans. Flat out red light to red light with highway banzai runs is how I'd describe it. 23mpg adv.

Gonna leave it in a bit past the 6 month planed oci since I don't have any other known long-life oils for the Astra and I want to use some Havoline DS 5w-20 for a short 4 month run late winter. I have some SL M1 0w-30, SynPower and QTP 5w-30 and 10w-30 stashed for it, back to 6 month ocis.

Back OT, I would bet money GC will burn off less than M1 0w-40, all things being equal. The fact GC won't shear like M1 0w-40 says a bunch.
 
Hi,
AJ - You should not assume!

I have had a very productive relationship with Castrol for some decades. I found their Castrolite to be a great product in the 1950s but their XL and XXL products left much to be desired

I was a long term user of their excellent HDEO RX Super 15W-40 for many years and their CRB HD oil in 2 cycle Detroit Diesels since the 1970s! I have more user experience with Castrol, Shell and Caltex than Mobil!!

Castrol's SLX (GC) was a flop here in Australia in the 1990s and onto 2002 or so when it was withdrawn. The first reformulation occured in Singapore and the next was blended her in Australia. It was caused by very poor product development. About this time BP put an end to many Castrolproducts

As a result Porsche delisted it in MY1999 and it has never returned (except for VW derived engine families)

Some engines will consume some lubricant - to many this is desirable in that it revitalises it. In some engine families oil consumption is predetermined at the design stage

Excessive oil use is the real worry and there can be many reasons for this - especially with new engines

AJ - It may be wise for you to realise many people here on BITOG have diverse skills and experiences!
 
Doug, I know your experience and appreciate what you do, but I don't think that GC Gold is something you have available in AU. That is a fair assumption.

I am also not the only person who both believes Mobil 1 generally has high consumption and GC has low consumption. I may be wrong, but as I said, my bet is that's correct.
 
Hi,
AJ and the OP - Castrol's BMW specific OEM products are in most cases formulated for that task. RS 10W-60 is an example - it is BMW specific and has an ester content - it is derived form Formulaa 15W-50 of the 1970s. Castrol's own 10W-60 is PAO based and is also marketed (in Europe) as a race suitable product (and I know it is!!) and is widely used by many

The "VW Group - Castrol" deal provides for specific lubricants under the "Professional" Branding

Most other Castrol engine lubricants can be traced Worldwide with only minor formulation variances but different Branding

As you will know we have had the "Edge" range here now for several years. The same as in Europe and their MC lubricants range is about the same too

The OP made a good choice - I'm sure he will relate his experiences with it. Good luck
 
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Doug, with respect, I don't think you should waste any further effort responding to these insinuations.

If you're posting to prevent the spread of bad information, you have done all you can. I think it's safe to say that if anyone compares your posts to their competition and fails to conclude in favor of your credibility, further argument will not sway them. They need to learn far more basic things, like proper critical thinking and the value of objective verifiability, which they are highly unlikely to learn from Internet forum posts in this context.

If you are posting to uphold your reputation, I will simply say that I sincerely doubt you have much to fear on that front.

And besides, I suspect this discussion has gone either far beyond the OP's interest or way over his head either way...
 
Are you trying to formulate an opinion on the subject or just babbling? I know you're all excited to post on the same thread as Doug, but try to pull it together. I don't think he needs any moral support and the obvious fact he *wants* to discuss this issue contradicts that spew you just posted. This is a technical forum, not a social club where you need to step in and protect someone else's honour like they are your girlfriend.

To keep it on subject and simple, Mobil 1 = high consumption, GC = low consumption, despite all the editorials. How does such a simple concept becomes perverted into a personal affront is beyond understanding. Nice work guys.

Do you have any info or even an opinion on this issue? It's the subject at hand.
 
Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
Hi,
AJ and the OP - Castrol's BMW specific OEM products are in most cases formulated for that task. RS 10W-60 is an example - it is BMW specific and has an ester content - it is derived form Formulaa 15W-50 of the 1970s. Castrol's own 10W-60 is PAO based and is also marketed (in Europe) as a race suitable product (and I know it is!!) and is widely used by many

The "VW Group - Castrol" deal provides for specific lubricants under the "Professional" Branding

Most other Castrol engine lubricants can be traced Worldwide with only minor formulation variances but different Branding

As you will know we have had the "Edge" range here now for several years. The same as in Europe and their MC lubricants range is about the same too

The OP made a good choice - I'm sure he will relate his experiences with it. Good luck


So, which oil in AUS that you are currently using is the same as GC Gold? SLX or Edge??? I was unaware there is an Edge 0w-30. Are they also the methylcrylate co-olgimer base oil? Please inform us how you determine this.
 
I understand there is a range of Castrol lubricants available there, what I would like to know is which one that Doug uses corresponds with Gold GC.From what Doug has previously stated, SLX was a "flawed product" and was "removed from the shelves", so there is a contradiction when he pops up and makes claims about Gold GC with date codes from 2009 verses the Mobil 1 0w-40 that he likes VERY much.

Doug went out of his way to contradict me on the consumption issue, I'd simply ask what that's based on. I've already stated that pretty clearly before. I stand behind *everything* I said so far on this thread, but all I get back is vague answers from ancient history and indirect personal attacks.

Castrol ironically is the official oil of BMW, do they know in Munich how flawed of a product they are using???
 
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
To keep it on subject and simple, Mobil 1 = high consumption, GC = low consumption, despite all the editorials. How does such a simple concept becomes perverted into a personal affront is beyond understanding. Nice work guys.


From my perspective, as not the OP but certainly interested in both GC and M1 0w-40, I'm glad to be able to read both your opinion and Doug's opinion on this matter. I think that coming to a conclusion that GC consumption is less than M1 0w-40 consumption, as a trend over a large sample size of vehicles that use both, is difficult to do. It would be nice to know, but I think it's a pretty high mountain to climb.

It's a lot easier for one person to find out which burns more (if any) in his own vehicle. My first OCI of GC saw me put in about a litre and a half in the first 2,000 miles. Then it settled down. This OCI, I'm on about 2,000 miles again, and no consumption. Perhaps for me, and others wondering about which will burn more, it might be worthwhile to compare a few OCIs of each over a variety of conditions.

I had wanted to try M1 0w-40 for a while, but the cost was always prohibitive. That has changed. So, maybe after one or two more GC OCIs, I may switch. Then again, if GC continues to do as well as it seems to be doing (and the price doesn't go nuts as it periodically does), I may stick with it.
 
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
Probably. All I said was to "watch the consumption".


Which is certainly good advice when switching oils. It was interesting to watch how GC progressed for me, with more consumption than I expected (particularly after replacing the valve cover gasket) followed by virtually none. Every other time I switched oils on the Audi (including back and forth between synthetic HDEO, conventional HDEO, Mobil 1, and PYB), there weren't consumption issues. PYB was the first fill after the gasket, and there were no issues. Next was Delvac 1300, with no issues. That was followed by two OCIs of GC, with one having some consumption, and the second back to normal.
 
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