'06 Mini Cooper S - Napa Syn5w30 - 10,192 mi

[Bugzii]

This is my second UOA for this motor. The first UOA with Mobil 1 5w30 is posted here.
Due to the good reviews for NAPA Synthetic, I decided to give it a try. A great value when it's on sale.

Anyhow, the main differences from the last UOA with Mobil 1 5w30...

1. More hiway driving (70% vs 50% for the last UOA).
2. Shorter time in use (20 months vs 32 months).
3. More use in colder temps and early morning cold-starts.
4. MPG went up... due to more hiway driving.

Filtration: Air filter is unchanged, 20,000 miles old at the time of this sample. Oil filter is new. Both made by Wix.

NOTE: Sodium is high in VOA of NAPA Synthetic... as documented here.

 

[901Memphis]

Pretty good report from a SC engine. Are you hard on it at all after its up to temp?

 

[Bugzii]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Pretty good report from a SC engine. Are you hard on it at all after its up to temp?

Not really. I'm easy on the motor before the oil is warmed up... stay <3000 RPM. Once it's reached normal operating temp, I do push it if I need to pass... but rarely above 4000 RPM. Driving during commute hours is hardly the environment to push this baby. I hope to do a few trips along the Pacific Coast Highway next year... that should be a blast.

 

[fdcg27]

Wow!
Apparently Synpower (NAPA) API SN really is all that.
Very nice UOA with none of the oxidative thickening that you seem to have had with M1.
Very low insoluables as well.
This isn't the recommended oil for your car, either, or is it?
I thought that Minis needed a BMW spec oil, which this stuff ain't.

 

[OVERKILL]

Why are you running an oil that is significantly thinner than what is spec'd? The right oil for your car would be M1 0w-40, PU 5w-40....etc.

 

[fdcg27]

That's what I thought, but you really can't argue with the results.
Where's Caterham?

 

[Bugzii]

@ Overkill & fdcg27 -

The MINI specs ACEA A3/B3 & BMW LL-01, API SM, approved grades are 5w30 and 5w40. The easiest to find over-the-counter is Mobil 1 0w40. Why NAPA? Cheap... cheap... cheap...

My location is mild except for the few days of 90-95*F. My wear numbers average at 10k are below those of Universal Average, which is at ~5700 miles. Considering the last two batches were in used at 32 months and 20 months, it's pretty good using 5w30 grade... me thinks.

The car's computer oil service indicator was 19k this time. Why would I want to listen to BMW... Broke My Wallet?

 

[901Memphis]

It's a fairly good report, but running something thicker might prevent some of the metal wear, hard to tell...

 

[chubbs1]

Keep doin what you are doin! Are you sure that wasnt M1 0w40 the first sample? lol

 

[SLCraig]

I'm surprised at the difference in thickness between the Napa and M1 oils. The engine doesn't seem to care at least, so it's not a big deal. Just a bit surprising to me.

 

[901Memphis]

Well copper and lead could come down a touch unless they are normal wear parts in that engine? From the oil cooler?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Bugzii
@ Overkill & fdcg27 -

The MINI specs ACEA A3/B3 & BMW LL-01, API SM, approved grades are 5w30 and 5w40. The easiest to find over-the-counter is Mobil 1 0w40. Why NAPA? Cheap... cheap... cheap...

Yes, and it is WAY thinner than anything that meets LL-01, which denotes an HTHS of >=3.5cP.

Quote:
My location is mild except for the few days of 90-95*F. My wear numbers average at 10k are below those of Universal Average, which is at ~5700 miles. Considering the last two batches were in used at 32 months and 20 months, it's pretty good using 5w30 grade... me thinks.


UOA's don't really tell you how your engine is wearing. You'd have to perform a tear-down to determine that. Considering you are unlikely to do that, it may be prudent to listen to those who spec'd a heavier lubricant for your car IMHO, as if you do have a failure it's a bit late at that point no?

Quote:
The car's computer oil service indicator was 19k this time. Why would I want to listen to BMW... Broke My Wallet?


Yes, I don't listen to the OLM in mine either because I find it is a bit liberal in the OCI's it allows. However M1 0w-40 and the LL-01 oils in general are all designed for extended drains and hold their TBN for a surprisingly long time.

Why listen to BMW? Because they spec'd an LL-01 oil for this car and there would be a reason for that. They don't spec that for all of their vehicles.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Bugzii
The MINI specs ACEA A3/B3 & BMW LL-01, API SM, approved grades are 5w30 and 5w40. The easiest to find over-the-counter is Mobil 1 0w40. Why NAPA? Cheap... cheap... cheap...

Considering a jug of M1 0w-40 in WM in the States is cheaper than a jug of conventional 5w-30 in WM in Canada, you have no right to be cheap.

 

[Bugzii]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Bugzii
The MINI specs ACEA A3/B3 & BMW LL-01, API SM, approved grades are 5w30 and 5w40. The easiest to find over-the-counter is Mobil 1 0w40. Why NAPA? Cheap... cheap... cheap...

Considering a jug of M1 0w-40 in WM in the States is cheaper than a jug of conventional 5w-30 in WM in Canada, you have no right to be cheap.

A quart of M1 5w30 runs $6.5-$7 locally while a quart of NAPA Syn is $3.5 when on sale. If I can get similar results, why pay more? Even my aunt in Toronto agrees with me.

 

[901Memphis]

The last time I checked my Walmart the price was $22.47 for any flavor of Mobil 1 except the EP. That's $4.40 per quart for the 0w40.

 

[walk23]

What air filter are you using ? Silicon levels are extremely low.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Bugzii
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Bugzii
The MINI specs ACEA A3/B3 & BMW LL-01, API SM, approved grades are 5w30 and 5w40. The easiest to find over-the-counter is Mobil 1 0w40. Why NAPA? Cheap... cheap... cheap...

Considering a jug of M1 0w-40 in WM in the States is cheaper than a jug of conventional 5w-30 in WM in Canada, you have no right to be cheap.

A quart of M1 5w30 runs $6.5-$7 locally while a quart of NAPA Syn is $3.5 when on sale. If I can get similar results, why pay more? Even my aunt in Toronto agrees with me.

But if you are basing that off a UOA, you don't REALLY know if you are getting similar results

 

[Bugzii]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
The last time I checked my Walmart the price was $22.47 for any flavor of Mobil 1 except the EP. That's $4.40 per quart for the 0w40.

My local WM has it for $24.97 plus 9% sales tax. Buying NAPA Syn and Wix filter during their sales event saves me about $8 for the oil and $5-6 for the filter per change interval. My other car is a VW with a turbocharged 1.8L motor and serves as a daily driver. Together, I average 3 oil changes per year... or $40 in savings. Not much in the scheme of things but why pay more when I can use that $40 a meal by beach cafe.

That said, I do like Mobil 1 and have used it extensively in my previous Porsche 944S when there M1 was the only synthetic readily available. My VW 1.8T also has M1 most of its life. In the current market, we have more choices.

 

[Bugzii]

Originally Posted By: walk23
What air filter are you using ? Silicon levels are extremely low.

Just a regular paper-type filter made by Wix.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Bugzii
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Bugzii
The MINI specs ACEA A3/B3 & BMW LL-01, API SM, approved grades are 5w30 and 5w40. The easiest to find over-the-counter is Mobil 1 0w40. Why NAPA? Cheap... cheap... cheap...

Considering a jug of M1 0w-40 in WM in the States is cheaper than a jug of conventional 5w-30 in WM in Canada, you have no right to be cheap.

A quart of M1 5w30 runs $6.5-$7 locally while a quart of NAPA Syn is $3.5 when on sale. If I can get similar results, why pay more? Even my aunt in Toronto agrees with me.

But if you are basing that off a UOA, you don't REALLY know if you are getting similar results

I think that within the margin of error, a UOA will show whether any given grade is causing excessive wear.
A UOA with particle counts would be even better and since it would only represent a one-time extra expense, it might be worth it to the OP just to assure himself that his engine really is wearing well on a non-complying oil.
BMW probably recommends an LL-01 oil simply because they know without question that it will work and they don't intend to go to the expense of testing API SN oils, a standard which applies mainly to the North American market alone.
Doesn't mean that an API SN 5W-30 won't work well.
Just means that BMW doesn't have any evidence of whether it will or won't.
The OP has at least some evidence that it will and enough has been posted throughout this forum of the potential for using thinner oils in a variety of applications that there's really no reason to think that it wouldn't.