Favorite BMW LL-01 oil

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Originally Posted By: IllinoisSparky
True. No official BMW approval.


But at least Amsoil says it meets/is equivalent to LL-01, that's more than you get from ExxonMobil for their current 0W-40 FS
smile.gif


One wonders really, why M1 0W-40 dropped the spec. From what little has been posted here it didn't seem like a formulation change especially considering it kept all the other certifications. If indeed there was a change to LL-01 itself, then it is was either that the oil could't meet it for a technical reason or for an administrative one. Sometimes those certs take a while to be accomplished.

Which also makes you wonder if Amsoil still thinks that their oil meets the "new" LL-01 - if there is a new one.
 
Correct, LL-04 is not a replacement for LL-01 in US, but is a replacement in Europe. There was a thread on here several years ago. LL-04 is low SAPS oil which doesn't hold up well to Ethanol and Sulfur content of US gasoline. Diesel fuel in US (road diesel you find at gas stations, not the off-road diesel used in heavy equipment) doesn't have Ethanol and Sulfur content is at least 4x lower than found in US gasoline. IIRC 5ppm in diesel vs 20ppm in gasoline. That's why manuals for diesel engines in US specify ACEA C2/C3 spec oils like LL-04. European gasoline doesn't have Ethanol and Sulfur content is on par with US road diesel fuel if not lower.

All that said, I use Castrol 0w40, which is ACEA A3/A4 certified with additional manufacturer certifications like MB 229.5. It is readily available at Walmart where you can pick up 5qt bottle for under $23 on sale. Without a sale it's just $5 more. Based on my research sometime ago, a combination of MB 229.5, VW 502.00/505.00 and Porsche A40 specs are tougher than LL-01.

My guess would be that LL-01 was updated to require HTHS viscosity lower than 3.5. That's probably why M1 0w40 had dropped that certification, which means Castrol 0w40 will do the same soon since ACEA A3/A4 requires HTHS of 3.5 or greater.

If you are like I am who believes low viscosity oils in US are being pushed for EPA fuel economy requirement reasons then you'll continue using either M1 0w40 or Castrol 0w40 without fear.
 
Looks like I was off on Sulfur content in US gasoline and diesel fuel, but idea remains the same. According to link below,


US road diesel 15ppm
US gasoline up to 80ppm


http://transportpolicy.net/index.php?title=US:_Fuels:_Diesel_and_Gasoline
 
Autozone has a sale for $29.99 for 5 quarts of Castrol black edge and a filter. They sell the 0w40, and it meets BMW LL-01. Some BMW filters can be expensive, so this may be a good deal.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: Olas
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Olas
Do you mean stuff that is on BMWs own list?

Most folks dont have access to this list. If you do, please share a link.


Most folks don't have access to the list? 2nd link down on Google!

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=478346


Yeah... That post is 5 years old, and the list itself is almost 7!

Want to try again?


I expect that BMW revise their approved oils lists every few week. As they (unlike some other manufacturers) do not publish these lists online, my solution is to pop into the dealership and ask them to print a copy of the latest edition.

Regards, lim
 
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I can't understand why one would even bother with a list (assuming it even exists). Why not just go to the store and buy an oil that carries the specification you need?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Good luck with that. Let us know if you get it.


Yes I do, and why not. They gladly provide what I have asked for, whether it be for engine, transmission or other fluids - and why not?

Regards, lim
 
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Originally Posted By: kschachn
I can't understand why one would even bother with a list (assuming it even exists). Why not just go to the store and buy an oil that carries the specification you need?


Because if I don't go to the store with a plan I'll likely spend a long time staring blankly at bottles <<<brain damage
 
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Originally Posted By: kschachn
I can't understand why one would even bother with a list (assuming it even exists). Why not just go to the store and buy an oil that carries the specification you need?


Because if I don't go to the store with a plan I'll likely spend a long time staring blankly at bottles div>

It's not like there is a long list of options for LL-01 oils at a typical store.
 
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Originally Posted By: kschachn
I can't understand why one would even bother with a list (assuming it even exists). Why not just go to the store and buy an oil that carries the specification you need?

Because if I don't go to the store with a plan I'll likely spend a long time staring blankly at bottles div>


Yeah but lists aren't worth much IMO, they're outdated the moment they are published. I'd use one to get in the ballpark but after that if the bottle doesn't list the spec then I'd look for something else.

And like Quattro Pete noted unless you're at a specialty store there isn't much to choose from.
 
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
That's in part why I generally order on line for that oil.


What are you getting from that online oil as opposed to the Castrol 0W-40 from Walmart? It's a serious question.
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
That's in part why I generally order on line for that oil.


What are you getting from that online oil as opposed to the Castrol 0W-40 from Walmart? It's a serious question.


Not having to deal with the crazy people in and around Walmatt for one. I also have limited energy to go out and about and would rather spend that on other things.
 
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
That's in part why I generally order on line for that oil.


What are you getting from that online oil as opposed to the Castrol 0W-40 from Walmart? It's a serious question.


Not having to deal with the crazy people in and around Walmatt for one. I also have limited energy to go out and about and would rather spend that on other things.


I would have to agree with this. I would pay an extra 50 cents or so a quart to not have to deal with walmart.
 
Correspondence with Mobil- from bimmerfest.com(3/16/16):

My message:
I have a question about the European Formula Mobil 1 FS 0w-40 engine oil. I have noticed that recently the packaging has changed and LL01 certification was dropped. The name has changed as well to Mobil 1 FS 0W-40. What is the difference between Mobil 1 FS 0W-40 and Mobil 1 0W-40? What does FS stands for? Is there a difference in the chemistry between the two?

Reply:

Yes, we did recently introduce a new formulation, along with a new product name to differentiate the two. One assumes FS is just short for Full Synthetic. Performance of the new recipe is very comparable to the outgoing product.

At the same time, BMW had modified the testing requirement for the LL-01 spec – adding of a more severe N20 2liter turbo test that, apparently, we do not yet meet.


My Followup Message:
Thank you for such a prompt reply. Does the "FS" version of 0W-40 still comply with the old LL-01 standard? In other words am I safe using the new formulation with BMW N62TU Engine (550i 2010)?

And the reply:
Yes, since the new M1 FS 0W-40 did not lose any performance relative to the previous version, it will continue to provide similar (if not slightly improved) performance in your model.

Based on the above I'll continue to use M1 0W-40 in the ti and X3. When the 2er is out of warranty I'll re-evaluate what I'll use.
 
My guess is that the LL-01 standard is based on how the oil performs in a given BMW engine, and M1 0W-40 "fails" when used in the N20. It does make me wonder why M1 was apparently still robust enough to pass in the N54/55 motors- assuming it was tested in those motors.
 
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