BMW Synth 5w-30 4,970miles 2008 BMW Z4 3.0si

[santov]

I'm relieved my engine got a clean bill of health! It was a lease return and according to the service history the first oil change was done at 16k and then again around 20k based on time not milage.

I switched to M1 0w-40. I'm going to stick with the stock filter Mann cartridges. They're cheap and they include new o-rings for the filter housing and copper crush washer for drain plug. I think I'll test at 5k just to see how the M1 affects things.

 

[ryland]

OCI on BMW is 15-17k so nothing wrong there. I would have left it untill the car told me to change it. I just bought a certified pre owned 328i and I'm kind of in the same boat as you! Although my warrante and free maintenance goes till 100k so I'm just going to let BMW do it. Havent decideed on what to do with the ATF or diff fluid yet though. What are you going to do?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Look very good. You should use only German cartridge oil filters for German engines. Mann cartridge oil filter is very good, so are Hengst, Mahle and Bosch. They are not more expensive than other cartridge oil filters if you buy them from Rockauto.

 

[chubbs1]

This oil is top of the line!! I guess the car is too though...lol. Thanks for posting, I would be very interested to see if M1 does this well, when something is working this great why change??

 

[santov]

Originally Posted By: ryland
OCI on BMW is 15-17k so nothing wrong there. I would have left it untill the car told me to change it. I just bought a certified pre owned 328i and I'm kind of in the same boat as you! Although my warrante and free maintenance goes till 100k so I'm just going to let BMW do it. Havent decideed on what to do with the ATF or diff fluid yet though. What are you going to do?


Since the car was new to me I changed all the fluids (plugs too). Mostly for peace of mind, but also to learn the car. I'm still not convinced that the factory maintenance schedule is what's best for the longevity of the car, it's just what's cost effective for them in warranty, and what's lucrative for them just past warranty. They wanted to sell me the extended maintenance, which would have worked in my favor if I have the dealer do everything, but buying the OEM parts online and doing it myself costs a fraction of what any extended/prepaid contracts would cost.

I did change the rear diff with Valvoline 75-90 full synth. The OEM fluid that poured out looked good, dark honey color. The bottom plug isn't a magnet so I can't tell what, if any, metals came out, but again for me, the time and $14 for gear oil was worth it.

I did change the ATF fluid using Valvoline MaxLife DexMerc . It shifts much better, especially at moderate acceleration. The ATF fluid that came out was pretty thick, more like gear oil. Read more here:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1879153#Post1879153

My only complaint is filling the ATF fluid must be done with the engine running. It's nerve wracking to be under a car, even if it is on ramps and jack stands.

Originally Posted By: chubbs1
This oil is top of the line!! I guess the car is too though...lol. Thanks for posting, I would be very interested to see if M1 does this well, when something is working this great why change??


I switched from the BMW oil to M1 for a few reasons: 1) I'm loyal to the Mobil brand and line 2) I can buy it in almost any WalMart for 3) cheaper. Using 0w-40 it runs and idles with much less noise (I wouldn't say smoother, just quieter).

Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

[orionredwing]

Awesome! Thanks for posting.

Since M1 0W-40 is BMW LL-01, I'd love to see your future UOA, as I'm a long-term M1 user too.

Even though they're not LL-01 approved, have you heard any discussion on using M1 EP or HM 5W-30 instead?

 

[JHZR2]

Looks good!