0w-12 API certification?

[Rollno07]

I have only seen 0w-12 with BMW Specs recommended for BMW cars.
But I have never seen any API SP 0w-12 for American or Asian Cars!!
Do they have cars for this SAE? Will API start certification for 0w-12 oil despite no engines?

 

[fozzdesy2001]

0w-12 is it better than 0w-8, WoW! I just can't and won't do it. I'm a thicky xx-30 something pours so nice, and I swear my 14-year-old new to me Rav4 purred when I changed it from the 0w-20 the dealer said they had in it to 5w-30., I even swapped to a 5W-30 cap from my buddy's beater. I might warm up to something in the 20s, but never anything less. Sorry

 

[Rollno07]

Thats another thing that you like thicky Oil but when it comes to requirement or recommended by manufacturers you have to use thin viscosities.

 

[skyactiv]

My wife bought a new BMW 330i xDrive several weeks ago and it specs 0W12 LL-22FE++. The car is a mild hybrid and is rated 0-60 5.4 seconds and supposedly does high 13's in the 1/4. It's rated 34 highway. She drove it from Ohio to South Carolina and got 38 MPG and she is a fast driver.

The viscosity is stupid but I'm at the point it being thin doesn't bother me. I've historically changed the oil on our cars but the BMW came with oil changes included for the first 3/36. If I start doing oil changes on it I will use a VW 508 0W20 oil or look into a BMW spec 0W20 if there is something cheap at Walmart, maybe. One issue with a BMW more so than a Nissan is that if she decides to get rid of the car after 5 years, it'll hold more value and/or be easier to sell showing a service record shown on Carfax that it's been dealer maintained vs doing driveway oil changes.

 

[kschachn]

Thats another thing that you like thicky Oil but when it comes to requirement or recommended by manufacturers you have to use thin viscosities.

Even with a BMW it's still not a requirement but a recommendation. If it's a recommendation (as you note) then you don't have to use it.

 

[Hall]

but the BMW came with oil changes included for the first 3/36. If I start doing oil changes on it I will use a VW 508 0W20 oil or look into a BMW spec 0W20 if there is something cheap at Walmart, maybe. ...it'll hold more value and/or be easier to sell showing a service record shown on Carfax that it's been dealer maintained vs doing driveway oil changes.

Have the dealer do the free oil changes but do you own in between the ones they do.

 

[JavierH19]

I've seen owners manual pages saying you can use 0w-30 instead of 0w-12.

 

[edyvw]

I have only seen 0w-12 with BMW Specs recommended for BMW cars.
But I have never seen any API SP 0w-12 for American or Asian Cars!!
Do they have cars for this SAE? Will API start certification for 0w-12 oil despite no engines?

It is BMW thing or grade.
Generally, Euro manufacturers don’t care much for API. I think 0W12 is lowest they felt they could go for mpg purposes.
That is why they left an option in manual to use LL01FE.

 

[kschachn]

It is BMW thing or grade.
Generally, Euro manufacturers don’t care much for API. I think 0W12 is lowest they felt they could go for mpg purposes.
That is why they left an option in manual to use LL01FE.

Or to put it another way, the lowest they could go without causing excessive wear.

 

[edyvw]

Or to put it another way, the lowest they could go without causing excessive wear.

Well yeah, at least under warranty/CPO.