M1 AFE 0w-30 vs. GC 0W-30 Interchangeable?

[TJPark01]

M1 AFE 0w30 vs. GC 0W-30

Can I use Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy in the same application as Castrol Syntec European Formula (German Castrol) 0W-30?
Aside from the manufacturers approving the oils, are they interchangeable?

 

[d00df00d]

Very different oils.

Mobil 1 AFE is made for fuel economy and sensitive emissions systems. It is specifically designed to have an HTHS viscosity under 3.5 and low levels of certain additives. German Castrol is made to protect in tough applications under high stress. It is specifically designed to have an HTHS viscosity of 3.5 or more, and carries higher levels of certain additives.

If your application requires an oil like Mobil 1 AFE, German Castrol will sacrifice fuel economy for no good reason and might make your catalytic converter wear out slightly sooner. If your application requires an oil like German Castrol, Mobil 1 AFE will be too thin at very high temperatures and might not protect as well.

I can see those oils being interchangeable in, say, an older car for which which either oil would be overkill. That's about it.

 

[TJPark01]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Very different oils.

Mobil 1 AFE is made for fuel economy and sensitive emissions systems, and is specifically designed to have an HTHS viscosity under 3.5. GC is made to protect in tough applications under high stress, and is specifically designed to have an HTHS viscosity of 3.5 or more.

I'm sure there are many applications where you could use either one, but they are not really interchangeable per se. If you use GC in an application that fits Mobil 1 AFE, you'll lose fuel economy for no good reason. If you use Mobil 1 AFE in an application that fits GC, it'll be too thin at very high temperatures and might not protect as well.

That's a darn good answer. The application is for a DI, turbocharged engine, N55, in the 2011 535i. I find M1 AFE is a lot easier to find than GC. I'll probably stick with the GC.

 

[OVERKILL]

The "competing" product is M1 0w40. Not AFE.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: TJPark01
The application is for a DI, turbocharged engine, N55, in the 2011 535i. I find M1 AFE is a lot easier to find than GC. I'll probably stick with the GC.

I'd say that would be a good call.

You've probably noticed that BMW requires an LL-01 oil for that engine. LL-01 is one of those specs that requires an HTHS of 3.5 or more (among other things), and GC meets it. Obviously Mobil 1 AFE does not.

 

[TJPark01]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
The "competing" product is M1 0w40. Not AFE.

Correct. I was just thinking about sticking to the same viscosity, but I hear GC is almost a 40wt oil. So far the car likes GC, if it starts to burn oil, I may try the M1 0W-40.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
The "competing" product is M1 0w40. Not AFE.

Also a good call.

When you are comparing oils, certifications matter more than viscosity; any oil with the right certification will work, whereas two oils with the same viscosity grade could perform very differently.

 

[TJPark01]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: TJPark01
The application is for a DI, turbocharged engine, N55, in the 2011 535i. I find M1 AFE is a lot easier to find than GC. I'll probably stick with the GC.

I'd say that would be a good call.

You've probably noticed that BMW requires an LL-01 oil for that engine. LL-01 is one of those specs that requires an HTHS of 3.5 or more (among other things), and GC meets it. Obviously Mobil 1 AFE does not.

The car was made in Germany, the oil was made in Germany, heck even the Good Year Run Flat tires were made in Germany. I guess it's GC for sake of symmetry.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: TJPark01
The car was made in Germany, the oil was made in Germany, heck even the Good Year Run Flat tires were made in Germany. I guess it's GC for sake of symmetry.

Man... my German car has Japanese wheels and tires, and American and French fluids. I suddenly feel so inconsistent!

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: TJPark01
So far the car likes GC, if it starts to burn oil, I may try the M1 0W-40.

Quick bit of unsolicited advice on this point: Make sure you run at least 2 OCIs with a new oil before you try to judge oil consumption. It's not unusual to have higher-than-normal oil consumption immediately after a switch, so you'll want to give that a chance to settle down first.

 

[TJPark01]

I did a DIY oil change using GC for this car here...
2011 BMW 535i DIY Oil Change

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Man... my German car has Japanese wheels and tires, and American and French fluids. I suddenly feel so inconsistent!


Volk, Enkei, or ?? wheels?

 

[d00df00d]

Kosei K1 wheels, Falken FK-452 tires (the XL-rated variant). Love the former, can't wait to get rid of the latter. Cheap tires are a false economy...

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: TJPark01
The car was made in Germany, the oil was made in Germany, heck even the Good Year Run Flat tires were made in Germany. I guess it's GC for sake of symmetry.

Man... my German car has Japanese wheels and tires, and American and French fluids. I suddenly feel so inconsistent!


Actually, I thought I read a post in the GC thread stating that SYNTEC 0w30 was an oil design that originated in Japan IIRC. I'll see if I can link the post later...