I'm an oil newb, and have for the past few weeks I have been trying to sort through the vast amount of information, and conflicting opinion regarding a good oil choice for my car. Some say thick, some say thin, and of course everyone's got their brand.
Here's a little background:
I've got a 1995 BMW M3 daily driver (auto trans if that matters), just rolled over 100k last month. I am the second owner, and the car has always been very well cared for. It has never seen the track, and most likely never will. All things considered, and with the way a car like this could be driven, I would say I go pretty easy on it. I live in Denver, so we can see extremes in temperature from time to time, but typically it's fairly moderate here. The car is garaged, so even a cold start isn't going to be all that cold. I'm running Valvoline Synpower 10W30, and have been for the past few years. I have no particular loyalty to Valvoline, but before I started doing my own changes, the shop I went to was Valvoline all the way. I've had a tick for the past year or two, and while it has been getting a little more frequent, it still is not constant, and seems to go away once the engine is really warm. I have a feeling it's a lifter, though I'm not 100% sure of that. I've got a bit of a rough idle after a cold start, but beyond that, the car is tip top. No leaks (knock on wood) or anything like that. I'm looking to switch oils because I believe there are better choices out there that can provide better protection for my engine, and I'm hoping the right oil may quiet down that tick more, if not get rid of it completely.
I definitely will stick with a synth oil, my confusion is regarding the weight and brand. After finding GC locally, I did some reading about it, and it sounds like a good choice for me, then I hear people knock it, saying it's way too thin for our weather (I did read the myths about thin oil). I don't know if I need to go the high mileage road yet, since there are no leaks, and besides the tick, no other real problems. I guess I'm torn between GC, PP, RP, and Lubro Moly (which I know is primarily a choice based on preference). In regards to the weight thing, it seems like the more I read about it, the more confused I get. Perhaps the fact that the whole thing seems to be like a matter of opinion, more than a clear cut right or wrong, is making it difficult for me to decide. I figured if there's anywhere I can get a solid answer (and hopefully avoid a flame) about what should be the best choice for this particular engine, this is the place.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers~
Eric
Here's a little background:
I've got a 1995 BMW M3 daily driver (auto trans if that matters), just rolled over 100k last month. I am the second owner, and the car has always been very well cared for. It has never seen the track, and most likely never will. All things considered, and with the way a car like this could be driven, I would say I go pretty easy on it. I live in Denver, so we can see extremes in temperature from time to time, but typically it's fairly moderate here. The car is garaged, so even a cold start isn't going to be all that cold. I'm running Valvoline Synpower 10W30, and have been for the past few years. I have no particular loyalty to Valvoline, but before I started doing my own changes, the shop I went to was Valvoline all the way. I've had a tick for the past year or two, and while it has been getting a little more frequent, it still is not constant, and seems to go away once the engine is really warm. I have a feeling it's a lifter, though I'm not 100% sure of that. I've got a bit of a rough idle after a cold start, but beyond that, the car is tip top. No leaks (knock on wood) or anything like that. I'm looking to switch oils because I believe there are better choices out there that can provide better protection for my engine, and I'm hoping the right oil may quiet down that tick more, if not get rid of it completely.
I definitely will stick with a synth oil, my confusion is regarding the weight and brand. After finding GC locally, I did some reading about it, and it sounds like a good choice for me, then I hear people knock it, saying it's way too thin for our weather (I did read the myths about thin oil). I don't know if I need to go the high mileage road yet, since there are no leaks, and besides the tick, no other real problems. I guess I'm torn between GC, PP, RP, and Lubro Moly (which I know is primarily a choice based on preference). In regards to the weight thing, it seems like the more I read about it, the more confused I get. Perhaps the fact that the whole thing seems to be like a matter of opinion, more than a clear cut right or wrong, is making it difficult for me to decide. I figured if there's anywhere I can get a solid answer (and hopefully avoid a flame) about what should be the best choice for this particular engine, this is the place.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers~
Eric
