2007 BMW 335i Oil ??? BMW is not clear

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Ok, just picked up a '07 335i with 39k this weekend. The car has a incline 3.0L 6cyl with twin turbos. The owner's manual says to keep checking bwm.usa for updated oil information and such. I checked it last night. They are pushing "BMW OIL". They list a few other oils, but they are all european blend oils except M1 0-40. I have never seen the euroblends they are pushing. But the BMW oil is 5w-30 which I'd like to stick with for better MPG's and better performance. I went to castrol's site and did the car oil select thing and told me to see my dealer for 5w-30 oil. Has anyone navigated through all this [censored]?? BMW does not make oil. Is Castrol making special blend syn oil for them? Or is it rebadged syntec and they're making profits out the arse?
 
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Castrol has two BMW oils: SLX Professional OE and SLX Professional LL (long-life). Audi offers the Professional OE as well.

It's a decent oil, but the 335i is particularly hard on oil due to the turbos.
 
Congrats on your new beamer, BMW sells its own oil which is pretty decent too, folks says that BMW oil is made by Castrol, I believe it too.

Your car is under warranty, you can use these APPROVED OTC oils which are widely available

Mobil 1 0W-40
Castrol Syntec 0W-30

Non-Approved but proven oils!
RLI Biosyn SHP 5W-40
Red Line 0W/5W-40
M1 TDT 5W-40
Shell Rotella T6 5W-40
Motul 5W-40
Lubro Molly 5W-40 (Meets Old Approvals)

Hard to find Approved Oils
Valvoline 5W-40
Pennzoil Ultra 5W-40

Yes BMW is milking big time, many say that GC actually performs better then BMW 5W-30!
 
Originally Posted By: Ibrahim

Yes BMW is milking big time, many say that GC actually performs better then BMW 5W-30!


In my experience with M52, M52TU, M62 and M62TU engines - I agree! :)
 
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Thats a great car BTW!

The engine is fantastic. A good friend of mine has a 135i with the same unit in the family.

The Dinan upgrade is absolutely obscene! Something you might look into if youre really power hungry. They still honour the full BMW warantee as well. Something in the neighborhood of 390 hp, and 410 torque.

Its probably the best engine for the power seekers this decade. Its basically the Toyota Supra Turbo of the 2010's.
 
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I was going to offer up M1 HM 10w-30 API-SL but it's not synthetic anymore ... But it is A3 B3 B4 . I see no need for a OW in FL unless you need it to get the other specs. Makes for a unstable fluid in your specific engine environment.
 
Dealer wants $6.50/qt for the 5w-30 syn oil. Not to shabby. I was holding my breath for like $8/qt. If they go up 1 cent I will use something else like M1 or whatever. So looks like I'll be using BMW oil and filters.
 
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I would think that you are still in the free maintenance period, which is 4yr/50k.

On my 2011 135i, Im using BMW high-performance syn, which I got a kit including filter and 7 qts of oil for $62 shipped from United BMW. I want to keep the same oil in the sump, and while maintenance is free, I want to take advantage of it.

The oil must be approved BMW LL-01, that's it.
 
10-4. And yes I am under the free maintenance. Cost me $62 out the door with taxes for 7qts and a filter from my local dealer. I just can't stand people monkeying with my car. Tell me this JHZR2... Does the BMW computer tell you how long UNTIL the next service, or WHEN the service was done, or both? I'm used to oil % life meters. I popped the oil cap and the oil looks kinda dark and bad IMO. I feel like I need to change it.
 
I know M1 HM 10W30 is an amazing oil, but I am just not sure if it can withstand German Twin Turbo engines, if it were a regular euro engine or just a turbo engine...at least that is my hunch!
 
Originally Posted By: 4x4taco
Ok, just picked up a '07 335i with 39k this weekend. The car has a incline 3.0L 6cyl with twin turbos. The owner's manual says to keep checking bwm.usa for updated oil information and such. I checked it last night. They are pushing "BMW OIL". They list a few other oils, but they are all european blend oils except M1 0-40. I have never seen the euroblends they are pushing. But the BMW oil is 5w-30 which I'd like to stick with for better MPG's and better performance. I went to castrol's site and did the car oil select thing and told me to see my dealer for 5w-30 oil. Has anyone navigated through all this [censored]?? BMW does not make oil. Is Castrol making special blend syn oil for them? Or is it rebadged syntec and they're making profits out the arse?



Any motor oil which has the "LL01" approval is required for warranty preservation. If you intend on going the full factory OCI (10k-15k miles) on that N54 motor I would opt for a 40 weight. My $.02
 
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Originally Posted By: 4x4taco
Does the BMW computer tell you how long UNTIL the next service, or WHEN the service was done, or both? I'm used to oil % life meters. I popped the oil cap and the oil looks kinda dark and bad IMO. I feel like I need to change it.


Color really doesn't tell you anything. For example the oil in my BMW diesel is almost black after ~2k miles. The OBC tells you how long until next service but it doesn't count down mile for mile.
 
I have an '09 z4 35i with the same engine as your 335i: the N54. This is a twin turbo direct injection motor, i.e. high heat shear and significant fuel dilution. Do a search on this forum for N54, 335i. etc. to see results of UOAs and problems associated with turbo direct injection. The BMW High Po oil is probably a grp III base stock. It works perfectly well in a naturally aspirated BMW, but is just not up to the rigors of the N54 (I'm beginning to wonder if any oil is). At 1500 mi I dumped the BMW oil and did a UOA. The oil had already sheared back to a 20 wt and the flash point was dropping below 400 - - at 1500 mi OCI. I have seen similar UOAs on the N54 and now the N55 on this forum. It is a testament to BMW metallurgy that these motors stay glued together. But the issue is not so much accelerated wear but rather deposit formation in the intake tract (which appears to be a problem with all direct injection motors), which can eventually affect performance. Anyway, I'm currently using German Castrol, Castrol Syntec European Formula 0w30. It is a grp IV base stock with a cut of ester. I'm doing 2000 mi OCIs and the oil is barely hanging in, but it is at least staying in grade and the flash point is hovering around 400, with about 1% fuel dilution. Some of the other oils mentioned by Ibrahim might do better (you just have to experiment with UOA verification). You need to focus on 100 C viscosity, flash point, and % fuel dilution on the UOAs (and maybe do these with an ISO-certified lab that will give the most accurate readings on the last two). Redline 5w40 looks promising on paper, but beware it has relatively high ppm of antiwear zddp (not shown on the spec sheet) around 1200 ppm, which is much more than your BMW needs. The 335i and most other BMWs now have cats as an integral part of the exhaust manifold; in other words close to the exhaust ports. If you are burning any oil and running a high zddp oil you run the risk of ruining the cats. If you are adventuresome, run the Renewable Lubricants, Inc 5w40 oil. It is vegetable based but has the reputation of being to stand up to the fuel dilution.
 
No way I'm running full factory OCI. I don't think the dealer changed the oil beore I bough it. Probly was done a few months ago and it's "OK". Really eyeing M1 0w-40. As for OCI's I'm thinking half what the computer calls for. About 7,500 miles.
 
Originally Posted By: 4x4taco
No way I'm running full factory OCI. I don't think the dealer changed the oil beore I bough it. Probly was done a few months ago and it's "OK". Really eyeing M1 0w-40. As for OCI's I'm thinking half what the computer calls for. About 7,500 miles.


Factory OCI's are not bad per se, so don't just write them off as if BMW doesn't know what they're talking about.

M1 0w-40 is a good choice. I've used it in my previous BMW's. Just to let you know this oil is generally known to be on the lower side of the scale for 40 weight. It's not a bad thing, but you should know in case a UOA says it sheared to a 30 weight.

May BMW enthusiasts go full OCI or 7.5k miles OCI's with great results. Enjoy the car.
 
I think half would be great... Im actually considering 3 or 5k intervals based upon the fuel dilution I saw in my FF UOA.

I havent looked at my maintenance computer enough to know/say. Mine still tells me oil change is at some date or 15k miles. Granted, it has seen mostly highway use since I bought it, so no real reason to demote it from 15k to lower, I guess...
 
My 2nd option for oil after the BMW oil is M1 0w-40. There it's settled. BWM or M1. With Dealership Filter for like $12. Now the hard part... figuring out how to use the dang onboard computer system. jeez..
 
Id lean towards the M1 0w40 as well. Its factory fill in the Porsche 911 turbo, and used a lot in racing circles. It handles heat very well from what Ive read.
 
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