Which oil for my bmw 330i- 3 choices

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I have searched the bmw e46 330i sites and it looks like most use the oem 5w30, mobil 1 0w40 or "german castrol" 0w30. What do you guys think of these 3 oils and what is the german castrol called? Thanks.
 
German Castrol is Castrol Syntec 0W30 made in Germany, it is available at Pep Boys and Autozone. Either 1 of these 3 are good for your BMW, I would buy on price.
 
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Many have favorites among those three oils, but you can bet real money that your car won't notice the difference. They are all high quality oils with the correct approval for your car (BMW LL-01). Pick one that you can get easily, and stick with it.

"German Castrol" is Castrol Syntec 0w-30 European Formula.
 
German Castrol is simply 0w30 Syntec that is made in Germany, just look at the back of the bottle and if it says its made in Germany then you are good to go.

GC, M1 0w40, or SynPower (MSD, MXT, or something like that) are the only oils that meet LL-01 which is why you've been told to look at those oils. GC and M1 are the most readily available and if I'm not mistaken GC is cheaper then the M1. I would choose the cheapest oil that meets the LL-01 spec.

The thing I don't get with BMW is that they tell you these oils meet the spec although they aren't found in the 5w30 that BMW speced a lot of vehicles for so who knows why that was done
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I concur with the two guys who posted above me.

Pennzoil Ultra Euro 5w-40 would be another option, if it ever becomes readily available.
 
Originally Posted By: RamFan

The thing I don't get with BMW is that they tell you these oils meet the spec although they aren't found in the 5w30 that BMW speced a lot of vehicles for so who knows why that was done
confused.gif


SAE grade is secondary, as long as HT/HS is high enough, which is why the main focus is on the LL-01 spec.
 
Originally Posted By: clydesdale
I have searched the bmw e46 330i sites and it looks like most use the oem 5w30, mobil 1 0w40 or "german castrol" 0w30. What do you guys think of these 3 oils and what is the german castrol called? Thanks.


IMO, GC is my choice of the three. If you're out of warranty and aren't concerned with strictly adhering to LL-01 requirement (and you don't plan on doing full "service indicator" intervals) then add Rotella T6 to the list too.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: RamFan


SAE grade is secondary, as long as HT/HS is high enough, which is why the main focus is on the LL-01 spec.



Good to know, thanks.
 
Originally Posted By: RamFan
The thing I don't get with BMW is that they tell you these oils meet the spec although they aren't found in the 5w30 that BMW speced a lot of vehicles for so who knows why that was done
confused.gif


I think they say 5w-30 because the BMW oil is 5w-30, and they probably prefer for their owners to use that oil. Or, maybe they just don't want people going to the dealerships asking for the 15w-40 or 10w-60. Whatever it is, you're right that it's confusing, especially since most 5w-30s out there would not be suitable for BMW engines...

The most important part of their advice is to use an oil with the correct approval, in this case BMW LL-01. As long as you have that, viscosity is secondary; just pick one that will work in your climate and you're set, as far as they're concerned.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: RamFan

The thing I don't get with BMW is that they tell you these oils meet the spec although they aren't found in the 5w30 that BMW speced a lot of vehicles for so who knows why that was done
confused.gif


SAE grade is secondary, as long as HT/HS is high enough, which is why the main focus is on the LL-01 spec.

Why do we so frequently post similar replies at the same time?
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Just wanted to say there's more to LL-01 than just the HTHS viscosity. It's based on (or at least similar to) ACEA A3, which incorporates shear stability and other things relating to long OCIs.
 
Yes, and as usual, you come in with more detail.
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I mention HT/HS since that's just about the only spec that's easily found on a spec sheet. Finding out the shear stability of a particular oil would be difficult.

But you're right, one should not just assume that if HT/HS is at least 3.5, then you're good to go. A lot of mineral 15w-40 oils have a much higher HT/HS, but they would most likely not make it through the typical BMW-recommended OCI duration.

However, if an oil lists ACEA A3 spec but does not list LL-01 spec, I wouldn't have a problem running it in my 530i.
 
What they all said.

I favor M1 0w-40 as there is still a Walmart that carries it. It's cheaper than it is at AZ/PB/AA.
 
Members have already mentioned many of the oils which meet LL-01 spec officially, a condition to be met while your vehicle is under warranty...

but there are whole lists of other oils BMW drivers use which officially do not meet LL-01 but can be used with out any problem...it is advisable to go for such alternatives once your warranty is over

some of the decently priced and excellent oils you can also consider using other than LL-01 approved are

Shell Rotella T6 5W-40
Mobil 1 TDT 5W-40
Kendal Synthetic 5W-40

...and then some more
PC Duron E 5W-40 & 0W-40
Shell Rotella 0W-40
Red Line 0W-40 & 5W-40 & 5W-30
Renewable Lube Bio Syn SHP 5W-40
Amsoil 5W-40
Schafer's 5W-40
Royal Purple 0W-40 & 5W-40
Castrol 5W-40 (LL-98 Approved)
Lubro Molly 0W-40 & 5W-40
Motul (Makes a BMW approved oil)
Total/Quartz (Makes a BMW approved oil)
ESSO 0W-40
 
My top 3 would be:
Mobil 1 0W-40
Mobil 1 TDT 5W-40
Shell Rotella T6 5W-40

I've used all 3 with good results. I currently run M1 0W-40 in the ti and M1 TDT in the X3.
 
Best? Fun time
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my votes, no order...

Redline 5w40
Royal Purple XPR 10w40
Motul 300v 5w40
Amsoil Dominator 10w30

on the cheap...

GC 0w30
M1 0w40
Rotella T6 5w40
Valvoline SynPower MST 5w40, if u can find it.
 
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With you living in NY where it does get cold in the winter I would opt for GC 0w-30 then BMW branded 5w-30 and finally M1 0w-40.

In reality as long as it's LL01 you're good to go.
 
Each members top 5 list will differ, and will add to further indecision on ur part....

I recommend just use GC "Syntec 0W-30", since it has a proven record, widely available! can be bought cheap when it goes on sale!

you can also try using as one member just suggested synthetic high mileage oil, I say any full synthetic 10W30 HM oil year round should be fine too...

I own a BMW too 2.8L engine (last E36 model)
 
Thanks guys, I will try to get the GC castrol. It looks like autozone and pepboys have it. Thanks.
 
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