Originally Posted by emepher
I'm not sure about this (new to BMWs and haven't been on here much in years), but I think I saw on a BMW forum that Castrol Edge is no longer LL-01 certified. I suppose it could still be more or less the same formula and Castrol's certification expired or they didn't renew a deal with BMW or something, but I'd bet it's still just fine to use either way.
I just bought a sweet higher mileage 2001 325i dirt cheap and won't be changing the oil until next Spring, at which time I'll probably use an appropriate Mobil1 or Castrol Edge, whichever is cheaper at Walmart or has a rebate. Of course I'm no expert and my car is basically a toy, so don't let me influence you. If a warranty is in play you definitely want a spec oil, whether it makes a real world difference or not.
Certification expires when formula is changed. BMW, VW, MB do not approve oils for time period for certain specification. When oil blender changes formulation, approval needs to be renewed.