My oil change is coming up soon. I was shopping for oil and see that Walmart have Castrol 0w-40 made in Germany, Euro blend - the new German Castrol?! Walmart have the GC 5qt for about $25, which is an excellent price.

Of course, Mobil1 is one of the best and approved for BMW/MINI that Walmart sells for $23 for 5qt jug. The GC 0w-40 came out in 2013 and still quite new but shows that it 'meets/exceeds' BMW LL01 and A3/B4.

I know that there are other high quality oil like Amsoil and Royal Purple. But their price is a bit much if I change my oil around 5-6k miles.

So, has anyone used the new GC and Mobil1? If so, how does the new GC 0w-40 feel compared to Mobil1 or MINI Oil (MINI Oil is really the GC at 5w-30). I read GC quiets the engine more than Mobil1 but have not seen many feedbacks from MINI owners.

 

I'm also curious about these oils, especially if a 0W-40 is good enough for SoCal weather(85-95*F)?

 

Did not know Castrol made a euro 0w40. Castrol is the oil used by BMW and MINI from factory, their BMW performance oil is a rebranded Castrol. I used to use Castrol/BMW oil in my e46 all the time.

That being said, I currently use Mobil 1 0w40 from Walmart. Which is a hell of a deal, considering I have been changing my oil every 5-6k. I really don't think it makes a huge difference between the Castrol and Mobil 1 versions of 0w40, but a post change test could yield some nice results for the community.

 

If the specs on the castrol says it meets BMW specs, I'd use it if you can get it for the right $$....my suggestion...do not pay extra $$ for it...it is very likely the same as the mini OEM oil....or so closely related it Is nearly a twin....
Oil has been debated for years...if they both meet spec...just pic your flavor!!

 

...and if you'd like more information than you can probably process, assuming you're not a chemical engineer of some type, the "Bob Is the Oil Guy" site has reams of posts on this subject.

Google "used oil analysis" or "virgin oil analysis" of these oils and you'll get lots of reading material from folks who've sampled both.

I've used the Mobil 1 product a couple of times, that's great that it's getting to be such a good price these days!

Alternating changes between genuine MINI synthetic oil (Castrol re-branded, as others have said) and Mobil 1, I don't notice any driving / engine noise differences. But then again, I'm told I can't hear squat anyway :-0

I'm observing 7500 mile intervals (1/2 of the MINI spec'd interval for my build date, it changed to 10k just after mine), now at 54k miles it doesn't consume oil / no adds between changes, runs fine/strong, etc.

 

I use Mobil 1 0w40 and have since the day I bought my car. I wouldn't put castrol oil in my lawn mower, much less my car. I know that mini recommends castrol but I dont care. I dont trust castrol oil. Castrol has been the subject of several investigations through the years for selling "synthetic" oil that really was not much different than conventional, or even used oil, other than the price. I have been using Mobil 1 in every one of my vehicles for years with no problems.

If you feel like a little reading, check this out.
http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-...-for-your-car/

 

I diverted from OEM oil to Mobil 1 0-40W oil on my last oil change... With the same driving habits, weather conditions and everything else that I could think of; oil consumption isn't as bad compared to OEM oil. It's only been 2K since my last oil change and no significant complaints.

Engine still sounds the same with a little rattle so I could not tell if it is quieter or not. The car drives smooth still but not significantly smoother either.

 

I have never seen Mobil1 0-40 Euro blend in Wally World.. Let alone for $23 / 5qts...

The have a bunch of Mobil1 products, but not the 0-40EB...

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-0W...Quart/23636902

Try in store pickup!

 

Priced the same as the 5w30 mobil 1.....on the shelf...right next to in a the big jugs in the 5 or 6 wallys I have been into!!

 

mobil1 is fine! If you find a good deal on castrol ok. but not worth paying extra for it is how i view it. Mobil1 is usually the only thing i'll buy from walfart

 

I went from MINI OEM 5w30 > Royal Purple 5w30 > Total 5w30 > M1 0w40

RP: Loudest idle, wear according to blackstone labs shows "meh" results. Blackstone Lab results convince me to change oil.
Total: Quiet idle and cold start, still waiting for blackstone lab results. Warms up to 215F pretty fast.
M1: Quietest idle at traffic. Warms up reasonablily fast but not as fast as Total. 10 days into new oil, can't really comment much. Some of the blackstone lab results convince me M1 is actually a decent oil.

RP does not meat BMW LL01 Req
Total, BMW OEM and M1 all have BMW LL01

 

Strange that Mini hasn't yet certified Mobil 1 5W-30, must be the thicker oil film with the 0W-40.

 

Up to Mobil.....the testing and oil certification...so doubt it will be done..ever..besides the spec is dead outside of north america (BMW/mini's NEED Longlife01 oils in markets with biofuels...makes more moisture...something the newer longlife04 spec oil that is also a diesel oil does not handle well).....
In the euro owners manuals, suggested oil is 0w -40....so no reason to feel odd about using it....
Generally longlife01 oils are considered to be superior to the newer spec, but was superseded to allow one oil to be used in gasoline AND diesel mini/BMW cars....a compromise.

 

I email Total customer support and they said BMW LL04 is backward compatable with BMW LL01. In other words, BMW LL04 meets the BMW LL01 requirements as well.

I could be wrong.

 

Compatible, yes, but still does not handle the moisture levels made by burning ethanol fuels...to keep ash content as low as possible to safeguard the diesel exaust filters, the oil has much lower levels of addatives....(diesel motors do not make moisture, rather their oils get diluted with fuel overtime).
Result is a duel purpose oil...but not a good choice over a longllife01 oil...BMW even has had a number of bullitins on this subject over the last few years...

 

I use it in all 3 of my MINI's. 2011 Clubman S, 2012 Clubman S, 2013 JCW hardtop. All 3 cars have been across the desert thru Vegas, and all the way to Montana up I-15, with OAT 100F+. No problems. Used in both My Mercedes V-8's before I bought the MINI's. No problems!!

 

Throwing this out here since BMW will transition to Shell as their official oil in 2015. WRX crowds love Shell Rotella T6 5w-40 synthetic. Apparently, this oil has alot more zinc(?) for wear protection. There's a promotion now from Shell for $5 rebate on their gallon (4 qt) size T6 when Walmart sell it at $22. This is a long promo; so, you can wait til auto part stores have this on sale for a great deal.

http://www.shell.com/rotella/promotions1.html

 

per a bmw/mini SB thst was on display at my dealer, oil meeting LL-04 is not suitable for use in north america due to the qualities of the fuel, LL-01 is the proper oil spec for north america

 

Yup...
Deserves a quote...
The letter here is posted a few times in other threads......
Issue is biofuels make more water when burned....the longlife4 oils cannot handle it, so in places that use ethanol blended fuel, longlife1 oils are the way to go....
Just remember...the north America is not Europe and vise-versa......fuels are different, as are car useage and driving patterns....
Mobil 1 euro is a longlife1 oil....so no worries.

 

Haven't tried the Rotella, but I did like the Pennzoil when I had it in my MINI. I'd switch back to it, but since I have a leak, I'm using stuff I can find on the shelf around me. If I ever get my leak fixed, I'll go back to the Pennzoil despite having to mail order it.

 

I only use pure virgin olive oil!

Dave

 

Need to change the name on the car to "fiat"..lol!!

 

Just picked up some Mobil 1 0W40 Euro at Walmart ($28 and change). Swapped the valve cover gasket as well.

When I first fired it up I was welcomed with a LOUD tap/knock that went away in 2 seconds (YIKES!). I assumed that was from a dry engine. That was followed by some light tapping for a couple minutes. I let it warm up for a few minutes, went around the block - tapping gone. All is now well.

We'll see the long term results, as this is my first oil change with the newly-purchased Pocket Rocket.

Just a bit over 77K on the odometer.

 

I always used mobile 1 and changed it every 3000 no matter what. I don't buy that go 5-7000 maybe 10,000 crap. Seen to many motors destroyed at the shop because of it.
0 weight oils for winter and 5 weights for the summer. And weights do make a difference in the Mini Cooper engines.