I only use royal purple, never had a problem and I love it!

 

Had my MINI 5W30 tested by Dyson. It had 5593 miles on the oil, 8593 total on car. This is an R56. Bottom line the oil was gone at 5593 miles. Oil service indicator on car still showing 9000 miles. This is crazy. Some of the wear metals here are probably still from break-in. However, the flashpoint of 290 is way too low. The fuel dilution of 1.55 is not great either. I am seriously considering the BioSyn 5W30. I have ordered a 5 gallon pail. I am definitely going to use it in my Subaru which has 135,000 miles on it. I ran Valvoline Max Life full synthetic to 8000 miles in it and it was depleted.

Wear metals:
Iron 47
Copper 19
Tin 0
Lead 0
Chrom 1
Nickel 1
Alum 12
Titan 0
Silver 0

Additive Metals:

Calciu 1781
Magne 242
Zinc 1120
Phos 1055
Bariu 4
Molyb 209
Antim 0

Contaminant Metals:
Silico 15
Sodiu 22
Boron 62
Potas 0
Vanad 0

Physical and other tests:

V40C 67.8
V100C 11.0
TAN 3.48
FLASH 290
OXID 24
NIT 13
KF 417
TBN 2.7
FUEL 1.55
SOOT 0
GLYCOL 0
vndx 155

 

Terry Dyson also recommended Amsoil oil filters. I ordered some for my Subaru. They don't show one for the R56. He said that Amsoil is working on a filter for the R56. He did say the oil filter on my Subaru, a K and N filter, was working very well at 8000 miles.

 

Wow, loco - looks like the R56 is going to be really tough on oil. The flashpoint was lowered more than 100 °F, the fuel dilution was up around 1.5%, and the total acids (TAN) overran the total base number (TBN) by a significant margin, all after only 5600 miles. Realistically speaking, you were *past* due for an oil change, regardless what the onboard computer said.

Those are the kinds of numbers I was getting with the MINI oil in my R52 after 9-11k miles. I think you'll be a lot happier with the BioSyn.

 

This is basically what I've been saying all along, the R56 goes through oil way faster than BMW's calculator does. Fuel dilation is going to be a big issue with DI.

 

Just checking in to see how the Biosyn is holding up. Does it look like a winner. Gonna be a race to see if my 3 years expires before my 6,000 more miles on the OBC clicks off. if I end up having to change my oil myself I'm seriously considering the Biosyn.

 

Darn - I keep meaning to post the 10,000-miles results and forgetting. Maybe after finals next week.

In short, the wear numbers and fuel dilution started to creep back up by 10,000 miles with the BioSyn. The results were still worlds better than any of the MINI samples I've had tested after 9-11k miles, though. The viscosity was holding up fine, the flashpoint was still up at 370 °F, and the fuel dilution was still less than half of what I was getting with the MINI oil. But the TAN reading was elevated over the TBN reading, so it was due for a change.

The biggest problem with my particular car seems to be fuel dilution. I'm going to try switching back to the stock airbox in case my oiled-foam air filter is too restrictive, but I'm not holding out much hope, since both my MINI and my wife's MINI were getting bad fuel dilution numbers even when they had the stock airbox.

The BioSyn will probably work for 10,000-mile intervals on my car, but I want to try to fix this fuel dilution issue, because Terry and I think the numbers should/could be much better after 10k miles.

 

Interesting... I have a bucket of BioSyn and plan to put it in within the next few thousand miles... my car was showing similar fuel dilution numbers as yours with the Castrol... And I'm using a JCW intake with Amsoil filter, and I'm confident it's not restrictive compared to the stock airbox... I just think the fuel dilution may be typical for the tolerences in these engines... the fact that it's lower with the BioSyn is a GOOD thing, still...

My plan is to run BioSyn with 10,000 mile changes... so no worries...

 

I was curious to see if you could steer me to any UOAs of Non-S 2nd gen MINIs. That and/or if anyone has UOAs showing how Redline holds up in these engines. Thanks for your efforts!

 

Does anyone think that a bit of seafoam added to the crankcase would alter the results of an oil analysis?
My car has 102k miles, its a non-s. I would like my car to last for at least 100k miles more before I rebuild the engine and keep her going longer. I think using the right oil for my high mileage engine will be the key to longevity. I only have 2000 miles on my oil at the moment...so it may be a while before I get to 6k miles...which incidentally is as long as I am willing to go with any oil. BTW, I always use the mobil 1 oils...usually the 10k mile one.

 

I suspect seafoam will impact an oil analysis, but don't know how exactly. I bet Terry Dyson knows, though...

 

I just talked to my Amsoil Rep yesterday, he said WIX filters are the best (maybe it is wicks) because AMSOIl DOES NOT make a filter for our cars, but will in the near future. He still thinks the AMSOIL will do better in tests???!?!?!?!?!?!

 

You are using a WIX filter sold through amsoil as Amsoil does not make a filter for our cars----just an FYI

 

I've been using Synergyn Oil for years and love it! www.synergynracing.com

A great group of guys from OK, Scott has always above and beyond.

 

Anyone else see Amsoil Signature series oil? it is 0w-30 and claims to last 35k in a non-supercharged engine and 17,500 in supercharged and turbo applications? I do not understand the weight 0w-30, Can anyone explain?

Here are the numbers:

TYPICAL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (revised 08/07)

AMSOIL Signature Series 0W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil (SSO)

Kinematic Viscosity @ 100°C, cSt (ASTM D445)

10.3

Kinematic Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt (ASTM D445)

56.56

Viscosity Index (ASTM D2270)

173

Cold Crank Simulator Apparent Viscosity @ -35°C, cP (ASTM D5293)

5927

Pour Point °C (°F) (ASTM D92)

-51 (-60)

Flash Point °C (°F) (ASTM D92)

230 (446)

Fire Point °C (°F) (ASTM D92)
246 (475)

Four-Ball Wear Test (ASTM D4172: 40kgf, 150°C, 1800 rpm, 1 hr) Scar diameter, mm
0.406

Noack Volatility (ASTM D5800) 250°C for 1 hour, % weight loss
8.65

High Temperature/High Shear Viscosity cP, X°C, X s-1 (ASTM D4683)
3.2

Total Base Number

13.2

 

Scott, any updates on the Biosyn yet. I'm definitely going to be changing my own oil as the 3 years maintenance ends at the end of the month and I'm not near an oil change.

 

Scott, thanks for posting your results. Getting data on MINI oil for the 4th oil change will be interesting.. I think most of the wear numbers decreasing is just the fact that the engine is breaking in. In order to do proper comparison between the changes (since each was at different mileage) you should compare parts per million PER 1000 miles rates, not just the PPM numbers. the longer the oil runs the more contaminates it picks up.

for example 38PPM/10K miles = 22.8PPM/6K miles... don't just look at the bulk numbers without "normalizing".

 

Probably end up doing my oil next month. I've narrowed it down to Biosyn (which is more expensive and have to order) or Royal Purple (which I can pick up at the px but have heard mixed reports on). Thoughts please?

 

FINALLY got around to installing my first batch of BioSyn.... "used up" my last dealer oil change, and stretched it a little longer than usual so I could get close to 40,000 for my BioSyn install (figure I'll change every 10K now, easy to remember)....

I'll probably pull a sample at about 7,000 miles for Terry Dyson, and another when I change it at 10,000.

 

A lot of good info, thanks Scott. I have always used Mobile 1, never thought about other oils - until now.

 

Scott,
Have you noticed any change in fuel mileage with the BioSyn??

 

No fuel mileage difference with the BioSyn, but I stuck with the same weight as the MINI oil, so I wasn't expecting much of a difference.

And I *still* haven't updated the thread with the 10,000-mile results on the BioSyn - I'm such a slacker.

Right now, I've gone back to the MINI oil because I wanted to see if the earlier lousy results I was getting with the MINI oil were just because the car was fairly new. When I sample the MINI oil again, it will have been in the car from 33,000 miles to 40,000 miles, so if the numbers are lousy again, I think it'll be safe to say it's not because the car's new.

 

Ok, stupid question of the day. Where can one buy the BioSyn oil???

 

http://www.renewablelube.com/

 

If I get one gallon of Biosyn shipped to me, it's 56 bucks. If I go to Auto Zone and get 2 gallons of German Castrol, it's 56 bucks ( with tax ).

I change my oil every 4k ( filter at 8K ). And some here think that's crazy.. I'd feel OK going 6k ( with filter ), but I keep vehicles a long time ( 17 years for the last one, 307k on it, still had great compression and passed CA. smog with "like new" numbers ).

The only downside I see to my plan is environmental, and I recycle.

I just don't get it.. I mean, I don't want to insult anyone, but it seems like ya'll would rather have a tooth pulled without pain killers than do an oil change. Hell, I spend 2 hours every Saturday washing/HYDRO'ing my Mini ( Thank you Prima, I'll probably never wax a car again, it's a drunkard's dream! ). I can change the oil in 20 minutes, and I gotta say, my R56 justa-Cooper is by far the easiest auto I've ever changed oil on. It's lazyman easy.. It's, dare I say, a drunkard's dream!

I predict that, that after getting samples analyzed, changing brands, changing mileage between servicing, etc., the bulk of you will come to the conclusion that no matter the brand, 6k between oil changes will be the smart choice.

Just like our grandfathers did..

Bill in P.G.