Here's something I ran across quite by accident. Just had the oil changed in my wife's used 2011 R55. I told them to put in 4.5 quarts and give me the other half quart, which they did. Our prior 2 cars were Mercedes SUV's with aluminum V-8 engines in them. Factory fill for them was 0-W40 Mobile 1. I had never used Castrol in anything and I was curious to what API spec this oil is. I looked at the Castrol bottle they gave me and it said API spec SL/CF. After researching this on-line I discovered this spec was obsolete in 2004, and should be up to API SN. This spec came into being in 2010 due to the increasing number of turbo engines being sold now.

I have a 2013 R56 JCW also. It has only 5K miles on it and still the factory fill Castrol in it. I am going back to Mobile 1 0-W40 European Car Blend that I used in the Mercedes when I get the oil changed. Dealer says it's okay without any warranty issues. They provide the filter, and I provide the oil. Seems Mercedes started using Mobile 1 back in 98 when they had trouble with sludge in their aluminum engines.

Now, maybe this obsolete oil is just from my dealer only, I don't know. But, I would check any Castrol being used by your dealer to see if it has the latest API spec.

 

I don't think the API spec on the oil is terribly important for these cars. These engines use BMW LL-01 spec oils, which may or may not be listed under/certified on a current API spec. That said, most of the aftermarket (ie. non-dealer) oils that you'll find for these cars are likely to carry the latest specs since they're generally targeted at a broader market.

--Matt

 

Thanks for your opinion. In general I agree with you. However, having working on and maintaining turbo aircraft engines ,oil is very important to them. I want only the best for my 2013 R56 JCW. Read the following web site. It's very informative. www.upmpg.com/motor_oil_rate_gas.htm

 

My thinking....
The dealer usually does fills from a bulk oil drum/pumping system....
Single bottles may not get much use or "turnover" so they are likely using up a supply of bottles...likely they got a full pallet of the cases many months ago....and only use a few bottles a day/week.
The drum/bulk oil is likely refilled biweekly or more (sometimes by physically changing the drum or by a tanker truck pumping it full in some operations).
And +1 to the bmw spec being more important than the api spec...
The api spec is not better cause it is "newer"....
Due to political considerations, the max amount of ZDP (a zinc based anti wear additive) has been reduced the last few releases...as a matter of fact...many oils that are "performance" oils no longer meet the spec due to not meeting the lower since level...the purpose of less zinc is to try to lengthen the catalytic converters life from about 100,000 miles to 150,000 miles....but many cars with "flat tappets" mostly classic cars have had motors DESTROYED by the mostly removal of ZDP....
So I would not worry....if the oil meets bmw longlife spec1, it is good oil....amount the BEST made actually...many oils do not have sufficient addatives to pass this test.

 

One more tip....even Mobil makes/sells mainstream oils that do not meet the spec...
Mobil1 Extented performance, the 15,000 mile oil, has tons of zinc...usually used by classic car guys with flat tappets now, but also a good longlife1 oil, same as mobil1 Euro 5w-40.

 

One funny fact...
Castrol in the US is made by BP...the same company that took over Exxon 2380, now BP 2380 TURBINE OIL...THE most common oil used in civil aviation turbines.....small world...
As you know turbine oil is very different stuff.....but point taken. Just use the stuff with the right spec if you do full length mini recommended oil changes.... But many folks HAVR found that if you do more typical 5000-7500 mile oil changes, a mainstream spec oil ( full syenthic) is fine...backed up by many tests from companies like Blackstone (the same oil companies that do testing for aviation oils).

 

the correct spec oil for our minis is a BMW LL-01 approved oil, note that BMW LL-04 oil is not approved for our minis

in order to meet this spec, the oil must meet ACEA A3/B3, A3/B4

the API spec is not relevant

here are links to 3 mobil1 product data sheets:
note only the European Car Formula meets ACEA A3/B3, A3/B4, the others meet ACEA A1/B1 and/or ACEA A5/B5

mobile1 0w40 European Car Formula that meets BMW LL-01
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lub...l_1_0W-40.aspx

mobil1 5w30 advanced full synthetichat that does not meet BMW LL-01
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lub...il1_5W-30.aspx

mobil15w30 extended preformance that does not meet BMW LL-01
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lub...rformance.aspx

as a side note, my dealer uses the mini/castrol 5W30 oil from the same 1 quart bottles that i can buy from the dealer, they do not use "bulk" oil

 

Yes, I was aware that the Euro 0W40 blend was the only one that meets the ACEA A3/B3 A3/B4 spec. That is what I have chosen to use.

Also my dealer only uses the bottles of MINI/Castrol 5W30 oil. I thought they may be using bulk, but they said no. Anyway thanks for the info!

 

Generation gap here! Lol. What I meant was I had worked on radial piston engines. R-4360's on KC-97 tankers and R-3350 on KB-29 tankers. Both engines having turbos, in fact the 29's had twin turbos. The most common failure of those turbos was lubrication failure. Oil has come a long way since the 50's.

AMSOIL was actually the first synthetic oil for cars. The company was founded by a jet pilot who thought synthetic turbine oil could be modified for use in car engines.

 

This link doesn't have any relevant information encompassing the oil specs that are required for these engines above and beyond including an ACEA link. The API specs are unrelated to and incompatible with the LL-01 spec that these cars use. It could be argued that the very best oils that you can find for these engines may not necessarily hold the most exotic specs (Red Line, Amsoil, etc.), but there are plenty of stellar off-the-shelf oils in the prescribed spec (the Mobil1 0w40 you chose and Castrol 5w40 among them). My car is still breaking in, but I didn't have awesome results with Motul X-Cess 8100 5w40.

--Matt

 

A good place for Oil and filter related info. http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

Me - I'm using Royal Purple HPS 5W30.

I was a diehard Rotella T6 guy until I was edjumacated on Royal Purple.

A Blackstone Oil Analysis of each sold me.