Remember, the car also says 15,000 miles in the change interval. My $.02 has always been whether it's Mobil 1, Castrol Syntec, RP, or Red Line for that matter, if you don't go past 5k miles, you're fine. I've never heard of a MINI grenading from something other than what they recommend. And believe me, if there was and it was able to be proven so, this is the 1st place you'd hear about it. Yes, there have been accounts of cars blowing motors from not using what's prescribed but (as far as I've read), that was limited to people with VW's not running synthetic. I think I'm gonna have a snack and wait and see what pops up next.

 

Have you guys seen the inside of a motor that has been run on Royal Purple?

The internals are all stained/dyed with a purple sludge instead of the standard brown that is very difficult to remove even in a hot tank, very messy, would never put that into my motor.

I use only M1 or Elf Synthetic oil myself.

 

Ya I agree, the person I had qoted apparently works for the media because he only took part of what I was saying.
I had RP for my first oil change at 12,000. At 25,000kilometers i had to switch to mob 1 as a supply issue came up. I had asked if this would have any effect on my engine and he said no. However he then told me RP was not approved for Minis. So all in all, I like RP, my engine ran better w/ it. I tend to drive faster and harder than most with greater consistency. I routinely travel upto 125 miles at an average of 200-220kilos an hour non stop. Im sure I will blow the engine at somepoint. This is why MINI warranties are 2 years here in Germany. I love the autobahn, but you where stuff out faster. I understand the importance of good oil.

 

[quote=broadwayline;2402616]Have you guys seen the inside of a motor that has been run on Royal Purple?

The internals are all stained/dyed with a purple sludge instead of the standard brown that is very difficult to remove even in a hot tank, very messy, would never put that into my motor.[quote]

You don't say how you come by this purple sludge info. Are you a mechanic that has rebuilt an RP engine? If so, are you saying that the purple sludge is worse than the brown sludge?

As to the coating being hard to excise, RP is known for its extra lubricity. Could this adherence be part of how it provides that?

You are being critical, but I'm not sure you've established the warrant between data and claim.

 

I have built several B series engines when I was driving Hondas.

The reason it is hard to remove is because they add a purple dye to the oil to tint it purple, when the engine is hot the metals become more porous and soak up the dye over time.

This is not detrimental to the engine.

I do not like purple messes in my engines, that is just my thing. If I want purple oil I can add food colouring my the oil I currently use. I am not saying Royal Purple is bad, it is I believe a grade 5 oil ie. the top level of synthetic.

 

The thing about RP is that it meets the spec in MINI USA owners manual. Folks on this site have made a big deal about A3/B3 Euro standard, which only the 5/40 meets; the 5/30 doesn't, but neither does Mobil 1.

I did notice a 1 or 2 mpg increase when I used RP in my last oil change. Doesn't that indicate something good vis-a-vis wear?

R

 

Purple Sludge? Common

 

Ok?

 

I seem to remember someplace reading that the purple goes away after it is run in the engine a bit. The oil off my dipstick doesn't seem to be purple. Maybe that's because all the purple is sludged up or stuck to the walls? Something doesn't ring true here. Can't put my finger on it.

 

There is no purple, or any other color, sludge in my motor (90k RP use, 96k total), the aluminum head is not purple (50k RP use), the crankshaft is not purple, the bare oil pan was not purple at 40k of RP use (it now has an oil dispersant coating); for my mileage and exposure time (5 yrs. +), I’ve had a different experience. If there were stains, I would consider it a sign of adherence and perhaps impregnation (good things).

 

I think maybe just not liking The Color Purple can influence the decision on which oil to use, independent of anything else.

My MC feels like it gained a few badly needed extra horses with RP.

 

I changed to Royal purple after my breakin period and wow... I'm impressed... Maybe it's just me, but I can definetly feel a quicker step...

 

Mobil 1 0W-40 meets the ACEA A3/B3 and BMW LL-01 specs. Follow the specs.... the OEM can't come back at ya for using properly spec'd oil.

No knock on RP, I'm sure it's fine. But my preferences for our MINI and 330i remain:

1 - German Castrol 0W-30
2 - BMW (dealer supplied) 5W-30
3 - Mobil 1 0W-40

 

What's an old movie got to do with oil?

 

Thanks for the correction. I was looking at the 5W30 Mobil 1 ref A3/B3.

As to using MINI op manual spec'd oil, mine doesn't mention 0W30 at all. Zero isn't in the book. However, you're apparently comfortable that the OEM wouldn't come back at you for using a non-spec weight. Am I reading this right? If so, why would you deviate from spec?

R

 

I think he's talking about the book, not the movie ... the pages can soak up any excess oil.

 

Thanks for noticing my attempt at humor.

 

do a search on the german castrol 0w30 (vs us-made castrol syn 5w30, which is really a synthetic *blend*). it's a very good and high quality oil and its viscosity is comparable to the other 5w30's. it's preferred by many bmw nerds and quite a few people here run it in their cars. pep boys recently started stocking them and i used them in my last oil change

 

 

Here ya go, everybody.
The good Doctor is wordy but fascinating to be sure:
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136052

 

Manufacturers spend millions of $ and thousands of R&D hours developing their engines for performance, wear & tear, & warranty and that includes the type of lubes to meet these goals.

 

ever since my car has been out of warranty i have been running RP with a NAPA goldline(aka WIX) filter and it runs like a top....not a single issue...and im pushing 75k miles on it....oh and that 15k mile oil change is total BS...5-7k per change is good....i usually change spark plugs when i do the oil...and i know what people say...they can last longer but however the harder you drive it the faster they wear out so i take a preventative stance towards maintenence instead of reactive...and as the miles pile up the more i monitor it

 

Whaddya mean, "old" movie???

(Looks up "The Color Purple" on IMDB)

1985....crap, I guess it has been 23 years.

It's a shame when time already seems to be speeding up on me, and I'm not even 40 yet. I still think of it being a "recent" change that pro athletes are allowed to compete in the Olympics, but looking back on it, it's been 16 years now.

My wife showed her high-school students "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" during the last week of school, and was positively *mortified* when they pointed out to her that even the oldest among them was born six years *after* the movie came out...

 

Yep, it's hard for me to believe the extra zip my MC seems to have from using Royal Purple is because of something bad it's doing to my engine.

 

You don't know how it works? As soon as the car starts running great, it dies shortly thereafter. Seriously, I think the next change I'll try RP and see how it feels for me. Everyone says it works so.....