Happy Monday all. I was hoping that someone on here could help me with choosing a motor oil. I'm taking my MINI on a short road trip in a few days, and want to have a couple of quarts of backup oil just in case I need it on the road. My gal is an '06 MC R50. The manual recommends 5W-40 or 5W-30 depending on climate (unfortunately there wasn't any further tips past that). But when I logged on here and searched the topic, a lot of owners of MINIs newer than '06 were discussing that a synthetic European motor oil of 0W-40 is best. I'm super confused now.
Anyone with recommendations on what to purchase?
P.S. if climate does factor into what is best for MINI, I live in MN so we fluctuate between terribly cold to super hot throughout the year.

 

07 and up aren't the same model (unless it's a cabrio), so not the same engine. I always run 5w30 (synthetic) in my S, you can't go wrong if you stick to oem recommandations. If you get cold weather, 5w30 won't get as thick when cold as the 5w40.

 

All are fine that you listed....when under warrenty ...the oil had to meet BMW LL REQUIREMENTS...still should IMO if you are going to go the full 15,000 miles...
Me...I buy Mobil 1, and change it every 7500.
The "euro Mobil 1" meets the requirements...can safely go the full 15,000 miles....
But honestly you are over thinking it....syenthic oils are so good, a 5w-30,0w -30, or 5w-40 are all fine..... It is not like the old days where you had a thicker summer oil and a thinner winter...

 

local wally world usually has this while the chain autopart stores don't . . .

 

just as an FYI, some people don't realize that the "0" is 0wXX is not universal. 0w30 is still thinner when cold than 0w40 - even 5w30 is thinner than 0w40 at cold temps. For super cold temps (and in general frankly), I'd go with 0w30. I ran Amsoil 0w30 SSO in my '08 and in the winter in my '13, no issues to speak of.

 

Incorrect. 5w-30 AND 5w-40 are both, you guessed it, "5w" at 32 degrees F. Only the operating temp weight changes.

 

no.. as i posted above,

the only caveat is that this will only necessarily apply for the same "product" of oil. i.e., comparing amsoil's sso line's viscosity specs among each other. could very well be that their 0w40 is lighter in viscosity than mobil1's 5w30. depends. in general, for the same "product" of oil, just moving up and down in viscosities, 5w30 will be thinner than 0w40 at cold temps.

example: amsoil sso 5w20 vs amsoil sso 0w30
5w20: Kinematic Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt (ASTM D-445) - 50.2
0w30: Kinematic Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt (ASTM D-445) - 58.3

http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produc...?code=ALMQT-EA
http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produc...?code=AZOQT-EA

last thing: "cold" temps don't just mean the freezing temperature of water, or a cool spring day - "cold" temp for an engine is any temp under its operating temp, where the oil is not flowing at its designed level. this is why, even if you live in cali or tx or any other "hot" state, you still see benefit from running an oil that is designed to be thinner at non operating temps

 

Comparing only oils from one manufacturer is far from representative of Industry Standard.

Do you think a 0w-40 pumps the same at 25F as it does at 95F? It doesn't. "Cold engine" is not the same as a numerical temperature, nor is "cold engine" a consistent and measurable variable, which, is exactly why these numbers on oil containers are derived from viscosity at a specified temperature, not just "cold engine". It's not like at 40c a switch is hit, and the oil with it's VI Improvers changes weight; it's progressive.

We can agree on this, so I'm not sure where we lost each other. Anyhow, sorry for the thread-jack, OP. I run Mobil 1 Euro 0w-40 in all weather conditions, exception being when I can't find it, I run Castrol 5w-40.

 

i run the 0-40 mobil1 euro and change every 6-7k. i know its approved by mini, and its actaully the cheapest and easiest for me to find

 

I think we got off on the wrong foot here, and we're saying pretty much the same thing. My only point was that, basically at any temp except for operating temp, "5w" is not universal, and still does depend on the weight of the oil. i.e., 5w30 at 0 C doesn't have the same viscosity as 5w40 - and probably even has a lower viscosity than 0w40.

 

just follow what the manual recommends

 

Love these my oil is the best threads.

Use a good synthetic oil & change at a reasonable time & all is good.

Mobil1 0w40 for my R53 MINI & an OEM or Mann filter every 5,000 miles.

 

Hahaha. Upon closer review, I think you may be right...




Ash, I don't think anybody is debating about which oil is best (yet) Agreed 100% on Mobil 0w-40, Mann filters and a 5k interval.

Having just noticed that the OP's car is an R50, I personally would run a LL-01 approved 5w-30, due to the NA motor not being nearly as hard on the oil as an R53 when at operating temperature. No sense is sacrificing MPG for shear resistance and film strength that you may not "need". Just one man's opinion.

 

Doesn't seem like anybody is following the OLM so even the BMW LL isn't as important IMHO. At 5K intervals just about any good oil will do. My wife's Acura is programed for up to 10K intervals on dino (though I don't think I'll try that with my MINI).