Here's a good site that explains all the ACEA ratings (as well as the API ratings).

Here's their information on ACEA ratings:

ACEA

This is the European equivalent of API (US) and is more specific in what the performance of the oil actually is. A = Petrol, B = Diesel and C = Catalyst
compatible or low SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur).

Unlike API the ACEA specs are split into performance/application catagories as follows:

A1 Fuel economy petrol
A2 Standard performance level (now obsolete)
A3 High performance and/or extended drain
A4 Reserved for future use in certain direct injection engines
A5 Combines A1 fuel economy with A3 performance

B1 Fuel economy diesel
B2 Standard performance level (now obsolete)
B3 High performance and/or extended drain
B4 For direct injection car diesel engines
B5 Combines B1 fuel economy with B3/B4 performance

C1-04 Petrol and Light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 low SAPS, two way catalyst compatible.
C2-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible.
C3-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible, Higher performance levels due to higher HTHS.

Note: SAPS = Sulphated Ash, Phosphorous and Sulphur.

Put simply, A3/B3, A5/B5 and C3 oils are the better quality, stay in grade performance oils.

 

Great, Thanks. So MOBIL ONE Extended has A5 and B5, that means the already meet the A3/B3 specs.

How about Castrol?

 

Actually, there's some question about whether the A5 rating specifies the same extended-interval performance as the A3 rating. In other words, unlike API ratings, where a requirement of SH means that you can use SJ, SL or SM oils without worry, an ACEA rating of A5 doesn't necessarily mean that it's an acceptable substitute for an A3-rated oil.

 

From Castrol's US website:http://www.castrol.com/castrol/gener...tentId=6006933

 

The 5-30 also exceeds the European specs.

 

so i should get the mobil one syn out ? i have only had it in for about 4000 miles. i had pete at minspeed do the oil change and it was what he used in his own mini. i do not know which oil he used mobil one or the extended. i will have to call him . i trust pete he is a honest man and gives great service so he will make it right . also is there anyting wrong with using mobil ? i thought thats what all the subie turbo guys used and the like. can anybody chim in on what oil to go for and make it simple . like name brands at the local autoparts store and key specs on the bottles that will need the most to look for .like a short check list to run down.

 

If it is not Extended, you are about due. IIRC, the standard Mobil 1 is only rated for 5,000 miles. Also, standard Mobil 1 doesn't meet the same specs. as the MINI branded Castrol. I wouldn't use it.

Whether Mobil 1 Extended is acceptable depends on whether ACEA A5 is really as good for high performance as A3. I haven't seen a good answer to that question yet. Until I do, I'll stick with the MINI brand and its A3 rating.

 

From CASTROL's USA website:



SAE 5W–30:

is the most recommended grade in today's new cars. Exceeds all car and light truck manufacturer's warranty requirements for the protection of gasoline, diesel and turbocharged engines where API SM, SL, SJ, SH, CF or CD is recommended. Exceeds European ACEA: A1, A5, B1, B5, GM 6094M; Ford WSS M2C929–A and all requirements of ILSAC GF–4 for API Certified Gasoline Engine Oils and meets Energy Conserving Standards. In torture tests, Castrol 5W-30 maintained maximum horsepower 29% longer than the leading conventional oil.

So I guess is OK to use Castrol Syntec 5W-30 made in the US? It exceeds European specs.

 

A5 Combines A1 fuel economy with A3 performance

According to the specs. A5 combines A1 and A3 specs?

 

Can you answer ScottRiqui's concern?

 

No, I can't, hopefully someone can. That is why I posed the question.

 

And I'm still searching for an answer as well. The part about "combines A1 fuel economy with A5 performance" could mean that A5 exceeds both A1 and A3 specs, or it could mean that it's a compromise between the two specifications.

I've found a couple of other references that claim that A3 is more stringent, performance-wise, than A5, but nothing authoritative yet.

 

Okay - found it. Here's the sheet from ACEA that outlines all of the requirements to meet a particular ACEA spec.

Bottom Line Up Front - A5 oil is NOT an acceptable substitute for A3 oil.



In general, A1 is for low-friction/low-viscosity oil (perhaps this is like the API's "energy conserving" label in the US?). A3 is for high performance and/or extended drain intervals, and A5 is for high-performance and/or extended drain intervals **in cars meant to use low-viscosity/low-friction oils**.

That's what was meant by A5 "combining the A1 and A3 specs". It's a high-performance/low-viscosity/low-friction oil, but it's only for cars that are meant to use low-friction/low-viscosity oil.

And A5 does NOT supersede A3. In fact, if an oil meets A5 specs, it's virtually impossible for it to also meet A3 specs. The reason is the "viscosity at high temperature and shear rate" for an A3 oil must be at least 3.5 mPa.s, while the same spec for A5 oil must be between 2.9 and 3.5 mPa.s.

So, if the viscosity and shear strength are low enough to meet A5 specs, they're too low to meet A3 specs.

 

Thanks Scott. So, that rules out Mobil 1 Extended 5W-30, and Castrol Syntec 5W-30 since they are both A1/A5. Mobil 1 (not Extended) is only A1 so it is definitely out.

Castrol Syntec 0W-30 is A3. Not sure if the 0W rules it out or not.

Amsoil Extended Life 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil (XLF) and Amsoil 100% Synthetic 5W-30 Motor Oil (ASL) are A1/A5. They do have a 5W-40 for European cars that is A3.

I couldn't find an ACEA rating for Red Line Synthetic 5W-30.

I guess I'll stay with the MINI brand. Reasonable price and good specs.

 

Very cool! Thank you, Scott!

MINI strongly recommends their private labeled product, which we believe happens to meet ACEA A3 standards. ACEA A5 does not supersede A3, unlike the API S ratings. MINI also states that any API SH or better (SH, SJ, SM, etc.) is fine for topping up.

Edit: The BMW branded 5W-30 my dealer gave me says, "Meets all requirements of ACEA A3/B3 for maximum gasoline and diesel passenger car protection. Meets API Service SL/CF."

 

Amsoil HDD is 5W-30 ACEA A3 and API SL. HDD is "Series 3000 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil."

 

Castrol 5-40 also states it meets the A3 standard among others. I'm going to use it for the spring and summer when I'm autocrossing and tracking and then let the dealer do the annual change to Mini 5-30 at the annual change which is early November for me. This way I'll have about 5 to 7K miles on each change and I'll sleep OK at night. Apparently Mini 5-30 must have a different make up than Castrol 5-30.

Mark

 

What are the consequences of running 5W-40, in a car designed for 5W-30, during normal driving?

 

In general, one should expect lower efficiency, which translates to lower mileage. But the Prince engine's on-demand oil pump may or may not operate properly with the higher viscosity oil. I wouldn't risk it, myself, due to lack of knowledge about that.

 

There's a little bit of leeway in usable oil viscosities, especially as ambient temperatures change. Plus, the viscosity ratings themselves actually specify a range of viscosity, not a particular value. There are some "xxW-30" oils that test very close to "xxW-40" specs right out of the bottle.

If you notice any difference at all running 5W-40, it would just be in the form of slightly-reduced fuel economy.

I wouldn't run 20W-50 or straight 60-weight in the dead of winter, but if you wanted to go to a 0W-30 or 5W-40, it's not going to damage anything.

 

Mini OKs 5-40 for use at temps over 0 F. Don't quote me on the temp for sure since I don't have the info handy, but I'm pretty sure that is right.

Mark

 

So getting back to the orginal question, do most of you guys/gals change your oil when your Mini tells you it's time to change or do you change it at your own set schedule. I'm just concerned that my new Mini is telling me the first oil change will be at around 15,000. I have always done the first oil change after the break-in period and then every 3 to 4k after that. Has anyone actually followed the Mini schedule without any engine problems?

 

My wife and I both have 2006 'S' cabrios. I left the factory oil in both of them until the OBC said it was time to change it (11,000 miles on her car, and 12,500 miles on mine), and then had samples analyzed. Both times, the oil was still okay, but it was pretty much at the end of its life. On my car, I checked the new oil 9,000 miles later, because the OBC was telling me I still had 8,000 more miles to go. The oil wasn't quite at end-of-life, but the analyst didn't think it was good for anywhere *near* 8,000 more miles.

I changed the oil to a brand that the oil analyst recommended, and will have about 5,000 miles on it by the first of the year, and I'll send a sample off for analysis then to see how it's holding up.

No problems with either car in terms of oil consumption, smoking, sludge/varnish formation or anything like that, but they each only have about 23k miles on them. I do have a little bit of fuel getting into the oil, which is probably shortening the service life a little bit. (The fuel dilution numbers are still well inside the "normal" range, but they're higher than I'd like.) I haven't seen enough oil analyses on these cars to know if my numbers are typical yet, though.

 

I've done the first oil change. I think it was at about 1,200 miles. I'm at about 4,500 miles now and may do another change sometime between now and the dealer service in May -- depending on how many miles I put on it.

 

When you did your own oil change did the OBC do anything strange like reset itself or did it stay the same?