Amsoil may have fine products, but few of them meet the ACEA A3 standard at the proper weight ranges. HDD 5W30 does. Please see the many, many, many threads on oil here.

 

My manual says:

5W-40 and 5W-30
Only use oils with a specificationof API SH or higher.

It doesn't mention any European specs for oil at all.
Amsoil does offer Euro oils
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/afl.aspx
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/hdd.aspx
I believe they meet your criteria.

 

My manual says (highlights mine): A3 has specific shear ratings at specific temperatures not met by other specifications. Specifications that do not meet ACEA A3 for shear at temperature include ACEA A1, ACEA A5, or any API spec.

 

Those Amsoil oils are ACEA A3; that's my point...

 

We may be typing back and forth, but we're not communicating. I'd already mentioned Amsoil HDD to you, and I also clarified MINI's comments about oil selection that you'd apparently misread.

 

At what point does "cheap insurance" become "pointless superstition"?

 

Well, those are probably opinions, and we all know about them..

If the motor oil meets API SH specs, it is perfectly allowable. And since Mobil 1 meets API SJ specs, it passes, plus one.

 

I guess everyone's reading of MINI's SH+ recommendation is open to personal interpretation. Fine. Is it poorly written? Probably. Can you interpret it any way you please? Sure. You can go ahead and use peanut oil with garlic and peppers, if you want. However, I read it as APH SH+ are appropriate for topping up only, not for changes, and to use MINI recommended oils for changes. To date, the recommendations I've received have been:

• The BMW branded Castrol formulation
• The MINI branded Castrol formulation

Both of these are ACEA A3/LL-01. They're also cheaper for me than Amsoil.

For those who refuse to read the prior threads, while they might be the same formulation, neither of these are the same as retail Castrol branded products.

 

Amsoil 0W-30 is an ACEA A5/B5 oil which is thinner at operating temps than the ACEA A3/B4 MINI branded Castrol.

The only Amsoil I find that meets A3/B3 is
European Car Formula Synthetic 5W-40 Motor Oil (AFL)
and
Series 3000 Synthetic 5W-30 Heavy-Duty Diesel Oil (HDD)

 

It is not a matter of interpretation really. From yet another 'fact' file:

MINI specifically recommends Castrol 100% synthetic 5W-30 motor oil. Castrol produces the engine oil used by the factory and all BMW branded oil. In North America, this oil is known by the trade name Syntec. Do not buy Syntec Blend, since it is not the same.

MINI also recommends Mobil 1 synthetic 5W-30 motor oil. In some countries Mobil 1 may be available in a synthetic blend version and, again, the blend is not the same.

BMW recommends Valvoline SynPower Full Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-30 for most of its vehicles.

Other brands of 100% synthetic 5W-30 are perfectly acceptable so long as they meet or exceed the engine oil specifications that the Castrol, Mobil 1, and Valvoline oils meet. Examples include:

• Motorcraft (Ford) Full Synthetic 5W-30
• Havoline Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-30
• Amsoil Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-30
• Chevron Supreme 100% Synthetic 5W-30 Motor Oil
• Kendall SHP Synthetic Motor Oil
• Pennzoil Performax 100 Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-30
• Exxon Superflo Synthetic 5W-30
• Phillips 66 TropArtic 100% Synthetic 5W-30
• Quaker State Ultra Premium Full Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-30

So, if you want to pay for the brand, go right ahead...there are other options available.

 

It may be "allowable," but is it the best choice? The API specs seem to be much broader than the European ACEA specs. So, lots of different oils pass. The MINI branded oil is ACEA A3/B3 which is for high performance engines and has a very specific minimum viscosity at operating temps. Mobil 1 5W-30 is an ACEA A1/B1 rated oil which is NOT rated for high performance engines. The there are some A1, A5 rated oils that are recommended for high performance engines, but with a lower viscosity at temp. Mobil 1 5W-30 does not even make the A5 rating.

Edit: Mobil 1 changed from what it was years ago. It is no longer an extended life oil. You have to get Mobil 1 Extended for the 15,000 mile rating. Putting the standard Mobil 1 in your MINI and going 15,000 miles between changes would be a big mistake, IMO. However, even Mobil 1 Extended does not meet ACEA A3/B3 standards.

 

I pay $5.40 for MINI branded oil from MINI of Mountain View. I haven't found a less expensive synthetic oil. Even the standard Mobil 1 (not extended) is more $$$.

ACEA A3/B3 oils in 5W-30 are rather difficult to find in the USA. I suspect that BMW/BMW has lowered its requirements in the USA to avoid complaints that they require an obscure, hard-to-find oil. Thinner, less robust oils may get you through the warranty period, but are they the best for your engine? Perhaps you will sell your MINI after a few years and it isn't your problem. Let the next owner deal with it. Why care what shape the engine is in when it has 100K miles?

 

I know we've all been over this before but I'm a little curious.... I used the Castrol full synthetic oil for high performance/german cars that had the ACEA A3/B3 specs on the back. It was a 5w-40 though (because yes, it is hard to find the correct oil in 5w-30 outside the dealer). But my question is that it only stated the BMW-LL98 spec and not the 'better' LL-01 spec. How much of a difference do you think this makes? (I plan on changing my oil every 5-7k miles at most anyway and will stock up on the MINI oil from the dealer in the future.)

 

Only hard to find if you don't look....

Currently, most Advance Auto's are/were running a buy one / get one free on Valvoline Synpower....that get's it down to about $5.00 a quart.

Taking into account that I don't have to drive as far, and my tax rate is lower than at the dealer (2% difference)...I can get it cheaper than the stealer.

And I am **** about maintenance, but I refuse to pay for something that I don't have to. Any vehicle I sell gets the complete maintenance log with reciepts.

And Valvoline SynPower meets/exceeds your ACEA rating...and meets exceeds BMW, MB, and VW specs.

http://www.valvoline.com/products/Synpower.pdf

I am not saying that anyone is 'wrong'. What I am saying that there are other options available.

 

Yes, there are other good options, but my local auto supply store doesn't have them. We don't have any "Advanced Auto's" around here that I know of. You only saved $2.00 over what I paid, and that was at a sale. I'm not trying to say that people should use MINI branded oil -- just that it is a reasonably priced option at some dealers. You can get the same thing from a BMW dealer, but it is branded BMW and will probably cost at least a $1 more.

 

Very true....they may be a good option for some people. But if you live 100 miles from a dealer, etc, etc.

I calculate if I buy 3 filters online that include the crush washer, and the oil from AA, I can save at least $10 an oil change, if not a bit more. I don't have to drive the 80+ mile round trip to the dealership, pay their tax rate, and other wear/tear items. I can get the oil on the way home from work, and get the filters delivered (ok, that will cut $3 off the savings. )

Makes it easy, and I don't give them any more of my money if I can avoid it.

 

I've got a bunch of mass spectrometers and gc's in the lab that are parted-out. I'm going to try and get a hold of one of our FE's and set one up to test oil. I'd like to see what the magic ingredient list is...
I'm putting on my mad scientist hat. If they'll let me... ...these things are expensive...

http://www.chem.agilent.com/Scripts/...sp?lPage=38192

 

No, it does not. Valvoline's product is ACEA A1/A5.

Unlike API specs, ACEA ratings do not supercede. If you read the specs (or search the forum where it's been discussed), you'll see that A3 and A5 are mutually exclusive

 

Actually, I live 97 miles away. I just plan ahead. When I'm going to the dealer for something else, I pick up oil for the next change. When I took it in for a software update, I did just that. If I needed it more quickly, I would consider other oils and other sources. As long as it is ACEA A3/B3 and LL-01 or better I'd be happy. If there was some data that a particular Amsoil, Redline, or other oil was superior, I'd be interested.

 

Well said!

 

Anybody use Schaeffer Oil?

http://www.schaefferoil.com/gear_oils.html

 

You know, you can split hairs all day. If the manufacture comes out verbally and in writing and says that a product is an acceptable substitute, I will use it.

And, the bottom line is neither of us will probably ever have to test the capabilities of any of the lubricants in question. Unless you follow the manufacturers recommended oil change interval, AND spend 50% or better of the engines life above 6k RPMs.

As a side note, if their oil was perfect, why would the OPs service guy recommend earlier oil changes??

 

I used their product in my diesel truck for two oil changes. While it is a good product, the oil analysis didn't show any significant changes to warrant the additional expense. My regular dino oil returned the same overall ratings. The only thing that was really different was the Schaeffer still had a bit more suspended detergents remaining.

 

Valvoline Synpower 5w-40 is ACEA A3/B3. I just checked it out at my local Napa store.

 

you arent looking hard enough. Walmart has 5 quart containers of castrol syntec... FULL synthetic for 20 bucks per 5 quart container.