R56 Oil weight vs. gas mileage
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,578
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From: Paradise
The only Mobil 1 that meets LL-01 is the 0W-40 European Formula.
I prefer the Castrol 0W-30 because the 0W of a 0W-30 is thinner when cold than the 0W of a 0W-40. It is at startup when most engine wear occurs.
I don't think it necessary to go for a heavier oil in summer. Since the MINI engine seems to have been designed for a 30, I don't see any reason to go to a 40, unless you are racing. That is where you need a thicker oil.
4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 385
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Be aware that Mobil 1 0W-30 does not meet the BMW LL-01 or ACEA A3 requirements. It is rated at A1/A5. While the owner's manual is not this specific about oil requirements, the Owner's Lounge does say LL-01 is required. The main difference is that an A5 oil will not maintain the same viscosity/shear that an A3 will at operating temps.
The only Mobil 1 that meets LL-01 is the 0W-40 European Formula.
I prefer the Castrol 0W-30 because the 0W of a 0W-30 is thinner when cold than the 0W of a 0W-40. It is at startup when most engine wear occurs.
I don't think it necessary to go for a heavier oil in summer. Since the MINI engine seems to have been designed for a 30, I don't see any reason to go to a 40, unless you are racing. That is where you need a thicker oil.
The only Mobil 1 that meets LL-01 is the 0W-40 European Formula.
I prefer the Castrol 0W-30 because the 0W of a 0W-30 is thinner when cold than the 0W of a 0W-40. It is at startup when most engine wear occurs.
I don't think it necessary to go for a heavier oil in summer. Since the MINI engine seems to have been designed for a 30, I don't see any reason to go to a 40, unless you are racing. That is where you need a thicker oil.
Can you explain what LL-01 or ACEA A3 actually means?Also, I have used Mobil1 and Royal Purple 5w-30 Fully Syth. for a long time now with no side effects. Is it that the Mobile 0w-30 is considered to be an A5 grade oil that breaks down quicker? Is that the only difference?
LL-01 is Long Life 2001 spec
ACEA A3 is a European oil spec for synthetics
Not all synthetic oil is the same. There was a law suit in the US quite a few years ago about labeling of oils synthetic, Castrol won and Mobil lost. From that point onward, all oils, even the dinosaur oils, can be named synthetic if the are run through a different refining process. The cost of creating super refined dinosaur oil is much cheaper than full polyol ester bonded synthetic. Polyol Ester synthetics are supposed to be more stable at high heat because they are created to have a specific viscocity, i.e. 0W40 versus the use of friction modifiers and additives which can break down.
The difference? If you change your oil often and use the car on the street, perhaps not that much.
ACEA A3 is a European oil spec for synthetics
Not all synthetic oil is the same. There was a law suit in the US quite a few years ago about labeling of oils synthetic, Castrol won and Mobil lost. From that point onward, all oils, even the dinosaur oils, can be named synthetic if the are run through a different refining process. The cost of creating super refined dinosaur oil is much cheaper than full polyol ester bonded synthetic. Polyol Ester synthetics are supposed to be more stable at high heat because they are created to have a specific viscocity, i.e. 0W40 versus the use of friction modifiers and additives which can break down.
The difference? If you change your oil often and use the car on the street, perhaps not that much.
4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 385
Likes: 4
Nevermind, I just answered my own question about the oil differences. After researching several sites, I came across this BMW thread:
What to look for in a BMW oil:
1) BMW has its own oil specs. They are BMW Long Life (LL). There have been three standards LL-98, LL-01, and LL-04. BMW LL-98 allows for Group III hydrocracked oils, but LL-01 is stricter and only allows for Group IV or Group V based oils. LL-04 is very new, designed for primarly diesels in Europe and no oils sold in the US actually are LL-04 approved (Amsoil doesn't count as they claim their oil meets the standard, but it isn't approved).
2) The proper oil for all climates is an oil that meets BMW LL-01 or better. There are only three oils that actually meet this spec widely available in the US. Mobil 1 0w-40, Valvoline 5w-40 Synpower, and Castrol 0w-30 (you have to be careful with the Castrol, there are two versions out there, the one you want will say on the back in little writing that it is made in Germany, and will specifically list the BMW spec, Mercedes 229.3 & 229.5 and ACEA A3).
3) All BMW Long Life oils are ACEA A3 oils. An ACEA A3 oil means that it has a high temp high shear (HTHS @ 150c) of more than 3.5. Note that A3 is mutually exclusive of ACEA A1 & A5. A1 & A5 oils have an HTHS of less than 3.5. A5 is simply a newer and stricter standard of A1, so if an oil is A5 rated than it is also A1 rated. NOT ALL A3 OILS ARE BMW LL OILS, ONLY THOSE SPECIFICALLY LABLED AS SUCH.
4) Mobil 1 30 weight oils are not A3 or LL approved. So the next question that will be asked is why does BMW USA recommend them? It is because they never have updated their recomendation from the 90's when Mobil 1 was available in the US in either 30 or 50 weight. There was no 0w-40 then. THE ONLY MOBIL 1 OIL THAT IS BMW LL APPROVED IS THE 0W-40.
5) Don't get to hung up on weight. 30 weight oil runs from about 9.5-12.5 cst at 100c. Mobil 1 30 weights are forumlated on the light end of the 30 weight scale at about 10.5 cst, so are nearly 20 weight. By contrast BMW's relabled Castrol 30 weight is about 12.2 cst, which is nearly a 40 weight. As a rule of thumb, Mobil formulates on the light end of any grade, Amsoil on the heavy end.
6) Redline is a great race oil. For street use it does not work well for extended intervals. The problem is that their chemestry is very old and the oil tends to oxidate quickly and generate higher wear number than Mobil 1 or Amsoil when used in street vehicles.
7) The best widely available oils for your BMW. 1) Mobil 1 0w-40, 2) BMW 5w30 synth. Why the Group III BMW oil when it is only LL-98 approved instead of the better LL-01? It is because the 15k interval used by BMW is to far for even Mobil 1 oils under most conditions, so either oil should be changed at 10k or less intervals. As it is easiest to just change once between the indicator lights (about 7.5k miles) the advantage that Group IV oils have over the BMW labled oils are largely negated.
8) You want Mobil 1 0w-40 but cant find it. Mobil 1 5w-40 Truck and SUV will work fine. Note it is not not BMW LL approved or ACEA A3 rated, but meets the spec with an HTHS of 4.1.
What to look for in a BMW oil:
1) BMW has its own oil specs. They are BMW Long Life (LL). There have been three standards LL-98, LL-01, and LL-04. BMW LL-98 allows for Group III hydrocracked oils, but LL-01 is stricter and only allows for Group IV or Group V based oils. LL-04 is very new, designed for primarly diesels in Europe and no oils sold in the US actually are LL-04 approved (Amsoil doesn't count as they claim their oil meets the standard, but it isn't approved).
2) The proper oil for all climates is an oil that meets BMW LL-01 or better. There are only three oils that actually meet this spec widely available in the US. Mobil 1 0w-40, Valvoline 5w-40 Synpower, and Castrol 0w-30 (you have to be careful with the Castrol, there are two versions out there, the one you want will say on the back in little writing that it is made in Germany, and will specifically list the BMW spec, Mercedes 229.3 & 229.5 and ACEA A3).
3) All BMW Long Life oils are ACEA A3 oils. An ACEA A3 oil means that it has a high temp high shear (HTHS @ 150c) of more than 3.5. Note that A3 is mutually exclusive of ACEA A1 & A5. A1 & A5 oils have an HTHS of less than 3.5. A5 is simply a newer and stricter standard of A1, so if an oil is A5 rated than it is also A1 rated. NOT ALL A3 OILS ARE BMW LL OILS, ONLY THOSE SPECIFICALLY LABLED AS SUCH.
4) Mobil 1 30 weight oils are not A3 or LL approved. So the next question that will be asked is why does BMW USA recommend them? It is because they never have updated their recomendation from the 90's when Mobil 1 was available in the US in either 30 or 50 weight. There was no 0w-40 then. THE ONLY MOBIL 1 OIL THAT IS BMW LL APPROVED IS THE 0W-40.
5) Don't get to hung up on weight. 30 weight oil runs from about 9.5-12.5 cst at 100c. Mobil 1 30 weights are forumlated on the light end of the 30 weight scale at about 10.5 cst, so are nearly 20 weight. By contrast BMW's relabled Castrol 30 weight is about 12.2 cst, which is nearly a 40 weight. As a rule of thumb, Mobil formulates on the light end of any grade, Amsoil on the heavy end.
6) Redline is a great race oil. For street use it does not work well for extended intervals. The problem is that their chemestry is very old and the oil tends to oxidate quickly and generate higher wear number than Mobil 1 or Amsoil when used in street vehicles.
7) The best widely available oils for your BMW. 1) Mobil 1 0w-40, 2) BMW 5w30 synth. Why the Group III BMW oil when it is only LL-98 approved instead of the better LL-01? It is because the 15k interval used by BMW is to far for even Mobil 1 oils under most conditions, so either oil should be changed at 10k or less intervals. As it is easiest to just change once between the indicator lights (about 7.5k miles) the advantage that Group IV oils have over the BMW labled oils are largely negated.
8) You want Mobil 1 0w-40 but cant find it. Mobil 1 5w-40 Truck and SUV will work fine. Note it is not not BMW LL approved or ACEA A3 rated, but meets the spec with an HTHS of 4.1.
4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 385
Likes: 4
LL-01 is Long Life 2001 spec
ACEA A3 is a European oil spec for synthetics
Not all synthetic oil is the same. There was a law suit in the US quite a few years ago about labeling of oils synthetic, Castrol won and Mobil lost. From that point onward, all oils, even the dinosaur oils, can be named synthetic if the are run through a different refining process. The cost of creating super refined dinosaur oil is much cheaper than full polyol ester bonded synthetic. Polyol Ester synthetics are supposed to be more stable at high heat because they are created to have a specific viscocity, i.e. 0W40 versus the use of friction modifiers and additives which can break down.
The difference? If you change your oil often and use the car on the street, perhaps not that much.
ACEA A3 is a European oil spec for synthetics
Not all synthetic oil is the same. There was a law suit in the US quite a few years ago about labeling of oils synthetic, Castrol won and Mobil lost. From that point onward, all oils, even the dinosaur oils, can be named synthetic if the are run through a different refining process. The cost of creating super refined dinosaur oil is much cheaper than full polyol ester bonded synthetic. Polyol Ester synthetics are supposed to be more stable at high heat because they are created to have a specific viscocity, i.e. 0W40 versus the use of friction modifiers and additives which can break down.
The difference? If you change your oil often and use the car on the street, perhaps not that much.
). It gets pretty hot where I am (115 on average in the summer) so I am sure that the type oil makes a difference.
I just thought that the weight of oil and making certain it was fully synth. was the only thing to take into consideration. Now I have to READ the label!?
I should just pick an oil and stick to it.... it looks like Castrol 0w-30 is it as long as I READ the back and make certain it says ACEA A3 on the back!
I try to change my oil about every 5k miles because I drive about 200 miles round trip everyday (that I am working) and keep the cruise control at 75mph (cause thats the speed limit ).
It gets pretty hot where I am (115 on average in the summer) so I am sure that the type oil makes a difference.
I just thought that the weight of oil and making certain it was fully synth. was the only thing to take into consideration. Now I have to READ the label!?
I should just pick an oil and stick to it.... it looks like Castrol 0w-30 is it as long as I READ the back and make certain it says ACEA A3 on the back!
). It gets pretty hot where I am (115 on average in the summer) so I am sure that the type oil makes a difference.
I just thought that the weight of oil and making certain it was fully synth. was the only thing to take into consideration. Now I have to READ the label!?
I should just pick an oil and stick to it.... it looks like Castrol 0w-30 is it as long as I READ the back and make certain it says ACEA A3 on the back!
After switching back and forth between Castrol and Mobil, I have also decided to stick with one oil, Mobil 1 0W40.
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,578
Likes: 5
From: Paradise
ACEA is a European system for grading oils, like the American API system.
A3 is a high performance rating that has a Viscosity at high temp. & high shear rate of ≥ 3.5.
Most high performance oils in the USA are rated A5 which has a Viscosity at high temp. & high shear rate of ≥ 2.9 and ≤ 3.5.
LL-01 is a BMW specification. It is short for "Long Lasting 2001". From what I've seen only ACEA A3 oils seem to get the BMW LL-01 rating.
How do you quantify "side effects"?
I believe both A5 and A3 are for extended life synthetic oils. The difference is about their high temp performance.
Will it make a difference if you use an A5 instead of an A3 oil? I don't know. I just prefer to stay with what was intended for this engine.
A3 is a high performance rating that has a Viscosity at high temp. & high shear rate of ≥ 3.5.
Most high performance oils in the USA are rated A5 which has a Viscosity at high temp. & high shear rate of ≥ 2.9 and ≤ 3.5.
LL-01 is a BMW specification. It is short for "Long Lasting 2001". From what I've seen only ACEA A3 oils seem to get the BMW LL-01 rating.
Also, I have used Mobil1 and Royal Purple 5w-30 Fully Syth. for a long time now with no side effects.
Is it that the Mobile 0w-30 is considered to be an A5 grade oil that breaks down quicker? Is that the only difference?
Will it make a difference if you use an A5 instead of an A3 oil? I don't know. I just prefer to stay with what was intended for this engine.
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,578
Likes: 5
From: Paradise
4) Mobil 1 30 weight oils are not A3 or LL approved. So the next question that will be asked is why does BMW USA recommend them? It is because they never have updated their recomendation from the 90's when Mobil 1 was available in the US in either 30 or 50 weight. There was no 0w-40 then. THE ONLY MOBIL 1 OIL THAT IS BMW LL APPROVED IS THE 0W-40.
5) Don't get to hung up on weight. 30 weight oil runs from about 9.5-12.5 cst at 100c. Mobil 1 30 weights are forumlated on the light end of the 30 weight scale at about 10.5 cst, so are nearly 20 weight. By contrast BMW's relabled Castrol 30 weight is about 12.2 cst, which is nearly a 40 weight. As a rule of thumb, Mobil formulates on the light end of any grade, Amsoil on the heavy end.
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