i am running the 5w-30 and everyone i talk to is saying that it is a bad choice, i am exspecially noticing it on fuel milage not as good as it used to be. im going to be swapping out the 5w-30 for 0w-40 this weekend

 

Try this.

 

Personally it is all the same crap made from dino stock and refined to varying degrees. The filter really matters though. Stick with the OEM. The Mobil1 has always worked for me and I have used it in my Z and my Boxster like forever it seems that the vehicles have experienced no wear to speak of, by changing it every 5K miles which is probably overkill. I don't think you ought to obsess very much on the oil, but enjoy your car and drive it. There are folks running dino oil without incident and change every 3K miles. I would not, but I learned to enjoy driving, rather than worrying about everything. Just my .02 cents.

 

0W-40 is thicker at operating temperature and would actually make your fuel economy worse. The 0W would only benefit your fuel economy if you only made short trips that didn't allow the oil to get up to normal operating temperature.

BTW, this is good reading about oil.

 

i enjoy driving my car like there is no tomorrow but i want everything to be right, knowing i have the right stuff makes it more enjoyable, and every 5,000 is not overkill its personal preference i think.

 

well then why would mini recomend the mobile1 0w-40 if it is that bad? either way im swapping out the mobile 1 5w-30 oile and get something that is approved on the mini website

 

http://www.animegame.com/cars/Oil%20Tests.pdf
This is why I changed from Mobile 1 to Royal Purple.

 

Mobil 0W40

0W is the winter weight. Just thinner at low temps than 5W. It is better during winter in colder climates.

40 weight provides better protection for hot running engines and in really hot climates. Mobil 1 0W40 tends to be a little thinner than most 40 weights.

 

I have been following this thread and you've been given good advice but you seem pretty defensive. Why ask other's opinions with the purpose of disagreeing. You are bound to get differing views. Deal with it, man.

 

True, a preference, that I myself do as well.
I would do it every 3 K but it would cost me more than I like.

 

I just got back the oil analysis from Blackstone Labs. 5000 miles on Mobil 1 and they say it's good until 7000 miles. Very little wear from the new engine, and the filters look like they are doing a good job. The TBN was 3.5 and they said plenty of additive left.

3K is way overkill. I did the first oil change at 1,500 miles with a Mini filter and Mobile1 0-40

 

I agree totally. 3K is definitely overkill. I feel comfortable going with 5K using Mobil1 0-40 and using the MINI OEM filter kit. Can't go wrong that way. Mobil1 is excellent synthetic oil, been around for a long time and meets or exceeds MINI's requirements. Also easier to find in local discount chains like Walmart, etc. Thanks for the info on the analysis. I feel it confirms what we pretty much knew. That is definitely a comfort level.

 

I didn't say it was bad. There are more factors at play here than just fuel economy. Also, I'm sure there are plenty of oils that will work just fine but aren't approved because it would be silly for BMW to test every oil out there before making recommendations.

Agree, I got the same results and conclusion from Blackstone for Castrol European Formula 0W-30 (aka German Castrol).

 

I'm probably gonna switch to Royal Purple...but for reference, how can you tell if you are getting the Euro spec Castrol or just regular US Castrol Syntec?

Royal Purple and Mobil1 are my favorites in general, had a race motor with Royal purple that still looked brand new upon tear down after 2 seasons of hard racing. Plus I had a 95 Taurus SHO that used Mobil1 since it's first oil change...at 120k miles the rod bearings still looked brand new along with the rest of the motor. Was pissed because I did the rod bearings(typical problem area on those motors) and they were fine lol.

on a side note...not ANOTHER oil thread!

 

Any one else using Schaeffer Oil Supreme 9000? Schaeffers Oil is the oldest oil company in the USA having produced greases for over 165 years. I have used it for the last 30k miles and it works well. Can be hard to find though, normally you have to find a dealer, not at most stores.

 

The Front of the bottle will say:

Castrol SYNTEC 0W-30 European Formula

& on the back of the bottle it will show:

meets BMW LL-01 and ACEA A3 standards (this is only Castrol that meets this spec).

 

So how many quarts - 4, 5, 6, ?

 

5

 

Yes 5 if you want to overfill it. I change my oil and filter and add four quarts. Take for a test drive, let sit ten minutes or so, and check the oil. The oil level on the dipstick is then about half way between fill and add. According to Mini, it should then take about one-half quart to fill.

Unfortunately, the capacity is a state secret and the manual doesn't say. The manual does say "excess oil will damage the engine". The only time my engine has been overfilled is when the dealer changes the oil.

 

Dumping in 5 quarts even puts the oil level slightly above the max line on the dipstick of my 07 R56. So that's what I do. I don't worry about the slight overfill.

 

Funny. I guess the Kitty oil makes the engine purr.

As opposed to the doggy oil, which must make it...ruff.

/Smack

 

yes as the German formula Castrol that the dealer uses is an A3 rated oil whereas the mobile 1 in your car is less protective. Europeans have a higher standard of oil then US and thus they give us the crappier oil here.

Your questions are very bizarre honestly "I did this should I change" You got great advice above and you did what you wanted. cannot wait to finish reading this thread.

 

it will also state made in germany and its at autozone

 

triple post for awesome personal delivery

 

you think? well, unless U are tracking your car every weekend every 5K is overkill.