Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwi29
Really? Ill definitely need to grab the deal the next time it pops up!
I use to have the bmw oil when I was under warranty but it didn't seem to cool fast enough or wasn't good enough on cold starts. I usually only let my car warm for a minute before driving again from a cold and mobil 1 0w40 seemed to do it for me. I'm curious though, why is castrol edge not LL approved? Gtx doesn't exist anymore so does that mean we only use the bmw oil from the stealerships? People seem to say mobil is better and cheaper than bmw oil and you have more variations and choices with it also. The last time I checked, 0w-40 was sold in walmart, it's just you'd have to find out which one. They do sell singles though and I have a guy who sells mobil 1. 6 qts for 35 bucks for any weigh and its about a block away from home. I also see other oils that are "contenders" but they don't have the LL approval and I'm skeptical to try it. What would happen if I do? I hear a lot of people using motul and royal purple even though its not LL approved but they say it runs like a champ. What are your thoughts on that?
|
From the Valvoline tech I talked to on the phone, it is the SAPS that makes it such a long lasting oil, hence HST (high SAPS technology) has formal approval. MST, (mid SAPS technology,) was what I was told was sold in 55 gallon drums before which was LL-01 compliant, and the stuff in the stores was not approved. Now you can get MST in stores in qt sizes.. I got a part number for the MST, and you can get it at NAPA. (I'm afraid I lost it though. You can call the number on the Valvoline website and they will answer. I called the day after Thanksgiving and someone was there to answer.) I would not get anything other than LL-01. There is a reason not many oils don't have it. I noticed for example that the base number for the MST is 7, while Mobil 1 0w-40 is 10. Since I am an Amsoil dealer and they explain that the base number is what gives an oil it's longevity, you can look at that number to gauge how long an oil will last before it needs to be changed. (I haven't looked up this number for Royal Purple, Motul, etc...) The base number is like a buffer to the acid that is produced from the combustion process. That is why the higher the longer it is rated to last. Since I do not know how the oil life sensor works inside the engine, I would stray away from anything else. For example, if it is not measuring the oil, and just driving conditions, then the oil will fail before it says you need a change...