[blk335i08]

My BMW had a CEL that told me to add a quart of oil the other day, so I called BMW and they said that 5w-30 synthetic Mobil 1 or Castral would be fine. I bought the Mobil 1, but my question to you is there a difference between say Royal Purple and these other two brands? Are there other brands that would actually work better for a BMW?

[blue2fire]

You probably should top it up with what was used when the oil was changed last.

[dirtyylicous]

There both good oil. I used royal purple in my lexus and i acuatally felt a tiny boost. Also mpgs were better.

But i read on here some where bmw says only to use bmw and mobil 1 or something like that. Royal purple is also $$$$. Just stick with mobil 1.

[ElliottP]

Here's the official word http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...ngineOils.aspx

[WLS]

Until you get a full oil change use the same stuff that is already in there.

Then, if you can, change your oil and fill it up with Red Line. Red Line Oil always has fewer metal deposits after multiple track sessions than any of the other oils.

If you are ever curious to see which oil your car 'likes' best you can get the different brands tested after heavy use so you can prove it for yourself.

[742]

Originally Posted by ElliottP

Here's the official word http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...ngineOils.aspx

+1

There is a lot of noise about oil, almost all of it meaningless.

What we known is that BMW has an oil specification. So stick to that, using the one that is easiest to get. Approved oils will list BMW LL-01 in small print on the back of the bottle.

As a side note, be aware that the Valvoline is the MST version.

[ElliottP]

I knew that link b/c I had to get some the other day. I was heading out, late, up 95 to Conn when the oil thing came on. I had to stop at a 24 hour Walmart and they didn't carry the Castrol Euro Edition. They had platinum but it wasn't Euro.

So I got the Valvoline one. $5.97 USD plus tax

[John 070]

Originally Posted by dirtyylicous

There both good oil. I used royal purple in my lexus and i acuatally felt a tiny boost. Also mpgs were better.

But i read on here some where bmw says only to use bmw and mobil 1 or something like that. Royal purple is also $$$$. Just stick with mobil 1.

Unless something has changed, Toyota Motor wrote a long article mentioning the lack of benefit to using synthetic motor oil, when dino juice is changed according to the factory recommended intervals. If it doesn't come with it, no need to use it. Our BMWs say to only use it, so we should do just that. I kind of doubt better mpgs show up as a result of using synth.

[riceqx2]

I can usually find Mobil 1 0W-40 LL01 at Wal-Mart for $6.27/qt.
They also have Royal Purple fwiw.
Mass. and NH stores.