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At the risk of upsetting 300B even more:
1. There is more than one version of Mobil 1 5W-30. One of them that is available in Europe is LL-04 approved, while the one you get at Kmart is not. This car is made in Europe.
2. BMW NA will also tell you that Mobil 1 5W-40 is approved. This is only available in Europe. I detect a pattern. (I assume that we all can discount the clearance sales for the old stock Truck and SUV 5W-40--pun intended).
3. The owner's manual has been known to be in error, especially when going between European and North American info. See the 335 oil temp threads.
4. Since BMW is providing "free maintenance" they are under no legal obligation to provide technical information at this time. So I don't expect much.
5. Do any of you think that someone from BMW NA who picks up the phone when we call has a clue? Hint--customer support is not the pinnacle of the engineering career ladder.
6. Everyone should stop fixating on the SAE viscosity numbers. They are beyond antiquated. Look up HTHS numbers if you are concerned about "thin" or "thick".
But in the end there is no reason to turn this into a fur ball. Get the BMW oil from the dealer. Dig a little bit and you will find that it is ACEA A3 approved (sorry 300B), and meets MB and VW specs in addition to BMW's. It is a good deal for the price. And in time BMW will sort this out.
And when they do, and my car is off warranty, I suspect that I will be putting in the same Mobil 1 0W-40 that goes in other German cars.
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