[MartinWake]

Hey guys I was at autozone the other day and I have always noticed there are two types of Castrol Edge Oil, the only difference I see is in the price and the graphics but what are the differences I look online and no one has compared them... I bought the one that has the oil going around the metal thingy not through it, can someone please tell me the difference thank you!

[Meeni]

None of them are the correct one. The one you want is the A3/B4 variant for german cars, it has LL01+ certification. This does not.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Castrol-E...-5-QT/35931146

[WhosGotTheLoud]

I thought our cars use 5w-30???

[MartinWake]

Originally Posted by Meeni

None of them are the correct one. The one you want is the A3/B4 variant for german cars, it has LL01+ certification. This does not.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Castrol-E...-5-QT/35931146

I dont have that one locally but do you know the difference on the ones I showed?

[Efthreeoh]

Anyone who asks any questions about oil and E90's at this point 13 years after introduction of the vehicle by BMW should be immediately banned.

Come on guys... search. There's even a sticky about oil in the maintenance section.

[Meeni]

Originally Posted by MartinWake

I dont have that one locally but do you know the difference on the ones I showed?

Yes, yours does not have LL-01, mine does. This is the standard an oil should abide to be used in our cars.

[Bilbofraggins]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Anyone who asks any questions about oil and E90's at this point 13 years after introduction of the vehicle by BMW should be immediately banned.

Come on guys... search. There's even a sticky about oil in the maintenance section.

Aye....

LL04...we should all be using that now...runs cleaner....

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by MartinWake

I dont have that one locally but do you know the difference on the ones I showed?

Likely old vs. new stock. One being rated API SN and the other API SN+. SN+ is the latest rating (the one with the GDI turbo on the front). WalMart had the same thing with the old being next to the new on the shelf.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by WhosGotTheLoud

I thought our cars use 5w-30???

0w30, 0w40, 5w30, 5w40.

All oils you use should be LL-01 certified or equivalent. The oil container will list it.

[nsjames]

Originally Posted by WhosGotTheLoud

I thought our cars use 5w-30???

0-40 is acceptable

Originally Posted by MartinWake

I dont have that one locally but do you know the difference on the ones I showed?

you have to read the labels on the back for manufacturer and industry certifications.


FWIW they should have had a 5w40 castrol there that's a3/b4 and ll01 certified.
you need an a3/b4 oil at the minimum. that's an actual "synthetic" oil.

that's what I put in my junk the last time.
my lifter tick seems less noticeable than with the 0w40.

[MartinWake]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Anyone who asks any questions about oil and E90's at this point 13 years after introduction of the vehicle by BMW should be immediately banned.

Come on guys... search. There's even a sticky about oil in the maintenance section.

I never asked what oil I want to use for my car I just wanted to know the difference between those two oils that both say edge

[MartinWake]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Likely old vs. new stock. One being rated API SN and the other API SN+. SN+ is the latest rating (the one with the GDI turbo on the front). WalMart had the same thing with the old being next to the new on the shelf.

Yeah thats the only good image I could find for both of them but most that I see are both just sn not sn plus so I dont know the difference in them

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by Meeni

None of them are the correct one. The one you want is the A3/B4 variant for german cars, it has LL01+ certification. This does not.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Castrol-E...-5-QT/35931146

I can't tell from the pictures on this original post because the LL01 spec is usually marked on the back of the bottle. I believe the bottle on the left is the newer design and the bottle on the right is the older bottle design.

I do know that Castrol *does* have a 5w-40 oil in that bottle shape on the left that has the LL01 certification (certification, with a statement that it's approved, not a generic statement saying it's 'recommended for use' or something along those lines).
I made a post earlier about this and included some pictures showing it. It's a made in the USA 5w-40 Castrol Edge that is LL01 approved.

Personally I now use the Belgian made Castrol Edge 0w-40.

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Anyone who asks any questions about oil and E90's at this point 13 years after introduction of the vehicle by BMW should be immediately banned.

Come on guys... search. There's even a sticky about oil in the maintenance section.

Agreed, however in defense of the guy who started this post he was just asking about the differences between the oils, not whether they were suitable for use in his BMW. This thread could have easily been started on any internet forum.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Anyone who asks any questions about oil and E90's at this point 13 years after introduction of the vehicle by BMW should be immediately banned.

I have a more cynical view of Oil Manufacturers/Marketeers and Auto Manufacturers. For example:
1) What brand & grade of oil was "recommended" or "specified" by BMW in 2006 when E9x models rolled out?
2) What were the "ratings" or "specifications" for the Castrol product at that time?
3) What was the OCI (Oil Change Interval) that BMW was trying to convince its customers was OK for the N52 engine & shortly afterward for the N54 engine?
4) What specific Castrol products were approved by BMW for that OCI for each engine?
5) What changes has Castrol made in its product line in the last 12 years (as opposed to MARKETING programs ;-) that make ANY of its "Edge" products better or worse for LOOONG OCI (25,000 miles), shorter OCI (7,500 miles), High-Mileage engines (what is high-mileage BTW, > 75,000?)?
6) WHAT does "Fluid Titanium Technology" actually mean?
7) API SN PLUS: Plus WHAT & How much of Whatever?
8) WHAT is "Superior GDI Turbo Formula" and why should I care with N52KP?

I could go on (and usually do ;-) but you get the point.

I have used Castrol for years, and will continue to use it (changing oil & filter once per year or 7,500 miles so I don't have to be concerned with "Long Life") and I'm NOT about to change brands or spend more (currently $22.48 for 5 Quart container from Amazon) just because the label was changed to show different "Artwork" (that has NO TRUE RESEMBLANCE to any part in my engine that needs oil lubrication), or to add "PLUS" or other mumbo-jumbo.

If anyone has any "Scientifically-supported" data to which they can provide a link or reference that suggests I should change my concepts, PLEASE PROVIDE.

George

[Group27]

LL-04 should NOT be used in gasoline engines. It's designed for diesel engines and contains additives that are detrimental to catalytic converters.

[Beaming]

I'm not sure that is the case any longer. US fuels were not low sulfur until a few years ago and that was the concern with using the LL04 rating in the US- it was meant for diesels only. I believe US fuels are roughly on par with Europe as far as sulfur content so LL04 should be fine.

[gjm120]

Originally Posted by Beaming

I'm not sure that is the case any longer. US fuels were not low sulfur until a few years ago and that was the concern with using the LL04 rating in the US- it was meant for diesels only. I believe US fuels are roughly on par with Europe as far as sulfur content so LL04 should be fine.

As of 2017 US sulfur spec was 10ppm average for the year. Individual batches could be as high as 95ppm downstream of the refinery gate. I don't think the EU standards allow such a high maximum so in the US one could put gasoline in their car with a relatively high sulfur content.

[Efthreeoh]

See what I mean...… ^

[Bilbofraggins]

Originally Posted by Group27

LL-04 should NOT be used in gasoline engines. It's designed for diesel engines and contains additives that are detrimental to catalytic converters.

Absolute rubbish...

[Bilbofraggins]

As good an article as you will find anywhere.."LL-04 and LL-01 are interchangeable/compatible but LL-04 is preferred for its higher ZDDP and low SAPS".https://www.bimmerworld.com/BMW-Engine-Oil/

"LL-04 (2005). API SN. ACEA C3 (similar to A3). SAE 5W30, 5W40. The LL-04 oils have been greatly misunderstood in the past but this is now in greater demand. Most LL-04 oils are intended for Diesels, although it was also approved for gas engines in Europe and other world markets. BMW never certified LL-04 for the US (see next paragraph). Diesel oil has long been valued by engine builders and tuners because of its higher levels of ZDDP and higher HTHS ratings, both are excellent indicators of engine protection at higher temperatures. LL-04 also has a lower SAPS value which is good news for direct-injection engines (all BMW turbo engines since 2007). You won't find Genuine BMW LL-04 sold here but Red Line Euro-Series oil is produced around this standard.

As part of the efforts to make engine oil more environmentally friendly, the US EPA required ZDDP levels to be reduced in gasoline oil. However, Diesel oil was exempt from this ZDDP reduction. BMW never certified LL-04 for the US market because a) there weren't many Diesels for sale here, b) it was incompatible with the high amounts of sulfur and Ethanol in US fuel. However, since 2014 our gasoline more closely matches European formulas and interest in LL-04 has increased. LL-04 and LL-01 are interchangeable/compatible but LL-04 is preferred for its higher ZDDP and low SAPS."

There are now quite a few LL04 oils available...for use in Gas or Diesel engines interchangeably...

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by Group27

LL-04 should NOT be used in gasoline engines. It's designed for diesel engines and contains additives that are detrimental to catalytic converters.

that if you have a catalytic converter lol

[Bilbofraggins]

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

Hey George B. Althrop, here's where you made your error:

You Feel that a 10-15k oil change is too long. You feel it is too long based on what you've known in the past. You've failed to keep up with advancements in technology that make what you knew in the past irrelevant to today.

This is not but one study but many. The phrase "mumbo jumbo" is used by those who:

A. Refuse to innovate
B. Are scientifically uninformed
C. Are smart enough to know that marketing oversells things but also looks at modern advancements to know what's actually available and proven.

2019 lubricant technology != 1970 lubricant technology. You do 7,500 mile OCIs. Great for you! It's not a bad thing for your engine; you only spend more money than you need to. That's your choice. Regardless, it's scientifically deemed unnecessary in a majority of operating conditions for the E90. Your ECU is specifically tuned to take a series of inputs and tell you when to change the oil.

Even before God invented Synthetic oil...the UK Oil change interval was 10,000 miles/Yearly...it's still that for most folks...

I'm a 10,000km changer/my choice...and never played along with the BMW extended intervals....

I would add that the only vehicle we have that burns oil between changes is our son's E90...(we use whatever is on sale that's ACEA A3/B4)...

My X6M gets TOTAL QUARTZ INEO MC3 5W30 (This engine oil is suitable for the most severe conditions of use (sports driving, repeated start-ups, city and motorway driving). Its special formulation resists the most extreme variations in operating temperature):

https://germanparts.ca/parts/2831TF

https://germanparts.ca/compatibility...t_number=B422E