[WingZeroX5]

I know I know, another oil thread, but I swear, I 'd and didn't find what I am looking for...here goes

Shell Rotella T6, It's fully synthetic, and I have heard nothing but good stuff and people recommending them. It's either this or Valvoline SynPower 5w-30, those 5L walmart jugs....But i'm very curious about this oil, hype or not.

Yes, it isn't LL01, it's a diesel oil...blah blah blah...I know I know and I'm sure lot's of people know.

lots of 600RR bikers swear by it, i'm planning to use it on mine. Bob is the oil guy forums have people loving this. So...

Have you guys ever use it and what are your opinions???

[speed_dmon]

I've been using Shell Rotella in my truck (synthetic) and my motorcycle (regular) as well and have never had problems.

[ceb]

Originally Posted by TrackRat

...There are people who recommend maple syrup and cooking oil as a BMW engine lubricant...

Watch it! That's maple syrup and Paulaner. That blend is specially formulated for BMW's. Audis require maple syrup and Herrnbräu. Volkswagen requires a 'Krombacher blend unless it was built in Mexico, in which case it requires Corona.

You know, going by the logic that because the Shell Nutella (sorry, Rotella) works well in a diesel engine is a good reason to use it in a BMW is as absurd as saying that the oil/gasoline blend I ran in my Trabbi is good for BMW because other Trabant owners thought it was the cat's meow.

This has nothing to do with LL-01 or other certification. It has to do with using the appropriate fluid for your application and Rotella is not appropriate for our cars in the US.

[WingZeroX5]

I only have 5K left for the warranty, i could really care less at this point. Last time I changed the oil was 10k ago by the dealer and there's no way i'm going for the long OCI's.

I did mention that I was also going for the LL01 approved valvoline 5w-30, i just wanted to know who used the Rotella's before, which is the point of making this thread. Try typing in "ROTELLA" and u get nothing but a few threads and it's not even helpful! I've searched many times about oil, AMSOIL/MOTUL/REDLINE what have you, etc etc, and the whole LL01 concept is MORE than engrained, trust me, I get it. I don't need another pointless lecture.

If i was asking for "what kind of oil is best for my engine" i wouldn't have created this and wasting time.

[WingZeroX5]

Originally Posted by TrackRat

As you can see from my post, I'm not trying to convert you to anything. I stated that I didn't care what oil you use and I don't. I am however interested in knowing what you expect to GAIN by using Shell T6 or some other non-BMW approved oil and how you will objectively and scientifically determine the performance of the non-BMW approved oil in your engine?

If BMW only approved Castrol, hypothetically, would you ONLY buy castrol?

I don't want to digress, but people mod their cars all the time, to non-BMW specs and no one's complaining.

What i expect to gain? I dont want to be limited by only those oils "approved" by BMW if there are potentially better stuff out there. My plan is to go for 5k OCI's. Like I said, I can easily get the Valvoline

[Turkeybaster115]

Yes the Shell oil should be ok for you. I checked it out, and its a badass synthetic based oil. While it doesn't carry a BMW certification, it has the exact same Mercedes benz certification that ALL LL01's have. So according to Mercedes, its fine. But what do they know?

Just change the oil before 8,500 miles. Its formulated with low SAP's for diesel engines, which means the TBN number starts off lower than regular gasoline only oils.

Cheers!

[WingZeroX5]

Originally Posted by ceb

Watch it! That's maple syrup and Paulaner.
This has nothing to do with LL-01 or other certification. It has to do with using the appropriate fluid for your application and Rotella is not appropriate for our cars in the US.

T6 is API-SM approved and JASO MA (for the bike ) and it's 5W-40 so I don't have to buy two different oils for all my oil change needs!

[CirrusSR22]

Run it for 7,500 miles or so and send in a sample for analysis. We would love to see the results!

[micah_675]

Srsly trackrat, now you have resorted to flaming and personally attacking the people whos questions you refuse to answer. I am so happy to see you have not changed your tune. Your comments like the first post are not needed. It obviously was not appreciated by the OP.

Its funny that you call the people who fight your baseless claims technically illiterate. Yet the people who bow down to your "knowledge" are the ones who are. They do no research and take your claims without fact.

OP, go for it, seems like a good oil. Don't change your oil at 15000 miles regardless if you use trackrats crap or not. Terrible idea, stick around 8k miles.

[F32Fleet]

Never tried it. On a 5k pci you could use just about any 30w 40w oil and you would not notice a difference for thousands of miles.

[ceb]

All the technical hoopla aside, the fanbois of non-approved oil seem to be missing a bit of logical thought.

The manufacturer spends millions o test and approve oils to assure that the oils lubricate properly.

No consumer can determine if one oil is "better" than another. Any issues will show up many miles down the road.

The boutique oils make up their own certifications (amSOIL, Royal Pimple etc) or make up vague statements like "recommended for."

The non-approved oils aren't significantly cheaper or easier to find than approved oils.

Why risk your engine for some inane bragging rights of using a boutique oil or being able to say "I drove my $50k+ gasoline powered BMW on oil that was made for a diesel?"

Even TB agrees that you need to use drastically shortened OCIs because Rotella isn't the right oil.

[WingZeroX5]

Originally Posted by ceb

Even TB agrees that you need to use drastically shortened OCIs because Rotella isn't the right oil.

whether i'm using the rotella or an approved ll-01, like the valvoline i mentioned, i'm still changing mine every 5k.

Originally Posted by ceb

Why risk your engine for some inane bragging rights of using a boutique oil or being able to say "I drove my $50k+ gasoline powered BMW on oil that was made for a diesel?"

I'm not asking for any bragging rights whatsoever, didn't even cross my mind

Originally Posted by ceb

The non-approved oils aren't significantly cheaper or easier to find than approved oils.

Rotella T6 at Walmart, or at AAFES is $17/$15, respectively, for 5QT jugs... try buying 5 Qts of M1 0w-40 alone. 2x jugs of T6 is $35, perfect for the car and bike

Originally Posted by ceb

The boutique oils make up their own certifications (amSOIL, Royal Pimple etc) or make up vague statements like "recommended for."

"BMW Recommends Castrol"

Why can't everyone use Castrol then?! Screw M1/Valvoline/Pennzoil!

BMW also "recommends" you not to use non-genuine parts because it can void your warranty. How many of us installed a JB?

Originally Posted by ceb

The manufacturer spends millions o test and approve oils to assure that the oils lubricate properly.

The USAF sends out an RFP to contractors to see which one of them best meet the AF's needs, and whoever's has the best value. RFP comes back, and when all said and done, JROC approves...production...sustainability

Same with BMW...they find an oil that is good enough, contracts with Castrol, they approve, BMW approves, signs dotted line, and slaps on Castrol's logo on the freaking oil cap. Think that's a coincidence? In the end, who makes money? Castrol! because BMW says you should use their oil. We all read our OM's right?

IMO, i think it's BS that manufacturers actually went out and test. What they probably did was find who can supply 0/5w-30/40, pour it into the engine, check which one meets specs, cost the least, finally calling it "the one we recommend"

Originally Posted by ceb

All the technical hoopla aside, the fanbois of non-approved oil seem to be missing a bit of logical thought.

Personally, I'm not a fanboy, I'm an engineer. As one, it's tremendously difficult to accept one or a few product just because someone says so especially when there are probably better things out there. The things i've learned so far in the acquisition field is that everyone wants the best and everything in a weapon system. Fine, but how attractive is it to the warfighter that this system alone costs 400 billion



BLUF: Look I'm not trying to stir any fire here. I found a product and asked for a review if it exists. Those lectures about LL01, approved/not approved, warranty, engine this, engine that, BMW says this/that, they tested it so it must be this...wasting my time, everyone else's and there's already a shitload of those threads already. Point of this is to create a knowledge base of a working alternative, just like TIRES. Shit man, HOW MANY OF US DITCHED THE RFT'S?! No one's complaining about how it affects the brake disks because they're not BMW approved and they "tested" these RFT's. (some logical thought right here Ceb)

[WingZeroX5]

Originally Posted by TrackRat

As far as Rotella T6 is concerned, no one has LL-01 data on this oil except BMW or Shell and Shell doesn't show it as LL-01 approved so there is no means to know if this oil is appropriate for your BMW engine.

As far as my tires are concerned, I'm running Pirelli PZero Nero and obviously it doesn't have that star of approval, is it appropriate for my wheels?

Originally Posted by TrackRat

...redacted..

It's funny to see people like you to harp and preach about oil, and oil only! But when other things are done, such as using non approved tires which is a COMMON thing to do, there does not exist any, ANY person like you

if u claim to know so much about the certification process, provide some proof

doesn't matter if BMW changes the name Long Life to Forever Young, i prefer to have clean oil, no freaking way i'm waiting for a computer to tell me when my oil should be changed. Last time i did that, that shit's darker than coffee and I went to the dealer to do the change.

You can keep going with LL01 technicalities, but until there's actually hard proof of the certification process, and these oils are substantiated claims that they're better, it means nothing but marketing. Lots of people have used other products , just saying.

There should be a sticky on this part of the forum, subject line LL01 - all you need to know
pretty soon, there's gonna be like LL11 for F30s

[DieselDiner]

WingZero, one factor to take into consideration regarding Rotella is that BMW recommends against using any mid-saps oil (LL04) in a gas engine in the U.S. because of the high sulfur content of our gas. I'm not certain this constraint applies to Rotella, but thought it might be worth your consideration. I'm not even sure if it's a mid-saps oil, but since you mentioned it's a diesel oil, that thought jumped in my mind.

[ceb]

WingZero - when the government puts out a RFP (request for proposal) then it is to specific specifications. This is no different to BMW (or any manufacturer) tests oils to assure that it meets their specification.

As usual, you took my " recommended for" out of context. amSOIL says their oil is "recommended for use in European vehicles" without their oils being tested to or meeting any specifications. That is far different from a manufacturer (like BMW) testing and approving lots of oils and "recommending" one particular manufacturer. You're free to use any of the approved but BMW "recommends" Castrol - probably because Castrol pays for the 710 cap.

If you intend to change approved oils every 5k miles because you believe that it breaks down early, then you'll want to change the Rotella every 3k miles or less because we know that it is inappropriate for your car.

Check back with us in 100k miles and tell us how much extra you've spent doing 3k oil changes with the Rotella and what you paid for the engine overhaul.

[Jbwhiton]

Wing Zero you are quite correct. All of these replies about BMW approved are a big joke. If they were the end all knowledge on this then how come so many cars are having sludge issues under the longer oci's. Not even Turbo models but 328's. I've seen it I'm peoples cars and heard ticks from using BMW approved oils and intervals. Even VW had sludge using approved oil and interval. Anyhow my response is meant to address the oil since that is what is helpful. *cough* trackrat. I have an e46 as well as an e92 and have not had the 335 long enough yet to use rotella but I will. I've used it in my motorcycle, the t6 and in the e46 and yes trackrat it is not impossible to notice a difference in how then engine runs when driven hard. I've used BMW approved oils in the e46 and can feel the engine run rougher after a few thousand miles. Not so with the rotella. Silky smooth all the way up to 7500 miles. Which is my oxide. And I've seen the inside of my engine after 144k so unless you can show me a clean engine trackrat following their recommendations take your nonsense elsewhere. Many tests have shown viscosity can hold up but additives and shear strength cannot for 14k mile oci's. The rotella has the right viscosity, albeit just a hair thicker than the BMW approved oils but way better shear strength and additive pack. So give it a shot. I know I will. Oh and oil temps under hard driving keeping ambient temp similar is a good indicator of performance. With BMW oil the 335 sees higher oil temps by at least 5 degrees. So keep an eye on that. Just my $.02.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by Jbwhiton

Wing Zero you are quite correct. All of these replies about BMW approved are a big joke. If they were the end all knowledge on this then how come so many cars are having sludge issues under the longer oci's. Not even Turbo models but 328's. I've seen it I'm peoples cars and heard ticks from using BMW approved oils and intervals. Even VW had sludge using approved oil and interval. Anyhow my response is meant to address the oil since that is what is helpful. *cough* trackrat. I have an e46 as well as an e92 and have not had the 335 long enough yet to use rotella but I will. I've used it in my motorcycle, the t6 and in the e46 and yes trackrat it is not impossible to notice a difference in how then engine runs when driven hard. I've used BMW approved oils in the e46 and can feel the engine run rougher after a few thousand miles. Not so with the rotella. Silky smooth all the way up to 7500 miles. Which is my oxide. And I've seen the inside of my engine after 144k so unless you can show me a clean engine trackrat following their recommendations take your nonsense elsewhere. Many tests have shown viscosity can hold up but additives and shear strength cannot for 14k mile oci's. The rotella has the right viscosity, albeit just a hair thicker than the BMW approved oils but way better shear strength and additive pack. So give it a shot. I know I will. Oh and oil temps under hard driving keeping ambient temp similar is a good indicator of performance. With BMW oil the 335 sees higher oil temps by at least 5 degrees. So keep an eye on that. Just my $.02.

So when did BMW's start sludging up? Oh wait, they're not. Valve tick is a design problem of the head and not oil related. What is so interesting is that you chose to a non- LL oil over a heavier LLO1 such as Valvoline 5w-40
Btw you can find pics of plenty clean valvetrains which ran LL01. The castrol may have some red varnish but no sludge.

[Chriztofor]

Track, don't waste your time trying to convince anyone to use the correct oil. I don't know how a couple of member experiences using an unapproved oil would convince me to use it. My first bmw was a new e46 and i changed oil every 15,000 miles using the approved oil. No sludge, no problems, and it is still on the road after 190,000 miles. (gave it as a gift to my bro-in-law). There is nothing anyone is going to say to make me use an unapproved oil.

I even recently wrote to royal purple and they replied with utter nonsense. I know people will still use royal purple even after reading that response. So if some members have great experiences with rotella, royal, or whatever, good for them and good luck.

By the way, to the member that complains that Track chimes-in whenever oil is brought up, well la di da, no kidding, this is an enthusiast site. Track is passionate about oil so he writes about it, good for him. You will find enthusiasts throughout this forum. Go to the detailing forum on this site and you will find a member telling you that you are washing your car wrong, go to any section in this forum and you will find enthusiasts that are passionate about a particular topic. This is a good thing and shouldn't be discouraged.

I think I am done talking about oil for a long time.

[avocet]

i have used rotella over the years in my bikes... love the stuff.

will be doing my first oil change out of warranty soon, and fully intend on using it.

[joeveto]

I know this is an older thread, but I'm glad I found it. I just bought a 335, and I just changed the oil, using Mobil 1 0-40 European blend. I had to make a couple trips just to find the oil, and the whole time, I kept looking at my old standby -- Rotella.

I use Rotella in my bikes and all my other cars. I think it's a very solid oil. That being said, with the nature of the 335, and the turbos, I'm concerned. So I went the conservative route, and used the BMW approved oil.

I'm curious if anyone's run a Blackstone on Rotella, post 335 yet...

[EuroNut704]

I've been using Shell Rotella T6 in my 07 E90 335i for about 8months now and I do 5500 OCI and have had zero issues, most of my driving is spirited City/Highway with a bit of stop and go every now and then. Oil temps seem to stay around 210-225 if i put the hammer down.

[ZTUNER]

Think about what makes an diesel approved ? For direct injected motors like most diesels you need an oil that does not lose viscosity with excessive oil illusion and and can withstand a high particulate content . 335i is direct injected and like other DI engines dilutes the engine oil quickly. IMO rotella t6 is a great substitute oil. I have used it in my 335i for about 4 oil changes. I purchased my car at 4800 miles and could not wait for bmw 14 k oil changes so I changed once in the middle of every bmw scheduled oil change. No issues so far.

Harry