What kind of oil should i put in my 1990 535i M30 Engine?

[oleh]

What kind of oil should i put in my 1990 535i M30 Engine, I want to have a good oil pressure, when i put 5W 30 the oil pressure light kept on coming on when the engine heat was at half.

[632 Regal]

synthetic mobil 1 0w-40 if you can find it is the top choice of most people here.

[oleh]

synthetic mobil 1 0w-40 if you can find it is the top choice of most people here.

I tryed looking for that one for some reason i cant find any here in canada seems to be rare

[Russell]

a synthetic 5-40 is also a good choice. There are several brands in the US . Not sure about Canada. I am currently using Castrol Syntec 5w50. No issues.

[632 Regal]

I had to mix a few of the 5w-50 with the M1 last change. Just looked for more and now thats not anywhere lol...what a conspiracy. Sorta have a 2.5w-45 goin on.


a synthetic 5-40 is also a good choice. There are several brands in the US . Not sure about Canada. I am currently using Castrol Syntec 5w50. No issues.

[we_call_him_doher]

I guess I'm one of the few people using good ole non-synthetic Castrol 20W-50

[Adnan]

I guess I'm one of the few people using good ole non-synthetic Castrol 20W-50

Me too. Oil and filter change every 3000 miles.

Adnan

[Paul in NZ]

low visc synthetic gives much better protection at start where just about all your engine wear occurs

[BillionPa]

Redline 5W40

however if you are getting an oil pressure light, you have some serious engine problems that need to be addressed..... or the oil pressure sensor died.

[Robert K]

When I bought my 1991 535i about 7 years ago, I called the dealership and asked them what oil they would put in it if I brought it in for an oil change. They said BMW 20W-50. Then he proceeded to tell me that Castrol packaged the BMW oil. So, I've put Castrol GTX 20W-50 in my engine ever since. I started with 67,000 miles and now have 147,000. I've had no problems at all. Frankly, I think full synthetic is overkill and a waste of money for standard engines. I mean, the BMW engineers think it's okay for the oil service light to come on up to 9-10,000 miles between changes WITH standard oil. How many people do you know who change their non-synthetic oil every 3-4,000 miles and have had oil related problems? I don't know of anyone personally. A person would probably be better to stick with regular oil and use the savings to buy a pressure luber that builds oil pressure in the engine before allowing the engine starter to engage. Who knows, your engine might last forever.

Grace and peace,

Robert K
1991 535i

[winfred]

i like a thicker oil on the m20/30 motors, i ran castroil gtx 20w50 in my 535 and till the last change in my 325 (45k miles in the 535 and 80k miles in the 325 on castroil), but i decided to try the delo 400 15w40 i run in the diesel and it probably cut the valve train noise by a good 30%, the weight difference is not enough to account for the sound, besides 10wxx usually makes them noisy in our heat, i suspect it's the difference in the standards that the delo is rated for, like compression ignition engines where castroil is only rated for spark ignition

[M20Turbo]

I have been using Redline 15-50 with the addition of the turbo.

[Derek A.]

mobil 1 15w50 changed 5,000-6,000 miles. I concur with Winfred - older motors like the thicker oil.

[KenB]

mobil 1 15w50 changed 5,000-6,000 miles. I concur with Winfred - older motors like the thicker oil.

ditto

[rreimund]

Crap.. I just bought Castrol GTX 10w40 because I went by the little chart in the manual.. For once I RTFM, and turns out this time it's wrong. I've got 133k miles and it's the first oil change I'm doing on it. Unfortunately my local walmart doesn't have the GTX in anything higher than 10W40

:( I'm in NY btw, and it's very likely that this oil will last me through the winter (I don't get out much.. I take the train to work)


Oh yeah.. and sorry for resurrecting this from the dead. It just happens to be timely for me because I was planning on changing my oil this weekend (assuming that the filters I ordered came in).. :D


BTW.. The Castrol GTX is full dino.. At the moment I can't justify the added expense of running Mobil 1. BTW.. anyone think it's a bad idea to run 5w30 in the non-synth Castrol GTX? I'm putting 5w30 in my wife's 18k mile truck. If I can run the same oil in both it would really simplify my life. :D

[Robert K]

When I bought my 1991 535i used years ago, I called the dealership that serviced it to ask them what they put in it. He said BMW 20W-50. I asked him who made their branded oil and he said Castrol. Been using Castrol GTX 20W-50 since day one and have had no problems. I know that synthetic is better, but how many can claim to have had an oil-related engine problem using standard oil??? Not many! So what's to point of paying 2-4 times as much for a liquid that is overkill for the job? If you race your car all the time, run at high revs all the time, or just live in a very hot or cold climate, synthetic might be worth it. But in my opinion, a standard oil that's proper for you climate will be just fine.

Grace and peace,

Robert K
1991 535i

[rreimund]

Yeah, I'm with you on the synthetic versus dino argument.. I'm just having more trouble with the weight issue..
I saw your post in another thread I think indicating a heavier weight (20w50) but then I see tons of other people saying that they use 5w30 across the seasons.. :D

[J.DeFeo]

I use Royal Purple Synthetic 10w40. Replace every 5000 miles (though I haven't had my car for that long). It's pretty cheap and it's good stuff.

[fkong777]

Lubro Moly all the way. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[John B.]

I ran 5/30 Mobil 1 for a year or so with no oil pressure problems & currently run 0/40 Mobil 1. My engine isn't noisy & I wouldn't want 20/50 in there when the temps start dropping this fall. Your oil pressure light shouldn't be coming on just because you used 5/30. As for oil changes I dump it every 5K which for me is about once a year.

[pundit]

Where do you live?
Fill in your PROFILE!!!

Here in Australia I use Mobil 1 5W-50 in my M30.
I'm not sure if it's available in other countries or not.
I wouldn't use it it later higher-tech engines but I think it suits the older M30's with a few miles on them just fine.

[Dash01]

If your oil pressure light is coming on:

1. Take the sender out and wipe it off, then put it back on. See if that helps.

2. Replace the sender for ~$6 at BMA. See if that helps.

3. Try thicker oil.

Cheaper oil makes more frequent oil changes affordable, whereas synthetic oil is an expensive habit, so you'll be tempted to let it slide. If you bring them the filter, WalMart will change your oil for ~$13, viscousity of your choice, ifn you don't wanna get messy. If your oil is low but needs changing, add a quart of auto transmission fluid to top it off and run that way for a few days. The tranny fluid will flush alot of crud out of the engine, but don't run it long that way cuz you don't want that crud in suspension for very long.

[diamond777]

transmission fluid i am pretty sure is for the transmission.just a thought:p

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

but recently swiched to Astrolube.

[aston_jag_tech]

20w50

[DABIMR]

20w50
That's what I use Castrol GTX 20W50, in the green plastic bottles..:)

[Paul in NZ]

well i must be the odd one out.The bmw dealer here would put in castrol 5w 30 synthetic,so thats what i use.It doesnt get too cold here or too hot.I like the light weight at start up,thats when all the engine wear occurs.I run the oil for the full service interval,and always change the filter.

[BillionPa]

..... thicker oil lowers oil pressure.

[winfred]

if you say so


..... thicker oil lowers oil pressure.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

must have slept during that class

[Gayle]

OK. I am reading the last two posts to be tongue in check. Never took hydrodynamics 101 cause the clueless don't take that class.

I would swear my indy told me that they were not keen on synthetic because they think e34s have a hard time getting sufficient oil pressure. They have me running dino 20-50.

Is there a relationship between oil thickness and oil pressure? Please spell it out for me and my peeps.



.

[ILoveMPower]

My indy told me to run dino as well, and specifically NOT to run synthetic.

Running 10-50 I believe right now...

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

is the key...take the 20w50 (multi grade) works pretty much the same if dino, or syn.

cold it's 20w-light and flows quick at startup, as it warms up it thickens to 50w-heavy protecting the motor as it runs under load.

[BillionPa]

let me re-explain my comment.

but first 2 important pieces of info:
Viscosity is the RESISTANCE to flow, the higher the viscosity (C) the lower the volume of flow (V)

the flow of fluid through a tube is proportional to the difference in pressure at the ends of the tube, and inversely proportional to the viscosity of the fluid.

that said, in the engine, higher pump pressure due to higher viscosity oil doesnt always mean higher pressure on the other end, because the fluid is FLOWING less. SAE grade numbers were originally the amount of time in seconds it took a specific volume of oil to go through the engine. they arent the actual viscosity of the oil anymore, they are viscosity ranges.

but not just ranges, there are other specifications that must be met for it to have an SAE grade. the important one is film strength. thats how hard it is to get the oil off the engine parts. higher SAE grades have higher film strength requirements to make the grade, 50wt is higher than 40wt, but 40wt is the SAME as 30wt....

high film strength is good, but it doesnt do much good if the oil isnt flowing to where it needs to be in the engine.

what does this mean for you? 50wt will be recommended as an engine weight for the sole purpose of having higher film strength. there is no other reason to have it, it does NOT flow through your engine better, and smaller tubes will have even less oil going through them. there is an SAE grade of 40HD, which means it has a flow rate of 40wt oil, but a film strengh of 50wt oil. this is much preferred, as you get a 20% increase in oil flow with the same metal protection as 50wt.

well, hell yes! thats what we want! but wait, theres more!

group 5 synthetic oils have even HIGHER film strength at the same viscosity range. 30wt Group V oils generally fulfill the 50wt/40HD requirement, but flow significantly more. this means less fluid friction in the engine, less stress on the pump, more power from the engine to the transmission, better gas mileage... etc.

what is the downside to this much better oil? well..... it flows more. on older engines with seal issues, synthetic can cause leaks. a lot of "sythetic made my car leak!" stories are based on a drop in the viscosity of the oil. they can also be in regards to the detergent power and seal "shrink" from group IV synthetic oils like mobil-1. group V oils do not cause seal shrinkage.

when one switches to group 5 lower viscosity oil, there is leaking that slows as the seals enlarge, until it stops. switching to group 4 can cause a leak however that gets worse over time. group 4 oil makers add seal conditioners to help prevent it, but its not fully effective if the new oil has lower viscosity.

i think its about time to shut the hell up, im wondering if anyone even read the whole post. the conclusion is that our engines want HIGHER film strength and HIGH flow rate. the optimal SAE grade for an engine at "normal" operating temps is 30wt, however most of the E34 V8 engines have higher operating temps to address nikasil problems and because of the design of the engine.

turbo cars also use the oil to cool the turbo, and its hotter, so they need higher grade oil, which will have similar viscosity at higher temps... in general.

so dont just buy heavy oil because its "supposed" to be better for your engine, because that is not always the case. go for the lowest viscosity oil that meets the SAE 50wt film strength requirement, but be aware of seal leaks if you buy group 4.

be aware that iits like, 2am and im tiread as ****!

[wjbell]

IIRC, a couple different reputable shops here in Sacramento told me not to run Synthetic. I can't remember the reasons though.

[Thayne]

I guess I'm one of the few people using good ole non-synthetic Castrol 20W-50

Thats what I use.

[Thayne]

IIRC, a couple different reputable shops here in Sacramento told me not to run Synthetic. I can't remember the reasons though.

You're in Sacramento? :D

[wjbell]

You're in Sacramento? :D

Yeah. Around the Foothill Farms/Carmichael area.

[ryan roopnarine]

i run the shell aero w100 ashless aviation oil that they sell at advance autoparts for the rednecks with airplanes around here 'cause it makes absolutely no sense--and that is what these oil threads on this board are all about. where's the australian, anyway?

[Gayle]

i think its about time to shut the hell up, im wondering if anyone even read the whole post.

I read the whole post and appreciate the effort you took to explain. Thanks.

[Jehu]

let me re-explain my comment.

but first 2 important pieces of info:
Viscosity is the RESISTANCE to flow, the higher the viscosity (C) the lower the volume of flow (V)

the flow of fluid through a tube is proportional to the difference in pressure at the ends of the tube, and inversely proportional to the viscosity of the fluid.

that said, in the engine, higher pump pressure due to higher viscosity oil doesnt always mean higher pressure on the other end, because the fluid is FLOWING less. SAE grade numbers were originally the amount of time in seconds it took a specific volume of oil to go through the engine. they arent the actual viscosity of the oil anymore, they are viscosity ranges.

but not just ranges, there are other specifications that must be met for it to have an SAE grade. the important one is film strength. thats how hard it is to get the oil off the engine parts. higher SAE grades have higher film strength requirements to make the grade, 50wt is higher than 40wt, but 40wt is the SAME as 30wt....

high film strength is good, but it doesnt do much good if the oil isnt flowing to where it needs to be in the engine.

what does this mean for you? 50wt will be recommended as an engine weight for the sole purpose of having higher film strength. there is no other reason to have it, it does NOT flow through your engine better, and smaller tubes will have even less oil going through them. there is an SAE grade of 40HD, which means it has a flow rate of 40wt oil, but a film strengh of 50wt oil. this is much preferred, as you get a 20% increase in oil flow with the same metal protection as 50wt.

well, hell yes! thats what we want! but wait, theres more!

group 5 synthetic oils have even HIGHER film strength at the same viscosity range. 30wt Group V oils generally fulfill the 50wt/40HD requirement, but flow significantly more. this means less fluid friction in the engine, less stress on the pump, more power from the engine to the transmission, better gas mileage... etc.

what is the downside to this much better oil? well..... it flows more. on older engines with seal issues, synthetic can cause leaks. a lot of "sythetic made my car leak!" stories are based on a drop in the viscosity of the oil. they can also be in regards to the detergent power and seal "shrink" from group IV synthetic oils like mobil-1. group V oils do not cause seal shrinkage.

when one switches to group 5 lower viscosity oil, there is leaking that slows as the seals enlarge, until it stops. switching to group 4 can cause a leak however that gets worse over time. group 4 oil makers add seal conditioners to help prevent it, but its not fully effective if the new oil has lower viscosity.

i think its about time to shut the hell up, im wondering if anyone even read the whole post. the conclusion is that our engines want HIGHER film strength and HIGH flow rate. the optimal SAE grade for an engine at "normal" operating temps is 30wt, however most of the E34 V8 engines have higher operating temps to address nikasil problems and because of the design of the engine.

turbo cars also use the oil to cool the turbo, and its hotter, so they need higher grade oil, which will have similar viscosity at higher temps... in general.

so dont just buy heavy oil because its "supposed" to be better for your engine, because that is not always the case. go for the lowest viscosity oil that meets the SAE 50wt film strength requirement, but be aware of seal leaks if you buy group 4.

be aware that iits like, 2am and im tiread as ****!

I recently had Mobil 1 5w30 put in my M60. I have yet to see any leaks but did have the valve seals replaced just before getting the car in April.Is there a type of oil better sutied for the M60?Who makes group V f this Mobil 1 is group IV?

[Chip]

My indy told me to run dino as well, and specifically NOT to run synthetic.

Running 10-50 I believe right now...

MY indy told me to run synthetic:D -
I have been using mobile 1 15-50, but now they only make that in the higher dollar EP (for extended performance- or 15k btw changes) no real reason to run the syn and he told me to change to dino if it leaks
I haven't had any leaks, but will probably switch to castrol 5-50 syn instead of pay $6+/qt for the ep stuff
I'm sure that there are cons/pros to either type and/or weight, but as long as the stuff gets replaced with some frequency and there are no leaks- then wtf

[BillionPa]

the M60 engines with nikasil blocks should have been modified at the dealer at some point to run at a higher temp, and the new thermostats should be 90C.

M1 and Amsoil are the "higher" end Group IV oils and have added conditioners to help offset seal shrink. Using synthetic over the life of the engine pretty much prevents any sort of seal damage from occuring in the first place, unless you run the oil for too long an interval and the acid content builds up.

EP oils have more calcium to run longer, and sometimes other additives. calcium adds to the TBN of the oil, which is its acid reduction capability.

Group V oils are called ester oils, the easiest to get would be Redline 5W30

Redline also has lots of moly in it, which is a friction reducer and EP/AW additive. moly = good.

upon looking at VOAs of M1 oils, i would not recommend their 5W30 for anything over 3000 miles, it doenst have much for anti wear additives, and has pretty weak calcium content. on the flip side, having too many anti wear additives is bad for catalytic converters (if the car burns oil), so its ok to run it. M1 5W30 has the lowest level of anti wear additives on my list, 2nd to last is BMW 5W30.

for the M60, my presonal recommendations are Lubro-Moly Voll-Synthase 0W40HD with added molybdenum disulfide, or Redline 5W30. other good choices are Caterpillar DEO 5W40, Mutol 300V 5W40 or Amsoil AME 15W40, which is VERY thin for its viscosity range (thinner than Redline 5W40 both hot AND cold, if that makes any sense). the Amsoil AME oil looks to be able to run for 10,000 miles or more, with a filter change in the middle. the Mutol oil is also rather thin for a 40wt and has a low flash point, but a robust additive package. I would be concerned running the Mutol where it gets rather hot (.au anyone?)

[Jehu]

Thanks.Bavarian Auto is an hour away and i think they stock Redline.I've never seen at other autoparts stores.

[ryan roopnarine]

why would anyone possibly buy redline motoroil anymore with the new pennzoil platinum being sold for so cheap (except for maybe race cars)? its closer to a group V oil than mobil 1, et cetera, are going to get anytime soon, and stores are just giving the shiite away because it has no brand recognition. home depot priced it at like $2.6x, walmart has it for just under $4 each, and they have 5 qt. jugs of it for 18.xx or under, just like mobil1 used to be.

[ryan roopnarine]

can i do the honors of summing this crap up for everybody?


(all of this is IIRC)
winfred's shop (in humid, hot louisiana) will sell you
10w40 for an m50 or m60 (multivalve)
20w50 for an m20 or m30 (2 valve)
20w50 for an m70

bill will recommend/sell you (in hot, dry arizona)
0w40 (mobil 1) for m20, m30, m50, m60
0w50 (") if you can get it

significant number of USians on board who use syns use mobil 1 0w40, mobil 1 15w50, mobil 1 5w30 in that order.

significant number of USians on board who use dino use:
20w50 for m30
10w40, 20w50, 5w30 in that order for m50
'' m20
'' m60

manual says (for SG, 1989 technology oils)-DINO
approx 5w30 for max 60 deg F ambient temps
approx 10w40 for between 60-80 F ambient temps
approx 20w50, SAE40, SAE 50 for 80+ F ambient temps

[BillionPa]

actually Pennzoil Platinum is group 3 hydrocracked basestock with a sythetic additive package, pretty much the same as Castrol Syntec (not the 0W30 kind). that is why its so cheap.

that doesnt mean its bad, but it does mean it has a higher pour point, and where i live, thats the difference between my car starting and not. since it is still dino based, it has higher volatility and a lower flash point than G4/5 oils.

if any of you do get PzP oil, do NOT get the 10W30 variety, as it is quite the inferior lubricant to the 5W30 and 5W40 blends... and also the 5W30 is rather thin in hotter engines.

PzP also has a VERY light additive package so it it NOT suited for use in modded/forced induction engines, or any sort of extended drain intervals. it has about half as much calcium as M1 EP, so 2500 miles would be the preferred interval.

[ryan roopnarine]

there you have it, folks.
i just got my ass kicked by the harvard law school swat team.
lets just ignore the fact that PP routinely shows better wear than mobil 1, negating the fact that it doesn't really matter HOW someone gets there, so long as they get there. it doesn't get cold enough where he lives to matter, but i'll just ignore the fact that in saskatchewan (much colder than where the gentleman lives) we used 1991-1995 grade pennzoil pureshit 10w40s and 20w50s in vehicles not even designed for it and had no oil related issues that prevented cars from starting. everybody who doesn't know any better please follow the gentleman's recommendation of 1962 chevron supreme, now with high tungsten, plus one USDA Grade A dragon's testicle mixed in per six quarts of crankcase capacity.

[ryan roopnarine]

ill PS by saying that where i lived wasn't one of the places where you would have to drain your engine oil and bring it into the place you were going to sleep that night, but the last year i was there, it was pretty frigging cold.

[winfred]

what i've been using in my personal cars lately, i decided to try the delo 15w40 that my cummins wants in my 205k mile abused m20 in place of the castroil gtx 20w50 that it's been fed for the last 85k miles, it cut the typical old m20 valve train noise by almost half imho, you know the noise that bounces back when you cross a bridge or pass another car, that's the stuff, i don't think the weight is different enough for the drastic reduction in rattle, besides i find thin oil usually makes them louder i suspect the delo is just better, i buy it by the 6 gallon case (truck takes 3 gallons) at sams for $7-8 a gallon $8.88 at wally world per gallon last time i looked


can i do the honors of summing this crap up for everybody?


(all of this is IIRC)
winfred's shop (in humid, hot louisiana) will sell you
10w40 for an m50 or m60 (multivalve)
20w50 for an m20 or m30 (2 valve)
20w50 for an m70

[Bill R.]

all this oil B.S. posted here by people who have never even seen a main bearing up close or a crankshaft for that matter that i'm not going to post on this subject anymore. I don't sell my customers anything, i ask them what oil they use , or if they have a preference.







can i do the honors of summing this crap up for everybody?


(all of this is IIRC)
winfred's shop (in humid, hot louisiana) will sell you
10w40 for an m50 or m60 (multivalve)
20w50 for an m20 or m30 (2 valve)
20w50 for an m70

bill will recommend/sell you (in hot, dry arizona)
0w40 (mobil 1) for m20, m30, m50, m60
0w50 (") if you can get it

significant number of USians on board who use syns use mobil 1 0w40, mobil 1 15w50, mobil 1 5w30 in that order.

significant number of USians on board who use dino use:
20w50 for m30
10w40, 20w50, 5w30 in that order for m50
'' m20
'' m60

manual says (for SG, 1989 technology oils)-DINO
approx 5w30 for max 60 deg F ambient temps
approx 10w40 for between 60-80 F ambient temps
approx 20w50, SAE40, SAE 50 for 80+ F ambient temps

[winfred]

yea this is sorta like bosch platinums and what coolent do you use


all this oil B.S. posted here by people who have never even seen a main bearing up close or a crankshaft for that matter that i'm not going to post on this subject anymore. I don't sell my customers anything, i ask them what oil they use , or if they have a preference.