SURVEY SURVEY SURVEY....This is a good one so people me stop asking stupid questions!

[BMW4LIFE]

Okay so I have been in the hunt for the best oils for our cars and came upon (what I think is) a cool survey that an E46 site had. The thread starter (ME) would update the results of the survey as more people chimed in with their result/inputs.

I will list the parts of the car and please tell us what Oil/Fluid you use. Hopefully this can be a one stop result page for the next bimmer owner with similar questions and concerns as I had/have.

The following are what I have in my car...

Engine: Mobil1 10W-40 High Mileage

Tranny: Chevron ATF MD-3

Diff: Mobil 1 75W-90 LS Synthetic

Cooling: Zerex G0-5

Brake/clutch: ATE Super Blue

Power Steering: OEM

Windshield Washer: Einszett



COUNT as of post #21:

Engine
Mobile 1 10W-40 High Mileage - 1
Mobile 1 0W-40 - 1
Mobile 1 0W-30 - 1
Mobile 1 5W-40 - 1
Mobile 1 15W-50 - 1
motul 5w-40 - 1
Penrite HPR10 10w50 - 1
Delo Synth 5w40 - 1
Amsoil Signature Series 0w30 - 1
Castrol GTX 5-30 - 1
Castrol GTX 20-50 - 1

Tranny
Dexron III - 2
OEM (have not changed fluid) - 2
Chevron ATF MD-3 - 1
Shell LA-2643 - 1
Red Line ATF - 1
Mobil1 ATF/Lucas Transmission Fix combo - 1

Diff
Mobile 1 75-90 LS Synthetic - 3
Redline 75-90 - 2
Penrite Limslip 85w140 - 1
Amsoil Severe Gear 75w90 - 1

Cooling
BMW Blue - 5
Zerex G0-5 - 1
Prestone (Green) - 1
prestone all-colour - 1
Nulon Longlife - 1

Brake/clutch
ATE Super Blue - 4
Valvoline SynPower DOT4 Synthetic - 1
Other DOT 4 - 1
Nulon - 1
OEM - 1
Castrol - 1

Power Steering
Pentosin CHF 11S - 2
OEM - 2
Mobil 1 ATF - 2
Valvoline Dexron III - 1
Castrol - 1

Windshield
Cheapest Stuff - 3
Rain-X (in summer) - 2
Einszett - 1
Prestone (Bug Off) - 2
Water - 1
Shell - 1

[Rick L]

Engine: Mobil 1 0W-40 (spring, summer, fall) & Mobil 1 0w-30 (winter)

Tranny: Not sure. Let BMW change it @ 70k. I know it's easy but didn't want to crawl under the car and get messy. ;)

Diff: Mobil 1 75W-90 LS Synthetic

Cooling: Prestone (Green - all color compatible stuff)

Brake/clutch: Valvoline SynPower DOT4 Synthetic

Power Steering: Mobil 1 ATF

Windshield Washer: Grab whatever when low. :p But usually bug off stuff from Prestone for summers and low freeze stuff for winters, also Prestone.

My car has 160k miles now and runs just like it did at 60k miles. :)

[BMW4LIFE]

Thanks for the input rick!

Come on guys...67 looks and 1 input...this is a survey that all personal can benefit from...

:);)

[bubba966]

For my '95 540iA M-Sport it's as so

Engine: Delo Synth 5w40, will go back to Amsoil Signature Series 0w30 on next change

Tranny: Shell LA-2643

Diff: RP or RL, forget which the PO installed, Amsoil Severe Gear 75w90 to be put in at some point

Cooling: BMW Blue

Brake/clutch: ATE Super Blue

Power Steering: Pentosin CHF 11S

Windshield Washer: Rain-X as it works best with my PIAA Silicone blades

[tim eh?]

I would like to contribute but I don't know all of them. I think you should retire the power steering category b/c some use atf and others use something completely different and they are not interchangeable.

engine: motul 5w-40
coolant: prestone all-colour
brake: some kind of dot4
windshield fluid: cheapest at cantire - depends on the season ... I add rainX in the summer

[BMW4LIFE]

I would like to contribute but I don't know all of them. I think you should retire the power steering category b/c some use atf and others use something completely different and they are not interchangeable.

I thought about that as well but it was on the other forum so I decided to keep it on this one just in case someone ever wondered...

I would still love to hear what the E34 community have in their cars...its just a waiting game I guess! ;):p

[ArnZ!]

Engine: Penrite HPR10 10w50

Tranny: Dexron 3 dont know the brand

Diff: Penrite Limslip 85w140

Cooling: Nulon Longlife

Brake/clutch: Nulon of some sort

Power Steering: Dexron 3 Valvoline

Windshield Washer: Water

[Bo525i]

For my '95 530iA:

Engine: Mobile1 Rally 5-50 next Mobile1 5-40

Tranny: DexIII

Diff: Dunno :(

Cooling: BMW Blue

Brake/clutch: Factory

Power Steering: Pentosin CHF 11S

Windshield Washer: Shell

[BMW4LIFE]

Bump

=)

[leicesterboy15]

For my 540iA on 155k I used Mobil 1 15w-50 fully syn on the last service. Now it needs another one I am on the hunt again but found 15w50 Mobil 1 fully syn to be more than double the price of the same oil in 10w40 and 0w40, is it worth the extra?

[BMW4LIFE]

For my 540iA on 155k I used Mobil 1 15w-50 fully syn on the last service. Now it needs another one I am on the hunt again but found 15w50 Mobil 1 fully syn to be more than double the price of the same oil in 10w40 and 0w40, is it worth the extra?

Not sure...it depends on the temperature of your current environment...If the 15W-50 is a better candidate then I would go for it (being that you change the oil every 5k or so anyways) but if not I use 10W-40 and have no issues...then again I don't experience any season but spring where I live! =)

Not sure if you have Autozone in the UK but this seems like a reasonable price to me

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/accessories/accessoriesShelf.jsp?brandNValue=&categoryDisplayName=Oil%2C+Fluid%2C+Lubrication+an d+Tools&fromString=search&sortType=&parentId=1312-10&appQuestionId=4294814230&filterByKeyWord=Mobil&currentPage=1&categoryNValue=101312&navValue=102050&fromWhere=Brand&itemId=2050-10&displayName=Engine+Oil&pageNumber=1&ansQListString=&nysQFromType=nysQuestions

[BMW4LIFE]

p.s. that would be great if anyone could add to this survey! :D

thanks

[bubba966]

Would also be good if you added everyones answers into your first post. I know you didn't bother adding my list to your summary post...

[BMW4LIFE]

Would also be good if you added everyones answers into your first post. I know you didn't bother adding my list to your summary post...

:(

Okay I feel like dog poop now!!!

Bubba I'm totally sorry buddy...I must have totally skipped it over on accident!!!

hahaha

I will get on that RIGHT NOW!!! :D


My apologies! :)

[bubba966]

No biggie on my end. Just figured it'd be more helpful if the summary actually had everyones info in it is all...

[BMW4LIFE]

No biggie on my end. Just figured it'd be more helpful if the summary actually had everyones info in it is all...

Just updated...

:)

[shadowpuck]

can we do multiple cars? :)

525

Engine: Castrol GTX 5-30

Tranny: Original '93 Factory Fill (yes, I want failure so no worries)

Diff: Redline 75-90 (I think)

Cooling: BMW Blue/Distilled Water

Brake/clutch: Castrol

Power Steering: Castrol

Windshield Washer: Ummm, cheap stuff?

325 (track duty)

Engine: Castrol GTX 20-50

Tranny: Red Line ATF

Diff: Redline 75-90

Cooling: BMW Blue/Distilled Water

Brake/clutch: ATE Super Blue

Power Steering: OEM

Windshield Washer: Yup, cheap stuff

[BMW4LIFE]

Thanks for the update shadowpuck:)

[632 Regal]

i would not recommend shell fire & ice motor oil.

[BMW4LIFE]

i would not recommend shell fire & ice motor oil.

I know there is a joke in there somewhere but it may need to be elaborated :D

[philbyil]

The following are what I have in my 1995 525i 5spd :

Engine: Mobil1 15w50 Silver Top/Red Label

Manual Tranny: Mobil1 ATF/Lucas Transmission Fix combo.

Diff: Mobil 1 75W-90 LS Synthetic

Cooling: BMW Coolant

Brake/clutch: ATE Super Blue/Typ 200 (alternate changes)

Power Steering: Mobil1 Synthetic ATF

Windshield Washer: Any "Bug off" stuff, usually Prestone :) !