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Oil shmoil
This is an interesting read but call me sceptical.
I find it very hard to believe that anyone could change from one high quality oil to another brand of high quality oil and tell any difference in "feel" or sound of the engine. No disrespect intended.
I'm wondering about this sulfur business. (?) How is the sulfur content of the oil or the fuel related to engine wear or engine performance? Someone please explain. My understanding is that the reason for reducing the sulfur content is to protect the environment i.e. sulfur compounds in the exhaust which cause smog formation. Are the oil recommendations in relation to sulfur based on any technical difference that the car will notice? Is there some connection to performance of the pollution controls, catalytic converter, oxygen sensor?
As another poster above quoted :
(For non-racers, other than anecdotal statements, can anyone really prove that any modern, major brand of synthetic oil is better than another? Hopefully BMW has done this analysis to prove that their oil is "at least as good as any other". When is the last time anyone has had an internal engine failure that can be traced to using an "inferior" oil - I would guess never?)
I'm pretty sure it's a fact that the car manufacturers request payments from the oil companies in order to "approve" their oils. If an oil company does not want to pay, their oil gets delisted. That doesn't mean the oil is no good anymore.
My own thinking is that these long life and high mileage oil change intervals are very debateable although it is true that fewer changes would be better for the environment. But engines that run a long time and stay in service for many years are also good for the environment, eh?
My 135i gets driven only 3,000 km per year in warm weather and does not get raced. I change the oil once per year with high quality synthetic oil but I don't think I need LL oil at all. I admit there's a lot I don't understand here!
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