Quote:
Originally Posted by Dackelone
Yes, the US market(LL1) has high amount of sulfur in the fuel. In Europe(LL4) the have little to no sulfur in the fuel. Hence the two Long Life ratings.
I dug up some (old)PDF's on BMW approved oils... I've attached them bellow. Its been a long time since these pdf's have been released... so take them with a grain of salt.
Getting back to US vs EU oils/fuels... I don't know where I read it... but I am fairly sure that a LL4 rated oil(low sulfur for the EU market) meets/exceeds LL1 specs. And that is why you can use a LL4 rated oil for the US market. Again, I am fairly sure on that, but not 100% sure.
The best thing is to change your oil often. At least twice a year regardless of mileage. IF you don't drive that many miles in a year... it is even more important to change your oil. All those short drives and fuel getting into your oil does an engine no good. The BEST oil is FRESH oil! 
Btw... BMW has said in the past that any viscosity oil with a LL(rating for your countries fuel type) can be used. Any 0w40, 0w30, 5w30 or 5w40 oils.
Dack |
I'm changing my oil (128i) yearly. Try not to use the car for very short runs like going to the supermarket and I only put about 5,000 / year on the car.
Do I need to consider more frequent changes??? FWIW while under wtty BMW would only change it annually if mileage was low. (I know BMW isn't terribly concerned about my N52 lasting very long after the wtty expired)