LiquiMoly does not recommend W40 in the N55

[carcar123454321]

I contacted LiquiMoly and they said they do not recommend any W40 weight oils for the N55 (at least not my 2011 135i) because BMW only specs W30. I put in 5w40 LiquiMoly last change but wondering if I should have stuck with 5w30.

They recommend Special Tec B FE SAE 0W-30 and Special Tec B FE SAE 5W-30 (if engine is older).

Thoughts? I know the oil debate goes on infinitum, but was interested to see what LM would say.

[amg6975]

LiquiMoly is also likely to be thicker than an actual xW40. All their oils are way thicker than they should be. I've personally sworn off LiquiMoly since their products are all over the place. Castrol 5W40 is my go-to general purpose oil.

[carcar123454321]

Thanks. Castrol Edge? Do yo know who makes the BMW oil brand?

[amg6975]

Used to be Castrol, then they switched completely to Shell, and now it's a mix-match of Castrol and Shell depending on the weight.

[Devin_rsv4]

The LM 5W-40 oil I'm using is recommended and meets/exceeds BMW LL-01 specifications.

I'm curious why they would mention they don't recommend it then?

[carcar123454321]

I'm pretty new to the BMW world (had a Subie and a Solstice GXP), but apparently they say 5W30 is what they recommend, not 5W40. I know some think the N55 won't get lubricated properly if the oil is too "thick" but who knows. I just know that was the response from LM when I messaged them.

[TWO STEP TEX]

Tighter tolerances require thinner oil. As an engine wears and parts wear, a thicker oil may be needed to provide adequate lubrication. I don't see why their 5W oil would be thicker seeing as it's 5W oil.

[MrKevinRosales]

I've always wondered why so many people push 5w-40 since all the documentation for these cars calls for 5w-30.
I understand the need in performance applications, but for regular every day driving?

[PRTSB1M]

Originally Posted by carcar123454321

I contacted LiquiMoly and they said they do not recommend any W40 weight oils for the N55 (at least not my 2011 135i) because BMW only specs W30. I put in 5w40 LiquiMoly last change but wondering if I should have stuck with 5w30.

They recommend Special Tec B FE SAE 0W-30 and Special Tec B FE SAE 5W-30 (if engine is older).

Thoughts? I know the oil debate goes on infinitum, but was interested to see what LM would say.

Instead of doing your own research, you called and spoke to the company who likes to sell oil... logic may not be your strong suit. PS, if you go to the dealership and get oil for your N55 today, I bet it will be 0W-40.

[carcar123454321]

Calling LM was just one of many steps (reading articles, multiple posts, etc).

I was just curious for a given company (Liqui Moly), what they suggested when so many people use Liqui Moly 0-40 or 5-40. And they suggested 5w30. It's not about them selling more oil, it's just about saying if you do buy their oil, they aren't recommending the 40 weights in this case.

[tracer bullet]

Well, I have 7 quarts of 0W40 Liquimoly ready to go into my N55 X3. It's LL-01, so I'm good. It is indeed interesting that they have a different recommendation.

[PRTSB1M]

Originally Posted by carcar123454321

Calling LM was just one of many steps (reading articles, multiple posts, etc).

I was just curious for a given company (Liqui Moly), what they suggested when so many people use Liqui Moly 0-40 or 5-40. And they suggested 5w30. It's not about them selling more oil, it's just about saying if you do buy their oil, they aren't recommending the 40 weights in this case.

So you're telling me they might not have more 5w30 on hand since everyone is using the w40 these days... and not seeing if you'll help get rid of some of it?

[amg6975]

Originally Posted by TWO STEP TEX

Tighter tolerances require thinner oil. As an engine wears and parts wear, a thicker oil may be needed to provide adequate lubrication. I don't see why their 5W oil would be thicker seeing as it's 5W oil.

Nothing inside an engine wears enough to even measure with normal tools. There is absolutely no reason to change oil viscosity or anything else as an engine racks up mileage.

Every manufacturer's oil is different even if they're the same viscosity rating. You can look it up in the datasheets.