M Twin Power Turbo 0W-40

[nachob]

I posted this on the M2 forum but should've done it here since I have a 1M!

I have been looking to move to a 40 weight oil and doing research. I was about to go to Motul but during the research I found that the F80 M3/M4 uses a new Shell formulation of 0W-40. It is called M Twin Power Turbo 0W-40.

While researching it, I found that it is BMW LL-01 just like our 5W-30 oil and has all the same ACEA certifications etc. Finally after several attempts, I found that it is listed on a BMW website as approved for all BMW M Turbo cars including the 1M. So if you are one of those that cares about approvals and certifications this one is blessed by BMW. Below is screenshot of 1M manual saying 0W-40 is approved and the screenshot of the BMW website that shows it as an option for 1M and the other M turbo cars.

Also, for those that change your own oil or don't have access to BMW oil, I called Shell Oil and spoke to someone there and they told me that this oil is sold in the USA under the Pennzoil Platinum Euro brand. He said the 0W-40 is the same as the BMW oil. I as also interested in their 5W-40 since the 1M has a 5W-30 oil and didn't want to go thinner on the cold side and he said that is the exact same oil Ferrari dealerships sell in Ferrari bottles. The 5W-40 is also LL-01 and fine for our cars. I bought some for my ZHP and it actually has the Ferrari logo on the bottle.

Update: June 4, 2017
I was at my local BMW parts counter and I saw this chart that the dealer gets. Notice it now actually shows the Pennzoil logo, as I mentioned, Shell is sold in the US as Pennzoil Platinum Euro. Notice also that the 5W-30 oil that the dealer would put in our cars today only has 2 dots of wear protection and temperature stability whereas the new Twin Turbo 0W-40 has 4 dots for wear protection and 3for temperature stability.

They now put 0w-30 in the M cars which have similar ratings per Pennzoil/Shell/BMW but if you drive your 1M into the dealer they will put 5W-30 because that is what it came with. It is probably fine but according to them, the new stuff is better. I recently switched to the M Twin Turbo 0W-40 but had to request it!

The reason I put the screen capture showing it is certified for 1M from BMW Eruope sight is because US dealers don' know anything about the 0W-40 oil.

You can see in the chart is the oil for maximum performance and certified for our cars but you have to specify it!!

[Jet Mech]

Thanks for the info., I will use that for my next oil change.

[CarJunkie]

I am also leery of 0 weight oils. I may try the 5w40.

[mtl88]

Nachob, what are your thoughts on Castrol Edge 0w-40? It meets the BMW Longlife-01.

Amazon and Walmart sell the 5 quart jug for $22.97.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by mtl88

Nachob, what are your thoughts on Castrol Edge 0w-40? It meets the BMW Longlife-01.

Amazon and Walmart sell the 5 quart jug for $22.97.

It is fine in my opinion. It meets all the requirements and I have been using Castrol edge 5w-40 in my gti and zhp for years but this new SHELL stuff is supposedly different. It is made from a natural gas base which is supposed to have less impurities than Dino oil base stock. I would not hesitate to use the Edge 0w-40 though I would still prefer 5w-40 here in SOCAL. If you live somewhere cold then 0W is probably better. The two things that interest me me about Shell oils made from natural gas is sludging especially with long life oils . I have seen some sludging in some motors regardless of oil brand but wonder if the new base would be less prone. Secondly, That BMW, Ferrari and Maserrati have gone with Shell as factory fill.

So bottom line, I only drive about 3-6k per year in the 1M so I would only change it once a year and would probably prefer to try the new technology but there is nothing wrong with the edge 0w-40 IMHO.

[mtl88]

Thanks for the reply and explanation. I'm changing my oil every 5k so that should help with the risk of sludging.

[CarJunkie]

Has anyone run a 0 weight oil in the 1M? The only possible downside would be increased blow-by.

I had to add about 1.5 quarts of oil cumulatively over the first 15k miles, basically between the run-in service and the next scheduled service. I recall topping off about 1/2 quart between 1200 and 6k miles when I did my own oil change. I then added 1qt between 6k miles and 15k miles (all within about the first half of those miles) when the next scheduled service was provided by the dealer. I have since had oil changes at 25k miles and 29k miles, both at the dealer. I am currently at 36k miles. I have not added a drop of oil between oil changes since well before the oil change at 15k.

I may try the 0w40 from BMW when I do my OC this month. I will post back if I start seeing consumption.

[ayao]

Originally Posted by CarJunkie

Has anyone run a 0 weight oil in the 1M? The only possible downside would be increased blow-by.

I had to add about 1.5 quarts of oil cumulatively over the first 15k miles, basically between the run-in service and the next scheduled service. I recall topping off about 1/2 quart between 1200 and 6k miles when I did my own oil change. I then added 1qt between 6k miles and 15k miles (all within about the first half of those miles) when the next scheduled service was provided by the dealer. I have since had oil changes at 25k miles and 29k miles, both at the dealer. I am currently at 36k miles. I have not added a drop of oil between oil changes since well before the oil change at 15k.

I may try the 0w40 from BMW when I do my OC this month. I will post back if I start seeing consumption.

I've run both M1 0W-40 and GC 0W-30 without any noticeable differences between those and BMW 5W-30 or Motul X-cess 5W-40. The only time I've seen consumption was on this current fill (GC 0W-30) which freaked me out but I suppose at this point nothing to do but wait and see. My OCIs are at roughly 6 month intervals, which for the mileage (~6k miles/year) are complete overkill in spite of sporadic track days, according to Blackstone UOAs.

After burning through my hoarded stocks of Motul and GC, I will probably start using the Castrol 0W-40 stuff given the sheer bargain pricing of it.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by CarJunkie

Has anyone run a 0 weight oil in the 1M? The only possible downside would be increased blow-by.

I had to add about 1.5 quarts of oil cumulatively over the first 15k miles, basically between the run-in service and the next scheduled service. I recall topping off about 1/2 quart between 1200 and 6k miles when I did my own oil change. I then added 1qt between 6k miles and 15k miles (all within about the first half of those miles) when the next scheduled service was provided by the dealer. I have since had oil changes at 25k miles and 29k miles, both at the dealer. I am currently at 36k miles. I have not added a drop of oil between oil changes since well before the oil change at 15k.

I may try the 0w40 from BMW when I do my OC this month. I will post back if I start seeing consumption.

Please post your experiences and a 15k mile term is a good test because I don't think most 1M owners wait that long. I did my own test on my ZHP. It uses about 2/3 quart every 3k miles of BMW 5W-30. I tested 5W-40 Castrol Edge and it was basically the same consumption. I am now running Pennzoil Euro Platinum 5W-40 but I expect the same consumption. Here is my opinion on why BMW is going to 0W-30 and 0W-40. In the old days when guys used to keep their cars instead of leasing and oils were not as good and men loved opening the hood, manufacturers would list oil viscosities for different temperature ranges. They would even recommend changing viscosity between winter and summer. Very cold weather start can be particularly stressful on the motor as the oil is slower to circulate at first. If you have a high performance car with thicker oil this is even more difficult. So now that most people don't care about motors (sorry my dig at the anti-break-in crowd) BMW can put one oil that can work in all climates year round. Makes it very simple and overall is good for everyone. The benefits of 0W oil during cold winter months outweigh the downside of a little extra consumption and a little extra carbon build up from blow by because it's easier to clean the intake than replace rings, bearings or valve guides.

Ideally if you were really picky you would change your oil on September with OW-30/40 for the winter then again in March to 5W-30/40 for the warmer months.

If you keep oil year round and your winters get cold then 0W-40 is probably overall better for your engine in my humble opinion.

In my case it never really gets cold in San Diego and the car is garaged which keeps it even warmer than our 60 degree winter nights. So for me 5W-40 makes more sense but again I will go with this BMW M oil because I want the dealer oil history for the car and this is the best oil BMW offers. So for those non-tech reasons this makes the most sense for me. I had an issue with my MkV GTI consuming industrial quantities of oil and I always used Castrol Edge 5W-40. I blame VW not the oil. I logged and comolained about it and they replaced the valve guides and rings at 24k miles. I decided after that to continue changing the oil at the dealership every 5K miles as recommended. The problem came back and got worse. At 59k the dealer did a consumption test and it was burning a quart every 700 miles. The dealer told me it was normal as they had over the years. I contacted VW again and they agreed to replace the motor free of charge if I could prove every single oil change was done at 5K miles with the appropriate oil. I handed them a stack of receipts with every single oil change in chronological order. The guy was shocked and admitted he really didn't think Inwould have all the documentation. They replaced the motor and the new motor is much better. So for those non-tech reasons I would rather have the dealer do it. I know technically I can do my own oil change and provide my own receipts but it made for a stronger case when I gave them dealer receipts. I hope all this info helps gentlemen!

[CarJunkie]

Maybe I wasn't clear, I have never gone 15k on an OCI.

Oil changes to date: 1200 mile run-in, approx 6k myself, 15k at the dealer, 25k at the dealer (that was my longest interval, did a few autocrosses, but had never tracked the car up to that point), 29k at the dealer, and now getting ready to do one myself at 36k. I really think once per year is good for me, which is usually about 7-10k miles. I do not drive the car in freezing temps, so there may not be much advantage to a 0 weight for me. It is the 40 that I want since our summers are HOT. As long as I don't see consumption, I would rather get the slight economy bump from the 0 weight.

I will probably try to find the Pennzoil branded stuff which I am sure will save my at least 3 bucks a quart.

Edit/update: the Pennzoil branded stuff is $9.62/qt at walmart. May not be much cheaper that BMW branded. I think I paid $10 per quart when I last bought some. Walmart has the Castrol Edge 0w40 for $21.97 for a 5qt jug. Hmmm....

[nachob]

Originally Posted by CarJunkie

Maybe I wasn't clear, I have never gone 15k on an OCI.

Oil changes to date: 1200 mile run-in, approx 6k myself, 15k at the dealer, 25k at the dealer (that was my longest interval, did a few autocrosses, but had never tracked the car up to that point), 29k at the dealer, and now getting ready to do one myself at 36k. I really think once per year is good for me, which is usually about 7-10k miles. I do not drive the car in freezing temps, so there may not be much advantage to a 0 weight for me. It is the 40 that I want since our summers are HOT. As long as I don't see consumption, I would rather get the slight economy bump from the 0 weight.

I will probably try to find the Pennzoil branded stuff which I am sure will save my at least 3 bucks a quart.

Edit/update: the Pennzoil branded stuff is $9.62/qt at walmart. May not be much cheaper that BMW branded. I think I paid $10 per quart when I last bought some. Walmart has the Castrol Edge 0w40 for $21.97 for a 5qt jug. Hmmm....

Sorry I misinterpreted the 15K thing. Yes, the Pennzoil stuff is just as expensive and not as good a value as the Castrol edge but price aside it is the same stuff as BMW Shell oil and it is available in 5W-40 weight for your Ferrari, Masseratti or 1M Coupe if you don't feel comfortable with 0W-40 weight.

[CarJunkie]

I saw Motul 8100 5W40 (LL-01) on the shelf at my favorite shop the other day and couldn't resist. $7.99 per quart. So forget what I said above.

[Turkish Mafia]

I regularly use the 5W-40 Euro Pennzoil in my N54.

Can be had for ~$38 from Amazon (after rebate and 15% for subscribing to it- which can be cancelled after purchase) for 6 quarts.

Also OEM filters are $10 apiece if you buy a pack of 10 on getbmwparts.

EDIT: forgot to post link (be sure to click on the rebate link on the Amazon page): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[ayao]

$38 for that oil is a fantastic price.

[123Britt]

On the Shell Website they recommend PP Euro 5W-40 and not the 0W-40.
.
I believe that I read that the cleaning ability of the Zero weight oil is not as good. Plus the pour point of the 5W-40 is like -42 deg so it makes sense.
.
I came from an N54 with Heat and Intake Valve issues. I started using Redline 5W-30, installed a BMS catch can and learned to walnut blast my intakes myself .
.
Now that I am in the N55 -- I have researched and since I am changing my oil myself (free maint did not transfer) I have chosen PP EURO 5W-40 while in warranty. Post 50k I will most likely go back to RL due to what believe to be great oil for the N54/N55 (turbos, Heat & cleaning). OCI less than 7.5k
.
In BIMMER MAG June 2016 there is Mike Miller talking about the N54 and how to reduce valve build up. The BMW tech community believes you need to : OCI every 5k, use top-tier gas, run the car hard & use BMW fuel cleaner (Techron). Very interesting read on page 30.

[OneM]

Direct injection cars usually recommend 30W oils coz of carbon build-up on the intake valves

[nachob]

Originally Posted by OneM

Direct injection cars usually recommend 30W oils coz of carbon build-up on the intake valves

Can you explain how/why 30 weight is key to direct injected engines?


The first direct injected engine was the wife's Mk V VW GTI and it came with 5W-40 and is the recommended oil to this day. Also the current M3/M4 is spec'd with the aforementioned BMW M 0W-40 oil.

Thanks!

[Turkish Mafia]

Originally Posted by OneM

Direct injection cars usually recommend 30W oils coz of carbon build-up on the intake valves

I don't think that these two concepts are related at all.

[OneM]

The blow-by gasses is routed back into the intake for emissions purpose, however oil does get carried along with it at times ..more than often. Some opt for an oil catchment tank, others do regular walnut blast ..or you can do an 'italian tune-up'. A thinner weight oil helps reduce the clogging as oppose to a thicker one

[OneM]

Originally Posted by nachob

The first direct injected engine was the wife's Mk V VW GTI and it came with 5W-40 and is the recommended oil to this day. Also the current M3/M4 is spec'd with the aforementioned BMW M 0W-40 oil.

Thanks!

I had a Golf Gti before and I believe the manual states a range of oil weights dependent on region / temperature. As for the current M3/4 it also states both 30W n 40W oils.

40W oils will protect your engine more, if you do more track work n constant hard driving it would be a better choice, hell some track guys use as high as 60W. For city n spirited drives 30W oils would be more efficient. Guys who are topping up constantly tend to think their oils are too thin when actually its due to them not driving hard enough (during run-in period) , the rings aren't seated properly

[ayao]

Originally Posted by CarJunkie

I saw Motul 8100 5W40 (LL-01) on the shelf at my favorite shop the other day and couldn't resist. $7.99 per quart. So forget what I said above.

In case you are interested, Amazon warehouse deals currently has a 4 pack of 5L jugs of this oil for $125.

[CarJunkie]