Petrol/Gas US Oil for B58 Engines

[Lars]

I know this is an old thread, but something came up recently. It’s been about 5,000 miles since my 24k service at the dealer. Rather than drive all the way to Chicago, I thought I would get an oil change locally with an independent mechanic here in town - he just does European imports, mostly BMW and Mercedes. I showed him the 0W-20 spec in the owners manual, and he said he wouldn’t recommend that in a B58 engine - he said it was too light and he had seen way too many issues (he’s serving customers AFTER warranty, so sees these with a lot of miles). He’s recommending 5W-30. Thoughts?

No difinitive answer for this will be found on forums. It Won't damage the engine, but I worry it does not have the additive packages in the LL-17 FE+ spec. My research tells me that's more important than 0/20 vs. 5/30 viscosity. Change your oil every 5-6K miles with BMW approved oil and life will be good. If for any reason you have problems/engine failure and they find out you used some other oil, game over as far as warranty repairs..

 

[Logsplitter]

Having the right spec of oil will also affect the performance of the gasoline particulate filter also I guess.

 

[INEOS OG]

That’s exactly what he said - that it was not the way to go if you prioritize longevity

BMW saw a 3% increase in efficiency by going to 0w 20 over the earlier recommended 5w 30 with no discernible reduction in reliability which is huge when selling performance cars and meeting CAFE standards across the board as a brand.

I am not sad we got the B58 B57 engine packages in the IG / IQ but helping BMW meet emissions standards for its M line at the cost of replacing a turbo or rod bearings at 100k miles does. I am 59 years old, I plan on driving my IG until I can’t at least well into my 70s.

I intend to get 300k miles out of my IG. That will never happen changing 0w 20 oil at the 12k mile service interval.

 

[Pete Brown]

Making recommendations without comprehensive, supporting oil analysis data is not much more than speculation and there is too much of that floating around. Oil analysis over time reveals the degree and kind of engine wear. With regard to some concerns, like whether some modern engines do or do not break in or require breaking oil changes, oil analysis data reveals the answer pretty objectively. ( They do.)

On the other hand, whether your engine will be better served by 0W-20 or 5W30 to a large extent will be determined by driving conditions. Long drives at constant speeds in flat Texas will impose different loads than shorter drives on varying grades in a wide range of temperatures like those found in the Rockies in the winter. Oil analysis will again point to the right answer through data.

The answers may be a bit more complicated than they appear at first sight.

Here is a place to start:

View: https://youtu.be/XyBUcxFmqn8?si=kIOGWVqd7ju6brjH

 

[Tom109]

BMW LL04 and GPF Safe.

 

[anand]

For what it's worth, newer B58s run even thinner oil than 0W-20...

If you're using 5W-30, make sure it is LL04 approved (pretty sure all the "FE" approved oils from the newer specs are 0W-20)

 

[abbeyroad]

I just run whatever BMW/IA recommends just like my cousin who has nearly 400K miles on his Boxster Spyder running the factory recommended fill every 5K miles since new.

If people fettled as much about their health as they did engine oil, obesity would cease to exist in the USA. lol

 

[Logsplitter]

Any interesting small article about modern engines and thin oils.

Downsized, Efficient, But Fragile — Why Today’s Engines May Not Last — Autoblog

Manufacturing shortcuts and tighter tolerances compromise reliability across major brands.

apple.news

 

[scottg]

BMW saw a 3% increase in efficiency by going to 0w 20 over the earlier recommended 5w 30 with no discernible reduction in reliability which is huge when selling performance cars and meeting CAFE standards across the board as a brand.

I am not sad we got the B58 B57 engine packages in the IG / IQ but helping BMW meet emissions standards for its M line at the cost of replacing a turbo or rod bearings at 100k miles does. I am 59 years old, I plan on driving my IG until I can’t at least well into my 70s.

I intend to get 300k miles out of my IG. That will never happen changing 0w 20 oil at the 12k mile service interval.

Dude, I'm 59 and have exactly the same plan. Ok, 60 now, and agree, 0w-20 isn't the answer, at 12k OCIs. I have 8k and have changed the oil 5 times, twice very early. CHANGE EVERY 3-5k! Esp. with 0w-20. And do it yourself if you aren't now.

 

[scottg]

I just run whatever BMW/IA recommends just like my cousin who has nearly 400K miles on his Boxster Spyder running the factory recommended fill every 5K miles since new.

If people fettled as much about their health as they did engine oil, obesity would cease to exist in the USA. lol

Oh, boy, going there ... people DO fret as much about their health and the food and the frigging calories and they're still obese! Because calories don't matter. Think about it. Energy has no mass. So calories don't weigh anything. So HOW, EXACTLY, do calories equate to weight gain? Energy is released when bonds in molecules are broken by enzymes. ATP rules! Mass has mass. Calories are a consequence not a cause. Crap, wrong forum, sorry!

One final note: If anyone wants to lose weight, move to the Moon. You'll weight less -- uh -- but you'll be the same mass. Told my sister if she really wanted to lose weight, to have one of her legs amputated. Ugh, science people! Mass not weight. Chemistry not calories! We aren't bomb calorimeters and we don't 'burn' calories. Irritates me as much as when people talk about events that "changed" history. No, doofus. That WAS history I mean, how could it change history, since history is what has already happened?!?

Yep. It's Friday.

 

[scottg]

Ok, here's a really super read about engine oil, with specifics for B58s amongst others:

Engine Oil Info for BMW

BMW engine oil info and recommendations from the leading independent BMW tuner in the USA.

www.bimmerworld.com

My take is this. 0w-20 is too 'thin', and yes it's to meet CAFE and not for longevity. No, our B58s (or B57s) aren't modified with bearing clearances and all that stuff to require 0w-20 and going higher weight will harm the engine. And I think a 0w-30 or 5w30, for daily driving, with Euro specs, LL-04 approval, will be best for longevity.

The B58 from what I've researched is bulletproof -- the stuff around the engine, not so much, and that's where we have to inspect and focus on.

LL-04 is where to be, but a more modern and well-additive-ed LL-04 oil. I'm doing oil analysis at each change, and it's enlightening. Latest was Red Line, and boy, yes they do have ZDDP in there. Have a few more brands and weights to test, but at the moment, my bet is on Red Line Euro series 5w-30 for best longevity, esp. for the turbo. But I will test Castrol's Euro first, maybe Mobile 1 next, and with the oil analysis I should be able to see ZDDP levels -- Castrol doesn't seem to publish HTHS values, but LL-04 mandates an HTHS value of 3.5 or higher so it has to be at least 3.5. I always make sure I'm using API SP and if available SQ, for the timing change -- not that SP isn't ok, but SQ requires the tests to confirm timing chain effects.

Can't get non-ethanol gas in VA where I live, but in FL when I'm down there, yes sir, can get that.

I only use Top Tier gas, always 91 octane or above, and I cycle through Shell, Chevron, Exxon, Texaco (when I find it), and others.

/s.