what weight synthetic oil should I use ???

Hi,

i plan to use Mobil1 for my E36 53k miles but
dont know if i should use 0W40 or something else.im in Long Island.
rarley goes to 10 deg F .

im kinda shying away from 10W30 because i see that its not on MercedesBenz
list of oils .
I also notice on the 0W40 container that it meets a BMW specification.
the 10W30 doesnt.
do these synthetics use alot of additives to get such a wide range in
viscocity settings ?
these additives break down with mileage.
or is that just an issue with the old mineral oils ????

also see Gastrol Synthetic 15W50 around.

"news"wrote
> I also notice on the 0W40 container that it meets a BMW specification.
> the 10W30 doesnt.
> do these synthetics use alot of additives to get such a wide range in
> viscocity settings ?

I think you'll be fine with M1 0w-40. It's a factory fill for many euro
cars. It does use some viscosity index improvers, but it's not something
I'd worry about. This oil tends to shear to a 30 grade in turborcharged
applications which are very tough on oil, but in NA engines this is not a
problem, assuming you're going to change it at least every 10K miles.

Some other good oils would be Motul Ester E-tech 0w-40 or Amsoil 5w-40 euro
formula, but they may be more expensive and tougher to find locally.

Mobil has also come out with M1 EP 10w-40 - for those interested in extended
oil change intervals, but I am not sure if it meets the BMW specs. It'll be
an interesting oil to watch, IMO.

Cheers,

Pete

news wrote:
> Hi,
>
> i plan to use Mobil1 for my E36 53k miles but
> dont know if i should use 0W40 or something else.im in Long Island.
> rarley goes to 10 deg F .
>
> im kinda shying away from 10W30 because i see that its not on MercedesBenz
> list of oils .
> I also notice on the 0W40 container that it meets a BMW specification.
> the 10W30 doesnt.
> do these synthetics use alot of additives to get such a wide range in
> viscocity settings ?
> these additives break down with mileage.
> or is that just an issue with the old mineral oils ????
>
> also see Gastrol Synthetic 15W50 around.
>
>

For an E36 you do not have to buy oil that meets the BMW LongLife
standards as those were not in force when that car (engine) was designed
and the maintenance intervals (assuming that you go by the SI lights)
will not be extended.

These cars originally came with, and used, conventional oil of various
weights depending on the climate. That said, I use Mobil 1 5w30 in my
'95 325i year round, here in New England, and it seems to like it just fine.

YMMV,
-Fred W

yea its about what can make my engine last longer and perform the best.
I'd rather have overkill and have the best.

so the 0W40 isnt too thin ??

"Malt_Hound" > wrote in message
...
> news wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > i plan to use Mobil1 for my E36 53k miles but
> > dont know if i should use 0W40 or something else.im in Long Island.
> > rarley goes to 10 deg F .
> >
> > im kinda shying away from 10W30 because i see that its not on
MercedesBenz
> > list of oils .
> > I also notice on the 0W40 container that it meets a BMW specification.
> > the 10W30 doesnt.
> > do these synthetics use alot of additives to get such a wide range in
> > viscocity settings ?
> > these additives break down with mileage.
> > or is that just an issue with the old mineral oils ????
> >
> > also see Gastrol Synthetic 15W50 around.
> >
> >
>
> For an E36 you do not have to buy oil that meets the BMW LongLife
> standards as those were not in force when that car (engine) was designed
> and the maintenance intervals (assuming that you go by the SI lights)
> will not be extended.
>
> These cars originally came with, and used, conventional oil of various
> weights depending on the climate. That said, I use Mobil 1 5w30 in my
> '95 325i year round, here in New England, and it seems to like it just
fine.
>
> YMMV,
> -Fred W

news wrote:
> yea its about what can make my engine last longer and perform the best.
> I'd rather have overkill and have the best.
>
> so the 0W40 isnt too thin ??

No it's not. In fact it's "thicker" than 5w30 at most temperatures
except stone cold.

See, the first number is how thick it is when cold, the second one when
hot. So except when you first start the engine it's the second number
that is most important.

-Fred W