Oil and filter

[MichaelInChicago]

As I am purchasing the various maintenance parts on my own and having my local mechanic (an ex-BMW mechanic) do the labour, I am wondering the best oil filter and oil (brand, type and quantity) I should be buying.

Thanks.

[jackliu0527]

filter oem

as for oil u r gonna get 10000000 answers, but I believe most out there use Motul or Liquidmolly, personally, I use Motul Xcess 5W40

[Derekz4]

I’ll be perfectly honest here. I tried buying the parts myself too and always found it cheaper to just go to the dealer and have them take care of everything. They currently do both of my BMWs for $99.
My indy does it for $75 but is less convenient.
Now if you don’t want someone touching your car, that’s a different story.

[pdubq]

My local bmw expert mech stocks Motul And swears by it... just one of the 10000000000 responses you’re anticipating jackliu! lol

[Derekz4]

As far as your question goes, MANN makes BMW filters, so either one of those are good. Go with MANN if you want to save a couple bucks.

[Opie55]

I buy either BMW oil, or get Castrol that says it meets the LL01 standard.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by Derekz4

They currently do both of my BMWs for $99.
My indy does it for $75 but is less convenient.

That cheap in SoCal? What oil does he and the indy use? The cheapest I have ever seen from BMW dealer in Chicago is $125 and I've seen up to $175. The oil and filter cost me $60. Cheapest independent dealer is $25 for labor, so $85 all in. That is for Castrol.

[Derekz4]

Originally Posted by thebmw

That cheap in SoCal? What oil does he and the indy use? The cheapest I have ever seen from BMW dealer in Chicago is $125 and I've seen up to $175. The oil and filter cost me $60. Cheapest independent dealer is $25 for labor, so $85 all in. That is for Castrol.

Funfzehn Auto in Orange California, look up his web site. Fantastic shop and the owner, Ken, is a younger guy that is super knowledgeable. I often see a fleet of super cars getting work done there.

He uses MANN filters and i saw the bulk drum of BMW oil myself.
Here is my Z4 in his shop.

[dagoo98]

Originally Posted by Derekz4

Funfzehn Auto in Orange California, look up his web site. Fantastic shop and the owner, Ken, is a younger guy that is super knowledgeable. I often see a fleet of super cars getting work done there.

He uses MANN filters and i saw the bulk drum of BMW oil myself.
Here is my Z4 in his shop.


Attachment 2275115

Makes sense for the cheap price, BMW oil is made by Shell and its literally the cheapest oil you can get by with. Think about it, BMW gives away free oil changes for the first 2 years of ownership, why would their oil be the best stuff? Have to keep costs down.

As a shop owner, I don't know why you'd take the liability of an oil change on a luxury vehicle to make only $25.

[Frupal]

Originally Posted by Derekz4

Funfzehn Auto in Orange California, look up his web site. Fantastic shop and the owner, Ken, is a younger guy that is super knowledgeable. I often see a fleet of super cars getting work done there.

He uses MANN filters and i saw the bulk drum of BMW oil myself.
Here is my Z4 in his shop.


Attachment 2275115

Beautiful car, Derek!

[MichaelInChicago]

How viscosity (I believe it's 5W-30) and how much oil should I be buying (is 5L enough)?


Thanks

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by MichaelInChicago

How viscosity and how much oil should I be buying and does Mahle make a good quality oil filter?

Thanks

It takes 9.5 quarts. I'm sure Mahle filters are ok, but why - to save a dollar? Why not just get a Mann or BMW filter and be done with it? A range of viscosities are ok. 5-30, 5-40, 0-40.

[Walt White Coupe]

My 650 takes a little more than 9.5 quarts to bring it up to the full mark with a filter change. I'd guess it's more like 9.8 to 9.9 quarts.

[MichaelInChicago]

As well, I am trying to decide between either of the following oils:

LiquiMoly TopTec 4200 or LiquiMoly SpecialTec LL

OR

Motul 8100 X-Clean EFE or Motul 8100 X-Clean +

Thanks

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by Walt White Coupe

My 650 takes a little more than 9.5 quarts to bring it up to the full mark with a filter change. I'd guess it's more like 9.8 to 9.9 quarts.

The official spec is 9.5, and mine is full at that amount. I guess the sensors can vary from car to car.

[Derekz4]

Originally Posted by dagoo98

Makes sense for the cheap price, BMW oil is made by Shell and its literally the cheapest oil you can get by with. Think about it, BMW gives away free oil changes for the first 2 years of ownership, why would their oil be the best stuff? Have to keep costs down.

As a shop owner, I don't know why you'd take the liability of an oil change on a luxury vehicle to make only $25.

In a way I kind of agree with you on BMW getting cheap on the service. It’s not the quality of the oil that I worry about, it’s the interval that they recommend.
I believe when they came out with the N62 motor they were at 15,000 mile intervals. Sure, that worked for the length of the warranty, but when these motors got to 70-80k many had valve guides fail. That’s why you would see so many 6 and 7 series puffing smoke when leaving a traffic light.
Best thing you can do is just change the oil every 5-7k.
If you really want to which oil I like the most, it’s Idemitsu Engine Oil.

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by dagoo98

Makes sense for the cheap price, BMW oil is made by Shell and its literally the cheapest oil you can get by with. Think about it, BMW gives away free oil changes for the first 2 years of ownership, why would their oil be the best stuff? Have to keep costs down.

As a shop owner, I don't know why you'd take the liability of an oil change on a luxury vehicle to make only $25.

How do you know it's made by Shell? Does Shell make Castrol? Because even BMW oil caps are stamped "Castrol."

[MichaelInChicago]

Just watched a youtube video where they tested LiquiMoly vs. Mobil 1 and the Mobil 1 came out on top of all of the motor oils tested in a range of various tests.

Interesting.

[Derekz4]

The Shell part is true, but like I mentioned, that’s not my biggest concern.

“This collaboration means that Shell will continue to produce and supply’s BMW’s branded engine oils, which meet the latest BMW engine specifications. These oils will feature Shell’s PurePlus Technology, a breakthrough technology where base oil is produced using a patented process in which natural gas is converted to base oil, also known as gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology.”

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by Opie55

It takes 9.5 quarts. I'm sure Mahle filters are ok, but why - to save a dollar? Why not just get a Mann or BMW filter and be done with it? A range of viscosities are ok. 5-30, 5-40, 0-40.

The OEM BMW filters are made by Mahle.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by dagoo98

Makes sense for the cheap price, BMW oil is made by Shell and its literally the cheapest oil you can get by with. Think about it, BMW gives away free oil changes for the first 2 years of ownership, why would their oil be the best stuff? Have to keep costs down.

As a shop owner, I don't know why you'd take the liability of an oil change on a luxury vehicle to make only $25.

Pennzoil is owned by Shell. BMW oil used to be Castrol. I'm sure Shell makes different types of synthetics, but Pennzoil Euro Platinum is probably the best oil (per expert opinion, not necessarily mine) and the cleanest.

$25 for labor is not bad and keeps the lights on at the shop. Paying more does not mean better quality. Remember, many shops charge $19 for the ENTIRE oil change (non-synthetic oil). Many of these shops do it to get you in the door with the hopes you'll come back for bigger issues if they arise. Kind of like Discount Tire doing free plugs, air fills, etc. They are one of the best in the tire industry so free does not imply they are awful.

I'm still not sure what makes Liquid Moly, Motul, and all those other non-mainstream brands good, especially compared to Pennzoil Euro Platinum, which is not even made from crude oil. Please explain the science behind their oils and why they are better.

[Derekz4]