[StuieUK]

hey guys,
I been using Castrol Edge 5w30 LL (ACEA C3 / BMW LL 04) for my 2017 335d....

I read somewhere on here the recommended oil to use, is:
Castrol edge 5w30 M ??

Looking to stack up on oil, but which to get..
Could i use either, are they practically both the same ?

[TurboWeasel]

You can use either.

'M' isn't BMW specific. It is also VW, Mercedes and Porsche approved, so I wouldn't read too much into that.

The main consideration is DPF compatibility to prevent excessive ash clogging it up, and anything LL-04 approved will be fine in that regard.

I use 5W40 Fuchs GT1 Flex 3. Cheap and BMW LL-04 approved

I use a 40 over a 30 purely to reduce the amount of blow by mist being dumped onto the turbo compressor via the PCV.

[danb1979]

IMO any 5W30 or 5W40 that meets the necessary BMW LL04 specs

That and a decent filter (Mahle, Mann, Hengst,BMW)

No need to get hung up on labels or snake oil...

Keeping it fresh is what's key

I've used oils from Fuchs to Millers to Triple QX to Liqui Moly etc and the engine in my cars has always run sweet...

[TurboWeasel]

Defo /\

Frequency of change is more important than brand. The engine doesn't care what it gets, so long as it's not 4,000,000 miles old and choked solid with soot.

Most engines would probably be happy with Olive oil, especially as it's a good oil rich in anti oxidants and polyphenols, but it doesn't last very long.

[StuieUK]

Used to use Fuchs for years in my Skyline & 200sx ..... Good oil.
(and yeah, in past 19 months, i have done 17k miles, and had 3 oil changes , all castrol....)

Ok, cheers for info....
4l of the LL by castrol, direct for £27.99 delivered....

[danb1979]

Originally Posted by StuieUK

Used to use Fuchs for years in my Skyline & 200sx ..... Good oil.
(and yeah, in past 19 months, i have done 17k miles, and had 3 oil changes , all castrol....)

Ok, cheers for info....
4l of the LL by castrol, direct for £27.99 delivered....

Yup; but you'll need 2 as your engine takes just over 6l IIRC

I'd personally go for one of the Millers options via Opie Oils

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w30-engine-oil.aspx

And a Mann/Mahle filter off eBay c£11

But your car, your £££

[StuieUK]

cheers for info...
the tub am buying is for top-ups, as i burn 1ltr every 3800-4000 miles and get the top up message...

[NanasBack]

I posted this a few years back, from an experience then:-
.

Ok. So this doesn’t relate to a BMW engine, but a similar situation.
It’s worth trying different brands…..

The wifes Toyota Yaris (diesel) used 1 litre every 1000miles.
Toyota said that consumption was ‘normal’. (I think it was Castrol SLX)
The spec of the oil used was LL04 so I could use it in my 325D if necessary.

Bought some ‘bulk’ from Opie Oils to get the price down.
Fuchs TITAN GT1 XTL 5W-40

Used at least 80 litres of that and needed more, but the price had gone up a lot.
Found another brand at a similar price to what we’d been paying for the Fuchs. (Still at Opie).
Gulf Formula ULE 5W-40

Oil consumption dropped dramatically when that was used in the next oil service. Was then getting more than 3000 miles per litre.
Same driving situation. (Short journeys – driving instructor).

I'm not saying that's the best one to go for, just that they are different, even with the same spec.

[V330d]

Originally Posted by StuieUK

cheers for info...
the tub am buying is for top-ups, as i burn 1ltr every 3800-4000 miles and get the top up message...

That isn't right, my own car used no oil up to 100k+ miles then started to need a litre at 3-4k miles. This got worse until I could burn a litre at 500 miles. Eventually it had an engine, luckily under BMW comprehensive warranty. Then back to using no oil.

[Kermit]

As above, the Castrol M carries the BMW LL-04 stamp, LL doesn't (is instead intended for VW/Porsche).

[danb1979]

Originally Posted by StuieUK

cheers for info...
the tub am buying is for top-ups, as i burn 1ltr every 3800-4000 miles and get the top up message...

If your cars using that amount of oil then you've more serious issues to sort first IMO

Shouldn't be using oil like that, at all

[TurboWeasel]

30d is 6.5-7 litres with a filter.

Yeah mine doesn't use any oil either, but try the 5W40 Fuchs as that stuff has decent oil consumption additive packs to prevent DPF ashing, so it might reduce your engine's thirst a bit.

Maybe pop off the turbo intake hose and check how much oil is sitting in the turbo inlet. A teaspoon is normal if it's never been off before and the engine isn't breathing too heavily. If it's drenched with oil, maybe replace the PCV on the valve cover as they can fail and blow too much oil through.

After a decent run, if you remove the oil cap, do you get any hazy smoke coming out of the fill hole?

[Rick Sanchez]

Always thought 0w30 LL04 was the spec but appreciate not a huge difference between 0 and 5.

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by Rick Sanchez

Always thought 0w30 LL04 was the spec but appreciate not a huge difference between 0 and 5.

It is, but 5W30 can help to quieten a few noises in engines which have higher mileages (say >100K miles).

0 or 5 isn’t going to make any real difference in our temperate climate and lack of deep sub-zero temperatures.

[MY340i]

Using a litre every 3k-4k seems quite a lot. yes its in the official bmw tolerance levels, but its unusually high and would suggesting get it checked out.

BMW's genuine oil is just rebranded castrol edge IIRC. Any engine oil that meets the LL04 spec will do fine. From memory you'll need around 6.7L of oil.

[SimonBMW1]

is millers any good, a tuner recommended to use millers professional 5w 30. id prefer to use castrol or shell

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by MY340i

Using a litre every 3k-4k seems quite a lot. yes its in the official bmw tolerance levels, but its unusually high and would suggesting get it checked out.

BMW's genuine oil is just rebranded castrol edge IIRC. Any engine oil that meets the LL04 spec will do fine. From memory you'll need around 6.7L of oil.

Yes BMW change their OEM oil manufacturers from time to time but they're back with Castrol Edge now (from Shell Helix a few years ago... From Castrol Edge before that!)

[danb1979]

Originally Posted by SimonBMW1

is millers any good, a tuner recommended to use millers professional 5w 30. id prefer to use castrol or shell

Why? They'll all meet the same specs?

Millers has been around a long time

It just doesn't have the marketing sweetness that Castrol or Shell does...

Does exactly the same job

[TurboWeasel]

Generally with German engines, it's 5W30 on long life servicing, or 5W40 on fixed intervals.

The safety net we have as consumers is LL-04 approval. So long as the oil you choose has that approval, it doesn't matter. It means the manufacturer has tested that particular oil and signed it off as meeting or exceeding the minimum requirements.

BMW's dealer oil is Shell Helix now I believe. They stopped using Castrol a while ago, hence why oil caps no longer have Castrol embossed on them.

Approved oils is a complex agreement but OEMs chop and change brands as they see fit, due to, reasons.

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

Generally with German engines, it's 5W30 on long life servicing, or 5W40 on fixed intervals.

The safety net we have as consumers is LL-04 approval. So long as the oil you choose has that approval, it doesn't matter. It means the manufacturer has tested that particular oil and signed it off as meeting or exceeding the minimum requirements.

BMW's dealer oil is Shell Helix now I believe. They stopped using Castrol a while ago, hence why oil caps no longer have Castrol embossed on them.

Approved oils is a complex agreement but OEMs chop and change brands as they see fit, due to, reasons.

They've been back with Castrol since 2021.

[Taheemr]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

Generally with German engines, it's 5W30 on long life servicing, or 5W40 on fixed intervals.

The safety net we have as consumers is LL-04 approval. So long as the oil you choose has that approval, it doesn't matter. It means the manufacturer has tested that particular oil and signed it off as meeting or exceeding the minimum requirements.

BMW's dealer oil is Shell Helix now I believe. They stopped using Castrol a while ago, hence why oil caps no longer have Castrol embossed on them.

Approved oils is a complex agreement but OEMs chop and change brands as they see fit, due to, reasons.

Depends on the deal of the day, LL04 and grade is all that mattera