re: 325e oil

[tedcrum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

There is hardly a car on the road that should have 20-50 oil. That weight
first appeared in England, in the late 60's, as Castrol's "reduced
consumption" oil for Brit cars with their characteristic leaky iron oil
rings. It came to this country for the similarly equipped sports cars and
Triumph M/C's of the day. It became popular with euro car owners because
it was, for quite a while, the only alternative to the light 10-30 oil
used by US cars.

Today we have more choices, and using a lighter oil will help power,
mileage and warm-up. For the big six, single-cam fours, high mileage
small sixes and  2-cam fours, and M cars, I like a 15W-40 petroleum oil
(like Penzoil Long Life truck oil, Chevron Delo, etc) or a 5W-40 synthetic
like the Valvoline that BMW used to sell under their own name. Synthetic
only for small six and V-8 M's.

Non-M low-mileage small sixes and 2-cam fours, V8's and 12's use a lighter
oil like the 5W-30 Castrol synthetic that BMW now re-brands, or Mobil-1
10W-30. You could use a 10W-40 petroleum oil in a single cam small 6.

- -tc


> Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 20:54:15 -0400
> From: "Ram Srinivasan" <rksdc@domain.elided>
> Subject: Re: bmw-digest V9 #1900
> 
> i have a 88 325e.  And I use 20W-50.  I have a really good mechanic, who
> recommends that over 10W-30/40.  He says the E30's are a bit more loose
inside
> the engine block and 20W-50 is better.
> 
> I would be interested in what the other have to say about this.
> 
> - -Ram

- -- 
Ted Crum
tedcrum@domain.elided

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