re: 325e oil

["Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:39:28 -0700 (PDT)
>From: tedcrum@domain.elided
>Subject: re: 325e oil
>
>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

After using anything from BMW 5W-30 synthetic to 20W-50 Mobil 1, I've 
settled on using 10W-30 Mobil 1 year-round in my E34 525iT and E36 M3. Given 
that the 325e has a lower-revving engine, it would probably be a good choise 
for that car as well.  Sure, you can spend the extra $$ on Redline oil or 
some of the other less common oils, but Mobil 1 makes excellent products, 
and they can be found in any auto parts store, as well as most department 
stores with an auto department (Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc.)

One interesting note regarding oil weights...I travelled to Germany last 
month and, while in Munich, visited the parts department of the largest BMW 
dealership (located one subway stop from BMW offices).  They were selling 
0W-30 synthetic oil, for use in all current non-M BMWs.  Germans push their 
cars harder than most Americans do, so that should be a good indication that 
lighter weight oils are permitted.

- -rb


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