the factory manual recomends 10W30 oil so i take their word for it and use 10-30 castrol GTX. i know people use thicker oil, and i was thinking that since the FD runs so hot, wouldnt i want something thicker? thicker oil should be worse for the car at startup, but better when the motor is running full blast right? just wondering what other people use and why.

 

winter 10W30...summer 15W50.

don't seem to have problems starting in the summer...but hey, it doesn't get cold either.

 

"winter 10W30...summer 15W50.

don't seem to have problems starting in the summer...but hey, it doesn't get cold either."

Anybody else do this?

 

if it is cold where you live , like for the time the oil is in the car it will not go over 50f, you can use 10-30 in the summer here in fl where it is like 130 on a black-top highway i use 20-50. the 10-30 wont get me 50 psi at 3000 in that heat for long

 

Depends on where you live. Becareful with the thin stuff, turbo'd rotaries oil gets diluted with fuel. Already thin 10-30 gets even thinner.

I run 20-50 all year but it is rare to get below freezing here.

 

10w30 is in it right now. im probably going to use 20w50 in the summer.

maryland winters are cold as ****, and the summers are 90+ and very very humid.

 

I use 10w-30 Royal Purple. Perfect for year round.

 

I use 10W-30 RP, but I need to get some 20W-50. In TX heat, I'd rather have that.

 

10w30 but just put in 15w50 Mobil1 -i love it!

 

also usin Mobil 1 10w30, want the 15w50 but have not found a store with it in stock, just have to keep my eyes open.

 

I use 10W30 synthetic all year round and I live in Houston. Oil temps don't get above 190 on the hottest summer days.

 

I was using 0w30 synthetic for a while.

From what I understood by Mobil 1, the "0" flows better at cold temps limiting startup wear, but once it gets to operating temps, it acts as normal 30 weight oil...

for what its worth

 

Anyone thinks 5-40 works?

POM HB

 

thanks for all the good replies everyone! ok i have a few things to add:

i remember reading (multiple places) that weights with a huge separation (such as 15-50) are achieved with (damn now i cant remember the name... it it a polymer? anyway its an additive that extends the viscosity range of an oil) anyway, they these additives are said to leave a residue when burned... maybe im not remembering this correctly, so if im wrong someone correct me... basically what i retained was stay away from oils w/ large differences in viscosity ratings.

so in regard to 20w-50 shouldnt you get more internal wear on startup since 20-50 doesnt lubricate as well when its cold?? also, it will be harder to move through the turbos, so will that contribute to increased turbo wear when cold as well. on the flip side, the thicker oil is more likely to stick to the rotor,housings,seals etc so maybe it would provide MORE protection on startup... especially if the car is stored for longer periods of time. these are just assumptions on my part... what does everyone else think/know? -heath

 

I use 20-50 all year round. But then I have the car parted in a heated garage. Once the car is warm the temp out side doesn't really matter. But please correct me if I am wrong.

 

20w50 Castrol GTX for my FD. Changed every 2.5K miles. South Texas climate gets pretty hot in the Summer. In Winter we rarely see temps dip into the 20s.

 

I have heard this too. I also have been told by many people that 10-40 is the worst oil to use in any application. There is something about the chemicals they use to produce it that makes it a crappy oil, no matter what the brand is. If I remember correctly, it doesn't hold up well under heat... On the other hand, 10-30 is supposed to be the most stable oil on the market.

 

The new BMW M3's run 10w60

it is required for continued factory warranty service, with oil changes every 10,000 miles

 

Yes that works for me except I use 20/50 in summer.
I change to a 10/30 for Dec, Jan, Feb, & part of March. Than its time to change back to 20/50.

Hey 7racer, who makes a 10/60 oil? I assume it must be synthetic.

 

yes....only castrol but it is expensive! Mobil 1 is suppose to be coming out with one also...

here is a thread on the m3forum

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showt...&highlight=oil

 

Thanks for the info. I didn't know there was such a thing as 10/60. I'm familiar with 60w racing oil, but its thick as ****. This might be an interesting oil to try in the FD.

 

hey for you people that use synthetic, i hope you have your OMP removed and are premixing!!

 

I'll go remove mine, be right back!

 

20w50 summer and 10w30 winter time.

 

Myths and rumors. Stop spreading them.