Engine Motor Oils

Motor Oils

What type of oil do you guys and girls recomend?

Mobile1 5W-30, every 5k.

same here

Mobil 1 10W-30 (every 3k-5k). The 5W-30 is simply too thin. It's like water, and quite pointless unless you live in an area that gets to subzero temperatures. If you are one of those people who has real winters and summers, then I'd use 5W-30 in the winter and 10W-30 in the non-cold seasons. Both oils are SAE 30 once they reach operating temperatures anyway.

You're right, both act as 30 weight once they are warmed up. However, the 5W will flow better at cold start up, especially in cold climates...yes, but also in warmer temps as well. As you probably already know, most engine wear occures at start up.

Remember that the tolerences on modern engines are very tight...they are designed for thin oils. For example, most newer Honda 4cyl engines actually require 5W-20. Tight tolerences demand thinner oils.

But you are right.... if you live in a warmer climate, that is such all year round, than 10W-30 is indeed fine.

I'd be one of those that lives in a sub zero climate. I run Amsoil 0w-30 and will be switching to either a 10w-30 or a 15w-50 for the summer (last summer was 10w-30). I haven't really found any research that contradicts the use of a heavier weight oil - in fact all of the research seems to support heavier weight oil. My only qualm is whether the heavier weight oils will have a negative effect w/the emissions system.

Any research supporting my theories?

Mother of God?! 50-weight oil for our engines? You planning to race? Where you at? I wanna come join you (or beat you... lol j/k).

BIMMERNUT-

I feel that 15w-50 would be more suitable for an American V-8 with many miles on it or racing conditions. All last year , in 100+ summer temps, I ran M1 10w30 in both rollas and added 0 oil between changes. That was with a 5000 mile interval on hers and 7500 on mine. Of course mine is gone as you know, but I recently changed hers @ 7500 miles and the M1 still looked quite clean.

IMHO there is no reason to change from the Amsoil 0w30 that you are currently using. Using a heavier oil will not be beneficial.

Straight from my 2004 owners manual, page 225:

SAE 5W-30 is the best choice for good fuel economy, and good starting in cold weather.

If SAE 5W-30 oil is not available, SAE 10W-30 oil may be used. However, it should be replaced with SAE 5W-30 at the next oil change.

Just read the manual, folks.

...AmsOil 5W30

That's probably true... It's just in the past, I've used 15w-50 on all of my straight six motors (all BMW's) and I never had a problem, except in very cold weather. I would often vascillate between 15w-50 in the summer and 10w-30 in the winter. As it is, the Amsoil 0w-30 appears quite clean, even after extending the oil change intervals to 6000 miles. I was just thinking that a heavier weight oil would offer better protection in hotter (90F+) weather, as well as prolonging oil changes even further... that was the logic I was using when thinking of a heavier weight oil. I guess I'll just stick with the stuff that I'm using!

Regardless of the outside temp, NOTHING heavier than 30 weight oil should be used. The 1ZZ engine, like most newer engines, has extremely tight tolerences. An oil with a hot-weight above 30 will not be able to maintain a proper "film" between tight moving parts.

The manufacturer doesn't just pull a number out of a hat, when it comes to proper oil viscosity. 5W-30 will offer you all the protection you need, under every circumstance.

The Bimmer 3.0L cyl is not a 1.8LToyota 4 banger! I think that with the thicker oil you are asking for start up noise and sluggish performance. Just my opinion mind you. Once again. sticking with your current oil seems to make the best sense.

Those with more experience realize that sometimes a different oil may be called for in their particular climate or driving conditions than what the manual calls for. If you take the time to check the oil specs for this car in other countries 5w30 is the LEAST called for oil. I do agree that Bimmer's idea on the heavier weight isn't the best for the 1.8L Corolla engine however I don't attempt to come across as "Mr. Know It All".

The owner's manual is the best thing to go by in most cases but not all. Learn more then speak with authority. Further research will inform you that Mobil 1 10W30 is on the thin side of the range allowed for a 10W 30 by API. That is one of the reasons it works so well in cold climates but also holds up well in high temp climates.

Re: Motor Oils

I realized that my ranting and raving never answered your question. In your climate Mobil 1 5w30 or 10w30 will do wonderfully. Use a quality filter, Fram not being among the best. If you have not used synthetic oil before go 5000 miles on the first change 7500 thereafter. YES, you can go 7500 safely, even further if you care to use oil analysis.

Re: Motor Oils

Well that all depends on whether or not anything happens between the last oil change and now. See I've been changing my Mobil 1 10W-30 every 3k-5k now and it's always come out really clean and yellowish. But then just before the last time I did my oil change, I let David H's (hooolala) girlfriend drive my car (I was teaching her how to drive stick... her first time... but only cuz David let me drive his S/C Corolla) and she let the clutch go before she entered gear. She pulled pretty hard, the gears clashed, the engine made a noise that is too horrifying for me to even remember. I was nearly in tears (I couldn't cry in front of a girl though), and she swore that she'll never touch a stick shift ever again in her life.

Anyway, I changed my oil about 500 miles later and it was like pitch black. It was like draining shi* out of my car. Every oil change after that has been clean, but damn... that one misshift does a whole lot of screwy shi* to the engine!

Change oil based on need! I drive really hard, often taking it into the 4500-5500rpm range. I figure since I'm going to get a new block from ToySport anyway, why not have fun! So I change my oil at around 3000 miles even though it's synthetic. I want the ultimate protection!

BTW, I've had the E34 M20 & M50tu (both 2.5 litre engines), the S50 (a 3 litre found in the E36 ///M) and a E39 M62 (4.4 litre V8) -- and valvetrain noise is lessened with heavier weight oils...

Either way, I'm sticking with my current choice - the Amsoil, unless I come across a better alternative...

Re: Motor Oils

I would change the transaxle lube to synth if you haven't done so
already. One other thing...by changing the M1 @3000 miles you are throwing away perfectly good oil. In fact, if drained into a clean container, you could use it in another car for 4-5 thousand miles.

BTW, I've had the E34 M20 & M50tu (both 2.5 litre engines), the S50 (a 3 litre found in the E36 ///M) and a E39 M62 (4.4 litre V8) -- and valvetrain noise is lessened with heavier weight oils...

Either way, I'm sticking with my current choice - the Amsoil, unless I come across a better alternative...

I wouldn't have thought that, my thinking being that the thinner oil will flow faster at start up. On those engines aren't many different viscosities recommended depending on driving/temp conditions? Seems to me that I've seen 20-50 in the book for some of the M Hypo engines.

I guess I wasn't clear or may have misinterpreted your original question. You would be correct in stating that a 5w or 10w-30 would have better flow properties when cold. However, it is well known (at least amongst E34 and E36 owners) that using a heavier weight oil such as a 20w-50 or a 15w-50, will quiet valve train clatter, prolong frequent oil changes and lubricate straight six engines much better than their 5w or 10w-30 counterparts. The issue faced in all I6 engines is heat. There are many that still argue that 10w-30 is a fine choice for the I6 motors. It's just with my experience in the past, that a heavier weight oil (15w or 20w-50) has better lubricating properties when warm.

As for the S50 engine, some are choosing to run the hyper-expensive 10w-60 oil. I think it's overkill (15w-50 is fine)

You'd also be correct in stating that BMW recommends different oil weights for different driving conditions. Just taking the M50tu motor into account, I believe that 15w-50 (20w-50 according to Bentley) should be the motor oil of choice. Unfortunately, living in a climate where winter can reach below zero (F), it's difficult to make a 20w-50 flow in weather colder than 20F. So with very cold conditions in mind, there is a disclaimer for engine oil with weights in the 10w-30 range.

Re: Motor Oils

Ya I changed the transmission oil after that incident as well (luckily THAT came out pretty clean). Ever since 7000 miles, I've been using RedLine MT-90 Full Syn. Changing my Mobil 1 at 3000 miles might be overkill, but the longest I'll go is up to 5000 miles before I change. Though the oil comes out pretty clean, it's certainly not as clean as oil brand new out of the container, so I know that it's getting dirty. Cost is really not that big of a deal with me. I use the TRD J-Spec Racing Oil Filters as well and change them every oil change. It's the best way to keep my engine in tip-top shape for all the hard driving I do. Like I said, I'm regularly taking it into 4500-5500rpms (I go to school on a hill EVERYDAY and often take it up to 6000rpm before shifting into the next gear until I reach the top). So I'm putting a lot of extra stress on my engine and transmission that most people wouldn't. I race pretty often around the backroads where people and cops don't drive through. And I love the redline... the sound of the engine as it peaks is so beautiful. Only a 4-cylinder can produce that kind of sound. V6 and V8 engines are simply too grumbly and throaty.

Oh ya, and I had to replace my brake pads at 17,000 miles cuz they were totally worn out (braking coming down the hill at school everyday). I would never use the engine to slow me down; that's what the brakes are for. And besides, brake pads are cheap compared to transmission rebuilds. (SPEAKING OF BRAKES, IS IT POSSIBLE TO USE BRAND NEW TOYOTA OEM BRAKE PAD ANTI-RATTLE SHIMS WITH THE EBC GREEN STUFF PADS?)

HMMM I've used every stick shift car I've ever owned to slow the car (read: MANY stick shift cars)) before applying the brakes and never replaced the pads, etc. before 35-40K miles. I have never had to replace a clutch with 40+ years of driving under my belt. I would say that you are very tough on brakes and perhaps the entire car. Maybe 3K oil changes are best for your driving style.

By the way this started with A 57 Chevy with 3 on the tree (if you know what that means) LOOONG before disc brakes were even a wet dream!

I'm a very young driver if that indicates anything about my driving style. :-D I've only had one speeding ticket and one broken bumper in all my... uhh... 3.25 years of driving experience. Actually, I didn't replace my pads on my big 'ol Cadillac for over 35k miles. I think that since my Corolla is the first "fun" car that I've had, that I've been driving more aggressively than I used to (plus the Corolla is only worth 1/3 of the Cadillac! 93' Deville which I sold... oh how I miss those big lether seats!).

I'm going to be doing a full engine rebuild at ToySport eventually anyway (either turbo/supercharge... ToySport says they can actually modify the TRD S/C to work with an intercooler) and also upgrade the tranny with a new clutch, flywheel, clutch cover, LSD, and cryo-treatment. Need to have something that can handle all the power and abuse I throw at it.

i'd like to revive this thread, i'm currently running on Toyota 5w-30 and oem filter

im currently using Eneos 5w-30 with K&N oil filter....

I use Castrol Syntec 10W-30, but I'm thinking about switching to 10W-40 to see if I can add less oil. I have to put in 1 quart every 1k miles, and I live in south Florida so its hot all the time. I know that the 10W-40 will decrease my mileage a little, but should give better protection and maybe stop burning so much

The 10th gen gets the good stuff from the dealership. I was told full synthetic. Ill get the details later... Im in a hotel with the SO on our 2nd aniversary posting on here at 12:38am.

Mobil 1 0w-30
hey, it is summer time!! l0l

oh snap!!!!