Oil in a 2001 M5

[AlastairM]

Chaps

The hand book is not very clear about which oil to use in my M5. The local BMW dealer supplied me with Castrol 10;60w -is this correct? Any views on what works best? I don't want to mix the oils and would rather keep it the same as BMW supply.
The only reason i ask is that all my previous cars were run on Mobil 1 and thats what the manufacturers recommend!

[gazzab]

Ring the garage that last serviced it - they can tell you what they use (not all garages use the same stuff I guess).

[m-five]

BMW switched suppliers from Mobil to Castrol and hence now fill with Castrol RS/TWS 10w60 instead of Mobil 1 10w60.

There is no problem with mixing these and the both offer excellent protection. Other brands with similarly rated oils are Millers and Silkolene!

[gibo993]

Only use the BMW supplied Oil,
We all know its a rip off, but on the e39 M5 if you had an engine failure, they will check the oil in the sump, if its not Castrol, they'll bin the Warranty.

Typical BMW !!


Good thread on www.BM3W.co.uk

[futie]

Hmmm. I've had bags of work done under warranty and they've never even so much as questioned the oil which I use.

imho taking care of the car in general is more important than what oil you put in.

[gibo993]

What I have been told is that if you have an internal engine failure, ( you know what I mean I hope ) they will check the oil.

Not normal stuff like Vanos or ARB brackets

[futie]

gibo993 said:

What I have been told is that if you have an internal engine failure, ( you know what I mean I hope ) they will check the oil. Not normal stuff like Vanos or ARB brackets

I've just had cylinder block & pistons replaced. No mention of the oil I use. Also, i'm not sure how you'd check what type of oil it is - dirty engine oil is dirty engine oil, surely!

[gibo993]

Hmm Well its probably Some BMW dealers bullying people to buy the stupidly expensive oil.

This is what some guys from the BM3W forum have been told by dealers.

Its only second hand info and its not my personal experience so, take it with a pinch

Cheers
Grant

[bluechim]

consumption is the issue - they all use oil, it's just how bad yours is? Mine uses 1 ltr per 1000 miles, BMW say until that drops to 600 miles per ltr they wont look at it. Has anyone else had this problem?

[gixerlix]

Sorry about the late post but I've started to develop similar problems. I am now down to about 1lt per 700 miles. I've seen posts that allow oil consumption of 1lt per 1000miles but this is not correct. I understand that the permissible consumption for M engine is 1lt per 1000 KM i.e 620ish miles.

Does this seem right or do I need a new engine?!

Incidentally I buy my oil in bulk (I use a litre a week all you moaners) from Castrol Classics - about £100 for 16L delivered. RS is identical to TWS but TWS is the Approved part.

[granville]

Wierd: mine seems to vary quite wildly.

I check it once a week just to be safe (bloody paranoid after all the reports!) and seem to be using a litre every 2000 miles.

I'd slacked recently and hadn't checked for nearly a month having spent a fortnight in France - must've done nearly 3500 miles since the last check and hang on - hadn't used a drop!

You just have to accept that beneath the humdrum, exterior, it's got high performance credentials which unavoidably include potentially higher than average wear rates.

***Quick thread hijack (sorry): when I start the car up/switch it off, there's (always been) a momentary, well, 'harshness' from the engine as it limbers up/goes to sleep. When starting up, this dissipates in a second and things settle into the normal, demi-Nascar thrum but I wondered if I should worry any?***

[Apache]

Derestrictor said:

***Quick thread hijack (sorry): when I start the car up/switch it off, there's (always been) a momentary, well, 'harshness' from the engine as it limbers up/goes to sleep. When starting up, this dissipates in a second and things settle into the normal, demi-Nascar thrum but I wondered if I should worry any?***

yeah mine does that, but then, it is 14 years old

[stuh]

Derestrictor said:

***Quick thread hijack (sorry): when I start the car up/switch it off, there's (always been) a momentary, well, 'harshness' from the engine as it limbers up/goes to sleep. When starting up, this dissipates in a second and things settle into the normal, demi-Nascar thrum but I wondered if I should worry any?***

I have the same DER. I had the dealer look at it and he advised that they "all do it" - If the rattle continues it's possibly the Vanos However if it's just a few seconds that fine. I also get a bit of creaking and sighing when i come to halt and switch off. Once again advised this was normal as my car checked out fine on the ODB diagnostics!

The car REALLY IS a beasty though Had fantastic fun on my weekend run to Cornwall, clocking up about 700 miles

Another AMD RR day is being organised on the M5 forum if you fancy seeing whether yours is running well??

>> Edited by stuh on Wednesday 6th October 18:00

[granville]

Hi Stuh: they are preposterous, aren't they?

I'm not sure what I love about the M5 most but I think it's the unpreturbable stability at, erm...motorway speeds (wince).

As you suggest, the chassis and the way the damping work is borderline magical, it really does seem to be honed to utter perfection: huge great m-way sweepers are tackled with 928esque poise and better than anything is the soundtrack -

Hitting the m-way running, at something like full-bore Shabba Ranks, never ceases to force a Roger Moore eyebrow moment...

(Btw, 355, M12 & M5? The agony of choice, eh? )

[stuh]

Derestrictor said:

Hi Stuh: they are preposterous, aren't they? I'm not sure what I love about the M5 most but I think it's the unpreturbable stability at, erm...motorway speeds (wince). As you suggest, the chassis and the way the damping work is borderline magical, it really does seem to be honed to utter perfection: huge great m-way sweepers are tackled with 928esque poise and better than anything is the soundtrack - Hitting the m-way running, at something like full-bore Shabba Ranks, never ceases to force a Roger Moore eyebrow moment... (Btw, 355, M12 & M5? The agony of choice, eh? )

Summed up as only you can DER You just can't explain to people the urgent thrust this barge can generate in 5th and 6th! The expressions on other drivers faces as you floor it and dissapear towards the horizon as they pull in at 100+ units is something you just can't get bored of

Strange you should mention the 928. I used to have a pic on my bedroom wall as a kid, alongside the testarossa and countach. Sadly when i finally went to buy one many years later, i could only find Auto's Another childhood dream whipped away......

Sadly the M12 is soon to leave the stable . The alure of my first FCar swung me away from the arms of an M400. The first 2nd hand M400 will be snapped up though, make no mistake, oh yes sirree

[gixerlix]

Derestrictor said:

***Quick thread hijack (sorry): when I start the car up/switch it off, there's (always been) a momentary, well, 'harshness' from the engine as it limbers up/goes to sleep. When starting up, this dissipates in a second and things settle into the normal, demi-Nascar thrum but I wondered if I should worry any?***

I’ve been on to BMW about this too and it appears that the oil lubricating the VANOS drains out when stopped and the rattling occurs until the oil pressure is back up. Official line seems to be ‘they all do that’ (which it seems they do!). It apparently it causes no damage despite it sounding like a bag of spanners being dragged up a steep cobbled lane in Yorkshire – or is that just in my head?

If you pester BMW they will fit a non-return valve to cure the problem.

[dbrook]

Which oil would be best for an 2001 E39 M5?

(I need to top up).

Thanks,
Darren

[e-mail]