BMW Quality Longlife-01 Fully Synthetic Motor Oil, why does it keep changing. For years we were all told by the BMW Dealer that the only motor oil for our BMW’s was made by Castrol but in 2015 BMW dropped this manufacturer and switched to Shell or in the US Pennzoil. So what should I use? The most important thing to remember is that BMW are made or at least engineered by Germans. These guys have specifications for everything and they live and die by these specs. For every part, every fluid. and even every tightness of a bolt there is a manufacturing specification from the Germans. If your oil says 0W40 full synthetic, that is not enough to meat the specifications of the manufacturer. Today the tolerances are so Minot that you do not wan tot mess around with guesswork, especially when it comes to your Motor oil or correctly Engine oil. Motors are typically electric and engine usually burn fuel.

On the can or bottle of your oil is will have a part number as well as which manufacturing specs this oil has been tested to meet. I get calls from oil vendors all the time telling me that there… oil is good enough and my competitors are using it without any issues. At Peak Auto we are not willing to take that chance with our vehicles or our customers vehicles.

Example of label approvals:

ACEA A3/B4-04, ACEA C3 API SM/CF VW 502.00/505.00/505.01 MB-Approval 229.51 BMW Longlife-04 Porsche A40

In the European approvals there are two important aspects to the Engine oil: Ash and Low Ash. Low ash is designed for diesel engines that have particulate filters which work like catalytic converters. They require an additive you refill about every 40,000 miles that looks like water but I am sure it isn’t. The Low Ash keeps the particulate filter from clogging up. Yes the oil you use does produce a residue that will end up in the atmosphere or in your tail pipe re-burned. This is part of emissions or breathing clean air. If it is so wonderful why not just have Low Ash Engine Oils? Great question. Low Ash Oil is not a great lubricant. This sounds completely opposite to common sense but it is true. If you use low ash oil in your non gas engine you will have premature wear on all kinds of parts including but not limited yo your camshafts and cam bearings. If you use regular ash engine oil in your diesel burning vehicle with a particulate filter, you will clog your filter. I suppose you can’t have everything!

 

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