[CobbleStone]

Hi everyone,

It is time to have my '16 X1's engine oil changed and I am a little confused about which oil viscosity I should be buying. I know the 0W20 is recommended but I think it's a little too thin and would like to move to a 0W30/40 or to a 5W30/40.

I live in Toronto and my car is parked outside during the day and inside at night.

In the manual it says that all of the above oils I mentioned are recommended but then there is a line right after the list of recommended oils that says that the '0W20 and 5W20 oils are only suitable for a particular engine'. No idea what that means in the context that the manual says the other oil types I mentioned are recommended.

As well, can I use an oil that is LL-04 certified as the manual states to use an LL-01 certified oil?

Thanks for all of your help.

[ejw2011]

Just use BMW approved oil...Long life.
You can use 0w20 but imo it's too thin. However, for the winter colder climates, 0w20 is fine. In the summer I would switch to 0w30. 0w30 has a higher viscosity.

[wcs2229]

I am in Toronto and get oil changes at Parkview BMW using BMW 0W20 LL.

It does not matter much where you park as there may only be 2-3 degC between outdoor or unheated garage.

[///Makis]

Originally Posted by CobbleStone

Hi everyone,

It is time to have my '16 X1's engine oil changed and I am a little confused about which oil viscosity I should be buying. I know the 0W20 is recommended but I think it's a little too thin and would like to move to a 0W30/40 or to a 5W30/40.

I live in Toronto and my car is parked outside during the day and inside at night.

In the manual it says that all of the above oils I mentioned are recommended but then there is a line right after the list of recommended oils that says that the '0W20 and 5W20 oils are only suitable for a particular engine'. No idea what that means in the context that the manual says the other oil types I mentioned are recommended.

As well, can I use an oil that is LL-04 certified as the manual states to use an LL-01 certified oil?

Thanks for all of your help.

BMW recommends the 0w20 / 5w20 for emissions reasons, the 20 meaning it is thinner (than higher second number oils like 5w30) at higher temps.

If it's miserably cold up there in Toronto, like below freezing most of the time, I would get 0w30 or 0w40 if you can find the latter.

Cars with turbos in general get hotter than NA engines, so it could offer better protection / longevity. It's worth mentioning that as an oil breaks down or degrades, it becomes less viscous at higher temps so you lose the "protection" call it at higher temps.

If you were to get 10w40, and it is well below 0 where you are. The oil is going to be very thick when you start your car in the morning which isn't ideal for winter startup / protection.

If you usually start your car in the morning and let it warm up for 5-10 minutes 5w30 is fine, if you're like my gf who starts her car and pretty much guns it down the road then I'd go with 0w30 or 0w40.

The above is provided you plan to change your oil every 6 months or 5000 miles.

Also the difference between LL-01 and LL-04 is one of them is used in Europe (I think the 04) and is suitable for gasoline with a higher sulphur content. The other is US spec which the EPA requires the sulphur content of gas to be lower.

For what it's worth I've been using castrol edge long life 5w30 in both my e82 and x1. I haven't had any problems thus far. I believe on my oil cap it says bmw recommends castrol, they at some point changed to shell, and I think they went back to castrol. I've heard good things about Mobil and liqui moly, but I can get 5 liters of castrol for 25$ and I usually put a can of liqui moly "MoS2 anti friction treatment" I think it's like 10$ at an auto store, I've put a can in after not changing my oil for longer than I care to admit and I noticed the idle dropped a bit and the car felt like it was idling smoother. Try it half way between oil changes and see if you notice a difference, I don't think it's snake oil in the slightest bit.