M3 E46 Motor Oil??
Printed From: Bavarian-Board.co.uk - BMW Owners Discussion Forum
Category: Technical & Model Specific Forums
Forum Name: BMW ///M Power
Forum Discription: Ask your BMW M Power Technical Questions here (M1, M2 hybrids, M3, M5 & M6)
URL: http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=45382
Printed Date: 19-May-2024 at 21:10
Topic: M3 E46 Motor Oil??
Posted By: Dez25
Subject: M3 E46 Motor Oil??
Date Posted: 01-August-2009 at 19:34
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Might be a silly question or not but this afternoon checked my oil and it had got down to the min level on the dipstick. Due to it being late on a sat afternoon and bmw not being open for oil i popped to halfords for some oil to top up and as i beileve the recommended oil is 10W 60 Castrol. But Halfords had on there booklet with recommended oils by manufacturers that you could use either 10W 60 or 15W 50 fully synthetic and as they had no 10W 60 i bought a 1 ltr bottle of 15W 50. Its 15W 50 MOBIL 1 Motorsport Formula Fully Synthetic Motor Oil, i've only put in around 800 ml of oil to take it half between the limits. But I was just wondering if i've done a bad thing in doing this or wether it is ok? Im due a service 2 inspection in 6000 miles so they'll change the oil then to BMW spec oil. Any info back is much appreciated, Also where does everyone get their oil from on here BMW?
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DEZ 7663 M Power..... The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of! |
Replies:
Posted By: bluebro
Date Posted: 01-August-2009 at 19:51
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I suppose a small top up of 15W 50 should be ok but i wouldn't add anymore. 10W 60 or nothing at all for my M3, can't argue why or why not but it's purely for peace of mind. Try Opie Oils for your M3's lifeblood, i believe they sponsor or at least advertise on this forum. -------------  F22 Estoril Blue M235i |
Posted By: davy tombstone
Date Posted: 01-August-2009 at 20:07
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bmw only recommend tws 10w60. best to stick to that IMO.
mobil 1 wont have done any damage tho. ------------- http://s324.photobucket.com/user/davytombstone/media/newsig_zpsd6056b1d.jpg.html" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: M3 Cliff
Date Posted: 01-August-2009 at 21:05
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euro car parts mate £37 for four litres ------------- [IMG]http://bavarian-board.co.uk/uploads/Webdunk/cliffsig.jpg"> |
Posted By: Daz
Date Posted: 02-August-2009 at 04:49
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Stick with the 10w 60 stuff by Castrol, it was designed for the M engines as BMW had some engine failures in the earlier years, I think around 2001. I also think it is a revised engine in the post MY03 models. They gave lifetime warranties on the engines in the US becuase of it seriously effecting aftermarket values, but not anywhere else of course I bought my oil from BMW. Daz
------------- http://smg.photobucket.com/user/silverbeastie/media/Milltek/Sig.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">  2009 E92 M3 - Milltek |
Posted By: sailorbaz
Date Posted: 02-August-2009 at 09:30
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BMW for me, although I've NEVER had to top up the oil in
mine. I bought some for a mate a couple of weeks ago, £14 for a litre from Phoenix BMW. There's two now...while they phase out the TWS. I think the new one is called 'Edge'...it's the same stuff, just different name. As far as I remember anyway. I managed to get the TWS stuff,  -------------  http://www.bmwccscotland.co.uk/cars/e46/m3csl.html" rel="nofollow - My Car 2004 M3 CSL and 2009 E90 M3 |
Posted By: davy tombstone
Date Posted: 02-August-2009 at 11:25
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tws means ten w sixty ------------- http://s324.photobucket.com/user/davytombstone/media/newsig_zpsd6056b1d.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: alanm3bmw
Date Posted: 02-August-2009 at 12:06
| am i right in thinking all M cars take Castrol 10 w 60 tws ? |
Posted By: Dez25
Date Posted: 02-August-2009 at 20:11
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Cheers for the advice and info! I had look at that Mobil 1 data and it meets the required API etc specs that BMW set down in the M3 Owners Manual. But I dare say a job this week might be a full oil change for peace of mind!
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DEZ 7663 M Power..... The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of! |
Posted By: Darren M
Date Posted: 11-August-2009 at 22:32
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As others have said, a top up of 15w50 won`t do any harm but should keep to the BMW recommended stuff. I just hold a litre of TWS 10w60 just in case - cost is about £14 from BMW ------------- 
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Posted By: martini
Date Posted: 19-August-2009 at 03:30
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I am now the proud owner of an E46 M3. Fantastic! I buy my oil from Opie. They sell two versions of the Castrol 10W 60. One of them is specifically for the M3. Its the dearer one of course! http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-662-10w-60.aspx - http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-662-10w-60.aspx My M3 doesn't seem to be using any oil between services. I will be changing the oil and filter mid-way between the standard services. ------------- "Life is not a rehearsal". |
Posted By: Dez25
Date Posted: 21-August-2009 at 02:28
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Well folks i forgot to update this, apologies. I went to BMW and got a new oil filter and queired about the oil and they were going to be £19 a litre bottle for TWS 10w60 (and wanting 7 litres just for safety sake was gonna be £133) so i did a bit of internet surfing and got ahold of a company in Newcastle who could supply it for £10 a litre bottle n £10 p&p (total £80) a saving of £53 so result. So 5 days after putting the 15w50 in, i did full oil/filter change and i can gladly say that was the first work i did on my M3 and it went a breeze and now im not a paranoid freak about my car lol. Thanks everyone for the information has been much appreciated. -------------
DEZ 7663 M Power..... The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of! |