Oil for BMW 335i

Gabby_11 · 25-03-2011 11:03AM #1

I need to top up the oil on a BMW 335i. I don't want to give the business to the local BMW service centre as I have found them very poor to deal with in the past.

From the handbook, BMW recommends Castrol, and Castrol recommends Edge 5W-30 on their website for the car.

Can anyone confirm this, or offer a more suitable alternative that I would be able to get in Motor Factors around Galway?

Thanks

25-03-2011 11:07AM

Gabby_11 wrote: »

From the handbook, BMW recommends Castrol, and Castrol recommends Edge 5W-30 on their website for the car.

Go with that

Is the engine oil light on btw?

JoeA3 · 25-03-2011 11:10AM

Gabby_11 wrote: »

I need to top up the oil on a BMW 335i. I don't want to give the business to the local BMW service centre as I have found them very poor to deal with in the past.

From the handbook, BMW recommends Castrol, and Castrol recommends Edge 5W-30 on their website for the car.

Can anyone confirm this, or offer a more suitable alternative that I would be able to get in Motor Factors around Galway?

Thanks

Castrol Edge 5W-30 is fairly widely available in motor factors and even in some filling stations all around Galway. I put the same stuff in my car lately and it was about 17 or 18 euro for a litre!

dharn · 25-03-2011 11:19AM

RoverJames wrote: »

Go with that
Is the engine oil light on btw?

i have a 06 320d which uses a little oil is it important to wait for oil light to come on as it would when it reaches low mark on dipstick i sometimes top up before that point is reached but i seem to recall bmw recommend not topping up until light comes on ..why

25-03-2011 11:22AM

You should never wait for the light to come on in my view, routine and regular checks to ensure you are only topping up with 0.5L or so each time is best practise in RJ's book :pac:

TCP/IP · 25-03-2011 11:26AM

I use 5W-30 in my 335i no problems at all. Out of interest were is your local BMW dealer.

PaulKK · 25-03-2011 11:29AM

dharn wrote: »

i have a 06 320d which uses a little oil is it important to wait for oil light to come on as it would when it reaches low mark on dipstick i sometimes top up before that point is reached but i seem to recall bmw recommend not topping up until light comes on ..why

Never wait for the light.. check it every 2 weeks and if it needs a drop, put it in.

Crackity Jones · 25-03-2011 11:29AM

Gabby_11 wrote: »

I need to top up the oil on a BMW 335i. I don't want to give the business to the local BMW service centre as I have found them very poor to deal with in the past.

From the handbook, BMW recommends Castrol, and Castrol recommends Edge 5W-30 on their website for the car.

Can anyone confirm this, or offer a more suitable alternative that I would be able to get in Motor Factors around Galway?

Thanks

Have you not had to top it up before? My 325i drinks the stuff

Gabby_11 · 25-03-2011 11:30AM

Thanks for the replies.

In the case of the 335i, the oil level is monitored by the computer, not the dipstick. The handbook recommends not to top up the oil until prompted to add a litre by the computer.

My local BMW service centre is in Galway. It is an authorized service centre, but not a BMW dealer AFAIK

Elessar · 25-03-2011 11:41AM

Crackity Jones wrote: »

Have you not had to top it up before? My 325i drinks the stuff

This. My E46 320ci absolutely guzzles the 5w-30 stuff, so much so that at one point I was topping up by 1 litre every 4-500 miles. So much so that I am considering getting the engine checked out as there has to be something wrong.

Then I started using thicker oil, 10w-40 IIRC, and I haven't had the oil light come on in 700 miles now...fingers crossed.

25-03-2011 11:44AM

Elessar wrote: »

Then I started using thicker oil, 10w-40 IIRC, and I haven't had the oil light come on in 700 miles now...fingers crossed.

Unless 10w40 is recommended I wouldn't use it.

PaddyFagan · 25-03-2011 11:46AM

Gabby_11 wrote: »

In the case of the 335i, the oil level is monitored by the computer, not the dipstick.

Just for anyone else who might come by - many of the E90 petrol engined cars don't have a dipstick :eek: (Certainly true on the 08 318i my wife had) - there's a proceedure for getting the trip computer to give you a "reading" it shows five block from memory either in outline or filled in depending on the level. But the manual is very clear, don't add oil until prompted by the car, and it will state the volume required (0.5l, 1.0l, etc)....

Paddy

25-03-2011 11:50AM

PaddyFagan wrote: »

But the manual is very clear, don't add oil until prompted by the car, and it will state the volume required (0.5l, 1.0l, etc)....

Paddy

I'd be fine with that if it was set up to prompt you when 0.5L is used, running at a litre less than max wouldn't tickle my fancy and I reckon if it's set up to alarm when 1l is due that's just so as to not annoy the owners. If I was driving a modern BMW 'twould be getting an oil change every year or 8000 miles anyway.

PaddyFagan · 25-03-2011 11:57AM

RoverJames wrote: »

I'd be fine with that if it was set up to prompt you when 0.5L is used, running at a litre less than max wouldn't tickle my fancy and I reckon if it's set up to alarm when 1l is due that's just so as to not annoy the owners. If I was driving a modern BMW 'twould be getting an oil change every year or 8000 miles anyway.

From memory it's a yellow oil can when it needs 0.5l - I never saw it ask for more, but I guess if you ignore it, it will ask for more over time - the manual notes that it can ask for larger amounts and there is a red oil can warning if it gets too low.

Paddy

no1beemerfan · 25-03-2011 12:01PM

My father has a '06 E90 320i and there is no dip stick. His problem is not that its using oil or anything, its being worried about overfilling. As far as I know there is nothing to warn if its over full which is a bad thing imo.

All these modern cars depending on 'lectric things to inform you! What happens when the car gets older?

langdang · 25-03-2011 12:07PM

no1beemerfan wrote: »

What happens when the car gets older?

You need to buy a new one (I think shorter useful lifespan is a major driver for all the new tech, from the manufacturers point of view...)

25-03-2011 12:08PM

Gabby_11 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

In the case of the 335i, the oil level is monitored by the computer, not the dipstick. The handbook recommends not to top up the oil until prompted to add a litre by the computer.

My local BMW service centre is in Galway. It is an authorized service centre, but not a BMW dealer AFAIK

Ring calbro for a price on the 5w-30 they will probably be the best value of the autofactors, although try Halfords also they were selling the castrol edge 5w-30 at a good price for a while.

RoverJames wrote: »

Unless 10w40 is recommended I wouldn't use it.

5w-30 is recommended for my 318 too but I'm using 15w-30 semi synthetic and its also loses much less as its thicker, its sort of the done thing by a lot as the engine gets older*.

*Not suggesting this for the op, I'm just talking about older cars.

Elessar · 25-03-2011 12:11PM

RoverJames wrote: »

Unless 10w40 is recommended I wouldn't use it.

Why not?

25-03-2011 12:11PM

Adalyn Damaged Letter wrote: »

5w-30 is recommended for my 318 too but I'm using 15w-30 semi synthetic and its also loses much less as its thicker, its sort of the done thing by a lot as the engine gets older.

I know it's done

I wouldn't do it though to a car worth a few quid, fair enough if your 318 is an ole e36.

25-03-2011 12:16PM

Elessar wrote: »

Why not?

Too thick when cold, too thick when hot and a 320ci is a decent bus.

25-03-2011 12:21PM

RoverJames wrote: »

I know it's done
I wouldn't do it though to a car worth a few quid, fair enough if your 318 is an ole e36.

No its a 318ci, 1.9 engine alright though. As far as I know the idea of recommending the 5w-30 in them was for longer service intervals.

I agree of course I would also use the correct oil in cars but I know the oil is fine in mine as semi-synth was the oil used in e36's which essentially had the same engine as my yoke.

The reason I changed was from reading bmw owners forums where they said changing to the thicker oil can help with small oil leaks, which it did.

25-03-2011 12:39PM

Adalyn Damaged Letter wrote: »

No its a 318ci, 1.9 engine alright though. As far as I know the idea of recommending the 5w-30 in them was for longer service intervals.

10w40 semi will stay in spec for as long as 5w30 semi so the ideal that it's for a longer service interval would not be correct me thinks

Gumbo · 25-03-2011 12:56PM

RoverJames wrote: »

You should never wait for the light to come on in my view, routine and regular checks to ensure you are only topping up with 0.5L or so each time is best practise in RJ's book :pac:

PaulKK wrote: »

Never wait for the light.. check it every 2 weeks and if it needs a drop, put it in.

Crackity Jones wrote: »

Have you not had to top it up before? My 325i drinks the stuff

RoverJames wrote: »

I'd be fine with that if it was set up to prompt you when 0.5L is used, running at a litre less than max wouldn't tickle my fancy and I reckon if it's set up to alarm when 1l is due that's just so as to not annoy the owners. If I was driving a modern BMW 'twould be getting an oil change every year or 8000 miles anyway.

its worth noting that the newer BMW's dont have dipsticks, so you cannot check it every 2 weeks or so. the computer tells you when you need a top up.

In my e90 320d, when the OBC tells you that a top up is required, i need to pour in 1 Litre exactly. very simple tbh.

BTW BMW sell the 1 litre bottle for €20. a bit more expensive than the motor factors, but you get a BMW receipt with all the cars info, dated and mileage, which is handy come sale time to back up maintainance and proove mileage

25-03-2011 01:00PM

kceire wrote: »

In my e90 320d, when the OBC tells you that a top up is required, i need to pour in 1 Litre exactly. very simple tbh.

No doubt it's simple

Hardly great for the engine though, particularly a diesel.

listermint · 25-03-2011 01:05PM

RoverJames wrote: »

10w40 semi will stay in spec for as long as 5w30 semi so the ideal that it's for a longer service interval would not be correct me thinks

Older engines will require thicker oil. 320Ci although its a 'nice bus' that poster did not mention mileage on the engine at all. So its hard to make a call.

I use thicker engine oil on mine, as she is above the 100K mark and its perfect. Manufacturers recommendations generally run out after a period. We operate in the real world.

listermint · 25-03-2011 01:07PM

RoverJames wrote: »

No doubt it's simple
Hardly great for the engine though, particularly a diesel.

On one hand your quoting manufacturers recommendations on the other your saying that what the OBC tells you to do is hardly great for the engine?

which is it ?

25-03-2011 01:08PM

listermint wrote: »

Older engines will require thicker oil. 320Ci although its a 'nice bus' that poster did not mention mileage on the engine at all. So its hard to make a call.

I use thicker engine oil on mine, as she is above the 100K mark and its perfect. Manufacturers recommendations generally run out after a period. We operate in the real world.

:rolleyes: I operate in the real world too, if you need to use a thicker oil in an engine to stop it p1ssing away it's not perfect.

25-03-2011 01:11PM

listermint wrote: »

On one hand your quoting manufacturers recommendations on the other your saying that what the OBC tells you to do is hardly great for the engine?

which is it ?

You seem to have a problem. Surely you can appreciate that running a diesel engine one litre below the recommended level is not ideal. I have already commented that they have this set up to alarm at a litre is to ensure minimum inconvenience for the owner.

listermint · 25-03-2011 01:12PM

RoverJames wrote: »

:rolleyes: I operate in the real world too, if you need to use a thicker oil in an engine to stop it p1ssing away it's not perfect.

What would one suggest then? skimming the engine? replacing every seal / hose / connection ? I know cars that are sitting up around 220,000Miles based on changing the oil.

What is perfect?

listermint · 25-03-2011 01:14PM

RoverJames wrote: »

You seem to have a problem. Surely you can appreciate that running a diesel engine one litre below the recommended level is not ideal. I have already commented that they have this set up to alarm at a litre is to ensure minimum inconvenience for the owner.

I honestly dont have a problem, but telling people that changing oil based on changing mileage age and engine characteristics is bad practice is simply incorrect. Its the norm, So no ive no issue just have to point out the advice given.

25-03-2011 01:15PM

listermint wrote: »

What would one suggest then? skimming the engine? replacing every seal / hose / connection ? I know cars that are sitting up around 220,000Miles based on changing the oil.

What is perfect?

This is really profound so brace yourself........... I would recommend topping up with the oil spec recommended by the manufacturer and not letting it go 0.5L below the maximum mark :pac:

Oil for BMW 335i

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