Oil is Oil?

In the US, the BMW OEM was synthetic in your 540i and dino in your Z3 &

328i. My preference is BMW synthetic (cheaper in my area than Mobil 1), coupled with one interim change between the factory recommended ca. 15,000 mile changes .

Tom K.

"Bob Rowlands" wrote

The advantage is that you can run longer between oil changes. For some people changing oil often is a waste of time, so they prefer to do it less often. Synthetic also flows faster at very low starting temps resulting in less engine wear (most wear occurs at startup), but whether the difference is big enough to actually notice it is debatable.

It is true though that today's mineral oils aren't what they used to be just

20 years ago. They offer protection that is very close to the one obtained from a synthetic oil.

Not sure what you mean by 'dirty'. Are you saying that when it visually appears darker it's time to change? I would argue with that. Some oils in some applications tend to darken quite fast. That does not mean that they can no longer do the job (of protecting the engine from wear). Take a typical diesel engine for example - it'll darken the oil within a few hundred miles. That does not mean that you need to change it this often.

Pete

You need more practice at being a first class troll. This is barely third class trolling. --

Hey, he enticed two of us to feed him - I'd say 2nd class, at least.

Tom K.

"Tom K." wrote

Yeah, I fell right into that one. :)

Pete

Must mean you are also a fine gentleman of discerning taste!

Tom K.

Aw comeon. He used the "oil" word. I'd say it's at least second class trolling.

And don't forget, "Oil's fair in love, war & Usenet."

Tom K.