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      04-18-2020, 06:32 AM   #1
Dalmango
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Engine In Oil In The UK?

Sorry there are a few posts on this topic already; multinational - so this is focused on UK weather conditions; England in particular. It appears that BMW are restricting this information; no doubt an effort to force you to go to them for maintenance at 15 times the cost.

It appears that 5w-30 LL-04 is the oil for UK? I stumbled on another thread where it appears that LL-01 oils a for high-sulphur fuels (USA). Whereas the UK & Germany have low-sulphur fuels, calling for a LL-04 grade. This is only from a forum post though so I can't verify it's credibility.
  1. Is anyone able to provide a credible link from a BMW source specifying the exact grade of oil for the 2018 M2?
  2. To the self-maintenance crowd - what have you been putting in & how are you getting on with it?

I don't track the car, I use it in rush hour; around 20k miles per annum. I drive enthusiastically now & again if I work late & there is some space on our over-crowded roads.
I'm just about to do a spring time oil change & will be changing it again in the autumnal/ winter months so the possibility is there to use alternative grades in conjunction with average seasonal temperatures.
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      04-18-2020, 08:45 AM   #2
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The credible source would be your owners manual which would state what you have stumbled upon already.
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      04-18-2020, 08:59 AM   #3
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Agreed use what is listed on your manual.
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      04-18-2020, 09:05 AM   #4
Dalmango
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nioh_lbbm2 View Post
The credible source would be your owners manual which would state what you have stumbled upon already.
INCORRECT - attached picture which gives the only reference of oil. The manual stipulates the oil can be used for "topping up"; insinuating this is not suitable for a full oil change.

It does not give the full viscosity spec. Take note at the bottom "Information on suitable oil specifications & visocisities of engine oils can be obtained from a Service Partner of the manufacturer". I shouldn't have to contact someone to find out what type of oil is spec'd for my car & given the COVID outbreak I'm unable to at this moment in time & I'd like to make use of this downtime by changing my oil.
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      04-18-2020, 02:09 PM   #5
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There's only a couple viscosities that meet LL-01 and or LL-04 for your case. As long as it meets that spec it's fine. So yes again. The credible source is your user's manual.
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      04-18-2020, 05:06 PM   #6
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I get genuine BMW oil posted from Harry Fairbain, cheapest place I have found around £8.00 a litre.
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      04-19-2020, 03:46 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nioh_lbbm2 View Post
There's only a couple viscosities that meet LL-01 and or LL-04 for your case. As long as it meets that spec it's fine. So yes again. The credible source is your user's manual.
WRONG AGAIN - There is no reference to LL-01/ LL-04 in the users manual. As stated in the opening post "I stumbled on another thread where it appears that LL-01 oils a for high-sulphur fuels (USA). Whereas the UK & Germany have low-sulphur fuels, calling for a LL-04 grade. This is only from a forum post though so I can't verify it's credibility."

So I can't go from this; this is any Tom/ Dick/ Harry's advice; it's not from a credible source, & as mentioned it does not specify the exact spec of oil in the users manual (have you read it?).


Thanks BMWAUTOJON, I wonder if there's anything better? In my experience BMW are not an oil manufacturer, they're a car manufacturer. The oils they pay rights for will not necessarily be the best oil, they will be the oil they can make the most money out of & have their vehicle last within warranty period for the cheapest price. In my experience it's best to find out what spec oil they use & look at alternative higher-end brands. Though this is the first time I've ever had trouble finding a spec of oil for a car I've bought. This topic has been heavily discussed in recent years.

Last edited by Dalmango; 04-19-2020 at 03:53 AM..
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      04-19-2020, 04:41 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalmango View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by nioh_lbbm2 View Post
There's only a couple viscosities that meet LL-01 and or LL-04 for your case. As long as it meets that spec it's fine. So yes again. The credible source is your user's manual.
WRONG AGAIN - There is no reference to LL-01/ LL-04 in the users manual. As stated in the opening post "I stumbled on another thread where it appears that LL-01 oils a for high-sulphur fuels (USA). Whereas the UK & Germany have low-sulphur fuels, calling for a LL-04 grade. This is only from a forum post though so I can't verify it's credibility."

So I can't go from this; this is any Tom/ Dick/ Harry's advice; it's not from a credible source, & as mentioned it does not specify the exact spec of oil in the users manual (have you read it?).


Thanks BMWAUTOJON, I wonder if there's anything better? In my experience BMW are not an oil manufacturer, they're a car manufacturer. The oils they pay rights for will not necessarily be the best oil, they will be the oil they can make the most money out of & have their vehicle last within warranty period for the cheapest price. In my experience it's best to find out what spec oil they use & look at alternative higher-end brands. Though this is the first time I've ever had trouble finding a spec of oil for a car I've bought. This topic has been heavily discussed in recent years.
Your manual must be own old revision or something. Use the electronic manual which is constantly updated. You will be prompted to enter your VIN

This is from the BMW Driver's Guide app for my car which lists oil for oil changes and for topping up. Of course mine is the USA version so LL01 is the norm here. Viscosity is also printed on a sticker under the hood for mine:
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Last edited by nioh_lbbm2; 04-19-2020 at 04:50 AM..
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      04-19-2020, 08:16 AM   #9
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What about check underneath your bonnet?There should be a sticker that indicates what oil weight is recommended.
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      04-20-2020, 04:15 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nioh_lbbm2 View Post
This is from the BMW Driver's Guide app for my car which lists oil for oil changes and for topping up.
Thanks nioh, dear lord an app just to find out what engine oil is required for my car. That's more of my personal data out there that no doubt we'll see on the news a month or two after signing up a huge BMW Driver's app hack/ leak of customers data. So many people happy just to give their data to everyone & wonder why they're a victim of identity fraud.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cncmastr View Post
What about check underneath your bonnet?There should be a sticker that indicates what oil weight is recommended.
No sir, pics below.

All this just to try to find out what engine oil is required . Hopefully someone in the UK will be on here soon.

I think Castrol Edge 5w-30 is the only fully-compliant substitute at this stage. The trouble is what's listed in the manual is inadequate.
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Last edited by Dalmango; 04-20-2020 at 05:22 AM..
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      04-27-2020, 01:17 AM   #11
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This is what the manual says for my UK spec M2 Comp.
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