Why an oil change is so important

[Jandre]

I took these pics of a e36 318is. The car is standing next to mine with 225 000km on the clock.

Below picture is a side view of the block. Upon seizing up, the piston smashed outwards, I could see a piece of an oil ring, and we took the gudgion (spelling) pin out through the engine case.

This is taken with the head still in place. The oil is just one sticky, sludgy mess.

Unbelievable.

 

[Mike1]

And why the correct oil is also important.

 

[Jandre]

I don't think this car had an oil change for ages.

 

[BimmerMan]

What the hell is wrong with people!!! Do you they not assume that the engine needs any type of service...ever???!!!???

 

[wynandd]

Check the sticky deposits....I'm willing to bet huge bucks that that car was run on Castrol!

 

[Mike1]

What the hell is wrong with people!!! Do you they not assume that the engine needs any type of service...ever???!!!???

Bimmerman... I have seen 330i E90 BMW's with engines that look at least 3 times worse then this with only 15 000km on the clock... Those cars are serviced every 20K and have an oil that is approved to last up to 25K yet they sludge like theres no tomorrow.

Its not always the oils fault... Sometimes its a design issue....

Mike

 

[plonkster]

Check the sticky deposits....I'm willing to bet huge bucks that that car was run on Castrol!

In my experience, it isn't "Castrol" in general but rather the cheap GTX (API-SG rated) most people buy from the supermarket shelf. I'm with Mike there to some extend, at the very least get a decent oil.

And on a side note, Castrol has since upped the rating of GTX, but the bad reputation will stick for a while.

 

[BimmerMan]

What the hell is wrong with people!!! Do you they not assume that the engine needs any type of service...ever???!!!???

Bimmerman... I have seen 330i E90 BMW's with engines that look at least 3 times worse then this with only 15 000km on the clock... Those cars are serviced every 20K and have an oil that is approved to last up to 25K yet they sludge like theres no tomorrow.

Its not always the oils fault... Sometimes its a design issue....

Mike

Hi Mike

I assume you mean 150 000KM, not 15 000? I still think 20 000KM - 30 000KM service intervals are too high! My 87 320I was part of the old school services that were done every 10 000Km and that cars engine is SPOTLESS inside...no dirt or anything.
Luckily I have never owned a car that had an engine that looks like this. All my BMW's are spotless, even with the 5 on 265 000KM...

IMHO it has more to do with the change intervals than the actual oil itself...

 

[Mike1]

Hey Bimmerman

Extended Services are perfectly accepted assuming that the correct oil with the correct Longlife approval are used.

Cheap oils give nasty results but any oil with a good spec and decent longlife approval will work.

For cars under warranty the Longlife approval is essential!

---

And no.. I mean 15 000km on the clock.

Visit SMG or Forsdicks Tygervalley. One year old BMW's with sludge so bad that dealerships are removing the heads to clean them.

All because BMW use the incorrect longlife oil in their vehicles... Sigh...

Mike

 

[Hellas]

Some thinners should clean that right up.
On the other hand, one of my inlaws drove a Prelude for 60000 without a service. I were keen to see how much longer before she (Yes, it's a she...) realized there is something wrong with the car... Unfortunately she wrote it off...

 

[88RSI]

Nee damit sies

 

[zaleonardz]

I wanna see what the inside of Clutchy's E34 original gearbox looks like, gonna be something like this im sure.

And why the correct oil is also important.

 

[CheapnNasty]

Check the sticky deposits....I'm willing to bet huge bucks that that car was run on Castrol!

Doesn't BMW (The company) use Castrol as the defacto standard?

 

[Mike1]

Yes they do...

But the Castrol oil does not have the latest spec or approvals to cope with Euro designed engines.

Mike

 

[CheapnNasty]

Hows does BMW SA allow that knowing that they may have to fork out for any damages? :slap:

 

[1lum1nat1]

Hows does BMW SA allow that knowing that they may have to fork out for any damages? :slap:

Because they are a bunch of fking retards.

4-5 years ago my now future brother in law went to BMW to go test drive a 120i, he was set on the car. They did'nt phone him back numerous times & he was nagginmg them to death to get any 1 series to test drive. He eventually phoned them & told them to leave it.

The sales man asked him what his other options are, he said the Polo tdi sportline & a few other cars. The sales man told him to rather get eh Polo, it's a better car.


I love my BMW to death, but where some of these (note, not just BMW) dealers get their employees from no one knows.

 

[plonkster]

Yes they do...

But the Castrol oil does not have the latest spec or approvals to cope with Euro designed engines.

As far as the Diesels go, Castrol does make oils that comply with BMW LL01 and LL04. Quite expensive too at R75/liter for LL01 and about double that for LL04 (at the local Midas).

---

The sales man asked him what his other options are, he said the Polo tdi sportline & a few other cars. The sales man told him to rather get eh Polo, it's a better car.

Polo TDi is not a better car, at least IMHO. Didn't they have a massive recall because of turbos?

 

[Mike1]

Plonkster -

Even though it has the correct Longlife Approval it is usually a SG or SL Spec which is the performance spec of the oil. Even more so vital with diesels where CF is considered a everyday spec with the latest being CI-4. Check the performance API rating on those oils from Midas... Then understand why there is an issue.

Also note that the sludging issue I was refferring to seems to be only prevelent in the PETROL engines of the newer BMW's which are now on the 20 000km extended drain interval.

Mike

---

And yes...

The 108kw TDI Sporline had major turbo issues... Why?

Simple. Same issue as with BMW.

The 108KW TDI requires a 505 01 approved oil. This is a VAG specification for both VW and SEAT specifically for this engine. This approval however makes the oil very expensive. An example:

Top Tec 4200 5W30 (Hydrocracked / Semi Synthetic Oil) - 505 01 approved oil: R510 Incl. VAT for 5 Litres.
Synthoil 5W40 (Group 5 PAG. The best Fully Synthetic available) - No 505 01 approval: R500 Incl. VAT for 5 Litres.

No dealership were willing to heed the manufacturers warnings and went for the standard Castrol oil and 3 weeks later we have blown turbo's damaged by heat soak and cavitation.

The recall didnt change the turbo's.... It changed the oil. Once again... Dealerships taking short cuts...

Mike

 

[clutchplate]

holy crap thats horrible !

I dunno, castrol is pretty good. depending on what u use of course... what are the rest of u guys using in the V8's ?
I use only the BMW brand SLX 5W30 oil from castrol...

lol, LZ .. I'm sure it does... I'll have to take it appart sometime ...

 

[1lum1nat1]

Plonkster, I'm not saying the Polo was a better car, it really was a fun drive, but the BMW salesman told him to rather go for the Polo since he was such a lazy dumbf*** to throw away a sale.

I have to tell you, the moent you walk into the BMW dealership in Bloem you get that airy fairy feeling & the people check you out as WTF are you doing here. Don't like the place at all.