» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | | | View Poll Results: Syn Oil weights | 0W-20 | | 2 | 0.58% | 0W-30 | | 16 | 4.68% | 5W-20 | | 8 | 2.34% | 5W-30 | | 105 | 30.70% | 10W-30 | | 62 | 18.13% | 10W-40 | | 80 | 23.39% | 15W-40 | | 31 | 9.06% | 15W-50 | | 38 | 11.11% | | | | 09-24-2004, 09:35 AM | #1 | Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA Posts: 49 | Whats your weight? (synthetic oil) Since I'm considering switching to synthetic oil, I think it's suiting to start a poll on oil weight. This is for synthetic users ONLY. Please include your location and the average temperature where you drive. __________________ 1997 318i - All stock.....for now | | | 09-30-2004, 06:58 PM | #2 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Marion, IA Posts: 388 | I am using 15W50 Mobil 1 synthetic. I live in IA, and only drive the car in the spring/summer/fall, usually on days above freezing. Avg summer temperature is around 72 degrees (day/night average), highest high is around 100 . When temperatures are below about 20 F, it is hard starting and will idle terrible for about 10 seconds. I believe this is due to the thick oil. I do several autocrosses during the year, and some spirited driving. The thick oil works great for my driving habits. My fuel economy is worse with the thick oil, probably by about 2-4 mpg average. This current oil change I have about 6k miles and still have 3 bars left on my change indicator, I also have about 4k highway miles on this oil. My previous oil was 10w30 (fossil based). | | | 10-01-2004, 01:12 PM | #3 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 107 | Quote: Originally Posted by tastade I am using 15W50 Mobil 1 synthetic. I live in IA, and only drive the car in the spring/summer/fall, usually on days above freezing. Avg summer temperature is around 72 degrees (day/night average), highest high is around 100 . When temperatures are below about 20 F, it is hard starting and will idle terrible for about 10 seconds. I believe this is due to the thick oil. I do several autocrosses during the year, and some spirited driving. The thick oil works great for my driving habits. My fuel economy is worse with the thick oil, probably by about 2-4 mpg average. This current oil change I have about 6k miles and still have 3 bars left on my change indicator, I also have about 4k highway miles on this oil. My previous oil was 10w30 (fossil based). | I also use Redcap but I live in San Diego where it never gets below 50F. Perhaps for winter, you should switch to 5-30 or 10-30. Seems like this would help aleviate your issues upon starting. Castrol makes a 5-50 Syntec which also might work. Good luck | | | 12-10-2004, 02:04 AM | #4 | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: San Diego Posts: 142 | I live in San Diego and the previous owner of my car always used 10w-40 synthetic so I am continuing with it. By the way its Mobil 1 stuff. __________________ "You want to know me? Well so do I." 97' naked 318ti | | | 12-10-2004, 07:26 PM | #5 | Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: PA Posts: 78 | I always use Valvoline Syntech full Synthetic motor oil. For the winter I am using 10W 30. | | | 01-03-2005, 10:55 PM | #6 | Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Toronto Canada Posts: 61 | Just Changed it today to 5w-30 Mobil 1. It had problems starting in -20c temps. Peter 1999 318ti 81k __________________ _____________________________ Peter 1999 318ti _____________________________ | | | 01-04-2005, 04:09 AM | #7 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Muncie, Indiana Posts: 1,551 | I want to switch to synthetic, but the guys at the dealership it didn't matter, and a guy at the autoparts store said that it could cause problems (fuel pump to go out? I can't remember what it was now because I asked a few months ago) I have 140,000 miles do these guys know what they are talking about or is it just crap? I Had to edit this in sorry I forgot. I live in Indiana summer around 80 degrees winter around 32 and dealer uses 20w50 oil | | | 09-01-2006, 12:47 AM | #8 | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: A few tenths ahead of alaskablue Posts: 265 | Quote: Originally Posted by AlaskaBlue I want to switch to synthetic, but the guys at the dealership it didn't matter, and a guy at the autoparts store said that it could cause problems (fuel pump to go out? I can't remember what it was now because I asked a few months ago) I have 140,000 miles do these guys know what they are talking about or is it just crap? I Had to edit this in sorry I forgot. I live in Indiana summer around 80 degrees winter around 32 and dealer uses 20w50 oil | For the record, alaskablue went synthetic, then I converted him to conventional valvoline max life(the car likes it much better) As for myself, I just went from 5w30 motorcraft syn to Mobile-1 10w30 5000mile oil....(No idea if it is conventional or syn.) I bought a case, air filter, 2 oil filters for less than having the oil changed...haha Andrew | | | 09-01-2006, 01:58 AM | #9 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Muncie, Indiana Posts: 1,551 | Quote: Originally Posted by S10mafia50 For the record, alaskablue went synthetic, then I converted him to conventional valvoline max life(the car likes it much better) As for myself, I just went from 5w30 motorcraft syn to Mobile-1 10w30 5000mile oil....(No idea if it is conventional or syn.) I bought a case, air filter, 2 oil filters for less than having the oil changed...haha Andrew | I went to redline, but the car used that up as fast a gas. Then I switched to valvoline maxlife. The car burns a lot less oil and my wallet is much happier. I am using 10w40 weight. | | | 09-01-2006, 02:32 PM | #10 | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 2,525 | Strange.. My Ti doesn't use any oil... I'm running Mobil 1 0w40... Do you have a leak somewhere that would explain your car using the oil like that? I didn't think that was an issue on the m42/44. I know the S14 uses oil, but that engine is kind of extreme by comparison. | | | 09-01-2006, 11:19 PM | #11 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Muncie, Indiana Posts: 1,551 | Quote: Originally Posted by mohaughn Strange.. My Ti doesn't use any oil... I'm running Mobil 1 0w40... Do you have a leak somewhere that would explain your car using the oil like that? I didn't think that was an issue on the m42/44. I know the S14 uses oil, but that engine is kind of extreme by comparison. | The simple answer is that I leak somewhere and it burns oil it is a 170,000 mile engine. I am not sure of the exact amount now because I seem to top off every four or five days. I check it nearly everyday or everyday that I drive at least. I never let it get a quart low due to the conditions in which the car is driven. | | | 01-04-2005, 05:04 PM | #12 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Manhattan Kansas Posts: 242 | I was using mobil1 15w50 , then switched to 5w30 for this winter. | | | 02-25-2005, 07:58 AM | #13 | Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: huntsville, Alabama Posts: 110 | I use redline 20w-50. Superb oil! | | | 02-25-2005, 02:00 PM | #14 | Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Walnut Creek, CA Posts: 642 | There one furmula you forgot......Mobil 1 0w-40, which I use all year round. | | | 02-25-2005, 04:34 PM | #15 | Junior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Springfield, VA Posts: 10 | I use 15w50 Mobil One. | | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |