# Exact Qty and type of oil for E39 530i



## roadie (Jun 1, 2004)

Can anyone please provide details on:

A) Exact Qty of engine oil for a E39 530i.
B) The recommended viscosity of Synthetic ( I live in the North East)

Thanks!


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## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

roadie said:


> Can anyone please provide details on:
> 
> A) Exact Qty of engine oil for a E39 530i.
> B) The recommended viscosity of Synthetic ( I live in the North East)
> ...


1. 6.7 quarts
2. Use the BMW Synthetic Oil - 10W-30. Buy it from a local dealer.

Hope this helps...JL


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## roadie (Jun 1, 2004)

SRFast said:


> 1. 6.7 quarts
> 2. Use the BMW Synthetic Oil - 10W-30. Buy it from a local dealer.
> 
> Hope this helps...JL


 :yikes: :yikes: BMW Oil? Can't I use Mobil 1 or something like that?

I have a Merc ML320 with the v6 3.2l engine that take 8.5 quarts of Mobil 1 0-40W for the North east....

The 10W-30W seems a little restricted in weight, no? Will using something like Mobil 1 0-40W damage anything?

Thanks


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## M.Wong (Jan 9, 2003)

I use BMW Synthetic 5W-30. It's $3.60 per quart at my dealer. That's 10% off the $4.00 price for BMWCCA members.

How much cheaper are you finding Mobil 1?


















(Resistant to change, no topsider...)


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## gerchy (Aug 7, 2004)

What about Castrol? In our country we are using TXT 5W-40 or 5W-30 ... that`s what all our dealers are selling.


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## GJR (Jan 6, 2003)

I'm facing the Mobil 1 vs. BMW oil dilemma right now. Some say Mobil 1 is better, others say stick with BMW...


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## M.Wong (Jan 9, 2003)

GJR said:


> Mobil 1 vs. BMW oil dilemma...


Since BMW oil is $3.60 a quart, I use it.

Mobil 1 on sale is close in price, but then I have to hunt for sales.


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## roadie (Jun 1, 2004)

*SA demystified it...*



roadie said:


> Can anyone please provide details on:
> 
> A) Exact Qty of engine oil for a E39 530i.
> B) The recommended viscosity of Synthetic ( I live in the North East)
> ...


Ok, finally talked to a BMW Mechanic at the dealer whom I trust.
He de-mystified it simply for me:

A) For 2001+ BMW's, including the M54 engine (which I have), I can use Mobil1 0-40W or Castrol Syntec 0-30W or the dealer's 5-30W.

B) You just have to be CONSISTENT. If you want to switch from factory filled / dealer filled BMW 5-30W, to let's say Mobil1 0-40W, then you just have to be sure to absolutely drain as much of the old oil as possible before refilling with Mobil1, and then do another Mobil1 refill at around 4K miles just to make sure all the oil is now Mobil1.

C) DO NOT wait until the oil change idiot light goes off in your car - If you want to keep your car well past warranty period then he recommends that you change your oil every 8,000 miles OR every 4 months - whichever comes first - basically even if you don't drive a lot, it is safe cheap insurance to change the oil every 4 months.

D) Yes, it's expensive to do that at the dealer each time. So invest in a topsider to suck out the oil through the dipstick hole.

E) If you have auto transmission - CHANGE the so called 'lifetime' fluid at around 80,000 miles if you want to keep it for a long time.

F) The so called 'lifetime' spark plugs should also be changed at around 80K miles or 4 years - whichever comes first.

Anyway, above is cheap insurance in my opinion for a car you intend to keep


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## gerchy (Aug 7, 2004)

One more thing ... can you mix the 5w-30 and 5w-40?


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## M.Wong (Jan 9, 2003)

gerchy said:


> One more thing ... can you mix the 5w-30 and 5w-40?


No, you should not mix weights...

"Carla was the prom queen."


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## jtg (Oct 9, 2003)

what is a topsider and where can i get one?


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## gerchy (Aug 7, 2004)

Yeah, Carla ...  Not so cute tho ...  

I asked several mechanics and there should not ne any problems if you are "filling up" the 5w-40 while the 5w-30 have been filled up at oil inspection.

What's the right oil then for M54? (have one green light left)
Castrol TXT Softec Plus 5w-30? (BMW approved)


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## M.Wong (Jan 9, 2003)

I still would not mix weights unless you were in a pinch, but that's just me. If you mean topping off (less than a quart) I'm sure it's not critical.

jtg, 
A couple examples of topsiders:



















Griot's Garage topsider

I still do it the old fashioned way and jack up the car to drain the oil from below.


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