I have a 2000 Z3 2.8 manual transmission with 64k miles and want to do my own oil change and other light maintenance. The manual says to use BMW oil, is there a suitable replacement oil and filter I can use? And can I reset the maintenance indicator without special tools, if so what is the procedure? Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Special oil?
- Thread starter nas17car
- Start date
As long as you don't have the S54 3.2L motor, you can very safely use any motor oil that meets BMW-Longlife 2001 or 2004 certification. The list includes:
Mobil1 0w-40
Castrol Syntec 0w-30
Valvoline Synpower 5w-40
Look on the back of the bottle, you'll see BMW-LL01 or BMW-LL04.
I use a Mityvac to extract oil. Makes oil changes very easy. You can buy a Peake tool to reset the service lights. Look around the classifieds or craigslist and you might find one for cheap.
Mobil1 0w-40
Castrol Syntec 0w-30
Valvoline Synpower 5w-40
Look on the back of the bottle, you'll see BMW-LL01 or BMW-LL04.
I use a Mityvac to extract oil. Makes oil changes very easy. You can buy a Peake tool to reset the service lights. Look around the classifieds or craigslist and you might find one for cheap.
But have you actually put Mobil1 0w-40 in a bimmer? I , and many others have, and the VANOS unit makes a ton of noise at idle after the engine warms up, sounds like a collapsed valve. The general opinion is that at low RPM, Mobil 1 0w or 5w is too thin to fully pressurize the VANOS hydraulics.
Example from Bimmerfest.com:
"I had the same problem, although mine was compunded by a marked power drop between 3500-4500 rpm during acceleration. The noise was a little different than lifter noise, plus it went away at higher rpms (like yours). With a $4.99 stethoscope from Harbor Freight, I determined it to come from under the VANOS cover.
Incidentally, when my mechanic confirmed the bad VANOS, he asked what kind of oil I was using. My last oil change, I bought 0-50 weight synthetic oil, because it said on the container that it was specifically formulated for BMW. Shortly after that is when the noise started. He suggested that I drain the synthetic oil (there went $40 poured out in my back yard, oops, I mean recycled at Autozone) and replace with Castrol 20-50. Unfortunately, the damage had been done: the thinner oil had caused the VANOS to become starved of oil pressure at lower rpms.
My mechanic found a used VANOS for $75, and installed it for me. Problem solved, and she runs smooth and quiet, with nice linear acceleration."
Google Mobil 1 VANOS noise and you'll find tons of discussion on this issue.
Example from Bimmerfest.com:
"I had the same problem, although mine was compunded by a marked power drop between 3500-4500 rpm during acceleration. The noise was a little different than lifter noise, plus it went away at higher rpms (like yours). With a $4.99 stethoscope from Harbor Freight, I determined it to come from under the VANOS cover.
Incidentally, when my mechanic confirmed the bad VANOS, he asked what kind of oil I was using. My last oil change, I bought 0-50 weight synthetic oil, because it said on the container that it was specifically formulated for BMW. Shortly after that is when the noise started. He suggested that I drain the synthetic oil (there went $40 poured out in my back yard, oops, I mean recycled at Autozone) and replace with Castrol 20-50. Unfortunately, the damage had been done: the thinner oil had caused the VANOS to become starved of oil pressure at lower rpms.
My mechanic found a used VANOS for $75, and installed it for me. Problem solved, and she runs smooth and quiet, with nice linear acceleration."
Google Mobil 1 VANOS noise and you'll find tons of discussion on this issue.
Yes, I actually only use Mobil1 0w-40 in my both of my BMWs (M54 motor / double VANOS) for over 3 yrs now. Not a single problem.
If you're talking about valve ticking at cold start-up, that is normal if you haven't driven the car in a while. If it happens regularly, your hydraulic lifters have issues. In fact, a thinner oil should fill the hydraulic lifters quicker than a thicker oil as it flows better. What happens with thinner oils when your engine sits is that the oil bleeds out of the lifters. When you start the engine, they have to pressurize and self-adjust to the correct height; then the ticking goes away. This is how they work.
If you have valve ticking while oil pressure is built up, then yes, your lifters have issues, but i doubt the oil weight you use (as long as you're within spec) caused the lifters to seize.
Bare in mind, you should take into account your local climate. If you're in extremely hot or cold weather, you should adjust your cold/hot oil weights accordingly.
If you're talking about valve ticking at cold start-up, that is normal if you haven't driven the car in a while. If it happens regularly, your hydraulic lifters have issues. In fact, a thinner oil should fill the hydraulic lifters quicker than a thicker oil as it flows better. What happens with thinner oils when your engine sits is that the oil bleeds out of the lifters. When you start the engine, they have to pressurize and self-adjust to the correct height; then the ticking goes away. This is how they work.
If you have valve ticking while oil pressure is built up, then yes, your lifters have issues, but i doubt the oil weight you use (as long as you're within spec) caused the lifters to seize.
Bare in mind, you should take into account your local climate. If you're in extremely hot or cold weather, you should adjust your cold/hot oil weights accordingly.
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upon further thought, regarding the VANOS issue, losing pressure using thinner oils doesn't make any sense. Try this thought experiment:
1. to illustrate the point, let's make "extreme" analogies. imagine thinner oil as water, and thicker oil as vegetable oil.
2. imagine a clear rubber tube (your VANOS hose), one end open, one end connected to a balloon (VANOS unit).
3. if you try to pump water vs vegetable oil through the tube to inflate the balloon, what do you think is going to inflate the balloon faster? Answer: the water (thinner oil).
On a separate note, the double VANOS unit has a known problem with the seals wearing out sooner than expected. If the seals are worn, and you use a thinner oil, it is possible that the thinner oil is leaking through the worn seal causing lost pressure. The problem in this case is not the oil, but the worn seal.
1. to illustrate the point, let's make "extreme" analogies. imagine thinner oil as water, and thicker oil as vegetable oil.
2. imagine a clear rubber tube (your VANOS hose), one end open, one end connected to a balloon (VANOS unit).
3. if you try to pump water vs vegetable oil through the tube to inflate the balloon, what do you think is going to inflate the balloon faster? Answer: the water (thinner oil).
On a separate note, the double VANOS unit has a known problem with the seals wearing out sooner than expected. If the seals are worn, and you use a thinner oil, it is possible that the thinner oil is leaking through the worn seal causing lost pressure. The problem in this case is not the oil, but the worn seal.
usually you can reset the oil light yourself. turn the key on (don't start it). Open the hood and find the round diagnostic connector. take off the cover and use a jumper wire to connect the number 7 pin to ground and hold for 15 seconds. it should reset the light.
I do this at work, but it actually only works about half the time. The OEM tools connect to this diagnostic port and have like 4 pins on them. I guess I need to find which pins it connects when you press the button then I could just do it like that.
I do this at work, but it actually only works about half the time. The OEM tools connect to this diagnostic port and have like 4 pins on them. I guess I need to find which pins it connects when you press the button then I could just do it like that.
From the same thread where you quoted the above, post #17 & 18:
i just did an oil service (switched to mobil-1 0W-40) and the problem seems much reduced. Will post in about a week with observations.
...
It's been a week and the annoying ticking noise is gone!. I guess it must have been low oil pressure after all.
That actually makes more sense to me as you are likely to build up pressure quicker with thinner oils. On the other hand, if your VANOS has leaky seals, I can see how thinner oils would lose more pressure than using a thicker oil; but again, in that situation its the seal that is the problem, not the oil.
i just did an oil service (switched to mobil-1 0W-40) and the problem seems much reduced. Will post in about a week with observations.
...
It's been a week and the annoying ticking noise is gone!. I guess it must have been low oil pressure after all.
That actually makes more sense to me as you are likely to build up pressure quicker with thinner oils. On the other hand, if your VANOS has leaky seals, I can see how thinner oils would lose more pressure than using a thicker oil; but again, in that situation its the seal that is the problem, not the oil.
Maybe i'm missing something, but i'm actually trying to read up more about this issue and did your suggested google search. but all i find are people's testimonials that using the thinner M1 0w-40 helped quiet the VANOS noise???
case in point:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=934066&postcount=9
This is all consistent with my understanding of how things work.
I don't know who the "I, and many others.." you are referring to are... but I'm finding more information contrary to your point in my google searches....
case in point:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=934066&postcount=9
This is all consistent with my understanding of how things work.
I don't know who the "I, and many others.." you are referring to are... but I'm finding more information contrary to your point in my google searches....
Not talking about cold start valve tick. I said it made a collapsed valve lifter sound, but clearly stated it came from VANOS unit. I used a medical stethoscope to confirm it, and I could also feel it.
You just proved my point, thank you. From your statement above, you do agree that thinner oil can cause the noise, due to lower pressure - in your example, due to a bad seal.
The reason the balloon fills up faster with water is because it takes LESS pressure to move a low viscosity liquid, hence a higher volume is moved in a given period of time. You've actually given a good example of why thinner oils require and provide lower, not higher, pressure in a thermodynamic system.
Everyday proof: Watch the oil pressure gage in a car. When the oil is cold and thick, the pressure is high. When the car warms up, the pressure drops.
The "I" is me. I am speaking from PERSONAL experience. I tried M1 5w-30 and the VANOS unit in my 94 and my 99 got noisy after warm up. I confirmed it with a stethoscope, and I could feel the tap. I changed it to 10w-40 and the noise went away after about 2 days.
If it was a leaky seal, the noise would likely have gone away sooner - as soon as the fresh oil flowed. I believe that it was a hydraulic issue in the VANOS assembly. There is a reserve of oil in the unit, similar to a hydraulic valve lifter, and it takes time for that oil to exchange.
The "others" are easily found with a Google search. I read several other automotive related forums, and this exact same issue has been discussed at length by Toyota Tundra owners, GM LS1 owners, and Suburu WRX owners, to name just a few. M3 & non M3 owners also have discussed this at length on autocross and track forums that I visit. Here is yet another BMW thread:
Many people do not realize this but vanos is COMPLETELY run on oil pressure alone. If you do not have the proper oil pressure you have no vanos. Imagine the vanos system as a dual oil path way maze. one oil pathway is for when vanos is not engauged, the 2nd is when the vanos is supposed to be engauged. the thing that shifts between the oil passages IS the vanos solenoid, thatts why it is such an essential part of vanos. without it you have no vanos. if the solenoid does not operate 100% vanos will not work properly. Lets say the vanos only has enough force to push change the machanism that changes the oil pathway 50%, well that means only 50% of oil will get into the "vanos on" pathway and thereby reducing pressure greatly which will then in turn only move change the cam timing by 6 degrees (instead of the full 12 as it is supposed to in the mid range).
Another factor that is essential is the oil ITSELF. it is the mechanism by which u push the vanos gears. If you use a really thin oil (aka mobile 1), it flows like water and it does not have the same oil pressure as a much heavier 15w-50 weight oil which is much thicker (think of molasis). the 15w-50 is able to "push" the vanos to the proper specs better b/c it has higher compression & oil pressure characteristics and is much thicker. so your oil is just a crucial aspect as the solenoid or vanos mechanism itself. Thats why you see so many people say "i replaced my vanos but the noise came back!" well duh! u are using the wrong oil or your solenoid is bad.
So basically... if you are have vanos problems here is the order you should replace things...
1) change to a much thicker oil (preferably a 5w40-20w-50, bmw recommends 20w-50 for a reason, but you can do castrol 5w-50 which will work in pretty much every weather condition & bmw recommend castrol anyways).
2) change vanos solenoid
3) then replace vanos unit if necessary (though I have spoken to NUMEROUS BMW master techs and every single one dispelled the "vanos stuck" myth. it simply cannot happen they say, jus thought i'd share that).
Different brands of oils of the same grade vary in their specs, and Mobil 1 is thinner/less resistant to shear as evidenced by CentiStoke analysis. Mobil 1 falls at the low end of the specs for the 5w-30 standard:
Mobil 1 SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 53.0
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 9.9
Viscosity Index: 162
Pennzoil Synthetic with Pennzane SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 57.4
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 9.87
Viscosity Index: 159
Quaker State Full Synthetic SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 62.05
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 10.17
Viscosity Index: 151
Royal Purple SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 62.5
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 10.5
Viscosity Index: 160
Redline SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 65.0
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 10.6
Viscosity Index: 153
AMSOIL SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 63.4
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 11.7
Viscosity Index: 182
The bottom line is if it works for you, great, It didn't work for me, and I will not use it, and I will not bother to try M1 0w or 5w in my 330. And if someone asks for a recommendation, I will tell them.
You just proved my point, thank you. From your statement above, you do agree that thinner oil can cause the noise, due to lower pressure - in your example, due to a bad seal.
The reason the balloon fills up faster with water is because it takes LESS pressure to move a low viscosity liquid, hence a higher volume is moved in a given period of time. You've actually given a good example of why thinner oils require and provide lower, not higher, pressure in a thermodynamic system.
Everyday proof: Watch the oil pressure gage in a car. When the oil is cold and thick, the pressure is high. When the car warms up, the pressure drops.
The "I" is me. I am speaking from PERSONAL experience. I tried M1 5w-30 and the VANOS unit in my 94 and my 99 got noisy after warm up. I confirmed it with a stethoscope, and I could feel the tap. I changed it to 10w-40 and the noise went away after about 2 days.
If it was a leaky seal, the noise would likely have gone away sooner - as soon as the fresh oil flowed. I believe that it was a hydraulic issue in the VANOS assembly. There is a reserve of oil in the unit, similar to a hydraulic valve lifter, and it takes time for that oil to exchange.
The "others" are easily found with a Google search. I read several other automotive related forums, and this exact same issue has been discussed at length by Toyota Tundra owners, GM LS1 owners, and Suburu WRX owners, to name just a few. M3 & non M3 owners also have discussed this at length on autocross and track forums that I visit. Here is yet another BMW thread:
Many people do not realize this but vanos is COMPLETELY run on oil pressure alone. If you do not have the proper oil pressure you have no vanos. Imagine the vanos system as a dual oil path way maze. one oil pathway is for when vanos is not engauged, the 2nd is when the vanos is supposed to be engauged. the thing that shifts between the oil passages IS the vanos solenoid, thatts why it is such an essential part of vanos. without it you have no vanos. if the solenoid does not operate 100% vanos will not work properly. Lets say the vanos only has enough force to push change the machanism that changes the oil pathway 50%, well that means only 50% of oil will get into the "vanos on" pathway and thereby reducing pressure greatly which will then in turn only move change the cam timing by 6 degrees (instead of the full 12 as it is supposed to in the mid range).
Another factor that is essential is the oil ITSELF. it is the mechanism by which u push the vanos gears. If you use a really thin oil (aka mobile 1), it flows like water and it does not have the same oil pressure as a much heavier 15w-50 weight oil which is much thicker (think of molasis). the 15w-50 is able to "push" the vanos to the proper specs better b/c it has higher compression & oil pressure characteristics and is much thicker. so your oil is just a crucial aspect as the solenoid or vanos mechanism itself. Thats why you see so many people say "i replaced my vanos but the noise came back!" well duh! u are using the wrong oil or your solenoid is bad.
So basically... if you are have vanos problems here is the order you should replace things...
1) change to a much thicker oil (preferably a 5w40-20w-50, bmw recommends 20w-50 for a reason, but you can do castrol 5w-50 which will work in pretty much every weather condition & bmw recommend castrol anyways).
2) change vanos solenoid
3) then replace vanos unit if necessary (though I have spoken to NUMEROUS BMW master techs and every single one dispelled the "vanos stuck" myth. it simply cannot happen they say, jus thought i'd share that).
Different brands of oils of the same grade vary in their specs, and Mobil 1 is thinner/less resistant to shear as evidenced by CentiStoke analysis. Mobil 1 falls at the low end of the specs for the 5w-30 standard:
Mobil 1 SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 53.0
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 9.9
Viscosity Index: 162
Pennzoil Synthetic with Pennzane SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 57.4
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 9.87
Viscosity Index: 159
Quaker State Full Synthetic SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 62.05
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 10.17
Viscosity Index: 151
Royal Purple SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 62.5
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 10.5
Viscosity Index: 160
Redline SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 65.0
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 10.6
Viscosity Index: 153
AMSOIL SAE 5w-30:
Viscosity, cSt @ 40°C: 63.4
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C: 11.7
Viscosity Index: 182
The bottom line is if it works for you, great, It didn't work for me, and I will not use it, and I will not bother to try M1 0w or 5w in my 330. And if someone asks for a recommendation, I will tell them.
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