# BMW guys: What oil & weight do you use? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [August 22, 2008, 10:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695 "2008-08-22T10:48:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![E.Roy](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/e.roy/32/5073_2.png) [@E.Roy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/E.Roy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 10:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/1 "2008-08-22T10:48:48Z")
Looking for recommendations on oil and oil weight for summer hard use/ track days I have been using 5w-30 full synthetic, but upon recommendations I may change the oil weight Thanks for your opinions ---
**Author:** ![mike125k](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mike125k/32/7282_2.png) [@mike125k](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/mike125k)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 11:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/2 "2008-08-22T11:42:14Z")
What does your book say? There’s a nice chart for oil weight vs ambient temperature. At least both my E30 and E36 owners manuals had it. I run 15w40 in mine, but I also don’t drive it in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![Boarderx192](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@Boarderx192](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Boarderx192)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 11:58am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/3 "2008-08-22T11:58:41Z")
I run 10w-40 in my E36 during the winter and 20w-50 during the summer since I do NASA track days. BMW recommends NOT using synthetic BTW. At least thats what the one in NC says. ---
**Author:** ![Viper966](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/viper966/32/7268_2.png) [@Viper966](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Viper966)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/4 "2008-08-22T13:16:42Z")
10w60 castrol TWS ---
**Author:** ![Shockwave179](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/shockwave179/32/7496_2.png) [@Shockwave179](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shockwave179)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/5 "2008-08-22T13:34:20Z")
I would run 10w30 - 10w40 as a minimum if you’re going to do track days in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![ryanmcell](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ryanmcell/32/7510_2.png) [@ryanmcell](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ryanmcell)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/6 "2008-08-22T15:17:04Z")
10w50 M1 - Summer 5w30 M1 - Winter ---
**Author:** ![E.Roy](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/e.roy/32/5073_2.png) [@E.Roy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/E.Roy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/7 "2008-08-22T19:13:38Z")
Yeah I’ll probably pick up some Castrol 10w-40 or maybe heavier, my owners manual says: “BMW synthetic only” then in another spot says “BMW recommends Castrol” and the weights it recommends are 5w-30 to 5w-40 Thanks ---
**Author:** ![E.Roy](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/e.roy/32/5073_2.png) [@E.Roy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/E.Roy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/8 "2008-08-23T18:46:59Z")
I went with the 5w-50 Castrol Syntec for better cold start up properties since I’ll be running this oil til probably november Advance has $1.00 of each quart of Syntec right now so its $5.48 a quart ---
**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/9 "2008-08-23T19:03:39Z")
> [@Viper966](#): > > 10w60 castrol TWS Fggt thats shitty oil ☹ where do you get yours btw? ---
**Author:** ![mechanicalmadness](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mechanicalmadness/32/5022_2.png) [@mechanicalmadness](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/mechanicalmadness)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/10 "2008-08-23T23:27:15Z")
10w-30 castrol syntec. Dont plan on running the car during the winter months so i probably wont be trying out the 5w-30. If you track the car though plan on changing the oil long before the 5k mark. In all honesty regardles of what you hear and read dont go past the 5k mark. i only say that because i have had people tell me, and have read on e46 fanatics that you shouldnt worry about an oil change till you hit like 10-15k. ---
**Author:** ![Viper966](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/viper966/32/7268_2.png) [@Viper966](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Viper966)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2008, 11:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/11 "2008-08-24T11:02:06Z")
> [@ILCisDEAD](#): > > Fggt thats shitty oil > > ☹ where do you get yours btw? Tisher BMW has an oil change kit, 6 qts of 10w60 + oil filter + assorted seals etc for 68 bux shipped… couldnt find it anywhere CLOSE to that. lowest i found afterwards was 75+shipping+tax (NYS merchant) ---
**Author:** ![E.Roy](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/e.roy/32/5073_2.png) [@E.Roy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/E.Roy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2008, 11:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/12 "2008-08-24T11:53:53Z")
yeah 5k miles is the max I go Does the M3 engine only take 6 quarts? because my low revving pea shooter of a motor takes 7 ---
**Author:** ![mechanicalmadness](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mechanicalmadness/32/5022_2.png) [@mechanicalmadness](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/mechanicalmadness)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/13 "2008-08-24T13:41:00Z")
RWD cars take 6.5L XI models take 7.5L M3 models take 5.5L. This is according to my bentley manual. Not to pirate your thread but has anyone used one of those suction gizmos to do an oil change? ---
**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/14 "2008-08-24T13:44:06Z")
> [@Viper966](#): > > Tisher BMW has an oil change kit, 6 qts of 10w60 + oil filter + assorted seals etc for 68 bux shipped… > > couldnt find it anywhere CLOSE to that. lowest i found afterwards was 75+shipping+tax (NYS merchant) AWESOME thank you… I went right to the bmw dealer last time… I forgot what I paid… but it was like 13 or 14 a liter ---
**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-guys-what-oil-weight-do-you-use/53695/15 "2008-08-24T13:44:31Z")
> [@FlatBlak](#): > > yeah 5k miles is the max I go > > Does the M3 engine only take 6 quarts? because my low revving pea shooter of a motor takes 7 it takes like 5.5 liters lol … so less than 6ish