BMW "brands" the oil it gets from a supplier, selling it in BMW bottles through dealerships. Reportedly, BMW is in the process of switching to Mobil from Castrol -- which may be why the manuals are vague about the source of the oil.
The current BMW website information (which is cited in all of the manual and linked below) makes it clear that you can use 5W30 in any of these brands: Castrol Syntec, Mobil 1 or Valvoline SynPower
There's a lot of discussion on this topic at
this thread.
The
2000 Manual says
Quote:
Based on extensive testing, BMW recommends only certain types of engine oil.
Approved are:
> Castrol Formula RS SAE 10W60
> Veedol Synthetic Z SAE 10W60
If you are unable to obtain one of these oils, you may use small volumes of synthetic oil for topping up between oil changes. Only use oils with the specification API SH or higher.
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The
2001 Manual says
Quote:
Based on extensive testing, BMW has approved only certain engine oils. Use only approved "BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil."
If you are unable to obtain "BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil," you can add small amounts of synthetic oil in between oil changes. Use only oils with the API SH specification or higher.
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The
2002 manual says:
Quote:
Based on extensive testing, BMW approves only certain grades of engine oil. Use only approved "BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil."
If you are unable to obtain "BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil," you can add small amounts of synthetic oil in between oil changes. Only use oils with the API SH specification or higher.
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The current information on BMW's website on
Engine Oil Service says:
Quote:
All new BMW engines come from the factory filled with BMW High Performance Synthetic Engine Oil. The reason is that those engines are designed to provide longer oil service intervals while still delivering optimum performance, fuel efficiency, and durability. BMW High Performance Synthetic Engine Oil is formulated to meet those requirements.
BMW High Performance Synthetic Engine Oil is available through BMW centers nationwide. Should you need to add oil and BMW High Performance Synthetic Engine Oil is unavailable, you may top off with small amounts of synthetic oil meeting the requirements of API Service SH or higher, such as Castrol Syntec, Mobil 1 or Valvoline SynPower 5W-30.
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