Have you tried calling The BMW Store in Cincinnati? They will give around 20% discount on most any BMW parts so I would think this would apply to the special oil, too. 800-543-1649
Is the Castrol oil in a special bottle, my rep said that the BMW synthetic is what the dealer uses when they do an oil change (since it's a custom weight anyway) 5w-30 cars only?
The 10/60 is a special wt. for pre-mid year 2000 builds. It comes in its own 1 qt. bottle with a Castrol label. The later builds can use 5/30, which is the same synthetic used across the rest of the model line. I'm sure using the same or similar wt. Mobil 1 would be just fine. If your car is spec'd to use 10/60, you'd probably better do so. You should be able to tell by the sticker in the engine compartment. Mine says 5/30.
If you simply just walk into your local BMW dealership, they should be able to sell you the 5W-30 for $3.50/quart. Even here in the silicon valley, i bought it at that price from the notoriously outrageous dealership at Stevens Creek.
hope that helps.
Eddie J.
p.s. even though it might just be the same as the castrol OTC, the BMW stuff is only marginally more expensive. what's a few bucks more for peace of mind?
The service supervisor at Peter Pan BMW in San Mateo, CA told me that the BMW oil is indeed a different formulation from the Castrol oil you buy at auto parts shops. I tend to believe him since the BMW oil is actually cheaper than the Castrol. I bought 6 quarts of the BMW oil for about $3.70 ea.
RE: "The service supervisor at Peter Pan BMW in San Mateo, CA told me that the BMW oil is indeed a different formulation from the Castrol oil you buy at auto parts shops."
Well, that's not what the M5 Engine Technical Training guru at the BMW Performance Center in Spartenberg said. When asked, he said that BMW buys the Castrol product and relabels it. Check your engine oil filler plug. Note that it says "Castrol". Just make sure you get the right viscosity (5W-30W) for M5 engines built after 3/00.
That said, whenever the Boston Chapter of the BMW Car Club has a meeting at a local BMW dealer, the usual parts discount for that evening is 25%. You see lots of cases of oil being purchased at that price.
By the way, don't forget that you should not be paying for oil if you are just topping off between changes. Fluids (as in oil) are covered during the first 36K mile warranty.
[This message has been edited by CapeCodM5 (edited 22 February 2001).]
Okay, now I'm getting pi**ed off. I just called my Atlanta area official Service Center parts department and was quoted $3.60 for the 5W30 Castrol product. When I asked for the 10W60 variety for my 02/00 build Beastie, they said, "That'll be $10.74/L, actually $9.67, with your CCA discount." To which I responded, "You gotta be shi**in' me!" 7 bucks a Litre difference between two blends of Racing Syntec? There's got to be a better way!
Castrol/BMW oil
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