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E39 M5 Oil Usage

5K views 52 replies 28 participants last post by  msport 
I had the same story when i bought mine last year. I reset the odometer everytime I top up. It is using about 1L per 850 miles. The local dealer says that this "is well within acceptable tolerance" and as long as i keep an eye on it, will only act if it "deteriorates significantly". Tolerance is apparently about 1L per 550 miles (according to the dealer!)

As the oil consumption is pretty steady, I just keep a few litres in the car just in case-although at £13.98 per litre of 10W/60 it's not ideal.

Unfortunately you'll probably have to live with it but I certainly notice that it can burn more when being driven hard.

I just keep an eye on it and all the experience on the board suggests that you'd be wise to do likewise!

Enjoy the experience anyway.....
 
gareth said:
David
I've just received Castrol 10W60 from a company called OPIE OILS in Cornwall.
4 ltrs for £36.49 including next day delivery. Phone 01209 215164, couldn't be more helpfull.
Gareth
Thanks for the info-that is interesting Gareth-and a huge saving. Is it TWS 10w60 or RS 10w60?

I ask because I was told by the service advisor that ONLY TWS could be used. The assumption was that if, say, the engine blew up-and i was found to be using NON TWS oil-the warranty would not cover me. Ouch!!

As I have to pay £970 for the warranty in November when i renew it i was reluctant to take a chance with the RS oil, unless someone could tell me otherwise.....
 
I've posted a couple of times on the board on the subject of oil consumption-i.e. what is acceptable/what is not etc.

My car has been regularly using a litre every 650-850 miles, depending on how hard it was driven. This is still 'within tolerance', apparently!!

I have just returned from a holiday in France, with a lot of driving involved over the 2.5 weeks of my trip. The trip lasted 3,100 miles, mostly fast autoroute toll-road driving-although i did take in the magnificent Route Napoleon (N85) from the South of France to Grenoble.

On the autoroute we travelled at speeds (for long distances-1,000 miles in a day sometimes) well in excess of those I would dare pull on a UK road.

The car used some 2 litres of oil in the 3,100 miles we travelled. It highlights that the oil consumption can be massivley affected by the type of driving that you are doing. I had taken the liberty of taking 5 litres with me just in case!!

I have to say that it was a great driving holiday-even allowing for oil consumption. Shame that our congested roads are not so much fun.
 
gareth said:
David

The oil I ordered is indeed RS10W60, but coudn't see any reference in my handbook other than the grade. May still be worth contacting the Cornwall company, they really were excellent.

Gareth
Gareth

I realise that it has been a long time since you started this thread but....

I called the Castrol UK technical helpline. They were very helpful when I asked if RS 10w60 is the same as TWS 10w60. The advisor said that the spec of RS oil did not meet that of the TWS oil which was specifically for M power engines.

That is a pity as RS is about half the price of the TWS stuff.

He did say that independent retailers such as Halfords should be able to order some oil from their new line called Castrol EDGE which can be found in 10W60 guise and can be ordered specifically for BMW M cars. That will be suitable.

Having just had some more expensive warranty work carried out on my car I would hate to see them squirm out of a warranty claim for any reason. As someone else said, oil is fairly inexpensive in the total cost of running the car.

Hope that this helps.

David
 
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