oil question, sorry

is anyone using Chevron Delo 400 LE 15W-40 oil in an E36 M3?

mcquarrie wrote:
> is anyone using Chevron Delo 400 LE 15W-40 oil in an E36 M3?
>

E36 it's good. M3, not so much. RTFM

--
-Fred W

On May 30, 1:51 pm, Fred W > wrote:
> mcquarrie wrote:
> > is anyone using Chevron Delo 400 LE 15W-40 oil in an E36 M3?
>
> E36 it's good. M3, not so much. RTFM
>
> --
> -Fred W

15W-40 IS what my (Bentley) handbook recommends.

But the Chevron stuff is "formulate for diesels" - 15W-40 is 15W-40
right? Whether for diesel or gasoline engines, but I just want a
sanity check.

mcquarrie wrote:
> On May 30, 1:51 pm, Fred W > wrote:
>
>>mcquarrie wrote:
>>
>>>is anyone using Chevron Delo 400 LE 15W-40 oil in an E36 M3?
>>
>>E36 it's good. M3, not so much. RTFM
>>
>>--
>>-Fred W
>
>
> 15W-40 IS what my (Bentley) handbook recommends.

Alrighty then, 15W40 it is.

>
> But the Chevron stuff is "formulate for diesels" - 15W-40 is 15W-40
> right? Whether for diesel or gasoline engines, but I just want a
> sanity check.
>
>

Yeah, the diesel stuff undergoes different testing and ratings for use
in the relatively dirty conditions of a diesel engine. I use Rotella T
15W40 in my E36 325i. It seems to like it just fine.


--
-Fred W

"mcquarrie" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> On May 30, 1:51 pm, Fred W > wrote:
>> mcquarrie wrote:
>> > is anyone using Chevron Delo 400 LE 15W-40 oil in an E36 M3?
>>
>> E36 it's good. M3, not so much. RTFM
>>
>> --
>> -Fred W
>
> 15W-40 IS what my (Bentley) handbook recommends.
>
> But the Chevron stuff is "formulate for diesels" - 15W-40 is 15W-40
> right? Whether for diesel or gasoline engines, but I just want a
> sanity check.
>
>

I do not believe the Bentley manual "recommends" 15w40, if it does, I did
not find the reference.

I see on page 20-8 a chart that gives oil recomendations based on
temperature, and 15w40 is suitable for a range from -10C to above 30C (about
15F to above 85F). Instead of the diesel formula, why not use 10w40? It will
protect to the same high end of the scale, and colder than the lower end.
The more critical spec to observe is the API service of SH or SJ. If the
diesel formula meets these specs, then it ought to be okay.

I note that page 91 of the Owner's Manual ('94 3 Series) has a similar
chart, but it includes 10w40, where the Bentley manual does not.

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
news:XbC7i.4759$D31.3224@trnddc01...
>
> "mcquarrie" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > On May 30, 1:51 pm, Fred W > wrote:
> >> mcquarrie wrote:
> >> > is anyone using Chevron Delo 400 LE 15W-40 oil in an E36 M3?
> >>
> >> E36 it's good. M3, not so much. RTFM
> >>
> >> --
> >> -Fred W
> >
> > 15W-40 IS what my (Bentley) handbook recommends.
> >
> > But the Chevron stuff is "formulate for diesels" - 15W-40 is 15W-40
> > right? Whether for diesel or gasoline engines, but I just want a
> > sanity check.
> >
> >
>
> I do not believe the Bentley manual "recommends" 15w40, if it does, I did
> not find the reference.
>
> I see on page 20-8 a chart that gives oil recomendations based on
> temperature, and 15w40 is suitable for a range from -10C to above 30C
(about
> 15F to above 85F). Instead of the diesel formula, why not use 10w40? It
will
> protect to the same high end of the scale, and colder than the lower end.
> The more critical spec to observe is the API service of SH or SJ. If the
> diesel formula meets these specs, then it ought to be okay.
>
> I note that page 91 of the Owner's Manual ('94 3 Series) has a similar
> chart, but it includes 10w40, where the Bentley manual does not.
-----

My '86 535i likes the thicker 15w-40. It does run warmer where I live
(Omaha, NE to occasions at the Gulf in MS), especially in the summer. (Yeah,
but it's a dry heat!) I hear the newer gas engines are tending towards lower
viscosities.

Bill in Omaha
'86 535i

On Thu, 31 May 2007 11:36:49 -0400, Fred W > wrote:

>mcquarrie wrote:
>> On May 30, 1:51 pm, Fred W > wrote:
>>
>>>mcquarrie wrote:
>>>
>>>>is anyone using Chevron Delo 400 LE 15W-40 oil in an E36 M3?
>>>
>>>E36 it's good. M3, not so much. RTFM
>>>
>>>--
>>>-Fred W
>>
>>
>> 15W-40 IS what my (Bentley) handbook recommends.
>
>Alrighty then, 15W40 it is.
>
>>
>> But the Chevron stuff is "formulate for diesels" - 15W-40 is 15W-40
>> right? Whether for diesel or gasoline engines, but I just want a
>> sanity check.
>>
>>
>
>Yeah, the diesel stuff undergoes different testing and ratings for use
>in the relatively dirty conditions of a diesel engine. I use Rotella T
>15W40 in my E36 325i. It seems to like it just fine.

Isn't Diesel engine oil very highly detergent to remove / keep in suspension all
the soot from the blow-by on the OLD smokies? Shell Rotella was the original
high detergent diesel lubricant back in the 50s and 60s

Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
> "mcquarrie" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>
>> On May 30, 1:51 pm, Fred W > wrote:
>>
>>> mcquarrie wrote:
>>> > is anyone using Chevron Delo 400 LE 15W-40 oil in an E36 M3?
>>>
>>> E36 it's good. M3, not so much. RTFM
>>>
>>> --
>>> -Fred W
>>
>>
>> 15W-40 IS what my (Bentley) handbook recommends.
>>
>> But the Chevron stuff is "formulate for diesels" - 15W-40 is 15W-40
>> right? Whether for diesel or gasoline engines, but I just want a
>> sanity check.
>>
>>
>
> I do not believe the Bentley manual "recommends" 15w40, if it does, I
> did not find the reference.
>
> I see on page 20-8 a chart that gives oil recomendations based on
> temperature, and 15w40 is suitable for a range from -10C to above 30C
> (about 15F to above 85F). Instead of the diesel formula, why not use
> 10w40?

Conventional 10W40 is not a great choice. It has too much of the
viscosity improvers that allow it to flow like a 10 weight oil when cold
and still maintain 40 weight viscosity when hot. Those same improvers
are more subject to shearing and viscosity breakdown with use. What was
a 10W40 acts like a 10W30 after about 500 miles of use and is more like
a 10W20 after 2000 miles.

15W40 diesel oil is actually a better bet.

--
-Fred W

On May 31, 8:53 am, "Jeff Strickland" > wrote:
> "mcquarrie" > wrote in message
>
> ups.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On May 30, 1:51 pm, Fred W > wrote:
> >> mcquarrie wrote:
> >> > is anyone using Chevron Delo 400 LE 15W-40 oil in an E36 M3?
>
> >> E36 it's good. M3, not so much. RTFM
>
> >> --
> >> -Fred W
>
> > 15W-40 IS what my (Bentley) handbook recommends.
>
> > But the Chevron stuff is "formulate for diesels" - 15W-40 is 15W-40
> > right? Whether for diesel or gasoline engines, but I just want a
> > sanity check.
>
> I do not believe the Bentley manual "recommends" 15w40, if it does, I did
> not find the reference.
>
> I see on page 20-8 a chart that gives oil recomendations based on
> temperature, and 15w40 is suitable for a range from -10C to above 30C (about
> 15F to above 85F). Instead of the diesel formula, why not use 10w40? It will
> protect to the same high end of the scale, and colder than the lower end.
> The more critical spec to observe is the API service of SH or SJ. If the
> diesel formula meets these specs, then it ought to be okay.
>
> I note that page 91 of the Owner's Manual ('94 3 Series) has a similar
> chart, but it includes 10w40, where the Bentley manual does not.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Oy-oy-oy. OK, The Bentley manual actually says

"The fluids and lubricants specified by BMW are listed in
Table e. Shown below is engine oil viscosity (SAE grade) vs.
operating temperature range for the BMW engines covered in this
manual."

For my temperature range (0-40 degrees C, Arizona), I would call that
a fairly ringing recommendation, even though it doesn't use the actual
word "recommendation".

Thank you Fred W. If the Chevron stuff is cheaper than the BMW brand,
it's on.