What Oil To Use.

[grif]

Hi All

Could anyone inform me what oil I should be putting in my BMW e39 523i 1996,with 138,000 miles on the clock.

She is using 1 litre per 1000 miles aprox.

She did have trouble with emisions pass,on last mot last month.

She could be suffering with the dreaded stem seal problem which can happen on models made before 1998,I do feel she is under powered,eg having to move down gears on hills a lot.

Again thankyou

grif..

[Guest Mister Dabsy]

Is it burning the oil as opposed to seeping through the stem-seals?

[Guest DazH]

Is it burning the oil as opposed to seeping through the stem-seals?

+1.

Any blue smoke from the rear?

What's the difference between E39s made before 1998 and after 1998? Has your engine double-vanos?

Daz

[grif]

Hi

No there is no blue smoke,even when she is taken up to the red line in 2nd.

Only time she has grey smoke is in the winter,when taken out early morning and reved up a bit,eg frosty mornings.

Thank's

Grif.

[Guest Mister Dabsy]

Hmmm... Steamy in Winter is normal (hot fumes and cold air meeting).

I'm struggling to deduce where that oil is going... We know it will recirculate the hot oil fumes via the breathers but that wouldnt justify one litre over 1000 miles without some evidence through the tail-pipe ! Do the exhaust fumes smell oily ?

0-10w 40 Semi or Full Synthetic ;)

Daz - Think Wyn's is Single Vanos M52

[Guest DazH]

Hmmm... Steamy in Winter is normal (hot fumes and cold air meeting).

I'm struggling to deduce where that oil is going... We know it will recirculate the hot oil fumes via the breathers but that wouldnt justify one litre over 1000 miles without some evidence through the tail-pipe ! Do the exhaust fumes smell oily ?

0-10w 40 Semi or Full Synthetic ;)

Daz - Think Wyn's is Single Vanos M52

The Vanos type had nothing to do with diagnosing the oil-drinking fault. I was trying to identify a reason a post-1998 M52 would have known valve-seal issues. I have not heard of such common fault.

[Guest Mister Dabsy]

Any engine can develop valve stem seal wear... Think its down to shite engine oil !!! :lol:

[Guest DazH]

Any engine can develop valve stem seal wear... Think its down to shite engine oil !!! :lol:

ultimately what I'm getting at here.................

[grif]

Hi

I can smell it some times,but the steering oil was leaking onto the exhaust,that is now repaired.

All I can do now is to use 10w40 full synthetic,instead of the millers 5w40 full synthetic I use now.

Just hope this slows the oil consumption down.

Will try oil additive at a later date if not satified.

Thanks for your help.

Regards

Grif.

[Lynden]

Try the following link from Halfords:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/categorydisplay_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_categoryId_165581_langId_-1

I use them for reference and then use the result to continue my search.

10W/ 40 or 5W/ 40

Full or Part Synthetic

We drive an '06 RS4 and that gets through a lot if oil for seemigly no reason. It is on an Audi service plan and they say the car is fine.

[Guest Mister Dabsy]

Avoid additives ! ;)

[grif]

Ok Jack,wise words I think.

Grif.

[Guest DazH]

Avoid additives ! ;)

+1