Oil Analysis Reports

Wow, my S54 (Z4M) report from Blackstone looked better than some of the reports seen here, and I was using a 5W40 oil...

been thinking about doing this for a while. glad I've been changing every 5k miles.
has anyone sent in an oil other than the castrol 10-60 from their s65?

Surprise! The bearings in my '08 are wearing out! Oh joy! This is why I love Blackstone. They know their shit. And no, I don't drive it too hard. Just one canyon blast.

edit: And BMW is batshit crazy to say that it's okay to run the oil for 15,000 miles. It'd run out of additive and you'd start gumming things up long before that.

Try another analysis in 8k miles. Wonder what bmw will say about the bearings. My numbers have been high too.

M3PO wrote

Surprise! The bearings in my '08 are wearing out! Oh joy! This is why I love Blackstone. They know their shit. And no, I don't drive it too hard. Just one canyon blast.

edit: And BMW is batshit crazy to say that it's okay to run the oil for 15,000 miles. It'd run out of additive and you'd start gumming things up long before that.

That TBN rating is bizzarre. Although it is also somewhat bizzarre to me that they don't always include the TBN rating. Do you do your own oil changes? If not, you sure the dealer is using the right oil?

Also - who is taking the sample? The dealer or you? Because you need to catch the sample in the middle of the oil draining. If you take it at the end, it could make it look at lot worst than it actually is.

As far as wear goes - there are a number of people that have talked about the redesign on the bearings, although it doesn't seem exactly clear to me what changed. So their could be some issue there.

Running higher octane and/or a less aggressive tune might help as well. No way to tell without logging. If you are getting detonation, that will increase wear on the bearings. What fuel supplier?

Also, you are always letting it warm up fully before romping on it right? Pushing it too hard too soon can definitely cause additional wear.

Sorry you are worried about this...just offering up some suggestions that may help.

Good luck man.

M3PO wrote

And BMW is batshit crazy to say that it's okay to run the oil for 15,000 miles. It'd run out of additive and you'd start gumming things up long before that.

AMEN..glad you got your mind right..been saying this for years

tibra1 wrote

AMEN..glad you got your mind right..been saying this for years

So your position is that BMW knowingly destroys their own engines by extending oil change intervals? What is their goal with this strategy?

You know his results are out of line with other engines of this type and the same interval of use right?

I dont think I said anything of the kind..just merely staying within a safe margin of error with oil changes interval..the small cost doesnt justify not changing oil more frequently than recommended by BMW

tibra1 wrote

I dont think I said anything of the kind..just merely staying within a safe margin of error with oil changes interval..the small cost doesnt justify not changing oil more frequently than recommended by BMW

See but your statement implies that it is not safe to follow the recommended interval. Changing it more often certainly won't hurt, I guess except from the perspective of waste, I've just yet to see anyone explain why an engine builder would knowingly put their equipment at risk.

Did you know that the great Ferrari now has 12,500 mile oil change intervals?

Waste?..Last i checked oil gets recycled? The only waste you are really considering is cost..A $200 oil change vs $thousands in potential repairs..I guess you dont subscribe to preventative maintenance

tibra1 wrote

Waste?..Last i checked oil gets recycled? The only waste you are really considering is cost..A $200 oil change vs $thousands in potential repairs..I guess you dont subscribe to preventative maintenance

I don't know at what rate oil gets recycled, but it certainly requires energy to do so, so yes there is waste.

My BMW has preventative maintenance, you just don't agree with the interval.

To each their own I guess I dont wan to be a lab rat with BMWs “recommended” intervals..I will err on the side of caution.

Singletrack wrote

That TBN rating is bizzarre. Although it is also somewhat bizzarre to me that they don't always include the TBN rating. Do you do your own oil changes? If not, you sure the dealer is using the right oil?

Also - who is taking the sample? The dealer or you? Because you need to catch the sample in the middle of the oil draining. If you take it at the end, it could make it look at lot worst than it actually is.

As far as wear goes - there are a number of people that have talked about the redesign on the bearings, although it doesn't seem exactly clear to me what changed. So their could be some issue there.

Running higher octane and/or a less aggressive tune might help as well. No way to tell without logging. If you are getting detonation, that will increase wear on the bearings. What fuel supplier?

Also, you are always letting it warm up fully before romping on it right? Pushing it too hard too soon can definitely cause additional wear.

Sorry you are worried about this...just offering up some suggestions that may help.

Good luck man.

This oil was put in by the dealer before I bought it. The PO was "taking it to term" and only changing the oil when it was free (every 15K). I bought the car shortly after the last dealer change and only ran the oil for ~7800. I do my own changes. I think it's the right oil based on Blackstone's measurements. I took the sample myself mid drain. I let it idle until the cold start cycle finishes and then go easy on it until it's fully warmed up. I only use Chevron 91 from a station with separate hoses for each grade.

Singletrack wrote

So your position is that BMW knowingly destroys their own engines by extending oil change intervals? What is their goal with this strategy?

You know his results are out of line with other engines of this type and the same interval of use right?

BMW only cares that the engine lasts beyond the warranty period plus enough not to provoke any lawsuits. They're not engineering these things to last as long as possible. It's a planned obsolescence sort of thing IMO where they keep you coming back for another one. They'd never meet their bottom line if the cars never wore out and they offered free oil changes that maximized engine lifetime.

Also, I don't think my results are out of line with other people's experiences based on this thread.

Free oil changes is US only.

Most people buy in and out of luxury cars long before the engine is even approaching any serious age, so I don't see the planned obsolescence argument. Cars are staying on the road longer than ever now.

Your tbn is low and metals are high for the interval IMO. Although in general, UOA's don't speak to the ability of the oil to actually lubricate the engine. 91 octane has a better chance of causing more wear than 12k-15k mile oil changes IMO. Detonation is what beats up the bearings and you will not run the best timing on 91.

Although again, there has been some hearsay that the 08 bearings are even tighter than the 09s, and therefore could wear worse. You also don't know how the previous owner treated the engine.

Here is my latest report at 37,000 miles

Singletrack wrote

Although again, there has been some hearsay that the 08 bearings are even tighter than the 09s, and therefore could wear worse. You also don't know how the previous owner treated the engine.

That is the opposite. The tighter the clearance the less wear there will be. I have ran a test report on fresh 10w-60, here is the report in case anyone was wondering.
We have a oil machine at work so it is convenient. I had to block out certain things, sorry.

kawasaki00 wrote

That is the opposite. The tighter the clearance the less wear there will be. I have ran a test report on fresh 10w-60, here is the report in case anyone was wondering.
We have a oil machine at work so it is convenient. I had to block out certain things, sorry.

Ehhhh. Obviously there is a happy medium. Too tight or too loose is going to be a problem. At least one experienced mechanic on this board has given his opinion that the clearance is too tight.

Thanks for the report.

Just got my results back from Blackstone

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2722326#Post2722326

Wow, great thread...

I'm seeing a trend of high lead in these engines. Mine also showed elevated lead content. Going to check again in a few thousand miles and see if it dropped.

damnit I knew I shouldnt have read this thread. Now I'm all scared. You will see my results up here in a couple months

Had my oil tested from Amsoil/Oil Analyzers Inc at 16K + miles (and last oil change was at 1,200 miles) and zero issues. For those who are worried about oiled/cotton gauze filters letting in more silicate, so far so good (I have a MS intake/filter w/ RPI scoops). Will be interesting to have this tested over time. Most dealers are compliant with filling the sample jar at service intervals... apparently quite a few customers ask for it.

Mike -

High lead at what mileage? So far at ~36000 lead in my '08 with no change from the test at ~22k which came up at 5ppm. (been running a test every other change). The next change at 43k will have half a season of pretty frequent autocrossing on it so will be interesting to see if there's a change.