BMW M Twin Power Turbo Oil Initial Impressions

[JH M3]

I just did an oil change this past weekend with the new M Twin Power Turbo 10W-60 oil that's replacing Castrol TWS. Got an oil service kit from ECS Tuning for $134 plus shipping which is about $10 more than the TWS kit and includes an OEM filter, two drain plugs, gaskets, and nine liters of oil. I've clocked about 150 miles on it so far and from a purely subjective point of view have noticed a marked improvement over how my car was running on TWS.

Before I describe my impressions, I admittedly went about 10K miles since my last oil change so some of the improvements in performance may be attributable to old vs. new oil rather than the actual properties of each oil.

First of all, the engine runs a lot smoother especially in extremely cold temps. Over the past few months I have noticed an increase in engine and exhaust noise (not in a good way) under hard acceleration, especially when it is extremely cold out (single digits to low teens). I just got back from a trip in nine degree weather and the engine is definitely quieter and smoother. My dealer just changed the oil in my wife's X1 using the 5W-30 variety and there was a noticeable improvement in smoothness as well.

Along with the increased noise was what I felt was a corresponding decrease in power. My seat of the pants told me that the engine seemed bogged down and just wasn't pulling as hard. The acceleration just didn't build like it used to. After the oil change, the engine pulls much harder. I wasn't expecting this and the acceleration caught me by surprise.

One thing that I can't comment on is how fast the oil warms up compared to the TWS given the fluctuations in ambient temperatures over the last few days. Today it warmed up to operating temp after about 5 minutes of highway driving in single digit temps.

I know it's hard to believe that a simple oil change can make such a noticeable difference. Again, this may all be due to changing worn out oil but I honestly have never experienced such a difference after an oil change. I plan to switch to M1 0W-40 next winter and will have the M Twin Power Turbo oil analyzed and post the results as I realize the true measure of oil performance is in the numbers. Barring any unusual results from that test, I see no reason to switch to any other oil such as Redline or Liqui Moly.

[Prestige@ActiveAutowerke]

My car is currently do for an oil change and I was thinking of going to 0w40. Glad to hear a review on the new formula. I would love to hear others thoughts as well. Thanks for the review

[Flying Ace]

run an oil sample for us at 5k

[Richbot]

Would love to see somebody take video and dBA readings before and after an oil change with the same oil and with different oils so we could post the link every time somebody tells us the car runs quieter after changing out the oil. Datalogs with accelerometer in gear before and after would be great too

[gatorfast]

Glad you are enjoying the new oil but I suspect any difference you "feel" is in your head. But the mind is a powerful device.

[JH M3]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

Glad you are enjoying the new oil but I suspect any difference you "feel" is in your head. But the mind is a powerful device.

I would normally completely agree but I wasn't expecting any difference after the oil change which is why I decided to post my observations as I was very surprised. I'm inclined to believe that it was more of a factor of my old oil being worn out rather than some great new formula that BMW/Shell came up with. I sent my old oil to be tested so we'll see if my belief is correct. I drive about 300-400 miles per week so I'm pretty in tune with the way my car behaves. There is definitely a difference. The question is what is causing it.

[Z K]

People have sent in virgin oil samples of TWS, Edge for analysis. The post is somewhere on this forum. I'd be curious how the new oil looks compared to the others.

[gatorfast]

I agree the car always does seem to "feel" better after an oil change. Not sure if its placebo effect or what.

[JH M3]

I've done plenty of oil changes and admit that I've probably perceived some sort of slight improvement even thought there really wasn't anything there. This time seems different though. Is it possible that my car wasn't running as well due to extreme cold weather even when the engine was warm? I'm no expert but it would seem that very cold dense air would affect the air/fuel mixture in some way. Lots of variables here which is why I'm not saying that it is definitely the new oil. Plus I don't plan to run up as many miles this time before my next oil change so comparing the test results from TWS run for 10k+ vs the BMW oil run for 5-7k wouldn't really tell us anything. What we need is for someone to run up the same number of miles under similar driving conditions with both oils to truly have an accurate idea of performance.

Bottom line is that I'm happier with the way my car is running now. Better oil or not, my lessoned learned is to not be lazy and wait so long between oil changes.

[JRV]

Originally Posted by JH M3

I've done plenty of oil changes and admit that I've probably perceived some sort of slight improvement even thought there really wasn't anything there. This time seems different though. Is it possible that my car wasn't running as well due to extreme cold weather even when the engine was warm? I'm no expert but it would seem that very cold dense air would affect the air/fuel mixture in some way. Lots of variables here which is why I'm not saying that it is definitely the new oil. Plus I don't plan to run up as many miles this time before my next oil change so comparing the test results from TWS run for 10k+ vs the BMW oil run for 5-7k wouldn't really tell us anything. What we need is for someone to run up the same number of miles under similar driving conditions with both oils to truly have an accurate idea of performance.

Bottom line is that I'm happier with the way my car is running now. Better oil or not, my lessoned learned is to not be lazy and wait so long between oil changes.

My oil was changed yesterday. I had TWS in it for only 3k miles ( I changed it ) and was due on BMW's end. It's no placebo for me, car is smoother and quieter.
Edit: wanted to add its been a miserable winter so maybe the oil was shot in the car from the extreme cold. It's good to replace your oil before winter and after.

[JH M3]

Originally Posted by JRV

My oil was changed yesterday. I had TWS in it for only 3k miles ( I changed it ) and was due on BMW's end. It's no placebo for me, car is smoother and quieter.
Edit: wanted to add its been a miserable winter so maybe the oil was shot in the car from the extreme cold. It's good to replace your oil before winter and after.

Glad I'm not the only one. I agree that it's been a miserable winter and my oil was probably shot although if your old oil only had 3k on it, it probably was still good. Thought I could hold out until the spring but I racked up more miles this winter than planned.

[JRV]

Originally Posted by JH M3

Glad I'm not the only one. I agree that it's been a miserable winter and my oil was probably shot although if your old oil only had 3k on it, it probably was still good. Thought I could hold out until the spring but I racked up more miles this winter than planned.

It usually is good for longer but this winter I didn't drive it much and sat around a week sometimes in the freezing cold.

[Sandye90m3]

I'm not trying to be insulting in anyways, but you can't feel a difference from oil. Unless you are using the wrong weight or oil specs.

This is all part of your "psyche". What you want to feel, you will continue to search for it until you convince yourself that you are feeling it when in actuality there is no difference.

[JH M3]

Originally Posted by Sandye90m3

I'm not trying to be insulting in anyways, but you can't feel a difference from oil. Unless you are using the wrong weight or oil specs.

This is all part of your "psyche". What you want to feel, you will continue to search for it until you convince yourself that you are feeling it when in actuality there is no difference.

No offense taken. I completely understand people's skepticism. As I said before, I've done plenty of oil changes and had no expectation of any real noticeable improvement. After all, it's just motor oil like you said and I'm not saying definitively that it's the new oil. The test results from my old oil will hopefully narrow things down. I will say that I've never had a "whoa" moment after driving my car after an oil change until this time. Maybe it's just running like it used to because the old oil had broken down too much. We'll see.

[noremaC]

About to go in the same direction. Going to do a Blackstone report after 6k with TWS Edge Pro and switch to Twin Power Turbo.

Went to the dealership to pick up 2 quarts before/during a roadtrip, and they gave me Twin Power Turbo. Didn't even realize this is what they were using for M engines now.

[tdott]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

Glad you are enjoying the new oil but I suspect any difference you "feel" is in your head. But the mind is a powerful device.

Agreed, anyone who says they can feel and engine run differently after an oil change (esp after only 3k) or switching oils is crazy.

[Craigy]

This is one of the first threads I've come across in awhile where several people discount the notion of feeling some difference after an oil change. Usually it's the other way around on here.

I can understand seeing different temperatures and pressures on the gauges, but feeling some smoothness or different performance behavior is all in your head.

M3post (and similar BMW enthusiast forums for that matter) seems to cultivate some mystical aura around motor oil and its effects, and gives a lot of credence to supposed seat of the pants measurements after an oil change or when using different oils. It's unlike any other group of car guys.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by Sandye90m3

I'm not trying to be insulting in anyways, but you can't feel a difference from oil. Unless you are using the wrong weight or oil specs.

This is all part of your "psyche". What you want to feel, you will continue to search for it until you convince yourself that you are feeling it when in actuality there is no difference.

+1 mine feels faster if I add gas!

[JH M3]

So here's the oil analysis report from the TWS that had been used before I switched. This was the first oil change that I got since my car was in storage so I miscalculated the miles on this oil in my first post. Actual miles are about 12k so this looks pretty good although I didn't do any track or autocross events on it. Since the values are relatively low I think this will provide a good baseline for comparison when I do the analysis on the BMW oil.

[gimmethemuumuu]

Thanks for this info. Planning, I think, to switch to the new oil rather than maintaining irrational allegiance to the prior recommended TWS. I'm glad to hear that early reports of the new oil are positive. Like others, I too would be curious to hear anyone else's impressions after having switched to the new oil.

And to those who say that the car feels no different before and after an oil change, I very much disagree. I've noticed this behavior in all my BMW's over the years--'02 325i, '07 E91 328i, '06 M3, '08 M3, '11 M3. I certainly wouldn't say that the car has more power after the change. Rather, the car is just more relaxed, mellow, smoother immediately after the change. Just because _you_ haven't noticed it doesn't mean it's not true

[heart_doctor]

Just had mine done. About 5000 miles since last change. I notice absolutely no difference. Car drove great before. Drives great now.

[WiFiGuy]

No thoughts by anyone on the last ^ post? I'm interested in hearing what thoughts are around this. The new Shell oil is made utilizing a very unique process and definitely has a compelling story to it. Another note to add I saw on the Shell site is that they are the only company to travel to races with Ferrari F1 providing a mobile lab, if you will, for oil analysis during race conditions. Same oil technology, Helix. I personally just had my Rod Bearings replaced by BMW under warranty and the oil fill from that being done was with the new Shell. I've used the TWS and Liquimoly 10w-60 since I've owned the car. Both had noticeable valve train noise on the morning start-up. Car is garaged with climate control always. With the Shell, I've noticed since having the car back from BMW that the valve train noise on the morning start up has for the most part disappeared. Very interesting I think. Anyone else notice this in their car?