PennzOil OR BMW High Performance for Engine Oil

Hi,
I was wondering which of the following oil has better quality for my 2004 530I? Both of them have been recommended by BMW but which has better quality?

BMW High Performance SAE 5W-30 Synthetic Oil
OR
Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...ngineOils.aspx

I live in Omaha,Nebraska which is hot in summer and really cold in winter. I heard that 0W-40 is better for these kind of climates. Is it right and which oil is better for my condition?

If they are rated the same (LM) then nobody on the Internet can tell you one is better than the other.

Your car will always be happier with 0w because the oil be less thick when you start up in the morning. There is no reason to think you need a 40 when BMW says a 30 is OK unless you are in really hot conditions like a track day.

If you can't decide, a 0w40 will be just fine.

LL-01 oil is best to use, all other things being equal.

I use Mobil 1 0W-40 in my 545i in Arizona.

But far more important than exactly which oil you use is matching the frequency with which you change your oil to your driving conditions.
Oil ages by the hour of operation, not how many miles the car travels.

If I drove 12 miles to work in stop and go traffic in one hour each morning (averaged 12 mph) and had the choice of

Mobil 1 0W-40 LL-01 changed every 7,500 miles
or
Mobil 1 0W-30 changed every 3,000 miles

I wouldn't even hesitate a nanosecond in choosing the 0W-30W changed more often.
In fact I would choose any name brand full synthetic oil changed every 3K miles over the LL-01 oil changed every 7,500 miles.

The real question for owners of older BMWs is how were the oil changes done early in the car's life. If done with the BMW 15K oil change plan (CBM) and the car experienced severe service (short trips, stop and go commuting, etc) it will likely be a sad story. Nevertheless do what you can now. Change it every 5K-6K miles max and more frequently if your service is severe.

Clean oil with additives still present makes all the difference, no matter what kind of name brand full synthetic oil you use.

Thanks for your complete information. I will go ahead and change it by Mobil1 0W-40.
How many kind of Mobil 1 0W-40 do we have? Or all of 0W-40 with Mobil 1 brand is LL-01?
I wanna make sure that I am going to buy the right one.

Originally Posted by bimmerfan52

LL-01 oil is best to use, all other things being equal.

I use Mobil 1 0W-40 in my 545i in Arizona.

But far more important than exactly which oil you use is matching the frequency with which you change your oil to your driving conditions.
Oil ages by the hour of operation, not how many miles the car travels.

If I drove 12 miles to work in stop and go traffic in one hour each morning (averaged 12 mph) and had the choice of

Mobil 1 0W-40 LL-01 changed every 7,500 miles
or
Mobil 1 0W-30 changed every 3,000 miles

I wouldn't even hesitate a nanosecond in choosing the 0W-30W changed more often.
In fact I would choose any name brand full synthetic oil changed every 3K miles over the LL-01 oil changed every 7,500 miles.

The real question for owners of older BMWs is how were the oil changes done early in the car's life. If done with the BMW 15K oil change plan (CBM) and the car experienced severe service (short trips, stop and go commuting, etc) it will likely be a sad story. Nevertheless do what you can now. Change it every 5K-6K miles max and more frequently if your service is severe.

Clean oil with additives still present makes all the difference, no matter what kind of name brand full synthetic oil you use.

There is only one Mobil 1 0W-40 to my knowledge.

It is marked "European Car Formula" and shows the BMW approval on the rear of the bottle.

http://www.mobiloil.com/usa-english/..._1_0w-40.aspx#

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-0W-40-1qt/17034373

Good luck and keep it fresh.

Thanks again and what oil filter do you use ?

Originally Posted by bimmerfan52

There is only one Mobil 1 0W-40 to my knowledge.

It is marked "European Car Formula" and shows the BMW approval on the rear of the bottle.

http://www.mobiloil.com/usa-english/..._1_0w-40.aspx#

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-0W-40-1qt/17034373

Good luck and keep it fresh.

I have used a number of different filters over the years and had good luck with Hengst, Mann, Mahle, Wix, NAPA and Fram.

For the BMW I lean towards Hengst (OEM) but any quality name brand unit will work well.

Hengst is available for a little over $8 at AutoHausAZ.
RockAuto Parts also has a good selection of filters in the $7-$10 range.