Engine oil

[Corasdad]

Best engine oil for my car please 1.9 auto m43 block.
Is 5-30 the correct oil

[flybynite]

Best engine oil for my car please 1.9 auto m43 block.
Is 5-30 the correct oil

10W40 has been the oil for most old BMW engines. If it is a good synthetic oil you will be fine with 5W40.

https://www.e30zone.net/e30wiki/index.php?title=Oil

5W30 won't do it any harm but if it is an old engine that you don't really know the condition or history I would use something heavier as above.

[Corasdad]

OK thanks

[martauto]

"Brian" used to say using supermarket oil was fine as it was better now than most oils in the day

Mart.

[flybynite]

"Brian" used to say using supermarket oil was fine as it was better now than most oils in the day

Yeah I remember him saying that and I have no issue with cheap oils as such, but there has been a move in modern engines to use thinner oils because of tighter tolerances but also economy and emissions. Oils with 0w20, 0w30 have no place in an old engine no matter who makes it. Personally I wouldn't go less than 5w40 in any E30

The other thing is back when he said that E30s were cheap to buy and good replacement engines were plentiful. Now things are different. Good M20 325 engines are hard to find and My 2.7 is costing a good few thousand to rebuild the right way, the rest of the car a good few more.

When done it will be getting the best oil I can get, but I have always believed it is better to change it often than sweat the flavour of the oil. As they say oil is cheap, engines, gearboxes and diffs are not.

[Contours]

You are right there. I find that using the fully synthetic 5w40 does quieten the valve tick a bit as well.

[Brianmoooore]

"Brian" used to say using supermarket oil was fine as it was better now than most oils in the day

Mart.

It's true that E30 engines were designed for oils that are inferior to the cheapest stuff available today, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't recommend a good full synthetic today. Not too thin though, and as said above, a bit of experimentation can quieten tappets on M40 engines.

[omera60]

I used Liqui Moly Touring High Tec 15W-40 which is mineral and it was good. Now I’m using Motul 80’s Classic Motor Oil 10W-40 which has high ZDDP (1800>) and moly. I’m very happy with it.