[RockCrusher]

As I think I mentioned a while back I was going to have the oil from my 2024 230i xDrive analyzed at the first oil change. This would be the factory fill oil.

At the same time I was going to have a sample of the oil the tech was going to put back into the engine analyzed.

The results are below. (Don't know why the scans turned out a bit out of focus.)

Oil-1 is the virgin oil sample. BMW Group 0w-20 LL-17 FE+.

Oil-2 is the oil from the engine with 624 miles from new. Probably 0w-20 oil but I have no confirmation of that...

Some observations....

Oils-1:

Virgin sample of the oil used to refill the engine. BMW Group 0w-20 LL-17 FE+.

Wear Levels metals are nil. Of course.

Some additives worth noting…

Molybdenum: 68 (ppm)
Zinc: 903 (ppm)
Magnesium: 882 (ppm)

Water: nil

Viscosity at 100C: 8.577



Oils-2:

Factory fill oil. Details unknown but could be: BMW Group 0w-20 LL-17 FE+.

Miles on oil: 624.

As expected wear metal levels are “elevated”. Copper, iron, aluminum, silicon.

Additives…
Molybdenum: 504 (ppm)!
Zinc: 848 (ppm)
Magnesium: 11 (ppm)

Water: nil

Viscosity at 100C: 7.373


Takeaways?

The virgin sample of oil has a 1 point higher viscosity index. This suggests the factory fill oil has suffered some viscosity loss.

Molybdenum level in virgin sample low (58ppm) while the factory fill oil has 504 (ppm). This suggests Molybdenum might have been added at the factory. (As an aside, for additional wear protection Porsche techs recommended I add a Molybdenum additive to my Porsche engines. Specifically SWEPCO 502 Engine Oil Improver with 200ppm Molybdenum (I had a sample analyzed)).

Added to the oil or possibly the result of pre-lubing the valve hardware with a moly based grease. When I rebuilt a couple of engines the cam maker included a can of special grease to apply to the cam lobes to provide lubrication until the oil reached these areas. Of course the grease washes away in nearly no time as the oil flows but the grease ends up dissolved in the oil and any anti-wear additive it contains (and molybdenum is favored) ends up in the oil.

However, from viewing a number of engine assembly videos of BMW, Porsche, M-B (to name 3) I have not seen any thing that suggests that any additional lubrication is applied. The tech does use a bottle of oil to apply oil at various times to various areas/assemblies but that is all.

So I'm leaning towards the molybdenum being in the factory fill oil due to use of a molybdenum oil additive.

Next is magnesium.

Virgin oil has 882ppm. Factory fill oil has but 11ppm! Believe magnesium is part of the detergent additive package. But why the big difference in magnesium? Does this suggest the factory fill oil is short on magnesium? That seems contrary to what one would expect. If the factory fill oil had a similar amount of magnesium what happened to the magnesium? To suggest an answer to my question Magnesium is supposed to keep contaminants suspended in the oil so they can be carried to the filter and removed. To see magnesium that low suggests a lot (so to speak) of contaminants were removed (trapped in the filter).

Water content is nil. This is good! Think it is due to BMW running the engine oil (based on my observations) hot, at or above 212F.

(Might mention my Boxster engine ran pretty cool in the winter and at 4K miles -- all accumulated in winter driving -- when analyzed the oil had a water content of 7%. With just over 9 quarts of oil capacity this worked out to about 1/2 quart of water! All due to condensation. There was no coolant leak.)

[CarPoor]

The high moly is from the engine assembly lube and is very typical rather than as an additive in the oil. The BMW bottled oil is definitely different from the factory fill and I’ve no idea who made the factory fill myself. It’s the same for my M240 and wife’s X3 (different plants) and looking back at the first uoa from my F80 is the same DI pack in a light SAE 30.

[RockCrusher]

Oh, forgot to mention that I guess on BMW's recommendation a bottle of this was added to the fuel tank:

https://www.shopbmwusa.com/PRODUCT/1...-FUEL-ADDITIVE

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by CarPoor

The high moly is from the engine assembly lube and is very typical rather than as an additive in the oil. The BMW bottled oil is definitely different from the factory fill and I’ve no idea who made the factory fill myself. It’s the same for my M240 and wife’s X3 (different plants) and looking back at the first uoa from my F80 is the same DI pack in a light SAE 30.

Way back when I was advised to break in a rebuilt engine with the same oil I was going to use after break in. I was told by my tech buddies contrary to what some believed this is what the factories (at least Ford, Chevy, Dodge/Chrysler) did. (Tech buddies worked at various Ford/Chevy/Dodge dealers. 'course, in this context we are talking about BMW...)

I participated in a number of engine rebuilds and every time the tech filled the rebuilt engine with the same oil he would run in the engine after break in.

And I rebuilt two engines: Datsun 1.6l and a Chrysler 318ci V8. And used the same oil for break in that was recommended (by the factory) for engine oil services. (And as I was taught I ran the engines for approx. 15 minutes at fast idle -- exhaust manifolds were dull red -- then shut off the engine and drained the oil and refilled with the recommended factory oil, and of course replaced the filter.)

Economics works against special factory fill oil. Adds cost to have a special oil for just factory fill.

But of course the factory would quite readily accept that cost if the special oil was necessary to ensure healthy engines.

There is no caution in the owners manual about an early change of the factory fill oil. I do note for the M2 the factory calls for a 1200 mile oil/filter service, a running in service. But not for in this case the 230i. 'course, the M2 engine is more highly tuned. The 230i 2.0l engine puts out 255hp. That's 127.5hp per liter. The M2 engine puts out 453hp or 151hp per liter.

To be sure the difference in moly content can be explained by the application of some assembly lube used at the factory. But the moly content is high. To me that suggests a quantity of moly was added to the oil rather than leaving the moly content to chance based on the use of some assembly lube.

Based on the analysis I can't see anything that suggests the factory fill oil is really different than that of the virgin sample of 0w-20 oil.

'course, without actually analyzing a virgin sample of the factory fill oil and comparing it to an analysis of a virgin sample of what the factory recommends using in subsequent oil changes who knows?

[CarPoor]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

Way back when I was advised to break in a rebuilt engine with the same oil I was going to use after break in. I was told by my tech buddies contrary to what some believed this is what the factories (at least Ford, Chevy, Dodge/Chrysler) did. (Tech buddies worked at various Ford/Chevy/Dodge dealers. 'course, in this context we are talking about BMW...)

I participated in a number of engine rebuilds and every time the tech filled the rebuilt engine with the same oil he would run in the engine after break in.

And I rebuilt two engines: Datsun 1.6l and a Chrysler 318ci V8. And used the same oil for break in that was recommended (by the factory) for engine oil services. (And as I was taught I ran the engines for approx. 15 minutes at fast idle -- exhaust manifolds were dull red -- then shut off the engine and drained the oil and refilled with the recommended factory oil, and of course replaced the filter.)

Economics works against special factory fill oil. Adds cost to have a special oil for just factory fill.

But of course the factory would quite readily accept that cost if the special oil was necessary to ensure healthy engines.

There is no caution in the owners manual about an early change of the factory fill oil. I do note for the M2 the factory calls for a 1200 mile oil/filter service, a running in service. But not for in this case the 230i. 'course, the M2 engine is more highly tuned. The 230i 2.0l engine puts out 255hp. That's 127.5hp per liter. The M2 engine puts out 453hp or 151hp per liter.

To be sure the difference in moly content can be explained by the application of some assembly lube used at the factory. But the moly content is high. To me that suggests a quantity of moly was added to the oil rather than leaving the moly content to chance based on the use of some assembly lube.

Based on the analysis I can't see anything that suggests the factory fill oil is really different than that of the virgin sample of 0w-20 oil.

'course, without actually analyzing a virgin sample of the factory fill oil and comparing it to an analysis of a virgin sample of what the factory recommends using in subsequent oil changes who knows?

You’ll see. The moly will drop like a rock as you clean out the engine with ocis.

[CSBM5]

I assume you're planning to do the same analysis when the M2 has its 1200 mile service?

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by CSBM5

I assume you're planning to do the same analysis when the M2 has its 1200 mile service?

Unfortunately I had the M2 in at ~600 miles for an out of pocket oil/filter service and didn't think about an oil analysis. Then the M2 had its (free) 1200 running in service and at 5K miles yet another out of pocket service.

So I missed the chance to do this with the M2.

[CSBM5]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

Unfortunately I had the M2 in at ~600 miles for an out of pocket oil/filter service and didn't think about an oil analysis. Then the M2 had its (free) 1200 running in service and at 5K miles yet another out of pocket service.

So I missed the chance to do this with the M2.

Ah too bad, thanks.

I asked Blackstone about this subject for the S55 since I too missed catching a sample at the 1200 mile oil change on my M2C. Here's their reply when asked about how S55 factory fill samples they've tested compared to "normal" 0W30 BMW oil samples:

I did some poking around in our database, and most factory oil samples from those engines show a viscosity in the 0W/30 range. The additive package is also similar to BMW 0W/30 oil samples we've tested. It's a reasonable assumption to say they leave the factory with BMW 0W/30, but it's hard to be totally certain. The measured viscosity of similar grades, such as 5W/30, are about the same as 0W/30. I will say there is nothing terribly remarkable about the factory oil from those engines. It doesn't have an "odd" additive package or relatively thick for thin viscosity compared to the recommended 0W/30.

[kwikit356]

RockCrusher said "Molybdenum level in virgin sample low (58ppm) while the factory fill oil has 504 (ppm). This suggests Molybdenum might have been added at the factory. (As an aside, for additional wear protection Porsche techs recommended I add a Molybdenum additive to my Porsche engines. Specifically SWEPCO 502 Engine Oil Improver with 200ppm Molybdenum (I had a sample analyzed))."


Thanks for doing this analysis for all of us! I'm curious about your Porsche tech friends recommending the SWEPCO oil additive. Logically, what they told you makes sense to me, but the Owner's Manual for my '16 981 3.8L NA Spyder seems quite insistent that no oil additives be used.

I help out at an indy Porsche shop (mostly providing entertainment as an old cantankerous curmudgeon, and it's less than 30 feet from where I live!) so I've had some long discussions with our long-term Amsoil rep about this issue. He believes in Liqui-Moly and Amsoil oil additives (and here I am specifically referring to the OIL FLUSH type), but his concern is that many people do not use these properly. They are supposed to be poured into the car's oil just before an oil/filter change, and then the engine should be left idling for a mfr-indicated period of time, the engine oil drained and the filter changed immediately. The car should NOT be driven at all with the oil-flush additive.

Of course, your point is not about an oil-flush additive, which has at least the potential to be more of a risk to the engine, but rather to an additive that essentially adds additional Molybdenum disulfide as a lubrication enhancement.

As to the differing Magnesium levels, I too am perplexed. I don't want to go down a rabbit hole on the properties of Magnesium (mainly because I'm neither chemist nor metallurgist). But it is interesting that Molybdenum has a very high melting point, while Magnesium's is quite low. I think I recall that Moly is often used to make steel alloys harder, while Mag is often combined with Aluminum to make it (Mag) less brittle.

Maybe somebody here can better explain the reasons for these oil additives and why the levels are so different in your two oil samples. Another thing of note is that every motor oil manufacturer likes their own additive formulas, like they do with gasoline.

I like your idea of adding the SWEPCO 502 to the engine oil at changes. I also have trouble with BMW NA wanting us to use 0w20 oil in our B58 engines, especially when 0w30 is allowed in Europe. I went to 0w30 at 1,200 miles. I plan to do another oil/filter change at about 5,000 miles. I think I'll send a sample to Blackstone.

[CarPoor]

Magnesium is part of the detergent package to compliment calcium and to allow lower levels of calcium to mitigate or prevent lspi events. Calcium encourages lspi and magnesium quenches it.

Apologies, got in a hurry. Molybdenum is also quenching so maybe the factory is relying on that for break-in. I read many years ago that magnesium if excessive can be abrasive so maybe the factory wants that out of the mix durning break-in.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by kwikit356

RockCrusher said "Molybdenum level in virgin sample low (58ppm) while the factory fill oil has 504 (ppm). This suggests Molybdenum might have been added at the factory. (As an aside, for additional wear protection Porsche techs recommended I add a Molybdenum additive to my Porsche engines. Specifically SWEPCO 502 Engine Oil Improver with 200ppm Molybdenum (I had a sample analyzed))."


Thanks for doing this analysis for all of us! I'm curious about your Porsche tech friends recommending the SWEPCO oil additive. Logically, what they told you makes sense to me, but the Owner's Manual for my '16 981 3.8L NA Spyder seems quite insistent that no oil additives be used.

I help out at an indy Porsche shop (mostly providing entertainment as an old cantankerous curmudgeon, and it's less than 30 feet from where I live!) so I've had some long discussions with our long-term Amsoil rep about this issue. He believes in Liqui-Moly and Amsoil oil additives (and here I am specifically referring to the OIL FLUSH type), but his concern is that many people do not use these properly. They are supposed to be poured into the car's oil just before an oil/filter change, and then the engine should be left idling for a mfr-indicated period of time, the engine oil drained and the filter changed immediately. The car should NOT be driven at all with the oil-flush additive.

Of course, your point is not about an oil-flush additive, which has at least the potential to be more of a risk to the engine, but rather to an additive that essentially adds additional Molybdenum disulfide as a lubrication enhancement.

As to the differing Magnesium levels, I too am perplexed. I don't want to go down a rabbit hole on the properties of Magnesium (mainly because I'm neither chemist nor metallurgist). But it is interesting that Molybdenum has a very high melting point, while Magnesium's is quite low. I think I recall that Moly is often used to make steel alloys harder, while Mag is often combined with Aluminum to make it (Mag) less brittle.

Maybe somebody here can better explain the reasons for these oil additives and why the levels are so different in your two oil samples. Another thing of note is that every motor oil manufacturer likes their own additive formulas, like they do with gasoline.

I like your idea of adding the SWEPCO 502 to the engine oil at changes. I also have trouble with BMW NA wanting us to use 0w20 oil in our B58 engines, especially when 0w30 is allowed in Europe. I went to 0w30 at 1,200 miles. I plan to do another oil/filter change at about 5,000 miles. I think I'll send a sample to Blackstone.

Pretty sure the owners manual for my 2002 Boxster (and 2003 Turbo and 2008 Cayman S) cautioned against the use of oil (or fuel) additives.

Believe when the Porsche techs recommended SWEPCO 502 to me it was for my cars that were out of factory warranty.

The additive was recommended in part to help reduce the ticking that some Porsche engines manifested. (And which is common complaint with a number of engines besides Porsche.)

None of my Porsche engines (any engines really) ticked. I tried some SWEPCO though. There might have been a bit of a reduction in noise.

But SWEPCO never became a habit with my Porsche engines or any engines since.

What I think helped preserve my Porsche engines: Boxster to 317K miles; Turbo to 161K miles; unfortunately the Cayman S was totaled when hit by another car and it never made it beyond around 2200 miles...); were frequent (every 5K mile) oil/filter services.

Years (and I mean years...) ago my auto tech buddies told me if necessary to flush an engine to add a quart of ATF. Drive the car normally for a while then drain the oil, replace the filter. Done.

But they also told me if the engine was truly suffering from sludge build up either yank the engine and rebuild it or leave it alone.

Given the lack of any real good crankcase ventilation sludge was a problem. As a kid in the late 1950s early 1960s every corner gas station had several service bays which were use for oil/filter, tires, brakes, etc. But more involved engine work was done. Top end rebuilds were common. Engines needed this at sometimes less than 50K miles.

But with PCV this reduces sludge build up quite remarkably. (There have been exceptions but I recall the problem was due to poor casting design which had areas which were not adequately "washed" by oil and thus tended to collect sludge.)

Just a long winded way to get to my belief using an engine oil flushing additive is not necessary.

Modern engine oil has detergent additives. So stuff that would form sludge is kept suspended, and can be removed by the filter. The smaller stuff is pretty much removed when the oil (which should be *hot*) is drained.

I could be in favor of using an oil additive (like SWEPCO 502) but I would advise an owner to follow what his car's owners manual has to say on the subject of oil additives.

Magnesium is (what I read) a detergent additive that gloms on to particulate matter with the idea this caught in the filter.

Molybdenum in the context of an oil additive serves as an anti-wear additive.

My 2024 BMW 230i xDrive owners manual allows for the use of 0w-20 or 0w-30 oil.

If you want to use 0w-30 oil check with your favorite BMW service department first and if there is no objection use 0w-30 oil.

My only experience with different multi-viscosity grades of oil is Porsche allowed for the use of 0w-40, 5w-40, and even 5w-50 oil.

However, 0w-40 was required in cold temperatures of -17F (-25C). At some point I switched both my Boxster and Turbo to 5w-50 oil. The 5w-50 oil had a slightly better HTHS number than the 0w-40 oil. But the 0w-40 oil never proved to be not up to the job even in 116F to 119F ambient temperatures.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by CarPoor

Magnesium is part of the detergent package to compliment calcium and to allow lower levels of calcium to mitigate or prevent lspi events. Calcium encourages lspi and magnesium quenches it.

Apologies, got in a hurry. Molybdenum is also quenching so maybe the factory is relying on that for break-in. I read many years ago that magnesium if excessive can be abrasive so maybe the factory wants that out of the mix durning break-in.

Could be why magnesium is low in the factory fill oil. Or it could be its detergent capabilities are not required as other additives suffice. The fewer additives in the oil the more oil there is. While additives are important too much is well, not good.