[cook1e]

Looked at the FAQ section and the comprehensive posting on engine oil that 5w-30 Oil is specified. I also note from my handbook and logo under the bonnet that MINI recommend Castrol. However when I went to my local spares shop who stock Castrol Oils and they didn't stock any 5-30 not castrol or any other make. The guy behind the spares counter said that Castrol Formula SLX 5w-30 is the correct oil for the new MINI. The Bottle states that it's suitable for modern BMWs and Audis so I guess this may cover the MINI as it's a baby Bee Em!

I bought a litre bottle but haven't opened it yet so if it's the wrong stuff I could take it back, I only need the oil for topping up purposes in case the Engine uses any, I've done just under 500 miles of running in so far and it hasn't drunk any yet.

I note that the FAQ post originated from a US MINI2er so maybe its just that 0w-30 is the grade of Castrol available in the UK and the 5w-30 is the US equivalent. After all 0w-30 has a wider viscosity range than 5w-30 so I guess it may be considered a superior grade in any case?

Can anyone give me a definitive answer on whether Castrol Formula SLX 0w-30 is indeed the right oil ffor my UK spec MINI Cooper please.

Thanks

Cook1e

[MiniDoug]

It needs to say BMW Longlife 01 I think on the back. Castrol SLX is approved and the original oil I believe..... Mobil 1 is also approved (Costco is cheapest) but check the back as some Mobil is imported and is NOT approved. Some other oils such as Millers are probably also approved. A BMW parts guy told me that Tesco did SLX cheaply but I never found any there! SLX2 is a VW approved oil and this is probably a higher grade than the BMW oil as it is used for their PD diesel engines but is not BMW Longlife approved. The Castrol SLX has a greenish colour to it like old Duckhams oils.

[Harpo]

I've just been making the same investigations as yourself Cook1e, and have been told by my dealer (who did spend some time checking) that SLX is indeed the oil to use.
It don't come cheap though does it?

[cook1e]

I should have mentioned in my post that the 0w-30 Formula SLX does indeed state that it is to BMW Longlife 01 spec on the bottle, another reason why I thought that it's probably the right oil, however this doesn't explain the 05w -30 spec listed in he MINI2 FAQ oil advice thread. As I'm only going to use it for topping up I'm sure it'll be OK though.

Glad it's green like Duckhams, thats my favoured oil for my old classic Triumph , mainly cos I like the green colour better than the yucky brown of standard Castrol GTX!!!!!

[cook1e]

Quote: Originally Posted by Harpo

I've just been making the same investigations as yourself Cook1e, and have been told by my dealer (who did spend some time checking) that SLX is indeed the oil to use.
It don't come cheap though does it?

Too right Harpo,

13 Quid for a Litre, I could get 5 litres of good old Duckhams or GTX for less than that, or come to think of it a litre of duty free booze !!!!! Still thats the cost of modern Engine technology and extended oil change service intervals I guess. Goood job I've got the TLC pack for my MINI servicing, the £100 cost of TLC is less than the oil and filter costs alone!

[MiniDoug]

Use Mobil 1 it's cheaper.... and approved!

[andyupnorth]

£13 LITRE???? I got mine from my local MINI parts dept and it was (only!) £9

[cook1e]

Quote: Originally Posted by andyupnorth

£13 LITRE???? I got mine from my local MINI parts dept and it was (only!) £9

Blimey,

I never thought that the MINI parts dept might actually be cheaper , expected to pay through the nose from a Bee Em dealership. Lesson learnt, get my oil from my dealer in future or check out the Mobil 1 in my local Costco.

Cheers for the info

[ABG]

I bought a 4ltr bottle of Castrol SLX 0w-30 for £31.99 (£8 per ltr) from Halfords

I'm glad it's the right one to use - I've been "keeping an eye out" for months in petrol stations and the like for 5w-30 fully sythetic oil without luck.

BTW when I get my BMW serviced the dealership gives me a free 1 ltr bottle of oil for topping up. Oddly tho' it's Shell Oil

[asianthug_ak47]

How many liter is in a quart. I pay 3.75 dollars per quart at Costco and it comes in a pack of 6. It's 4 dollars at Walmart if I purchase the large 5-quarts bottle. OPEC is ripping European off big time.

I hate to live in Europe with that high fuel price. I don't like the idea of us American driving giant SUV around with no pasenger in it, especially in traffic jam. SUVs perform a great role over here because many peple take long vacation and we don't want to rely on public transportaion for that since there are very little train available, if any, in rural areas. The US is full of rural areas. Plus, we do a lot of stuffs by ourself such as home improvement, towing our boats to beach and rivers, buying and taking our own furnitures, lawn products, and all other weird stuffs home ourselves. I think people in Europe and Asia pay someone to do those stuffs. Right now, I wish I have a giant truck for a month so I can buy all the furnitures needed for my new apartment. I'll be on the bare floor for 1 week while waiting for stuffs delivered here. haha.

Anyway, STICK WITH MOBIL 1 5W30 full synthetic. Mobil 1 has 0W20 now, but I can't find it in bulk purchase. I just bought 3 packs of 6 1-quart oil yesterday because I'll be doing a lot of vacationing this summer. I'll be changing the oil every 10k to 15k though.

Good luck on oil price.

[cook1e]

Quote: Originally Posted by asianthug_ak47

How many liter is in a quart. I pay 3.75 dollars per quart at Costco and it comes in a pack of 6. It's 4 dollars at Walmart if I purchase the large 5-quarts bottle. OPEC is ripping European off big time.

I hate to live in Europe with that high fuel price. I don't like the idea of us American driving giant SUV around with no pasenger in it, especially in traffic jam. SUVs perform a great role over here because many peple take long vacation and we don't want to rely on public transportaion for that since there are very little train available, if any, in rural areas. The US is full of rural areas. Plus, we do a lot of stuffs by ourself such as home improvement, towing our boats to beach and rivers, buying and taking our own furnitures, lawn products, and all other weird stuffs home ourselves. I think people in Europe and Asia pay someone to do those stuffs. Right now, I wish I have a giant truck for a month so I can buy all the furnitures needed for my new apartment. I'll be on the bare floor for 1 week while waiting for stuffs delivered here. haha.

Anyway, STICK WITH MOBIL 1 5W30 full synthetic. Mobil 1 has 0W20 now, but I can't find it in bulk purchase. I just bought 3 packs of 6 1-quart oil yesterday because I'll be doing a lot of vacationing this summer. I'll be changing the oil every 10k to 15k though.



Good luck on oil price.

A Litre is pretty similar in size to a to a quart, there are 4.5 litres to the UK gallon and 4 quarts, not sure if a US quart is a quarter of a US gallon though as I realise that you have smaller gallons in the US.

Yes I agree we do get ripped off on the price of oil (and petrol) in Europe!

The £13- per litre that I paid was for a single Litre of Castrol Formula SLX in Halfords, I realise that it works out cheaper to by a larger container but with the TLC pack I won't be doing oil changes myself for a few years and since finishing running in my Cooper hasn't been using any oil at all (3,000 miles on the clock now).

[johnlondonw3]

If my MCS has Castrol SLX in it can I top up with Mobile 1 ?

[Martin L]

Mobil 1 is a different grade, 0-40w I think they don't do 0-30w.

SLX is quite tricky to come by, not all Halfords stock it
I found some in my local Audi dealership and it was cheaper there too

[whovous]

Mobil 1 does 0-30w in the US. Just paid about $5 for a quart.

[Jupiter]

Quote: Originally Posted by cook1e

I should have mentioned in my post that the 0w-30 Formula SLX does indeed state that it is to BMW Longlife 01 spec on the bottle, another reason why I thought that it's probably the right oil, however this doesn't explain the 05w -30 spec listed in he MINI2 FAQ oil advice thread. As I'm only going to use it for topping up I'm sure it'll be OK though.

Glad it's green like Duckhams, thats my favoured oil for my old classic Triumph , mainly cos I like the green colour better than the yucky brown of standard Castrol GTX!!!!!

I had the same querie - also bought SLX 0W-30. Must be that the States have a different spec to the UK as Castrol 5W-30 is not available here. Any oil which states ACEA A3 should be OK though.

[Tinkerbell]

I bought a litre of SLX today from my dealer...£12.50 I nearly fainted with the shock. It did come with gloves, funnel & cloths though (I love extras) .

Tinkerbell