which engine oil to use in e36? - United Bimmer Community

**falak sher** · 02-07-2009, 10:26 PM

hey guys i have a 316i e36.

is there any specified engine oil for bmws? because my cars acceleration has died literally so i went to the mechanic for a check up and he said that i need to put synthetic oil because bmws have hydraulic tapits??

i am confused please help.

**Tay318** · 02-08-2009, 09:50 AM

Hey. I have an E36 318. when it came time for my first oil change i called the dealership and they told me to use a mineral oil. that would be just fine, but my engine had over 200 000kms on it and i wanted more protection. i talked to a phew mechanic friends and did a little research, i wound up useing Castrol Syntec 5W/30. http://www.castrolsyntec.com/
It is awsome, a little more expensive but it is definatly worth it as the car is worth the money. perfection and cleanliness is key to being a BMW owner, and you'll want to take as good of care on the outside as the engine.
Hope this helps your decision.

**AStarps** · 02-08-2009, 12:55 PM

Like tay said, something similar to the Castrol 5W/30 partial synthetic would probably be your best bet. You could run a full synthetic which usually results in slightly better performance, but if you have high miles I wouldn't recommend it because it could start leaking and you don't want that.

**Tay318** · 02-09-2009, 08:27 AM

Agreed. Either way use the good stuff.

**falak sher** · 02-09-2009, 10:45 AM

hey guys thanks alot for the replies and the advice