synthetic oil

[The Mechanic]

Oooooh!

Good oil is better than a good mechanic - imho

Ooooooh you can find your own mechanic now, naughty!

 

[City Slicker]

...that said, it's an oil/air cooled engine and is likely to run oil temperatures much higher than in a water-cooled engine.

Significantly, fully synthetic oil offers stable lubrication at higher temperatures than semi-synthetic or mineral oil particularly as it ages and the polymer chains break down.

Personally, I use Halford Fully-Synthetic (an API SL oil) which is no more expensive than brand-name semi-synthetics. I have used it since the clock read 12,000 miles.

Greg

I had some bad experiences with this oil, which seems to run thinner that mineral when hot - maybe its just the normal boxer noise exaggerated but it felt like something had gone in the pistin/head department.

 

[gavin]

I had some bad experiences with this oil, which seems to run thinner that mineral when hot - maybe its just the normal boxer noise exaggerated but it felt like something had gone in the pistin/head department.

Maybe that's why BMW recommend oil with an API rating no higher than SG!

 

[Captain Beaky]

How many times have we been here?

General concensus is to lay off the synthetic until motor is fully run in and not using oil. This can take as little as 12000 miles and as much as 30,000 miles, but be sure that it really is run in.

I put synthetic in mine at about 9000, changing back to normal at 12000. Still using oil, but oil consumption is now finally dropping off a little at 16000 miles. Oil change is now due, and I'll be putting standard mineral oil in for the winter. Depending on the oil consumption, I might put synthetic oil in at next service.