What have you done with or to your M3 today?

Grip Addict wrote

Siajoon wrote

I use water because it's cheaper then an oil change and I don't see any risk to it, it's 0w 0. Good stuff

I mean that is how I read people just picking a different oil weight, but I didn't want to say it like that lol

Lol I'll never understand it

Grip Addict wrote

Not being an ass, genuinely want to just ask the question directed to you and directed to others who do it.

If a car stock calls for X weight of oil, why do you put in Y?

The Castrol vs LiquiMoly vs Some Magic Juice is one thing, but I just don't get why one would just do a different oil weight to try it out or based on someone telling them.

I know some people do certain engine mods, superchargers, or something else that might call for it, but a stock engine. Why do it? Why risk it?

I'm pretty sure it all started with an article posted online over 15 years ago about the meaning of oil grades. It was written by a guy who stated he was a surgeon, I think he said he was from Florida.

This article discussed the meaning of the oil grading numbers, and how they didn't reflect anything relevant in the real world anymore. He talked about the additive package, the differences between conventional and synthetic motor oil, and his experience trying different blends and grades in his personal vehicles. He stated he owned Lamborghinis and Ferraris amongst his more mundane vehicles, and his observations about engine temp and oil pressure as he switched to different oils. It was titled something like "The truth about motor oil" or something like that, which sounds like clickbait in our era of Taboola links, but it had some interesting info in it. I used to be able to find that post all over the automotive forums, but it seems to have vanished now.

Parallel to that post, or maybe because of it, the BITOG forum popped up and the Bob guys started examining oil info, manufacturer claims, and stories about amateur and professional experiments with different oil.

A friend of mine owned an LS-based vehicle, and the buzz on some of the GM forums along with that guy's post convinced him to try a 0 weight synthetic instead of the 5W he was supposed to use. His engine tossed a rod bearing not long after that. A lot of the people on the forums had made the switch with no ill effects, so it could have been coincidental.

Regardless of the reason why he lost his motor, it convinces me that I want one less thing to worry about in regards to protecting my cherished E92 that I spent almost two years searching for. This car was over $70k new, it'll probably cost me $10k to replace the engine if it blows, so until BMW releases a white paper telling me personally (yes, I want my name in the first paragraph) to switch oils, I'll keep using what it says to use in TFM. If I feel like scratching the experiment itch I'll try different oils in one of my domestic vintage engines.

Took a lot of time to remove the tracking rubbe on the paint.
I am considering a coating before next event? I will do the clay bar, polishing and then coating. Any recommendation for polishing compound/coating and polishing machine??

E90325M wrote

Took a lot of time to remove the tracking rubbe on the paint.
I am considering a coating before next event? I will do the clay bar, polishing and then coating. Any recommendation for polishing compound/coating and polishing machine??

I've had a griots garage dual action polisher for a few years now. I believe that + polish + pads came in under $200. Works fantastic, it's DA so you won't damage the paint, and very easy to use.

Grip Addict wrote

The risk is you are putting something in your cars engine that it was not designed to take.

Yeah! But non risk putting 10w-60
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=786615

m3.santorini wrote

Yeah! But non risk putting 10w-60
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=786615

Right, what I am saying is the risk is already there to own one of these things to begin with, now everyone wants to play chemist? picking a random oil weight?

Maybe a shop told them to use it? maybe some surgeon who makes a blog post told them?

I just don't get why.

Grip Addict wrote

The risk is you are putting something in cars engine that it was not designed to take.

Taking the M3 out of the situation for its oddball weight, pretty much every car has its oil weight printed on the oil cap. I never hear someone taking their commuter Toyota which asks for 0W-20 and just putting 5W-30 in it for shits and giggles.

I haven't really heard of any over arching issues with picking a different weight for our M3s (particularly because I haven't researched to find them), but there is risk there and I just wonder with all the default risks of a E9x M3 you or others choose to force this risk upon themselves.

Again, I don’t see any risk, but I maintain my own car and know a fair amount. You obviously find deviating from whatever BMW recommends to be a risk. My car would drive you nuts — aftermarket tune, aftermarket wheels, larger tires, aftermarket shocks, aftermarket exhaust, water/meth injection, Evans coolant, underdrive pulley, aftermarket intake, etc. Having to stick to what BMW specifies would drive me nuts. Have you ever started your motor in -20F weather with 10W60 oil in it?

Finally got my red start/stop button in the mail along with the red M button for the steering wheel. Fitment and finish is amazing and definitely a OEM+ look IMO. Install was super easy and I'm very happy with the finished product, such a small mod but adds such a sporty look on the inside, almost like it was suppose to come from factory this way.

Doesn’t the plant get in the way of the clutch pedal?

pbonsalb wrote

Doesn't the plant get in the way of the clutch pedal?

Cheeky fellla you are;) but my car is DCT idk what you mean.

I checked the shift knob in the picture before I posted.

pbonsalb wrote

Again, I don’t see any risk, but I maintain my own car and know a fair amount. You obviously find deviating from whatever BMW recommends to be a risk. My car would drive you nuts — aftermarket tune, aftermarket wheels, larger tires, aftermarket shocks, aftermarket exhaust, water/meth injection, Evans coolant, underdrive pulley, aftermarket intake, etc. Having to stick to what BMW specifies would drive me nuts. Have you ever started your motor in -20F weather with 10W60 oil in it?

This is of course very true. I remember years ago reading a BMW manual for a car I just purchased (don't recall which one now, I am old) and it stated the use of different, lighter oil in the winter. I was like, what??? Really? Now of course it all makes perfect sense, but it is not something that is common knowledge with your average Joe Shadetree.

I will say that as my cars got older I did change oils from the original "called for" blend. Engines now are designed for the super thin oils, but clearances and wear in older engines require a different tack. In my last E36 M3, once it got past 120k miles I switched to Rotella T6 due to an overwhelmingly positive regard from the E36 community and the forums. Was very happy with it in all respects, and will say the inside of that engine was always super clean with zero buildup.

pbonsalb wrote

I checked the shift knob in the picture before I posted.

LOL, all of the pics show a manual car, complete with zero paddles on the wheel. So the question is, whos car is that??

I do believe the auto guys have flowers in their cars.

tbuck wrote

pbonsalb wrote

I checked the shift knob in the picture before I posted.

LOL, all of the pics show a manual car, complete with zero paddles on the wheel. So the question is, whos car is that??

No idea, I thought it was auto? Might be the reason why my car won't shift into second gear ever

pbonsalb wrote

I checked the shift knob in the picture before I posted.

The shift knob is custom so it resembles a manual transmission so I look cool

Siajoon wrote

Cheeky fellla you are;) but my car is DCT idk what you mean.

You wish

EJT86 wrote

Siajoon wrote

Cheeky fellla you are;) but my car is DCT idk what you mean.

You wish

One can dream

Ubersmooth wrote

E90325M wrote

Took a lot of time to remove the tracking rubbe on the paint.
I am considering a coating before next event? I will do the clay bar, polishing and then coating. Any recommendation for polishing compound/coating and polishing machine??

I've had a griots garage dual action polisher for a few years now. I believe that + polish + pads came in under $200. Works fantastic, it's DA so you won't damage the paint, and very easy to use.

thanks. what does DA means?
what model of polishing machine and polishing pads are you using?

Siajoon wrote

Finally got my red start/stop button in the mail along with the red M button for the steering wheel. Fitment and finish is amazing and definitely a OEM+ look IMO. Install was super easy and I'm very happy with the finished product, such a small mod but adds such a sporty look on the inside, almost like it was suppose to come from factory this way.

They look great! where you bought it?

E90325M wrote

thanks. what does DA means?
what model of polishing machine and polishing pads are you using?

DA=Dual action. It’s a safe way to correct paint versus something like a rotary. With the correct products and pads you can correct most paint with a DA. One mistake with a rotary you can burn the paint. A good economical DA, tried and true is a porter cable 7424, but there are other options that get the job done like rupes.

pbonsalb wrote

Again, I don’t see any risk, but I maintain my own car and know a fair amount. You obviously find deviating from whatever BMW recommends to be a risk. My car would drive you nuts — aftermarket tune, aftermarket wheels, larger tires, aftermarket shocks, aftermarket exhaust, water/meth injection, Evans coolant, underdrive pulley, aftermarket intake, etc.

I can't speak for Grip, but my vehicle is lightly modded (see sig) so I don't mind toying with that stuff. I've also done header installs on my previous M cars. None of the mods you mention affect the engine internals (a case could be made that the UD pulley does, but I think thats BS) and some of your mods are actually good for the car over and above your enjoyment factor.

They're also all easily reversible. You can drain your coolant mod and put BMWs coolant back in there, you can shut off the meth system, you can put your stock map back in the computer, and you can swap the original pulley back in. Changing the oil to a non-recommended blend/grade is a different story. That can cause permanent changes to the engine. Yes you can change bearings, but you can't add metal back to the cylinder walls or crankshaft if there's any scoring or unusual wear.

Value is another consideration. Having the docs to prove you did the service with factory-recommended oil helps keep the resale value up on the car. If you show a prospective buyer a box of receipts showing you bought Super Turbo Zoom Low Resistance Nut Squeezin's for your oil changes, I'd think that the tiger's share of shoppers (the lion was off that week) would say "I'll pass. Looking for someone who wasn't trying to offer their car up as an Aztec sacrifice".

pbonsalb wrote

Having to stick to what BMW specifies would drive me nuts.

You and Beef should get together and found a support group for people with OCMD.

pbonsalb wrote

Have you ever started your motor in -20F weather with 10W60 oil in it?

No, are you insane? Move south.