• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Mixing Oils

I don't see how the average person can do as well....

Don't be silly. With the amount of information available on the internet, we can ALL be experts. :laugh

I stand by my original Opinion #1: It won't kill you. Beyond that, you're on your own.
 
On a purely anecdotal note, I've used leftover motor oil and mixed brands since the late 60's. and cannot recall any oil related failures on any of my vehicles (200,000+ on a couple cars, 185,000 on the K, and innumerable others) While theorizing about ideal oils and conditions, in practicality it seems to matter very little so long as it gets changed regularly. Granted, newer engines may have more stringent needs, but from what I understand that is more for mileage and pollution requirements. Between lawn mowers, kid's junkers and my toys, I usually don't have much oil sitting around for long. And unlike some previous posters, I find the stuff pricey. Taking unused oil to a recycler would be sacrilege!
 
I will stand partially corrected after doing some homework, Oils are generally not considered hygroscopic, but some of the additives and esters can be. However the amount of H2O absorption is miniscule, a few parts per million at best. There is also some info on the interweb (it has to be true if on the interweb :brow ) indicates that the newer esters, are less so. And any absorbed water will be evaporated as soon and the engine reaches temp, with no consequences.

Several manufacturers consider 10 years the shelf life of oil.

So yes, oil can absorb miniscule amounts H2O, but unlike brake fluid, and alcohols, the dilution rate is so minute it is a non issue, and IMHO would not prevent me from using it.
 
Several manufacturers consider 10 years the shelf life of oil.

So I shouldn't use that stuff in the cardboard "can" with metal end caps? :dunno And here I was pulling the garage apart trying to find the oil spout/tool used to puncture the can. :D
 
So I shouldn't use that stuff in the cardboard "can" with metal end caps? :dunno And here I was pulling the garage apart trying to find the oil spout/tool used to puncture the can. :D

Warning! Total thread derail imminent!

I'll pay $25 to anyone here who can supply me with an original can of STP from the '60s or early '70s.
 
When I have a quarter of a quart of oil left as an orphan I use it in my 36 year old Bolens garden tractor or dump it in with 4 new quarts in my old Ford Explorer.
 
So I shouldn't use that stuff in the cardboard "can" with metal end caps? :dunno And here I was pulling the garage apart trying to find the oil spout/tool used to puncture the can. :D

I have a couple of spouts you can borrow, still have the sound of the "beak" slicing the metal, etched in my brain. Kind of like the sound of the action of a pump shotgun, no mistaking it.
 
Warning! Total thread derail imminent!

I'll pay $25 to anyone here who can supply me with an original can of STP from the '60s or early '70s.

Can't do that but I'm still using from the red can of Marvel Mystery Oil I inherited from my mother that died in 1986.
 
Kent -

That website specifically states Mobil 1 viscosities. I wouldn't have any issue with using oils from the same manufacturer. But is it a universal truth that any oil, any viscosity, dino/synth can be mixed? I would doubt it.

Good question and I'll acknowledge here that I don't know the answer to that question but would rely on the guidance from the chemical companies that produce these products. I only referenced the feedback provided by Mobil on their Mobil 1 product -- you would need to direct questions regarding your specific product and issue to the chemical company that produces that product -- for me that is the one (and only) trusted source.

Kent
 
oil

Certainly you check the oil containers to insure it is all of the same batch. That would be the same difference as using a partial container would it not?

Jon
 
Don't think there is any harm mixing dino and synthetic. I mixed 50-50 10-30 Mobil 1 and Castrol 20-50 to make a 15-40 winter blend for my Ural. I just try not to stray too far from the recommended weights for the vehicle. But I always manage to use up leftovers by topping off the van or VW with whatever.

Dang I love oil threads. Just curious how you know that you make a 15w40 by mixing those oils? You cannot create different viscosities by mixing in that way. The oil will blend together but the molecules will stay in their designed state in regards to viscosities. Mixing different viscosities of a high quality oil will not hurt anything but you should make sure that the viscosity that your using fits within the specifications of the manufacturer. This is not an opinion.

Jason
 
+1 to the previous response. Creating a specific viscosity range is not a simple matter of blending different vicsosity oils to make the "new" viscosity. Takes a lot more than simple mixing to produce a viscosity range. The entire process of determining a specific viscosity range involves a lot of proof testing.

Detrimental? Maybe, maybe not. If your bike is under warranty yet, I'd bet mixing your own viscosity "range" would not fall under the manufacturer's recommended practice and they could wipe their hands from a warranty claim. Its not a simple as saying the manufaturer cannot tell you WHICH brand of oil to use.

In a pinch in the middle of nowhere I'd do it, because almost any oil is better than no oil.
 
Some people mix oil and others don't. Some people use synthetic while others use dino. In all of the oil theads, nobody seems to have a problem with their choice and nothing bad happens. DOES IT REALLY MATTER?
 
Back
Top