BMW Magazine Article on overfilling oil on WC models

Let us now read from the Manual...

AKsuited said:

Which confirms that 4 liters is too much. Oil level should be at the center dot.

Harry

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Engine Oil, Specified Level

-Between Min and Max


and

if the level is above MAX, [remove some]


We should not split hairs, I put in the recommended 4 liters as close as I could determine. It did fill to max, but there is nowhere I can find where Max is too much. Above Max, sure, they say to fix that.

And, I did have to check the next morning. Immediately after the engine shut down, the level began filling the sight glass quickly, then slowed, and after 5 minutes - was right at dead centre!

Can you point to a reference for hitting the centre exactly?

I think we are both right

Hodadd said:

The Rotella T6 meets the requirements, but from all of my readings is not the same oil as the BMW oil and is not made from refined natural gas. The BMW oil is made from natural gas and is produced at the Royal Dutch Shell refinery in Qatar (IIRC).

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Did some searching, came up with this:

Natural gas probably isn't running your car, but it may soon be lubricating your engine.
Royal Dutch Shell, which owns Pennzoil, Quaker State and other brands, is announcing Friday that it has already started selling a premium motor oil that is derived from natural gas and not crude.
The process begins with Shell's $19 billion Pearl GTL, a gas-to-liquids facility in Qatar, where the company converts natural gas into a variety of fuels and feedstocks, including the base oil used to manufacture the motor oil found on the shelves of auto supply stores.
Shell began producing base oil at Pearl in 2012. But while base oil is typically derived from crude, the company said it now will use only base oil made from natural gas at Pearl for its premium motor oil brands.

Seems the base oil in all Shell synthetic products now comes from Qatar.

Is it the same as the BMW oil? Can't confirm that and doubt that anyone would say so. I'll just continue to believe it is.

BMW Triumphant said:

Is it the same as the BMW oil? Can't confirm that and doubt that anyone would say so. I'll just continue to believe it is.

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Here's a little blurb on the Shell Advantec oil which I found on Bob's BMW website. Seems it is oil from natural gas sources. I put the pertinent statement in red:

"BMW Motorrad’s two new engine oils, ADVANTEC ULTIMATE (this product) and ADVANTEC PRO, are jointly developed and exclusively formulated by Shell lubricants and BMW to demanding and exact specifications for top performance and long service life for BMW Motorrad high-performance engines.

Please Note: ADVANTEC Oils are sold in LITER bottles. 1 Liter = 1.05669 Quarts

Engine oil quality depends largely on its main components: the base oils. They make up approximately 75-90% of engine oil. Original BMW Engine Oils are based on the new patented PurePlus Technology™, which refines base oils from natural gas instead of crude oil. The result is crystal clear base oils that contain virtually none of the impurities found in crude oils. PurePlus Technology™ marks a breakthrough in how engine oils are formulated to provide enhanced viscosity, reduced friction and lower volatility.

Since 2012, BMW Motorrad has re-aligned its published recommendations globally to only two engine oil viscosities for all engine types:
• ADVANTEC ULTIMATE, SAE 5W-40 (API SN/JASO MA2) — recommended for the following 2005 & later models: K1200 RS/S/GT, K1300 S/GT, G450X, HP2 Sport, K1600 GT/GTL, S1000 RR/R/HP4, and all LIQUID-COOLED R1200 Models.
• ADVANTEC PRO, SAE 15W-50 (API SJ/JASO MA2) — recommended for all other models.*

* For owners of what BMW calls “Legacy Motorcycles” (those built prior to 1995) who prefer to continue using a mineral oil based product, BMW continues to offer two viscosities that protect earlier engine designs in most temperature ranges: SAE 10W40 (API SG/JASO MA2) and SAE 20W50 (API SG/JASO MA2)."

BMW Triumphant said:

Can you point to a reference for hitting the centre exactly?

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Sure.

It came from the factory that way.

And too much oil causes clunkier shifting.

Harry

jimvonbaden said:

Well, one problem is that 1.1 gal is not 4 liters, it is 4.16. My information comes from the latest BMW service manual.

Jim

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US gallons and Canadian Gallons a not the same size. 1 US Gal = 3.785 l 1 Imperial Gal= 4.546 l

That's why the metric system was created. There is no confusion...