Hi all,

As is usual, I'll be servicing my new (to me) L322 twice a year and I'm looking around for accessible engine oils ie able to grab whenever as opposed to the cheapest.

On my aimless afternoon stroll in Costco today, I noticed a couple of strong contenders which, per my thorough research on here look rather worthy... both 5W30.

1 - this was the Castrol Magnatec which meets A5/B5 and Ford WSS-M2C913-C/D spec (ca. £35 for 5L)

2 - the most interesting one at 20L for ca. £70 was a Chevron branded "Supreme Motor Oil" which meets A5/B5 spec but doesn't denote any further spec. A bit of reading around infers this could also be compatible with my engine (see title).

My question is, has anyone had any experience with either of these and/or are any of them absolute no-gos? As mentioned, I'm looking for a solid oil to do me for 5k/6mths. I only ask a. for a bit of reassurance and b. some first hand experience as there are many conflicting recommendations online.

NB. I've also checked the L322 WSM per another thread (thanks Danb_220_201) which indicates these would be suitable.

Thanks all in advance!

R 2009 facelift L322 3.6 TDV8 - Buckingham Blue

They don't sound like especially good deals.

5W-30
ACEA A5
API SL/SN
STJLR.03.5003

https://www.mannol.de/products/motor-oils-...a-fr-5w-30 (£37 for 10 litres, £60 for 20L from Carousel Car Parts)

https://www.smithandallan.com/product/smit...e-oil-4140 (£27 for 5 litres delivered, 20L for £72) 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

Agree with Gary - nothing good about those prices. On a 3.6 you can't realy go wrong with an oil as long as it's the right viscosity grade as there is no DPF to worry about for. Just make sure you change it at intervals at least way shorter than the official service interval. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Thank you both, really helpful inputs as always. I’ll get ordering  2009 facelift L322 3.6 TDV8 - Buckingham Blue

The problem with using any lubricant other than that specified by LR is that you (or probably the next owner) wont know that it wasn't good enough until it is too late.
I often wonder how many of the problems like failed turbos that add to the story of "poor reliability" are actually down to someone saving £30 on an oil change?

Not quite true.

Most oils carry 'Approvals' and 'Meets' specifications.

If you purchase an oil with the relevant manufacturer approval, it has been tested and approved to meet their standards.

'Meets' means the manufacturer says their oil does, but they haven't gained the necessary approval.

Smith and Allan base oils are Shell and they're well-trusted on the forum.

Frequent oil changes (I.e every 5,000-7,500 miles) are more important than the oil used being "genuine" or not. In practice most main dealers buy their oil from whoever sells them the correct spec at the cheapest price - so there's little (if anything) to gain, except paying 3-4x the price for it, making you reluctant to want to change it every 5,000 miles. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

I think we're probably in agreement, when I said specified I was thinking of the various specifications and not the brands. I don't know enough about the what the specs mean to be able to separate the important bits from the marketing Bull so I make sure that I get an exact match (usually Smith & Allan).
I've just seen too many examples of folks using the cheapest oil/filter available without any understanding of what modern oils need to do.
I've even seen a BMW diesel suffer brake failure due to the wrong engine oil being used - sounds unbelievable but it is a fact. Anyone care to guess how that happened?

These posts were definitely a good read and informative, cheers both. I was never intending to go with the cheapest parts but was looking for easily accessible, meaning I could grab replacements anytime as opposed to have to dig or wait for them.

S&A look like a great option, I've seen them pop up a few times now and having a 20L option is perfect as an annual purchase. I'm sold!

On the BWM, I'm perplexed as to how engine oil can affect the brakes?! Do tell... 2009 facelift L322 3.6 TDV8 - Buckingham Blue

cass wrote:

I've even seen a BMW diesel suffer brake failure due to the wrong engine oil being used - sounds unbelievable but it is a fact. Anyone care to guess how that happened?

"Vacuum pump failure due to oil deposits leading to a loss of assistance?" Spot on, you're right the brakes didn't actually fail but they didn't do what the driver expected them to do when she put her foot on the pedal so the perception was that they had failed.
Long story short, after lots of threats and accusations from the driver, the car ended up in a BMW main dealer workshop. I saw the engine with the rocker cover off and it's no exaggeration to say that you could dig the black deposits out with a spoon. BMW Tech had seen similar but not as bad, he suspected it had been run on non synthetic oil. BMW reckoned it needed a new engine and refused to reassemble what they had taken off.

How long ago was that? Sounds like the 'sludge' issue that plagued cars in the 90's 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Yes, it even looked like said issue but it was a 14 plate car and it wasn't that old at the time so I'm guessing 2019 ish.

When an oil blender states

Quote:

Momentum FSX 5W-30 is a high quality, fully synthetic passenger car motor oil, manufactured from high quality virgin base stocks and an advanced additive system offering excellent performance in both petrol and diesel engines.