[Jim_B]

I think the answer is "no", but I figured I'd ask before I bought the oil. The car is a 2009 328i xDrive E90. Did all of these have open diffs front and rear? After searching for a while, I found a thread that stated there were no limited slip differentials from the factory. (Non-M3, N52, auto trans, U.S.-spec car.) Just wanted to confirm that's the case.

BTW, has anyone used the Rowe brand gear oil? Decent stuff??

TIA.

[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by Jim_B

I think the answer is "no", but I figured I'd ask before I bought the oil. The car is a 2009 328i xDrive E90. Did all of these have open diffs front and rear? After searching for a while, I found a thread that stated there were no limited slip differentials from the factory. (Non-M3, N52, auto trans, U.S.-spec car.) Just wanted to confirm that's the case.

No non-M bmw has had a LSD since around '95 or '00.

Most people use Redline for diffs.

[Jim_B]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

No non-M bmw has had a LSD since around '95 or '00.

Thanks for the info - I appreciate it.

[NiNeTyOne]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

No non-M bmw has had a LSD since around '95 or '00.

Most people use Redline for diffs.

I switched from Redline to LiquiMoly and the Blackstone reports show reduced gear wear. I'd advise you do the same. I have been adding Ceratec to the diffs for over 12k miles and it has reduced noise from the diffs as well. I'll have a blackstone report on that combination in 16k miles when I change it next.

[Jim_B]

Most people use 75W-90, correct? How important is the SAF-XO specification? I don't plan on keeping the oil in there forever, I'll probably change it around every 40,000 miles or so.

[kenmar]

Originally Posted by NiNeTyOne

I switched from Redline to LiquiMoly and the Blackstone reports show reduced gear wear. I'd advise you do the same. I have been adding Ceratec to the diffs for over 12k miles and it has reduced noise from the diffs as well. I'll have a blackstone report on that combination in 16k miles when I change it next.

Good tip. I used Redline in my E36 LSD and needed a rebuild after only 60k miles (it was OE fluid for the first 60k). Interested in the ceratec report...

[kenmar]

Originally Posted by Jim_B

Most people use 75W-90, correct? How important is the SAF-XO specification? I don't plan on keeping the oil in there forever, I'll probably change it around every 40,000 miles or so.

Yes, 75W90. 75W140 is usually only recommended for LSD diffs. There was a good Bimmerforums.com thread about this years ago.

[Jim_B]

Guess I should update: I changed the front and rear diff oil. The rear is open. I used Ravenol VSG 75W-90. It meets the SAF-XO spec and has a neat straw in the container that makes it pretty easy to use. Seems like good stuff so far, but there are only a few hundred miles on the car since the change. WTH was BMW thinking when they neglected to include a drain plug on the rear diff? Oddly, they saw fit to include one on the front.