uro279

Alright guys, I know that this has been discussed extensively in the past, but what are you guys actually doing now that you have your cars? Are you going all synthetic at break-in, at 3K, or when and why?

I was thinking about going synthetic in my engine at 3K, but is this too soon?

Thanks for any feedback!

Track

Since the manual recommends mineral-type oils, I have no intention of changing to synthetic.

I do, however, change my oil every 5-600 miles in my Z.
It old oil still comes out golden.

SD350ZEE

5-600 miles? Damn, that's just wasting money, but whatever floats your boat, your engine will never spin any kind of old oil.

MannishBoy

iTrader: (1)

The manual also says not to exceed posted speed limits. I don't follow that, either.

Some cars ship from the plant with synthetic. For instance, I think all Vettes, Porsches, and AMG Mercedes do. I plan on changing oil for the first time to synthetic around 2000 miles.

Anthz

The manual also says not to exceed posted speed limits. I don't follow that, either.

LOL. Great point.

I switched my Z to Mobil 1 Super Syn at 2000, and noticed a the engine was smoother and reved more freely after that. Good call.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Keep in mind that by 2-3K is plenty long enough for engine internals (esp. rings and bearings) to seat properly. Nissan ran all their tests using conventional oil, so that's all they recommend.

It's been discussed before, but using synthetic oils should not effect your warranty unless a particular failure can be traced to its' use.

Changed to Valvoline Synthetic at 2.7K and plan to stick with the factory intervals.

dr_gallup

The stuff about having to break in an engine on mineral oil is pretty much considered an old wives tale now but mis-information is pretty hard to kill. Anyway, I broke mine in on dino oil because that's what came in it. I am going to switch to Amsoil 5W-30 ASL 100% Synthetic as soon as we get a weekend above freezing. I'm just short of 3000 miles. I figure to change the oil every 6 months which will probably be 5 or 6 thousand miles.

I know most people on this site are going with Mobil 1 but it is not the same formulation as it used to be. The world of synthetic oil was turned upside down by Castrol with their Syntech "synthetic" oil. Syntech is super refined dino oil, what is called a group III base stock.

Group III base oils are highly processed oils and were classified as synthetic in 1999.That year, the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus ruled in a complaint by Mobil Oil Corp. against Castrol North America Inc. Castrol claimed its product, Syntec, was a synthetic oil even though it had used Group III base oils since 1997. The ruling by NAD said Castrol presented evidence that constitutes a reasonable basis for the claim that Syntec, a Group III based formulation, is synthetic motor oil.

Since then most all the synthetics have been reformulated to use group III base stocks, including Mobil 1, to compete with the lower cost Syntech. Amsoil offers lower cost synthetics based on Group III base stocks also but the ASL formulation is "REAL SYNTHETIC".

glkracer

AMS/OIL recommends 7500-8000 miles before switching. The whole idea behind synthetics is no wear so don't use it until your engine is fully broken in.

hfm

iTrader: (1)

I switched to Mobil 1 at 7500 mi. It's smoother but that may also be in part from the grounding kit.

Track

I've always stuck with the manufacturer's oil.
I always get my oil changed at the dealership.
I think they use Castrol GTX.

I do this every 500 miles for two reasons.

1)It makes me happy to know that my engine is sparkling clean on the inside (as much as possible, anyway) with minimal suspended particles.

2)I not only reduce friction in my engine, but also at the service dept.

Every few weeks I pull in for my routine maintainance.
They do the full check over and the top offs recomended in the owners manual every 3700 miles.
They stamp and date and sign my warranty booklet, which reflects how much I baby this car. I also have evidence that I only use the factory recommended oil, changed by qualified technicians, along with a Nissan OEM filter.

Not only does this help back any questionable warranty claims after a few minor engine tweaks, but it allows me a chance to get to know the service manager and crew.

They all know me by name.
While it is being serviced, I visit the sales room.
If not with a customer or an "up", I'll stop by and shake hands with my salesman and his buddies, say "Howdy" to the sales manager, and remind them of my intentions of buying another z-car as soon as improvements are made (I'm a cash customer).
Of course, that is if and only if things go smoothly with my first one.

The service dept. knows me and marvels at how clean the oil is each time I come in for a change...and the engine and uncarraige as well (always garaged, driven on pretty days only). They call their bosses over to "check it out."
I've taken them for rides (the bosses).

Not only am I keeping my engine clean and enjoying the frequent changes, engine service and fluid top-offs, but I'm developing a relationship and trust with the service manager there.
I'm earning "frequent buyer" miles, and creating a staff who can testify on my behalf if the my engine explodes tomorrow and it's questionable if they should cover it under warranty.
I want headers at least, and I don't want my any trouble.

I've seen dealerships play dirty pool when it comes to voiding warranties. I've seen them voided for not using the proper/recommended oil, and I've seen them voided or compromised due to a lack of documentation that it was serviced according to plan.

I'm not going to be "that guy."

uro279

But I have some questions:

dr_gallup:
Where did you find the infor that Mobil1 is not truly synthetic and that it uses Group III base?

Also, if Amsoil also uses Group III base, why is it also not synthetic? (I know you said that the 'ASL' is "truly synthetic"-what does this mean?)

glkracer:
Where on Amsoil's site did you find that they recommend switching at 7500-8000mi? I went to their site and couldn't find any such statement.

Thanks again guys for your help. I truly appreciate it!

dr_gallup

Amsoil has many different lines of synthetic oil. Their cheapest is PMO, a synthetic blend. The next cheapest is XLM, a group III base stock like Syntec and the current Mobil 1. They recommend 7500 mile / 6 month drain intervals for the XLM. The next step up is ASL which they recommend 25000 mile / 12 month drain intervals. Their top of the line is TSO. with a 35000 mile / 12 month drain interval. They also have speciality racing oils.

I definately believe in the superior lubrication properties of synthetic oil. If I were driving a lot of interstate miles (100+ miles a day) in a family sedan I might use the long drain intervals. However, the filter still needs to be changed more often unless you go with an add on secondary filtration system. So I figure every 6 months is a good compromise. I figure it is a lot cheaper for me to change the oil myself twice a year with top quality synthetic than to pay the dealer or Jiffy Lube to put in generic dino oil 4 times a year.

The group III base oils do seem to be better than standard dino oil, just not as goo as the "traditional" synthetics. I was using Syntec until I learned the difference. I read about the change in the Mobil 1 formulation some where on th eweb but I can not find the lnk at the moment. The Mobil 1 sight mentions that it has a new formulation but does not give any specifics about what is in it.

To TRACK: Changing your oil every 500 miles is a huge waste of money and natural resources not to mention you must have a lot of spare time to spend hanging out at the dealership. There is no logical reason to do this but what ever makes you happy.

Track

I have plenty of spare time, and love nothing better than to see the oil plug removed, and golden, clean oil come pouring out.

Yep. It makes me very happy. I love dealerships. I love the smell of new cars.
Since I have many sports cars, it takes me at least a month to put on 500 miles in my Z (my daily driver).

I look forward to the visits.

RJNavarrete

OK, I'm at 10.4K miles. Is it too late to switch to synthetic? Also, which one should I get? [Specific brand and "type"]

3fittyBiH

iTrader: (1)

im at 45K miles, is it too late to switch to synthetic???

Master Shake

It is never too late to switch to synthetic. You could even switch back if you so desired. Just NEVER mix the synthetic with non-synthetic (or blend), etc. at the same time.

As for which brand? That is usually a personal preference. My choice is Valvoline 5w-30 and I also specifically avoid Fram filters. Other people will have different preferences.

Bevo

I used Mobil1 5W-30 at my first oil change at 3,750 miles. so far it hasn't been any problems.

Clipdin

iTrader: (18)

Check out this thread: https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-drivetrain/258663-vq-oil-analysis-and-info.html

You will get a TON of oil info here.

Swiffer

iTrader: (8)

I switched over at the first oil change...1500 miles.

Tim@WestCovinaNissan

For Nissan vehicles they do not recommend using full synthetic oil until after 7,500 miles. Yes some vehicles come from the factory with synthetic in them (vettes,mercedes), however the engine internals are different and maybe can handle it better. Regarding changing synthetic at 5-6,000 miles, not recommended!!! If you read the print on most bottles it will say to go by the manufacturer recommended intervals no matter what kind of oil you are using.