ZON

iTrader: (2)

When I saw a pre-production 350z last summer it had Mobile-1 Sharpied on the front shock tower bar right over the oil filler cap location.

350z_jedi

These F!@kin oil discussions are diriving me insane!! I'm so damn confused. Why is everybody going to use mobil 1 or whatever synthetic oil!! I read so many different articles about how syntheic is to slippey and will cause the engine to eventually leak, and of course I read articles on the mobil 1 web site, and of course there gonna say synthetic is the best thing since white bread ! Sorry to be a pain in the ***, but is there anyone out there that can break down in simple english why synthetic is better and WHEN sould we start to use it. I read another article
( I read to much ) that synthetic use should start at 6000 miles.. Ok, so even if mobil 1 is the best synthetic oil, whats the best regular oil?

bhobson333

Quote:

These F!@kin oil discussions are diriving me insane!! I'm so damn confused.

One of the big problems is that (like engine breakin procedures) there are a lot of opinions and no absolute answers. You may also want to check out this past thread on the same subject, there was a good discussion with a lot of good info.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=468

I think the best summary I can give you, based on all I have read, is this:

If you're going to change your oil every 3000-3500 miles and not do a lot of racing, you're probably OK with a good brand-name Dino oil, use the rating Nissan recommends, I think 5W-30. If you use Dino oil and only change at 7000-mile intervals (as many manufacturers still recommend) you will notice some engine wear, oil burning, loss of performance, etc as you approach 100,000 miles. This may tell you why manufacturers still recommend this! They want you to buy another car!

Changing synth oil every 3500 miles is a waste of money. Synthetic oil (Mobil 1, Castrol Syntec for example) will allow you to extend your oil change interval to 7000 miles without increasing wear on your engine. (personally, this is the route I have taken with good results on previous cars & will continue with my Z.) Since synth oil is fundamentally a better lubricator than dino you MIGHT reduce your engine wear some from using it, but if you change the dino when you should (3000-3500 miles) the difference is probably not signifigant.

If you're going to put your car through heavy use, such as a lot of racing, you should at least use synth since it doesn't break down like dino will at high temperatures. It's probably worth looking into a high-performance oil like Redline, but I'm not sure if they're signifigantly better than, say, Mobil 1. I have no personal experience with them.

Last, no matter what you choose for oil, change the filter every time you change the oil & use a good filter. It's worth a couple of bucks to get a better-grade filter.

I may get arguments to the above summary, but it's a pretty good boiling-down of all that has been said in this and the previous thread, based on people's knowlege and experience.

roberto350z

i would only use synthetic to prolong oil changes and for turbos. Otherwise, after some research I decided castrol GT was best

zcar70

Got my Z yesterday...read the manuals cover to cover. ALL my Z friends are telling me to go to synthetic after break-in. NISSAN clearly says dino-oil only.

SO, if I switch to syn will it harm the warranty? Also, does syn give you better protection on cold start up than dino, especially if the car sits a while (it's snowing like hell here!)?

I am religious about oil changes, regular oil in my other Zs (Castrol 20w50 or 15w40 for the turbo) happens every 3k or every spring, whichever comes first. Purolator filters only!

What should I do guys? Is this an imprtant issue or just a matter of preference? I DO NOT plan on racing the 350Z, just enthusiastically driving it.

I apppreciate you inputs.

Happy Holidays!

bhobson333

The answers are "No" and "yes, probably a little bit". Everything else you asked can be answered by reading the threads & links.

MannishBoy

iTrader: (1)

Can you post a quote from the manual stating that?

On page 9-2, it just lists classifcations of oil, and 9-5 says "Nissan recommends mineral based oils", then goes on again to talk about the various industry certifications to look for. That is the closest I saw, and that is nowhere close to "dino-oil only".

I know of no area where dino oils are superior to good synthetics on modern engines.

bhobson333

Well, maybe he exaggerated a bit.

I believe that "mineral based oils" is the official way of saying "dino oil". Thus, they don't say "dino only", they just "recommend" dino.

As was stated before, this is probably a combination of tradition, oil industry pressure, and the desire to sell you another car sooner.

MannishBoy

iTrader: (1)

You are correct, mineral=dino in slang

I would just be surprised if any manufacture said not to use synthetics at all. I wasn't meaning to come off as a smart ***, but I've never heard a negative about synthetics on a new car (other than the various theories about seating rings in the first thousand or so miles).

sparky3Z

I will use Mobil 1 after 3,000 miles. Still in break-in period.

I figure I'm going to keep this car a while so I'll do everything I can to take care of it.

FrankieZZ

In general , you should change the Z oil after the breakin period ( 1200 ) , which I have done.I'm a firm believer that there are wear particles from a new engine , no matter what the synthetic companies say . Then you should run mineral oil for the next couple of changes even if you plan on switching to synthetic , although my BMW came with Castrol synthetic from the very beginning . This part you can debate for years , but as long as synthetic oil has been around I have followed this procedure and have always been successful , so why change what works ( I'm an older driver with many years of sportscar ownership ) ! I will probably stay with mineral oil with this car ,although I have used synthetic in others .


FrankieZZ

citanest

I never use synthetic...

I don't know anything about oil.

However, I used to track my 2 cars (integra type R and RSX-S) with regular oil. I had less problems than most of the other racers who use synthetic oil. I prefer frequency over quality.

However, I am not saving any money. If I need to pay 30 for a synthetic oil change and 10 for regular oil, I would rather use regular oil and change my oil 3 times more often. The oil coming out of my engines is always like it was just being poured into the engines.

Z'd

Why would anyone want to use an oil built to perform its specific function when you could use a raw, natural substance that has been through several processes to make it usable for the job at hand???
(Sorry for the sarcasm)
(AMSOil user)