Ok so I've read 20 billion posts and articles about the oil issues. Here are my questions as a new Z owner...

1. My Z has 24K on it, I have no idea what oil the previous owner used. Should I switch to any particular oil type/brand at my first oil change?

2. How often should I check the oil dipstick to ensure that the oil is to the "H" line on the dipstick?

Any other oil-related Z advice?


Thanks fellas!

 

Uhh just put OEM spec oil and call it a day? If I had a 06 with its known oil consumption issues I would check it 3-4 times a week.

 

Put in whatever oil you want, whether it be dino or synthetic.

If I had an 06 manual, I'd check it whenever I'm done driving for the day.

 

damn - check it every day? That seems crazy! If a car is burning that much oil wouldn't I just demand Nissan provide a new engine at a Nissan dealership?

 

It's not completely necessary to check it every day... but it takes 20 seconds, and I care about my car enough to check it often if there were problems with my model year.

 

Ok I just checked it for the first time in 2 weeks since I got the car and checked it. When I got the car it was at the "H" level and it appears to be at the "H" level still, maybe a little lower. The problem is that it is never a clear reading...tried 4 times. Am I looking for complete coverage on the dipstick or just wherever oil is? Sorry if these are newb questions - new owner here trying to be safe! Thanks

Also am I going with straight 10W-30 on next fill up?

 

Wipe off the dipstick with a shop towel or something. Place dipstick back in and let it sit for 10 seconds. Pull back out and look on both sides for a definite cutoff line of oil.

 

Thanks again. One last question - when I'm idling, what should the oil pressure gauge on the dash board read? I noticed it goes way up when I start driving. Is the dashboard oil gauge a good way of monitoring oil levels?

 

No. Don't go off the oil gauge. When idling, the pressure can depend on your oil and oil filter. Can be anywhere from 15-30 psi, if I remember correctly.

 

Check the oil as often as you feel comfortable.

 

Let the car sit overnight before you check the oil.

Don't use the oil gauge as an indicator of how much oil is in the engine.

The most oil consumption I've read is around 2-3 quarts every 1k miles. If you check your oil once per tank of gas, you should be alright.

Once you get a feel for how much oil you may/may not be consuming, you can adjust your oil checks accordingly.

Another easy indicator of oil consumption is "soot" on the bottom of your exhaust pipes. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.

Feel free to check out the oil consumption sticky in the engine and drivetrain forum for more info and advice. I'm on my revup replacement engine and luckily it's not consuming. Good luck.

 

my 06 do not burn oil , so its not all the rev up ... but i check it every 1000K

 

I had an 06 that used to burn lots of oil. It is all about how you break the rev up's in to determine if yours will burn oil. Yours has 24K you should be ok by now if there is no consumption.

 

I'll monitor it closely this week and see if I can't get an accurate measure of consumption. Thanks for the advice guys

 

There's no real need to monitor it everyday or after every drive. That's just ridiculous. Once a week should be the perfect amount of time to monitor the car.

 

These are all great replies!!

Really any oil is good now adays. I'd stick with 5w-30 though reguardless of the brand or type of oil tho.

Also if you read your manual it tells you that your oil level should be just below the H when cold not at the H. But with expansion etc., i would imagine if you check it hot then on the H would be right.

 

i have had a revup for a while and been on forums a while aswell when it was a issue solved by my V2 engine, but not all have the consumption issue. But i would test just in case.

 

Now that I think about it, every day is pretty bad