Simple question:

Just picked up a 2008 350Z today.. with super low miles -- 26k.

I know with oils,.. there is some truth to mileage and seals. Basically the way I understand it.. is if you are going to use Full Synthetic.. you need to start from the beginning.. and not to start using it in a higher mileage cars due to seals etc.

However, this is a 2008 350Z with 26,000 Miles.

Too late to run Full Synthetic oil?

If it's not too late.. (I know this is debatable) -- would you recommend using it?

If you do recommend it,.. any brands/types and weights you recommend?

Lastly, if you do recommend -- In your opinion how long would or do you go between oil changes with Synthetic.

My driving habits are generally 10-30 miles one way.. and under 10k miles a year.

I'm sure this (as most questions actually) have been posed before.. but this one is specific to the year and mileage on this car.

Appreciate opinions either way.

The previous owner used "Synthetic BLEND Motor Oil" 5w-30 for reference of what's been in it.

Thanks,

 

This oil debate has been on going.
I do not offer opinions based on what others say unless they can document their findings.So,guess that leaves an opinion from WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED.
First,I'm not a new comer to cars.Have owned a bunch.Furthermore,I keep e'm.
When some Z guy says they have owned their car 1.5 yrs,blah,blah--this is what works,
you loose my attention.I've owned my Z for over 10 yrs.I'vve lost count on the cars I've had with well over 200k on the clock.Had a Suburban with well over 300k.
In every one,I've used a synthetic blend.Mostly Valvoline.
IMO,to dump a full syn in a car with higher miles,no records is a crap shoot.
I'd keep the syn blend in your new Z.Furthermore,your driving habits are similar to mine.
Since I've got a few other cars,mine is a bit lower in miles per yr than yours.
I do oil chages in the every 5-6k range.Unless you are a hard driver,track your car etc.
Doing oil changes like every 3k is a waste.
Use a high quality oil.Stay away from the boutique oils.Some(the purple stuff)have little detergent qualities.Use a good oil filter.The OEM Nissan filters are good.But,there are many that do just as well.
All in all,what will change if you run a full synthetic?
Car run faster?Longer between oil changes?Car last longer?
Probably not.Cost more?--YES

 

Its NOT to late to run Synthetic. Go buy a good brand of syn oil and a good filter and change ASAP. No Valvoline either. Pennzoil Plat Mobil 1 Amsoil etc

 

Hehe. -- I got both ends of the spectrum in the two responses. Gee, thanks guys!

JCITY: The wise one seemingly,.. says all said and done.. Keep running a Synthetic Blend, Which I suppose is a good middle ground between just fossil oil and pure synthetic, and the car already is "used" to it.

2004Black350z: Says.. no it's not too late.. Go get the super expensive Amsoil, etc.. (Exactly what Jcity said to avoid, lol.. )

Pure synthetic if you aren't changing it out yourself is still sort of expensive.. Blend changing yourself (or at a reasonable place) -- not so much.

Heck,.. Nissan will do an oil change with Synthetic blend,.. OEM Nissan Filter,.. replace the washer with a new one + labor.. for $32. Considering these "10min" or less places are essentially charging $50 for fossil oils these days.. I almost am willing to pay $30 for Synthetic blend, with a Nissan Master Tech/specialist doing the dirty work for me. Given my yearly mileage.. This car really only needs 1.5 oil changes a year,.. Which to give it the benefit of the doubt I don't let it run 6months with the same oil even if it has 2000 miles on it..

I'm probably wrong, but a car driven 2000 miles in short spurts over 6months for example,.. probably doesn't "hurt" from having that oil changed twice a year even if the mileage doesn't add up to the 3-5k. Some people have cars that are solely show and get driven a few hundred miles a year at best.. Do they leave the oil in there for literally years at a time? I'd feel uncomfortable with that.

And.. JCITY -- Will the car run faster.. no, not really.. synthetic is just about smaller particles, longer life I suppose.. and technically better ability to lubricate, esp. under high temp. Longer between oil changes? Well.. yes -- but that's mileage not months.. and my driving habits typically don't eat up 5k miles in 3months, not even close. More expensive for full synthetic, oh sure..

Blend is only marginally more expensive than dino oil..

And, Dino oil.. frankly, from what some master mech's have told me is just fine in anything for 5k miles.. They've told me don't waste your money on anything but solid name brand .. and go 5k not 3k between changes.

Somewhere in my head I have this change every 6 months even if you have low mileage on the "oil".

Thoughts? Any tie breakers here?

The car has the Synth blend, OEM Nissan filter, washer.. done at Nissan 9/23/13 -- That oil has a few hundred miles on it.. so it should be good in my mind till March or so.. but since I just got the vehicle, I may change it out just for peace of mind sooner.

Black350z, and JCITY -- Thanks for your replies.. don't think I don't appreciate BOTH points of view.. it's exactly what I was/am after.

 

Quality synthetic, in the correct range as stated in the manual replaced at reasonable periods is what I have used since they came out.

Welcome & enjoy the Z.

 

Never a problem. I have put synthetic oil in vehicles previously ran on regular oil at mileage 3-4x of yours.

 

I've used mobil 1 and napa gold filters on my Z for the last 50k miles of it's 105k mile life. It has been fine for me.

I also have never replaced the washer on the drain plug. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it..."

 

Good feedback, thanks. The washer is just something Nissan does, that well.. no one else does. The guy who sold me the car was one of those people who had everything no matter how minor done at the Nissan dealership and a page of records to back it up. The last invoice from Nissan he showed me, showed the "washer" which was like a buck replaced.

Oil changes are no big deal for me.. biggest annoyance for me on an oil change in my driveway is disposing of the oil. If I run synthetics I'll do it myself because the cost is just way out of line no matter who does it. At minimum I'm going to continue to run a Synthetic blend at 5w-30.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Check around at local small shops. Some of them run oil burning heaters in the winter and will be happy to take your oil. My buddy has one in his personal shop so he takes all my oil.

 

Hey guys , i’m new to this. Just bought my 350z nismo yesterday. The orevious owner ran 15w-50 advanced full synthetic. I’m planning to do an oilchange to start off with fresh new oil. And i usually use 5W-30 advanced full synthetic. Can I switch to that oil? It also has 100k miles on it. Someone help, thanks!

 

^use what nissan says in the owners manual

 

This ^^^ is more than adequate BUT, going to a 0w-30 or even 0w-40 isn't going to hurt anything. The viscosity is dictated by the environment in which its run. At nominal temps, say, 65 degF ambient, the oil will run somewhere around 20-25 and only thicken when run very hard or ambient goes really high. And similarly, down to it's winter weight only in extreme cold startup situations.

In Pet-A-Luma, your 5w-30 (as recommended by Nissan) is MORE than adequate unless you head south to Sears for track days.

 

Hah! I grew up in Petaluma back in the 1970s. Way back when homes were still under $100K.

 

I drain the oil into a oil pan....then pour old oil back into jug the new oil came in.

Every so often I take jugs to AutoZone/Advanced Auto and dispose of the oil.

BTW both CrawfordsZ and Dynosty to me to use conventional and change as much as possible. Dynosty said use Castrol GTX that walmart sells around $17 a jug, and that was for a very, very expensive build.