To start, I love this forum! As of yesterday I am a proud owner of a 350z. Couldn't be happier with the car. This is my first post here on the forums so ill give the details of the car first: Its a very clean Brickyard Red 03 Track model with only 80k miles on the odometer. Id like to keep it as clean as possible so I have to ask a question. What oil should I put in the car? I am aware that the car calls for 5w30. The previous owner claims to have used Mobil 1 full synthetic (i assume 5w30) for the car so should I continue to use this oil? Switching to conventional would be a bad idea correct? If i do use mobile 1 their are different versions so which would be best? In addition, what oil filter should i use? I work at a mechanic shop which stocks Castrol oil and FVP oil filters. Should i just use this instead because its convenient and cheap for me? I Don't want to cheap out on the car but if there is no additional benefit of mobil 1 I wont bother. No matter what I use ill change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles either way. Anything better i should use over castrol/mobil 1? Sorry for the long post and I apologize in advance if this isn't posted in the correct category. I have been reading these forums for a while now and i know there are tons of experts here, so any help from you guys is appreciated. Thanks!

 

Welcome and there's a wealth of information on used oil analysis on the VQ here. It's a good idea to stick to the viscosity recommended by the factory, but I've had good UOAs with M1 0-40W in my '03 track. Since you get free oil/filters and will change the oil often, it's up to you. Some Castrol oils have had good UOA results as well, so you may want to pull one as well.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Looked as some other threads as you suggested. Seems like Full synthetic Castrol oil is my best option. Not to sure about filter though. FVP imo feels cheap so ill likely want to stock up on a better filter product. Any suggestions?

 

As mentioned, many auto parts stores will have "sales" on Mobil 1, and if you buy 5 qts of 0w-40 they'll let you have a free Mobil One filter, which is a great filter. Can't beat that deal, which is usually around $35 in my area. Get the M1-110 filter, which is a bit larger. 3k change interval isn't needed, either, and you can easily go to 5 or 6k miles. Using one of those bullish!t K&N or other gauze air filter will cause far more damage than any cheap oil, as they let lots of grit into the engine.

 

Not familiar with FVP brand and as dcains says, those M1 sales are hard to beat. Five quarts of M1 0-40W and an M110 filter are $30 in Colorado when sales are on,

 

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your purchase. Everyone has their favourites but as dkmura says, its best to stick to factory specs and go for a quality oil. Happy motoring.

 

thanks everyone for the advice! Confused as to why you recommend the m1-110 though? Mobil 1 specifies an m1-108 for a 2003 350z. And whats the difference between 110 and 110a?

Edit: looking at other threads the 110 is just slightly bigger for more filtration surface area. and the a is just the newer part #.

 

I already mentioned the M1-110 is a bit larger.