A&Q about 350Z
Q:
hdzcar, be careful not to misslead people, but it is Mobil 1 doing the missleading here mainly.
Notice all those cars have the higher end engine option? For instance, half of those cars use the corvette engine or SRT-8 engine. The majority of those engines are tested by the manufacturer before even put in the vehicle. They are also DESIGNED to run on mobil 1 VERY early on. Engine design decides how the break-in process will occur. Every engine is not created equal, and special considerations are done for the higher-end engines. Notice they say first oil for the 'new car' but not first oil ever put in the engine. It may be the first, but they avoid saying that carefully. "Factory fill", what does that mean? When the engine is first made? After it is broken in yet before it is shipped out to be put in the chassis? Who knows? Most of the higher end cars are road tested before even being shipped out to the dealer, if not engine and road tested.
Putting synthetic oil in the car as the first oil the ENGINE has ever used is not a good idea unless it SPECIFICALLY says it is ok, and it is still JUST AS SAFE to use conventional for a little while first.
Mobil 1 as factory in those cars does say something about how crucial it is to go 3..4..5k miles on conventional. Most of the break-in process is done in the first moments of life an engine has, but like I said, don't assume your car is the same as another.
For instance, s2000's require at least 5k, 7.5k recommended miles before switching to synthetic due to the special cylinder walls. Every motor is DIFFERENT!
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
Post Edited (May 19, 12:57pm)
A:
Hey Zlover. All I did was post what was on the Mobill 1 web site. Everyone can make their own decisons on if it's bull crap. Oil Threads are like discussing Sex, religion and politics in public.
A:
.. exactly, that's why I said it was Mobil 1 being missleading more than you. It isn't 'bull crap', it is fact those cars use mobil one early on.
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
A:
Your not one of those that aruge with stop signs are you?
A:
n/m
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
A:
hdzcar...you are COMPLETELY missing the point of his argument. I suggest you research this topic some more before you post anything else.
Previously owned: 2005 Z Enthusiast, Super Black, 6 spd.
Currently lease: 2006 Pathfinder S, Silver, Auto
"She is (and always will be) my little deuce coupe, you don't know what I got!"
A:
Hey CantZ, I suggest your re-read my post before you bash me. All I did was post an informational post. I didn't say to use or not use any oil. I could give a rats ass if you use peanut oil or synethieic. I did say you cann't win with an oil thread and this is living proof.
A:
'03, '04, and '05 recommend mineral based oils. '06 just says low friction blah blah.
I have an '03, so I'll go with Nissan's '03 mineral based recommendation with strict adherence to service intervals and frequent checking of oil condition/color during level checks.
I reckon we'll see who's right 100k miles from now. At my 4,000 miles per year, that will be a while.
A:
72n03Z's makes a better point than he probably realizes. If all else fails, trust your manual. It may not be the absolute best possible strategy, but if you aren't sure, better safe than sorry. And all those cars hdzcar mentioned say in THEIR manual to use Mobil 1. Anyone see the connection here... those cars say use Mobil 1.. 350z doesn't... might want to contemplate that a little.
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
A:
Although the manual says mineral oil is recommended, any oil meeting the API SJ spec (I believe) is allowed, which mobil 1 meets. As I work at an oil analysis lab, I've run oil smaples from my 350, and I can tell you that all three of the mineral oils I used (the factory fill, the ESSO/EXXON oil the nissan dealers used, and a inexpensive group 3 'synth') shear out of grade due to the oil pump in the engine (its a gear pump). This causes the viscoisty to be too thin to be called a 5W30, it became a 20 weight in a few hundred kms. The mobil 1 doesn't do this as the base oil its made from already has a high VI and doesn't use much VI improvers which is what shears down (other PAO based synths should be similiar). I'd recommend that if you stay on mineral oil you send a sample to a good lab and look at the viscoisty at 100C to verify you're still in spec.
A:
Thanks for the affirmation, zlover57. I will endeavor to continue to point out more than I realize in all my future posts.
A:
72, LOL. I used mineral based for the first 7,500 miles, then switched over to synthetic after the rings had seated. I am now at 13K and freshly on my third batch of Mobil 1....4,000 miles a year....wow!
BTW. Thanks for the valuable info arrrgh.
Previously owned: 2005 Z Enthusiast, Super Black, 6 spd.
Currently lease: 2006 Pathfinder S, Silver, Auto
"She is (and always will be) my little deuce coupe, you don't know what I got!"