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-   -   What is the best synthetic oil? (http://www.the370z.com/engine-drivetrain/22342-what-best-synthetic-oil.html)

wishihadnav 07-22-2010 05:59 PM

were just saying that a 4ball wear test is not a good indicator of oil performance in engines..that's all.

370Zsteve 07-22-2010 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt (Post 636217)
@ 370zSteve: I've not seen 230 yet, and that's driving hard and fast in 106+ temps here in GA. Hell, even on the dyno day sitting in 90's and then doing 5 pulls on the dyno it didn't get up that high.

Ya well turns out I'm at 220 not 230 :rolleyes:, the needle was in front of the 2nd '2' :ugh2:

LiquidZ 07-22-2010 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red370 (Post 639996)
someone show me definitive evidence that RP does more harm than good, because i've researched all over the place and found nothing but heresay, Jordo seems to know a bit, whats your take?

Blackstone will tell you how your engine is responding.

gumpy 07-22-2010 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red370 (Post 639996)
someone show me definitive evidence that RP does more harm than good, because i've researched all over the place and found nothing but heresay, Jordo seems to know a bit, whats your take?

I'm currently running RP, having searched the 350z forums RP doesn't seem to be the best... =(...

Neither does Motul to be honest... Redline's hard to find in Australia...

tranceformer 07-22-2010 07:12 PM

Castrol Syntec 0w30 and 5w30 seem to work pretty well in my motor.

autopc25 07-23-2010 09:29 AM

It looks like Nissan Ester Oil is part or full synthetic also. I plan on using it.

Ask Mobil 1 Archive - Nissan

NIZMOZ 07-23-2010 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red370 (Post 639857)
RP does just fine in mine. Been running it for 18,000 miles so far and 60K+ in my last car. Here is a good test, RP is one of the best.

http://www.animegame.com/cars/Oil%20Tests.pdf

Really? You had UOA's done of "your" oil? Because MANY and I mean MANY people have and they have proven on other forums RP is not that good and NOT recommended.

Just because you use it and you don't see any issues doesn't mean it isn't causing higher wear over time. You won't know that without having the tests done. And RP is far from being the best, it's the best at being the worst.

GZ3 07-23-2010 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NIZMOZ (Post 641102)
Really? You had UOA's done of "your" oil? Because MANY and I mean MANY people have and they have proven on other forums RP is not that good and NOT recommended.

Just because you use it and you don't see any issues doesn't mean it isn't causing higher wear over time. You won't know that without having the tests done. And RP is far from being the best, it's the best at being the worst.

I know you used to use PP faithfully, did you ever try ultra? And would you pick 300v or ultra in your experince, thanks

Jordo! 07-23-2010 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red370 (Post 639996)
someone show me definitive evidence that RP does more harm than good, because i've researched all over the place and found nothing but heresay, Jordo seems to know a bit, whats your take?

Honestly, I'm just not disregarding empirical data (reported in the oil nerd's thread) when it's available and relevant.

Independently gatherd and averaged UOA wear data from diferent samples for a highly similar engine is relevant whereas gear lubricity tests (like RP and I think Amsoil are known to report) are not.

As to whether any of that data should be taken into account at all comes down to the degree of typical variablity in engine wear in the population.

My feeling (which may be wrong) is that short of balls-to-the wall track only driving, the mean wear data from other DD's for a given oil in a given motor shouldn't vary substantially from that of other DD's for that oil and engine.

In other words, yes driving habits may vary, but the motor itself shouldn't break down significantly differently from driver to driver provided they are operating the vehicle within its design tolerances, especially modern engines that are built quite a bit better allowing for tighter tolerances.

The only people who regularly push that envelop are track-only drivers, who may even tear down the whole engine afterwards. That said, if the oil is doing it's job, wear should be minimal, and parts shouldn't fail prematurally, even then. When they do, it's because the design tolareances were exceeded rather than skirted.

Someone with a strong background in automotive engineering may disagree with this view in which case I will defer to their wisdom.

That said, if the end result is to conclude, "well any oil will do the job, and any syntehtic should be fine or better", then that means, at worst, you won't make a flat-out wrong decision taking the availabe wear data into account.

In other words, the data may be inconclusive, but they point to a few specific oils, all of which should work just fine, and if the data are correct, may even work a bit better. Inconclusive data should not be dismissed; in any science, there is always some error and variablity. That's just the way it is. However, disregarding relevant empirical data entirely, to me, is just foolish.

WarmAndSCSI 07-23-2010 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordo! (Post 641415)
Honestly, I'm just not disregarding empirical data (reported in the oil nerd's thread) when it's available and relevant.

Independently gatherd and averaged UOA wear data from diferent samples for a highly similar engine is relevant whereas gear lubricity tests (like RP and I think Amsoil are known to report) are not.

As to whether any of that data should be taken into account at all comes down to the degree of typical variablity in engine wear in the population.

My feeling (which may be wrong) is that short of balls-to-the wall track only driving, the mean wear data from other DD's for a given oil in a given motor shouldn't vary substantially from that of other DD's for that oil and engine.

In other words, yes driving habits may vary, but the motor itself shouldn't break down significantly differently from driver to driver provided they are operating the vehicle within its design tolerances, especially modern engines that are built quite a bit better allowing for tighter tolerances.

The only people who regularly push that envelop are track-only drivers, who may even tear down the whole engine afterwards. That said, if the oil is doing it's job, wear should be minimal, and parts shouldn't fail prematurally, even then. When they do, it's because the design tolareances were exceeded rather than skirted.

Someone with a strong background in automotive engineering may disagree with this view in which case I will defer to their wisdom.

That said, if the end result is to conclude, "well any oil will do the job, and any syntehtic should be fine or better", then that means, at worst, you won't make a flat-out wrong decision taking the availabe wear data into account.

In other words, the data may be inconclusive, but they point to a few specific oils, all of which should work just fine, and if the data are correct, may even work a bit better. Inconclusive data should not be dismissed; in any science, there is always some error and variablity. That's just the way it is. However, disregarding relevant empirical data entirely, to me, is just foolish.

Actually engine wear is directly proportionate to engine load and RPM, so you'll find that UOA results vary a lot among the same exact car model. Unless everybody drives on the same routes, terrain, in the same climate, and with the same exact patterns and habits, then it's almost meaningless to compare UOA results apples-to-apples. That said, there are meaningful trends you can find among large numbers of UOA results...

When people start testing oils on our exact engine on an engine dyno with precise simulated load, I'll start paying attention to individual reports of empirical wear data. Until then, I'll stick with a proven synthetic oil which is first and foremost good on paper. The certifications tagged on quality synthetic oils are not just arbitrary - if you understand the parameters of each certification label, you can easily discern how "good" an oil is on paper. This certainly is a lot more scientific than using UOA results from a whole gamut of different operating conditions.

Somebody mentioned Pennzoil Ultra, which is certainly a good oil, and that it is Ferrari factory fill. This is not accurate - it's just the only American-made oil endorsed by Ferrari. i.e. it's the only American-made oil that has a particular formulation (5W-40 European car formula in this case) which meets Ferrari's oil specifications. Just like how only Mobil 1 0W-40 meets BMW's Long-Life oil specification. This doesn't necessarily mean it is factory fill from BMW...

The Pennzoil Ultra grade for our cars (5W-30, non European) actually has a fairly low HTHS rating of 3.1; which is lower than even Pennzoil Platinum. It's honestly not a very good high-performance oil. I would suspect it does clean very well, though, since that is what it's marketed to do best. But remember, Pennzoil Ultra 5W-30 does NOT meet Ferrari's specifications - it is not good enough to use in one of their engines, whereas 5W-40 European is. And it's not just the different base weight or weight split, it's the fact that the formulations are probably entirely different.

I've long been a proponent of Mobil 1 0W-40 since it is a very good TRUE synthetic oil (no Group III base stock is used in it). It has a HTHS rating of at least 3.5 and even though there are some reports of it quickly shearing to a 30-weight oil, it has proven to protect my own built engines very well. I've noticed hardly any difference in bearing wear when comparing M1 0W-40 to Red Line.

Currently, my pick for the 370Z is Castrol Syntec 0W-30 European car formula (made in Germany, AKA German Castrol). This is a true Group IV oil with an HTHS rating of 3.6 - it is very impressive on paper and has proven to protect very well over a broad range of UOA results. I only trust large, consistent trends in UOA results over multiple kinds of engines... that and the fact that an entire oil enthusiast community holds it in very high regard.

NIZMOZ 07-23-2010 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GZ3 (Post 641125)
I know you used to use PP faithfully, did you ever try ultra? And would you pick 300v or ultra in your experince, thanks

Haven't tried Ultra yet. Mainly because it's like $8 more for the 5 quart jug from walmart vs PP which I think does just fine.

NIZMOZ 07-23-2010 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarmAndSCSI (Post 641448)
Actually engine wear is directly proportionate to engine load and RPM, so you'll find that UOA results vary a lot among the same exact car model. Unless everybody drives on the same routes, terrain, in the same climate, and with the same exact patterns and habits, then it's almost meaningless to compare UOA results apples-to-apples. That said, there are meaningful trends you can find among large numbers of UOA results...

When people start testing oils on our exact engine on an engine dyno with precise simulated load, I'll start paying attention to individual reports of empirical wear data. Until then, I'll stick with a proven synthetic oil which is first and foremost good on paper. The certifications tagged on quality synthetic oils are not just arbitrary - if you understand the parameters of each certification label, you can easily discern how "good" an oil is on paper. This certainly is a lot more scientific than using UOA results from a whole gamut of different operating conditions.

Somebody mentioned Pennzoil Ultra, which is certainly a good oil, and that it is Ferrari factory fill. This is not accurate - it's just the only American-made oil endorsed by Ferrari. i.e. it's the only American-made oil that has a particular formulation (5W-40 European car formula in this case) which meets Ferrari's oil specifications. Just like how only Mobil 1 0W-40 meets BMW's Long-Life oil specification. This doesn't necessarily mean it is factory fill from BMW...

The Pennzoil Ultra grade for our cars (5W-30, non European) actually has a fairly low HTHS rating of 3.1; which is lower than even Pennzoil Platinum. It's honestly not a very good high-performance oil. I would suspect it does clean very well, though, since that is what it's marketed to do best. But remember, Pennzoil Ultra 5W-30 does NOT meet Ferrari's specifications - it is not good enough to use in one of their engines, whereas 5W-40 European is. And it's not just the different base weight or weight split, it's the fact that the formulations are probably entirely different.

I've long been a proponent of Mobil 1 0W-40 since it is a very good TRUE synthetic oil (no Group III base stock is used in it). It has a HTHS rating of at least 3.5 and even though there are some reports of it quickly shearing to a 30-weight oil, it has proven to protect my own built engines very well. I've noticed hardly any difference in bearing wear when comparing M1 0W-40 to Red Line.

Currently, my pick for the 370Z is Castrol Syntec 0W-30 European car formula (made in Germany, AKA German Castrol). This is a true Group IV oil with an HTHS rating of 3.6 - it is very impressive on paper and has proven to protect very well over a broad range of UOA results. I only trust large, consistent trends in UOA results over multiple kinds of engines... that and the fact that an entire oil enthusiast community holds it in very high regard.

Hmmm..Mobil 1 has many Group 3 base stocks in it. Where did you hear it doesn't? It is talked about a lot too on BITOG.

Jordo! 07-23-2010 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarmAndSCSI (Post 641448)
Actually engine wear is directly proportionate to engine load and RPM, so you'll find that UOA results vary a lot among the same exact car model. Unless everybody drives on the same routes, terrain, in the same climate, and with the same exact patterns and habits, then it's almost meaningless to compare UOA results apples-to-apples. That said, there are meaningful trends you can find among large numbers of UOA results...

When people start testing oils on our exact engine on an engine dyno with precise simulated load, I'll start paying attention to individual reports of empirical wear data. Until then, I'll stick with a proven synthetic oil which is first and foremost good on paper. The certifications tagged on quality synthetic oils are not just arbitrary - if you understand the parameters of each certification label, you can easily discern how "good" an oil is on paper. This certainly is a lot more scientific than using UOA results from a whole gamut of different operating conditions.

Somebody mentioned Pennzoil Ultra, which is certainly a good oil, and that it is Ferrari factory fill. This is not accurate - it's just the only American-made oil endorsed by Ferrari. i.e. it's the only American-made oil that has a particular formulation (5W-40 European car formula in this case) which meets Ferrari's oil specifications. Just like how only Mobil 1 0W-40 meets BMW's Long-Life oil specification. This doesn't necessarily mean it is factory fill from BMW...

The Pennzoil Ultra grade for our cars (5W-30, non European) actually has a fairly low HTHS rating of 3.1; which is lower than even Pennzoil Platinum. It's honestly not a very good high-performance oil. I would suspect it does clean very well, though, since that is what it's marketed to do best. But remember, Pennzoil Ultra 5W-30 does NOT meet Ferrari's specifications - it is not good enough to use in one of their engines, whereas 5W-40 European is. And it's not just the different base weight or weight split, it's the fact that the formulations are probably entirely different.

I've long been a proponent of Mobil 1 0W-40 since it is a very good TRUE synthetic oil (no Group III base stock is used in it). It has a HTHS rating of at least 3.5 and even though there are some reports of it quickly shearing to a 30-weight oil, it has proven to protect my own built engines very well. I've noticed hardly any difference in bearing wear when comparing M1 0W-40 to Red Line.

Currently, my pick for the 370Z is Castrol Syntec 0W-30 European car formula (made in Germany, AKA German Castrol). This is a true Group IV oil with an HTHS rating of 3.6 - it is very impressive on paper and has proven to protect very well over a broad range of UOA results. I only trust large, consistent trends in UOA results over multiple kinds of engines... that and the fact that an entire oil enthusiast community holds it in very high regard.

How much is a lot? Would the mean wear still not be meaningful? But, even if so, for each given oil, there were as few as 1 sample and no more than 6 samples, so your point is very well taken...

Interestingly enough, some of the better performing oils from the averaged wear data in the oil nerd's thread included Castrol syntec (in both 0W30 and 5w30), Penzoil Platinum (not ultra -- can't recall if that was even tested), and Quaker Q state.

You gave two of those the nod, what are your thoughts on the Quaker state oil?

Oh, and where can you get the German Castrol?

WarmAndSCSI 07-23-2010 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordo! (Post 641576)
How much is a lot? Would the mean wear still not be meaningful? But, even if so, for each given oil, there were as few as 1 sample and no more than 6 samples, so your point is very well taken...

Interestingly enough, some of the better performing oils from the averaged wear data in the oil nerd's thread included Castrol syntec (in both 0W30 and 5w30), Penzoil Platinum (not ultra -- can't recall if that was even tested), and Quaker Q state.

You gave two of those the nod, what are your thoughts on the Quaker state oil?

Oh, and where can you get the German Castrol?

Mean wear is definitely useful; but most people tend to focus on the outliers (results from cars that are beat the hell out of, cars that are babied beyond all reason), which is just illogical.

Castrol Syntec is excellent stuff - 0W-30 is unbeatable for the price (~$7/qt). Pennzoil Platinum is a favorite of many and its real-world performance and specs on paper back it up - it's as good as Mobil 1 but generally cheaper.

Pennzoil and Quaker State are basically made from the same stock now since Shell owns them both. Shell Rotella, Pennzoil, Quaker State - all good synthetics, all made by Shell's SOPUS group.

I've never used Pennzoil Platinum, and never paid attention to when I used Quaker State Q or Horsepower of whatever the hell it was/is called.

You can pick up German Castrol at Auto Zone. It's been separate from the other Castrol oil every place I've been, and they usually have 5-10 quarts in stock. Make sure it says European Formula on the front and Made in Germany, only for sale in the Americas on the back. There are some unknown batches of US-made 0W-30 (circa 2002) still floating around, and those are to be avoided since they may very well be Group III-based and heavily packed with friction modifiers (much like some other cheaper 0W oils).

Mobil 1 0W-40 is also tip-top oil and can be used with our engines since it's essentially the same viscosity at every single temperature as Castrol Syntec 0W-30 is. Castrol 0W-30 is a "thick" 30 wt whereas Mobil 1 0W-40 is a "thin" 40 wt. They're roughly equals.

I'm digging German Castrol on the Z so far - dropped oil temperature 5-10 degrees from the stock average cruising temperature. Idle noise is the same as well, if not quieter.

Jordo! 07-23-2010 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarmAndSCSI (Post 641657)
Mean wear is definitely useful; but most people tend to focus on the outliers (results from cars that are beat the hell out of, cars that are babied beyond all reason), which is just illogical.

Castrol Syntec is excellent stuff - 0W-30 is unbeatable for the price (~$7/qt). Pennzoil Platinum is a favorite of many and its real-world performance and specs on paper back it up - it's as good as Mobil 1 but generally cheaper.

Pennzoil and Quaker State are basically made from the same stock now since Shell owns them both. Shell Rotella, Pennzoil, Quaker State - all good synthetics, all made by Shell's SOPUS group.

I've never used Pennzoil Platinum, and never paid attention to when I used Quaker State Q or Horsepower of whatever the hell it was/is called.

You can pick up German Castrol at Auto Zone. It's been separate from the other Castrol oil every place I've been, and they usually have 5-10 quarts in stock. Make sure it says European Formula on the front and Made in Germany, only for sale in the Americas on the back. There are some unknown batches of US-made 0W-30 (circa 2002) still floating around, and those are to be avoided since they may very well be Group III-based and heavily packed with friction modifiers (much like some other cheaper 0W oils).

Mobil 1 0W-40 is also tip-top oil and can be used with our engines since it's essentially the same viscosity at every single temperature as Castrol Syntec 0W-30 is. Castrol 0W-30 is a "thick" 30 wt whereas Mobil 1 0W-40 is a "thin" 40 wt. They're roughly equals.

I'm digging German Castrol on the Z so far - dropped oil temperature 5-10 degrees from the stock average cruising temperature. Idle noise is the same as well, if not quieter.

I think we're on the same page here then :)

Thanks for the German Castrol (and PP) info -- I'll try and track ze German stuff down for the next oil change :tiphat:

TROOPER 07-25-2010 08:32 AM

OMG, there's like a million oil threads.. why isn't there a sticky..!!

And to be honest there does not seem to be a single thread that can agree on the choice of ester oil vs synthetic oil.

My car is due it's first oil change, but with SO many debates on the pros and cons, and ester vs synthetic I have no idea what to do.

Personally I've been a big fan of Royal Purple, but I'm not sure if the recommended is Ester.

Now I now it's "recommended", but that doesn't mean it's "required".
And I don't want to just fall into a Nissan sales gimmick, or dealership bullsh*t

And people saying they have had no issues with synthetic after 10 or 15k miles, is not really evidence if you know what I mean.
Tell me you've run your car for 100k+ miles on synthetic, and I'll be a believer ;)

It's confusing to hear I have to use ester to break-in the engine, then switch to synthetic.
Or once I switch to synthetic, I can't go back to ester oil.

So what's the true story here guys, I'm looking for genuine advice, or hard facts OK.

WarmAndSCSI 07-25-2010 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TROOPER (Post 643467)
OMG, there's like a million oil threads.. why isn't there a sticky..!!

And to be honest there does not seem to be a single thread that can agree on the choice of ester oil vs synthetic oil.

My car is due it's first oil change, but with SO many debates on the pros and cons, and ester vs synthetic I have no idea what to do.

Personally I've been a big fan of Royal Purple, but I'm not sure if the recommended is Ester.

Now I now it's "recommended", but that doesn't mean it's "required".
And I don't want to just fall into a Nissan sales gimmick, or dealership bullsh*t

And people saying they have had no issues with synthetic after 10 or 15k miles, is not really evidence if you know what I mean.
Tell me you've run your car for 100k+ miles on synthetic, and I'll be a believer ;)

It's confusing to hear I have to use ester to break-in the engine, then switch to synthetic.
Or once I switch to synthetic, I can't go back to ester oil.

So what's the true story here guys, I'm looking for genuine advice, or hard facts OK.

Ester oil is synthetic oil, labeled as Group V oil. Nissan's Ester Oil just contains an ester-based additive, not necessarily any Group V polyol esters (POE) or diesters, and definitely not based on Group V oil according to their patent request on the oil.

As far as break-in is concerned, you can actually perform a break-in on a modern OEM engine on full synthetic oil. Even Mobil 1 confirms this, noting that many high-end engines come with Mobil 1 as factory fill oil. It doesn't hurt to stay on conventional for a couple hundred or thousand miles, mainly for the same reasons you break in a rebuilt or race engine on conventional, but it's not necessary. I would be wary of any Group V-based oils early on - stick to Group III and IV synthetics as these are confirmed to work as factory-fill oils.

TROOPER 07-25-2010 11:41 AM

Isn't Ester oil actual a blend and not full synthetic, and the same with Mobil 1 since you mentioned it..!!

So since I've just turned 2000 miles on my car, should I go for a FULL synthetic oil?

WarmAndSCSI 07-25-2010 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TROOPER (Post 643610)
Isn't Ester oil actual a blend and not full synthetic, and the same with Mobil 1 since you mentioned it..!!

So since I've just turned 2000 miles on my car, should I go for a FULL synthetic oil?

Yes, kind of what I covered above.

It doesn't matter for Mobil 1; for all intents and purposes Group III-based oils perform identically to Group IV oils. In fact, many weights of Mobil 1 contain a large percentage of Group IV oil, making them true synthetics. 5W-30, however, contains mostly hydrocracked dinosaur oil, so it is not a "true" synthetic and would be considered a synthetic blend in any country but the US.

If you're not consuming any significant amount of oil (i.e. you haven't consumed more than half a quart over those 2000 miles), you're safe to switch to a synthetic. Otherwise, wait it out until oil consumption ceases.

Jordo! 07-25-2010 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarmAndSCSI (Post 643854)
If you're not consuming any significant amount of oil (i.e. you haven't consumed more than half a quart over those 2000 miles), you're safe to switch to a synthetic. Otherwise, wait it out until oil consumption ceases.

That's an interesting idea -- I hadn't thought of that as an indicator of a completed break-in, but it makes sense.

I consumed pretty much exactly 1/2 a qt of oil during the first 3.75 K, assuming I don't see any oil consumption over the next 3.75, I should go to synthetic on my second oil change -- otherwise wait longer?

WarmAndSCSI 07-25-2010 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordo! (Post 643862)
That's an interesting idea -- I hadn't thought of that as an indicator of a completed break-in, but it makes sense.

I consumed pretty much exactly 1/2 a qt of oil during the first 3.75 K, assuming I don't see any oil consumption over the next 3.75, I should go to synthetic on my second oil change -- otherwise wait longer?

Yep, you were fine to go synthetic after that first 3750. I saw 1/3 quart consumption (maybe) over the first 2000 miles on our Z; we switched to the Castrol 0W-30 at 2100. I'll report back with a UOA and oil consumption report at roughly 6000 miles.

I do have to note, however, that the 0W-30 (which is indeed a thick oil) still gets us 30+ mpg on the highway. 33-34 mpg just cruising at 65 mph (speed limit here). Pretty impressive for such an engine. ;)

Jordo! 07-25-2010 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarmAndSCSI (Post 643866)
Yep, you were fine to go synthetic after that first 3750. I saw 1/3 quart consumption (maybe) over the first 2000 miles on our Z; we switched to the Castrol 0W-30 at 2100. I'll report back with a UOA and oil consumption report at roughly 6000 miles.

I do have to note, however, that the 0W-30 (which is indeed a thick oil) still gets us 30+ mpg on the highway. 33-34 mpg just cruising at 65 mph (speed limit here). Pretty impressive for such an engine. ;)

Cool -- very much looking forward to the oil analysis, as I am planning on switching to this oil next based on your recommendation --which, BTW, is consistent with the wear mean UOA data in the oil nerd's thread (it showed among the lowest wear!). Be interesting to compare your findings to those data as well.

tranceformer 07-25-2010 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarmAndSCSI (Post 643866)
Yep, you were fine to go synthetic after that first 3750. I saw 1/3 quart consumption (maybe) over the first 2000 miles on our Z; we switched to the Castrol 0W-30 at 2100. I'll report back with a UOA and oil consumption report at roughly 6000 miles.

I do have to note, however, that the 0W-30 (which is indeed a thick oil) still gets us 30+ mpg on the highway. 33-34 mpg just cruising at 65 mph (speed limit here). Pretty impressive for such an engine. ;)

It is indeed a thick oil for a 30 weight oil. It was definitely heavier than the 5w30 castrol syntec I used before. The UOA looked good, I needed a thicker oil for the 90+ degree heat down here in south Florida.

and how the heck did you manage 30+ mpg??

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordo! (Post 643880)
Cool -- very much looking forward to the oil analysis, as I am planning on switching to this oil next based on your recommendation --which, BTW, is consistent with the wear mean UOA data in the oil nerd's thread (it showed among the lowest wear!). Be interesting to compare your findings to those data as well.

I'd recommend it as well. I'm on my second fill of that oil, I just got the UOA of the first fill. 4200 miles of 75% highway / 25% city and dozens of passes at the drag strip and it was looking pretty good.

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a.../th_E20154.png

WarmAndSCSI 07-25-2010 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tranceformer (Post 644161)
It is indeed a thick oil for a 30 weight oil. It was definitely heavier than the 5w30 castrol syntec I used before. The UOA looked good, I needed a thicker oil for the 90+ degree heat down here in south Florida.

and how the heck did you manage 30+ mpg??



I'd recommend it as well. I'm on my second fill of that oil, I just got the UOA of the first fill. 4200 miles of 75% highway / 25% city and dozens of passes at the drag strip and it was looking pretty good.

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a.../th_E20154.png

It could be the altitude or the car might just be a factory freak. Computer reported 31.8 mpg average after a ~90 mile leisurely highway canyon trip the other day. That was also with about 10-15 city miles thrown in there. That and the low oil consumption both let me know this engine is healthy. ;)

Awesome on the oil analysis - ours should be really clean since the Z really doesn't see that much action being my wife's car. I think I can be confident leaving it in for 5000-6000 miles based on your usage and UOA.

Z-Guy 07-27-2010 06:37 PM

If I live in Lakewood, WA which is located 45 minutes south of Seattle, would I be okay to run the 0w-30 Castrol Oil in my car? I' referring to the climate in my area. I did read the chart and the 0w-30 looked the best. Just curious what Nissan would say because they recommend the 5w-30. I just changed my oil at 1172 miles and I'm using the Ester Oil and the factory filter. Next oil change I will be using the PL 14610 and hopefully will have some good info on the oils. I'm liking the Castrol 0w-30 so far, just want to hear about the feed back.

LateralG'z 07-27-2010 06:39 PM

Royal Purple Only!!!!

WarmAndSCSI 07-27-2010 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z-Guy (Post 647452)
If I live in Lakewood, WA which is located 45 minutes south of Seattle, would I be okay to run the 0w-30 Castrol Oil in my car? I' referring to the climate in my area. I did read the chart and the 0w-30 looked the best. Just curious what Nissan would say because they recommend the 5w-30. I just changed my oil at 1172 miles and I'm using the Ester Oil and the factory filter. Next oil change I will be using the PL 14610 and hopefully will have some good info on the oils. I'm liking the Castrol 0w-30 so far, just want to hear about the feed back.

You'll be fine. It may be thick for a 30-weight, but it's not too thick to ensure proper operation of your valvetrain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LateralG'z (Post 647455)
Royal Purple Only!!!!

:shakes head:

Overpriced junk.

LateralG'z 07-27-2010 06:58 PM

Royal Purple is the Best! nothing is better! you are confused

zZSoCalZz 07-27-2010 06:58 PM

FWIW... I went with the recommended Ester Oil for my first oil change @ 3400 miles. Was it worth the extra $$? Only time will tell. I rather be safe than sorry come 100K miles.

wishihadnav 07-27-2010 06:59 PM

wow is this thread still going?..haha

LateralG'z 07-27-2010 07:01 PM

Yes it is! Royal Purple!!!!!!

Red370 07-27-2010 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LateralG'z (Post 647481)
Yes it is! Royal Purple!!!!!!

:iagree:

wishihadnav 07-27-2010 07:04 PM

fine its royal purple.. /thread.

WarmAndSCSI 07-27-2010 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LateralG'z (Post 647474)
Royal Purple is the Best! nothing is better! you are confused

Quote:

Originally Posted by LateralG'z (Post 647481)
Yes it is! Royal Purple!!!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red370 (Post 647484)
:iagree:

Quote:

Originally Posted by wishihadnav (Post 647486)
fine its royal purple.. /thread.

Eh, you're not wasting my money on an inferior oil, so whatever. :rolleyes:

LateralG'z 07-27-2010 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarmAndSCSI (Post 647487)
Eh, you're not wasting my money on an inferior oil, so whatever. :rolleyes:

Where are u getting facts that show Royal Purple is junk out of curiosity? Would like to see these facts please post the link

wishihadnav 07-27-2010 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LateralG'z (Post 647493)
Where are u getting facts that show Royal Purple is junk out of curiosity? Would like to see these facts please post the link

NOOOOoooooo!!...no more "facts"!!!...hahah!

wishihadnav 07-27-2010 07:13 PM

GC and Redline are actually the worst:stirthepot:..haha..

LateralG'z 07-27-2010 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wishihadnav (Post 647496)
NOOOOoooooo!!...no more "facts"!!!...hahah!

You silly banana! without facts you are just speculating an opinion. haha! This such a great thread.

LateralG'z 07-27-2010 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wishihadnav (Post 647504)
GC and Redline are actually the worst:stirthepot:..haha..

Peoples blood is now boiling! nice post:tup:

wishihadnav 07-27-2010 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LateralG'z (Post 647508)
Peoples blood is now boiling! nice post:tup:

thanks!!.hahah...people will lose sleep tonight:rofl2:


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