Esther Oil?
 

Just picked up my black Z with sport package last night. Only 94 miles, the long way home, but absolutely love it! The service department warned me that you should only use this special esther oil that sells for $15/quart in my Z. I've never heard of it and they really couldn't tell me much about it. Anyone able to fill me in on this subject? I do all my own maintenance and realize the Z will be a challenge just changing the oil.....but I'm hoping this oil thing is just the usual dealer BS.

Great site! I'll be back often.

Paul
Southern NH

It's a bunch of BS. You don't have to have it. Leave it at that. There's plenty of threads here on this. I know your new but you have to use the search function.

I'm goi. Redline next change

I use Canola Oil and my Z's been doing fine. I can cook hotdogs on the way to football games. very convenient.

Ester oil is a special synthetic. The dealer is correct. A dealer oil change will usually run around $90. Some members here use Redline, which isn't cheap either. I wouldn't recommend using regular motor oil.

Have a look at Ak's write up.http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-d...es-inside.html

Can I get fries with that.

370Z's tend to run warm. Use a full synthetic instead of that Esther junk, which I believe is a blend. If you';re going to pay $15 a quart, might as well use Amsoil or something.

Paul

Per the user manual, Esther is the 'recommended' engine oil to use due the specificiations, and requirements of the Z engine.

Now, if you want to use another brand no will stop you and most likely you can get away with using another brand. But at the end of the day, it's an expensive car engineered to certain specifications. If the specifications call for a special oil, I would rather side with nissan engineers who built the car versus internet forum members who think esther is not worth it.

From a cost perspective synthetic oils are expensive i.e. Mobile 1, Redline, etc. and nissan esther is no different. Personally, all my oil changes done w/ Nissan Esther, and enjoy my car. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

The misinformation that comes up with every thread on oil is a killer.


OP, you'll be fine running your oil of choice. There's quite a few threads that can be found on g37 forums that have quite a few UOA from VQ37 that seem to indicate that the Ester oil is a waste, and inferior to a lot of the other oils out there.

THIS^

Also Pennzoil Planitum has show probably the best and most consistent UOA

Can you please make a scan of this page and post it here? Our 370Z is one of the first in the States and nowhere in the Owners Manual is this stated. The Service Manual makes a reference to Nissan ester engine being recommended, but not mandatory. And what exactly are those "...specifications, and requirements..." that are being referenced? Even Nissan can not answer these questions. We have Nissan employees here at the forum and they have not anted-up either.

Nissan is solely at the center of the propagation of misinformation as Nissan has been nothing but vague and ambitious regarding their own oil, and the Z's engine. To me, if Nissan has an oiling issue at the top-end of the VQ37VHR, then Nissan should have engineered it better or made their voodoo ester available as an additive.

I have been told by friends in the oil industry that the Nissan "ester" oil helps dissapate heat and keep the heat down better than most oils. This may be true but I still run synthetic.

I think it has been determined that it doesn't do that as well as most good synthetics.

Nissan has kept quite on the details on the oil to spook people into thinking it has some magical properties, but any decent oil will do the same job.

The benefit to the Ester oil is it is supposed to react with the DLC coating on the cam follower, and helps prevent the tapping noise you will hear sometimes when you don't run the Ester oil.

Ok! Close thread.

Do you know where we can find the info or comparison test you mentioned? Ester is a synthetic, so it would seem logical that the properties are identical with margin gains in lubricating properties. I think it would be to the community's benefit to have reliable scientific data before we jump one way or the other. We all know how easily misconceptions spread on the internet.

http://www.motorwatch.com/images/oilclassifications.jpg

No, I want to know which study you were looking at.

What study are you referring to?

"I think it has been determined that it doesn't do that as well as most good synthetics"

Read through the UOA's that are out there. It's a group 3 blend that shears down dangerously around 4k miles. It doesn't handle the heat of the VQ well, and the wear metal percentages are much higher than with most other oils that have been used.

That's good to know. Thanks for the info Red. Seems very much false or misleading advertising by Nissan to call it ester oil then. It doesn't seem logical to recommend this specifically to the Z. You would think some testing would have been done, and chances are this would have been the type they used. The only UOA I found for the Z referring to wear metal percentage had the Nissan oil tested at the 1st oil change, which is normal for break in. Unfortunately, they switched to another synthetic after that.

The dealer is not correct. And if by "regular motor oil" you mean non-Nissan oil (e.g., Mobil 1, Pennzoil synthetic, Castrol synthetic, etc.), then your "recommendation" is also incorrect.

Much has been written about this - use the search function and/or visit BobIsTheOilGuy.com.

"Regular" as in non-synthetic dino oil. Its not required to use synthetic, but it is recommended.

Yep, true. But the dealer is wrong about only using Nissan's ester oil.

Yeah, I just meant that it is recommended to use synthetic for which there is a significant gain over non-synthetic. I just didn't realize the Nissan Ester synthetic was a group 3. The dealer wasn't technically "wrong", but maybe we're just arguing semantics here. You "should only" vs. you "must only". I think most of us, including myself have a tendency to dismiss the service rep's advice anyways. From a Nissan dealer's point of view, there is no other brands but the stuff they sell. I mean no disrespect, just looking for some knowledge.

Few of the local Nissan dealer here in town uses Valvoline unless you tell them otherwise.

Thanks for all of the great info and friendly responses! A few questions:
Is everyone sold on the magnetic plugs? Wouldn't most of these trapped particles drain out anyway with the old oil?
And clumping them together, couldn't this do more damage if a clump broke free and floated it's way through the pistons?
If only the front end is on ramps, does the oil drain completely? Isn't it better to have the car level?

I had my oil changed yesterday at the dealership. The service guy asked if I wanted regular oil or esther oil for ($42?) more. So you can run either or many by implication. Since Nissan gave me a Gold Maintenance plan as compensation for my oil consumption/short block replacement, I took the esther oil. I also began my new oil consumption test. 1.8 quarts in 1900 miles.

I'm not sold on magnetic plugs but some here use them and also a magnetic oil filter sleeve.
Most, if not all, particles of sufficient size that will do damage to your engine will become trapped in the filter or drain out the oil pan when you change your oil. Filters are designed to not pass particles down to a particular size of about 30(?) microns. Any particle smaller than this may pass through the filter depending on its shape. Those that do pass will be circulated throughout the engine and some of these particles will become embedded in the journal bearings for example.
You can't completely drain the oil level or on jackstands. There is a small amount of about .6(?) litres that will not come out. This is stated in the service manual.