Nissan Ester Oil

Originally Posted by VCuomo

Man, it cracks me up that the "What oil should I use?" question keeps coming up. The answer, of course, is "RTFM", but here it is one more time...

The 2009 Nissan 370Z Owner's Manual just says to use a 5W-30 oil that is API certified. Here is the quote straight from the 2009 manual:

Select only engine oils that meet the American
Petroleum Institute (API) certification or International
Lubricant Standardization and Approval
Committee (ILSAC) certification and SAE viscosity
standard. These oils have the API
certification mark on the front of the container.
Oils which do not have the specified quality
label should not be used as they could cause
engine damage.

There is a one line reference to the Ester Oil in note 3 on page 9-2:

NISSAN recommends Genuine NISSAN Ester Engine Oil, which is available at a NISSAN dealer.

That's it. Note that the Ester oil is recommended, not required. Basically, use an API certified 5W-30 oil (or appropriate weight oil for your driving conditions) and change it and the oil filter at regular (reasonable) intervals, and you will be fine.

If you want to go crazy on this topic (and have many hours to kill), head on over to BobIsTheOilGuy and start reading... But be prepared for major head spinnage...