This has always confused me - oil changes

TreeSemdyZee

I take my own oil, they install their filter and change the oil for $18.
I have to believe the $90 dollar changes you're speaking of are the Nissan Ester Oil, which is a $14-15 per quart.

Jeffblue

nah my brother gets charged 90 for a synthetic change on is 2003 A6.

TreeSemdyZee

Must be more expensive to change the oil in an A than it is in a Z.

brucelidat

Dealers are always going to try to gouge you and luxury makes will do so eve more. They mark up the oil big time so you can't use your purchase price elsewhere as a guide. I bring my own oil and the guy I go to charges me $15 for filter and labor. Also, as others have stated, shops/dealers buy conventional oil by the barrel. It probably costs them a dime a quart. Synthetic they have to buy by the case. This of course does not meaning they are also marking things u big time to rip you off. I only ever go to the dealership for warranty repairs or if I have a coupon (though that was with the Altima, they never have coupons for synthetic)

Also, don't let them trick you with the free first oil change. They'll treat it like any other car and put conventional in. They mentioned it to me, the free first oil change. I asked if that was the ester oil, and they were like no, that's like $75 extra. Offering a free oil change but using an oil below factory recommendations is retarded.

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Mecinoid

Yep, Ester Oil Changes run me $85. Parts are $67. Ends up being a $18 oil change. Heck... The car run smoothly... I believe, if my reasearch is right you might experience valve train noise if you use Mobil 1 etc... I think Amisol, Castrol have more Ester properties in them. I might give that a try after I get 10K on the car or so... I only have about 2500 miles on the car and wanted to do a factory fill change after 1500 to get oil shaving out of the motor etc...

I noticed a bunch of black material on dip stick even after oil change... Wtf ??? So, I went back to the dealership to see if they even changed the oil. We could tell by the marks on the bolts etc that it had been done.

During the process I checked a bunch of Z's on the lot. The dip sticks all had some blackish material on them. I believe this is break in lube making it up on to the dip stick. Any one else with same experience? I checked dip stick just now.... and blackish material all gone. Plus, I noticed one more thing that I like about this car over my old 350Z. The dip stick is straight and it easy to get it in and out of the dip stick holder unlike the old 350Z. That one bent all over the place and would take two or three tires to get it back in properly. You never really knew if you had a proper oil reading because it would scrap the oil off of the side of the dip stick tube.

I love my 370Z more and more each day... More than my Vette.. well, as a daily driver yes. But, as a long distance road car with the wife... The Vette is still better. I expect over the years to come the Z will hold up a lot better. I'll deal with that down the road.

Sorry for the banter but, I always wondered about these things and thought I'd post up my honest thoughts for those thinking the same thing.

Excuse the extended post.... Enjoy the ride !!!