Nissan 370Z Forum - Oil Change Issues! Help/Advise Needed!

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Quote:

Originally Posted by LakeShow (Post 2032452)

I think I will definitely switch to Redline as it similar to the Nissan Ester but also being Synthetic. I actually was driving my car last night and it was quite scary as my car was having trouble shifting and wouldn't hold it's RPMs. I have a 7AT and it was just a nightmare. Very sluggish shifts I haven't seen before and also with the paddle shifters it wouldn't hold RPMs in any gear.

For example I would be in 3rd gear at around 3.5k RPMs and I would lightly let off the throttle and the RPMs would just dip under 2k rapidly as if I held the clutch down in a manual car and if I hit the throttle again it had a hard time getting back up. Really quite strange and scared me a bit. Same scenario for the other gears as well.

I use Ester Oil until first o/c ,my Nissan parts guy told me that Pennzoil premium synthetic oil has Ester oil in it and is the only synthetic that does according to him,I have used Pennzoil Premium I don't have any issues with it.

[QUOTE= ... I understand 220 degrees temps are fairly normal but not in the current NY weather of 30-40 degrees F and also driving casually.[/QUOTE]

I live in the SF Bay area with winter temps in the 50s during the day. I'm seeing 200 deg F average temps with 220 deg F max with just casual driving around. When that happens I try to get into a higher gear at lower RPM and turn on the heater full blast with a window open to bring down the oil temp. My car is a 2019 6MT sport coupe. I may go with a thermostatically-controlled external oil cooler later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by physics (Post 3832410)

I live in the SF Bay area with winter temps in the 50s during the day. I'm seeing 200 deg F average temps with 220 deg F max with just casual driving around. When that happens I try to get into a higher gear at lower RPM and turn on the heater full blast with a window open to bring down the oil temp. My car is a 2019 6MT sport coupe. I may go with a thermostatically-controlled external oil cooler later.

220 is fine. No need to turn on the heater. The issue comes if you get up to 250-260F. You'll only do it when canyon carving or during track days with constant high revving.

Turning on the heater brings down the water/coolant temp, not the oil.

Something in the engine will warp/melt/break before a good synthetic oil will quit lubricating. Syn oils are supposed to be able to handle 300F. The ECM nannies will kick in long before you get to that point. At 220F, the oil hasn't even broken a sweat.

Keep in mind that the gauge is not reading the highest temp the oil sees. Add 20-40F to the gauge. Spooler's 250-260F, on the gauge, would be bumping the 300F oil rating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dts3 (Post 3832535)

Turning on the heater brings down the water/coolant temp, not the oil.

There is an internal oil/water heat exchanger that uses the thermostatically controlled temperature of the coolant to stabilize the oil temperature. It also serves to raise the oil temperature as quickly as possible, since the coolant on a cold-started engine heats up more quickly than the oil. When I set the heater to full blast and reduce engine RPM I do see a slow decline in the oil temperature.

As another person mentioned, 220 deg F may not be catastrophically high but it is on the borderline of my comfort zone for my peace of mind when it comes to protecting the engine from heat damage.

You are correct about the heat exchanger, I only mention it because in my experience it seems to have zero effect on oil temperature, heating or cooling. It's good to hear that it worked for you.