Z Oil Change: Miles or Time?

JARblue

We put enough miles on the Z that I am changing it every 6-7 months on average. The dealer did the first two cause I had some credit with their service department, but going forward, I will be doing them myself. I will say that if you do the recommended 7500 miles or 12 month increments, I think that the cost per year for oil changes just isn't significant, even if you do pay someone else to do it. We ARE driving $30K vehicles after all, so if you don't want to do it yourself, then pay the money to have it done right. I, for one, am looking forward to doing my own maintenance on the Z. It is my first true sports car and really the first car I haven't thought of as simply a mode of transportation.

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Coon-azz

No way.... what kind of mileage out of curiousity...sorry..

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I don't care how slow you want to drive; I encourage it. JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF THE PASSING LANE YOU TUCK FARD!!!

Shamrock

I bought my z with exactly 15000K and told the previous owner that he had to foot the bill for the oil exchange. I told him to tell them at the dealership to put in the gt-r oil and not the z oil and I would pay the difference. At my dealership the oil for the gt-r is not the same as the Z. Does anyone know what the difference between the two oils is? I hope it's ok that I did this. My friend who has had a z for two years recommended this. Does the gt-r oil need to be replaced more frequently? Does it keep the engine in better condition or was it a waste of money?

IDZRVIT

The Z is only a weekend driver so not a lot of kilometers put on it. Oil/filter is changed in the fall before going into winter storage. I won't leave 'contaminated' oil in it over the winter only fresh oil. The Sport Trac clocks around 10K miles/yr. Change oil/filter in the fall. I've owned the JD LT150 for 5 years and it came used with the house when I bought it. It gets used every week or so in the summer to mow 15K sq. ft. of lawn. In the winter it is used as a snow blower and used maybe 5-10 times. I changed the oil and filter about 3 years ago. I'll probably change it again this year. The 'vette gets very little use so the oil is changed every second year. All vehicles are in excellent working condition and no weird noises from their engines.

IMHO, Nissan and other car makers recommend oil change intervals way too often. It's a win-win for them because most owners (assumption) of these cars take them to the dealer for scheduled maintenance. Nissan supplies the parts and the dealer installs whether the car actually requires the maintenance or not. Mercedes doesn't seem to think so and their engines aren't anything special as in made entirely out of exotic metals. In closing, I don't buy into all the hype about changing oil every few thousand miles or every few months. But for those that feel by doing these frequent changes for peace of mind then continue to do so. Your engine won't last any longer or any less but I don't have any hard facts to back this up - just my own experiences.

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"America.... still builds rockets!"
Vette: 355 cid, 400 rwhp
'13 CTS-V Coupe: 6.2L LSA, 556HP

IDZRVIT

Yes, but if it gives you peace of mind..............

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"America.... still builds rockets!"
Vette: 355 cid, 400 rwhp
'13 CTS-V Coupe: 6.2L LSA, 556HP

Shamrock

What are the differences between the two oils?


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370Z Purist

GT-R's motor oil is just Mobil 1 Synthetic, isn't it? That isn't that special; although oil for the tranny or diff in the GT-R is super specific (and super-expensive). The Z oil by comparison is more "special," since it's the ester base with "microdiamonds."

2009 Nissan GT-R: Bargain Supercar Gets Expensive

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-Phil

"Since one of my brake light bulbs just went out, the forum told me that my piston rings are about to blow."

Shamrock

Sorry. So it is better to use the gt-r engine oil or the z engine oil in the z?


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LakeShow

If you put GTR oil, your Z will produce 530HP and develop a Twin Turbo.

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|2013 Audi S4|Ibis White/Black|S-Tronic P+|
|2013 370z|PearlWhite/Persimmon|Touring/Sport/Nav|F.I. CBE 18" CF|
|Sold|2011 370z|Gun Metallic|Touring/Sport/Nav|

JARblue

If that's the case, I have GT-R Oil for sale @ $50 per quart

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IDZRVIT

I'l take two cases!

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"America.... still builds rockets!"
Vette: 355 cid, 400 rwhp
'13 CTS-V Coupe: 6.2L LSA, 556HP

IDZRVIT

Shamrock, in all seriousness, I would recommend you use a 'normal' synthetic oil such as Mobil 1 5W-30. You can even use dino oil if you want to save a few bucks but don't waste your money on 'specialty' oils.

__________________
"America.... still builds rockets!"
Vette: 355 cid, 400 rwhp
'13 CTS-V Coupe: 6.2L LSA, 556HP

Shamrock

Ha ha guys! All I want to know if the Z oil is ok in my engine, not causing damage. I got it. I won't get it again. Is it ok until the next oil change? Joking aside.


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IDZRVIT

No, it won't cause any damage.

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"America.... still builds rockets!"
Vette: 355 cid, 400 rwhp
'13 CTS-V Coupe: 6.2L LSA, 556HP

JARblue

To answer your question: No, the recommended Nissan Ester oil will not harm your Z.

I decided on Mobil 1 quite a while ago, primarily for its universal nature in the sense that I can find it virtually any auto store or any lube store (when I used to pay for my oil changes). If you take it to lube shop, you're pretty much stuck with a dealership if you use the Ester, and for any other specialty oil, you likely will need to bring the oil with you to the shop.

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