i've been reading up a little bit on the nissan ester oil and it turns out that it's not an "ester-based" oil, but just a conventional oil with "ester additives". is this correct?

if so, then what other alternatives (brands) are on the market for oils with ester additives that are reasonably priced?

some people feel very strongly about oils and dont mind paying a hefty price and swear by their chosen brand. i'm not one of those.

i, however, do want to use and ester oil as nissan recommends but dont want to pay $10-12 bucks for a quart. i think that's just rediculous!

any recommendations?

i'm assuming that the oil in the car from the factory is the nissan ester oil - anyone know what weight it is?

ok, so it looks like it's nissan's ester oil in 5-30 viscosity. do they have a 5-40 or 10-40 viscosity? i'm considering the heavier weight to help with high temps, esp. when tracking the car.

There is no need to use 10-40 over 5-30 oil, as a matter of fact the higher viscosity may make matters worse by not being able to get into the small passages thus increasing the wear.

Oil weight, or viscosity, refers to how thick or thin the oil is. Engines need oil that is thin enough for cold starts, and thick enough when the engine is hot. Since oil gets thinner when heated, and thicker when cooled, most of us use what are called multi-grade, or multi-viscosity oils. These oils meet SAE specifications for the low temperature requirements of a light oil and the high temperature requirements of a heavy oil.

Just my opinion.

mrarroyo is correct. Many do not take into consideration that too thick an oil may be harmful for the reason he mentions. Oil must get into very thin spaces upon high compression and needs to be thin enough to do the job. Thicker oil can actually leave some parts unlubricated and under extreem heat and pressure. The key is to find the perfect balance.....

If by "ester-based" you mean group V, no, Nissan Ester is not group V. We aren't even sure if it's dino or synthetic, but it does have ester additives. There is also a nano particle additive. To learn more about this, you'll need to find the article on another 370z tech site (search the internet for 370z ester mike kojima).

How much benefit comes from esters, and how much from the nano particles is unknown.

BTW, the cheapest group V is Redline, which you can find for $9.70/qt shipped. Still pricey.

Anyone know the part # of the Nissan "super" ester oil they use for the Z? And can we buy it at the dealer or elsewhere?

999mp-5w30ep. Buy it at the dealer or online. Some Nissan dealers weren't stocking it a few months ago since the VQ37 is new to them, but they should all have it by now.

So...to ask a point blank question.

What makes a Group V a "better" oil than a Group IV?



My personal choice here is going to be Mobil1 Full Synthetic 5W-30 + Mobil filter. Group IV. API-SM certified, with Mobil stating that their oil handles 400F before any breakdown issues.

Sounds good to me for this engine!

I also think this whole talk of polarized molecules and tiny particles...hogwash...

Just more junk to clump up and get caught in a filter...or worse yet, get caught up in the engine.

That, and if you figure...what's the level of attraction at a molecular level when you're talking about parts spinning at 1,000RPM as a baseline...can a molecular level attraction overcome that force? Or the force of being pushed out of a bearing? I doubt it makes any difference.

But hey, Slick 50 still sells.

Why wouldn't you guys just use the Nissan oil? Its synthetic, is it not?

If I'm not mistaken, its a group 2 oil (dino) with an ester additive and some sort of nano-particle.

AMSOIL has been around forever and from what I've always heard it's the best stuff around. And you can buy it in the store, check your local auto store. The one by me (Ramapo Auto Parts) sells it. I use it in everything and it's never let me down. The guys at that store know a lot about cars and they swear by it (over Mobil 1).

Clarification - if I can't buy it in a nationwide chain store, I won't use it.

:)

Some of the best things come from non-nationwide chain stores but to each their own

So you wouldnt use Redline or Motul either? More for me :tup: