2012 370Z Oil Temp

ImportConvert

I am still following Nissan's 1200 mile <4,000rpm schedule. However, I have made observations.

The coolant light bar is always lit just 1 dot shy of having the middle dot illuminated.

The oil temp has reached a maximum temperature of 210*F in traffic (15 minutes in stop to 45mph traffic, after being heat-soaked and parked for 5 minutes prior to joining traffic).

After reaching temperature on the freeway in 60-65*F weather, the oil temperature will remain at 195-205*F. This includes sustained driving at 80-85 in 6th, easy roll-ons in 5th from 60-80 and then coasting back down again, as well as similar behavior when traffic was not present in lower gears. (I do this while breaking a car in to hit both faces of the gear teeth in the transmission and differential, as well as provide vacuum that will pull the rings against the cylinder walls in the engine.)

In the 400 miles I have had my 370Z, I have noted a marked reduction in drive-line noise using this break-in technique. Most of what you are doing is bedding brakes and polishing gear-faces, not "breaking the engine in". It's just easier to tell people not to get over "X rpm" and "don't take off hard or stop hard" than it is to explain the nuances of properly mating precision parts with designed tolerances at the 8th grade level that product manuals must be written at.