oil change - 3k miles? 3 months?

Zoren 370

Pare last time the Nissan stealership quoted me almost $200 for Esther.
I said Shitna Malagkit mo!

DEpointfive0

Wow, that's ridiculous, realistically, it should be at MOST $100... You should be able to haggle to $80 though

Zoren 370

Yes that's why I said "That's Crazy expensive" ended up with Mobil 1 Synthetic instead.

And yes they placed a sticker on my windshield my next oil change is at after 7.5K miles.

I guess different stealership has different definition of oil change intervals. Which I suppose not.
Maybe I'll just change it after 5K miles.

nmjaxx9

Yeah was quoted 107 for an oil change, thats why I do it myself.

DEpointfive0

God bless the dealers... Infiniti and Nissan dealers state that if you use synthetic, your oil change intervals are twice as long, this practice is generally regarded as true, and 7.5k miles isn't necessarily a lot for synthetic oil... (I'd say too much for a stock filter though.
But getting back to it, Nissan's ester oil is at LEAST a synthetic blend... I don't think anyone can confirm if its full synthetic.

All I know is that my car runs a LOT better/cooler with their oil.

If you DO want to run it, tell the parts department to match almost any other dealer for $10/qt, buy a filter of your choice from your nearest Walmart for a max of $9, or $12 if you go for Bosch, and then pay the dealer to swap your oil, most have some BS $20-30 promo all the time, and just say look, labor on a $30 oil change is at MAX $20, charge me $20 to be a happy customer, and you'll pay $80 for your peace of mind Nissan Ester Oil

(If you're content with Mobil 1 (great stuff in my opinion, don't like it for this car though, but to each his own) go to Walmart, buy a nice 5 quart jug for... I think they're up to $25, for regular and $27 for extended performance, buy the filter and do the same thing with the dealer, you'll get your Mobil 1 oil change for a max of $60, and hopefully you can talk them down to $50)

bvl

Oil opinions are like arse holes....

KISS folks. Use what you want (and bring it to the dealer if you like. I bring them 5.125 quarts of Pennzoil Ultra), and follow the maintenance guide while under warranty.

Use Nissan Filter. Its easy...they have them. Don't over think it.

If you want to use Ester oil, ask them to use it. If you don't like their list price for it, buy it from another parts department or more then likely they will match the price if you show them and nicely ask.

I follow schedule 2, 6 months 7500 miles and visit my dealer 2x a year at this point.

If you are hyper anal about it, run it at 3 months (schedule 1) and call it a day. To me if doing that, I think synthetic is a waste of money for a street car but that is my opinion .

- b

1st

So is it a must that we use ester oil in our 370Z? There is another thread on here stating that the Gtr is the only one that requires the ester oil. The 370Z isn’t a requirement but more of a suggestion. Can anyone confirm this. Thanks

I Also called around on oil changes with ester highest in my area $89.99 cheapest $69.99.

DEpointfive0

No, it is NOT a requirement, it CAN help with valve chatter, that's about it... valve chatter is not going to hurt your engine...

Now, I don't want to make it an oil debate because we'll be nowhere... But I PERSONALLY like and believe in their Ester oil. Just coming from a chem background, I like it...


There is a SUGGESTION from Nissan. It's more pushed on the 2009's because they are more prone to consuming oil. (At 3 of the 4 dealers I have taken my car into, they give me free Ester oil changes with my Nissan service plan because I have a 2009, if I had a 2010, regular oil would go in.

1st

Thanks for the 411

OMGiGOTaZ

Mine has had 4 oil changes in 4 months and I'm at 9000+ miles... I drive the piss outta my Z so I take extra good care of her

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bvl

It is right in you manual: ester is a suggestion not a requirement.

DEpointfive0: have you had UOA's performed? With your stated background you are likely more well informed then 95%+ of non-chem folks regarding the blends and requirements of the lube Curious how its performing for you. Few UOAs I have seen don't do too well with a few measurements.

If it was an excellent base stock and performed well I have no problem spending a few more washingtons on the oil change, but to date I have not seen it being special. Other group IV/V base stocks from the likes of Redline etc...appear to perform much better.

Not trying to debate the better oil: just see how yours is performing and how you personally feel. I am awaiting my first report from my 5/30 PU sampling

- b

DEpointfive0

I'm waiting on it actually. I sent in a virgin sample as well even though someone on the forum has already

I did run a sample at work myself (yes, we have a GC machine for anyone thinking I'm talking out of my ***), but since I don't have parameters set up, all I pretty much saw is that my oil is oil and had no gasoline or water in it, LOL
So I am anxious about Blackstone's results

Honestly, I'm not sure if Nissan's Ester oil has a better base stock than others like Redline or Motul, because its a 50/50 whether Nissan's oil is synthetic or a blend. I am 99% sure it IS a grade IV oil, and that's good enough for me! (And hey, we used Dino oil for...... 50+ years without problems, a blend should be OK)


At the end of the day, YES, Nissan IS sticking it to us with their own oil, I know that, that's why even the dealershits have to buy them by the quart.
BUT, accepting that fact, don't we think that they are formulating this oil to our cars, and they designed it because of our cars???
That's my opinion on it, ONLY the 2009 Maxima and 370Z HAD a requirement for Ester Oil at one point, it wasn't a requirement for long, but it was there... And still dealers out there will give you an Ester oil change with your factory maintainence agreement ONLY if you have the 2009, like mine/me, lol

Another blatantly obvious example of it being more tailor made is that when you run a normal synthetic you might get valve chatter, while its "not bad" for the car, I don't want that sound, it's not supposed to run or sound like that IMO, lol


Just my 2, or maybe 4 or 6 cents now with all that info/text, lol

DEpointfive0

Oh, and if we think the factory's recommendation for oil is BS, why do we bother following their recommendation for 5w30? (This next comment is thick, but it's only for "argument's" sake) But why not run 20w50, less prone to burning! Or straight 50? Lol... Or if you're worried about drag, run 0w20!

Now, some may run 10w30 which is OK as long as your battery can crank through the pain of 5w vs 10w, LOL, and some may run 5w40 with no adverse affects... YET...


It's still all user preference obviously, and it's taste and belief... I like Jack and coke, you might like Crown and coke, but if I'm drinking it straight I'd rather have Crown, or Gentleman Jack or something else, but to mix, Jack
Same with let's say cigarettes, there are 200 different kinds, all slight variations from each other, they all pretty much have the same effect at the end of the day.

I really like Mobil 1, run it in all my other cars... Not this car though... Just personal preference based on application

SouthArk370Z

I'm going in tomorrow for an oil/filter change - I'll post when I get home.

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Dustin@Z1

That is why we created the Oil Change package a few years ago for DIY Z owners. Labor rates can be a bit pricey or they will charge you a ridiculous amount for the oil/filter. Dealerships are great, but there is a certain satisfaction KNOWING that your oil is genuine NISSAN BRAND OIL and not some unknown brand oil being pumped out of a 55 gal drum.

There is also a certain satisfaction knowing that you did the job yourself and it was done to YOUR standards.

As far as oil change intervals, the whole 3 mo/3mile is just an old standard which was created way before some of the newer oils we have out today like the Ester or most Synthetics. You should be fine going longer since you do not drive it as much.