notalk

Since Infiniti says to use a 5W-30 oil and you are using a 40 weight (when warm) oil, how, exactly, would you win in court?

DetroitG37Joe

iTrader: (2)

+1
That's true I talked to my Infiniti service tech today and he said that Infiniti recommends any SAE/API certified 5W-30 and even the oil cap says to use SAE 5W-30. Now they will fill up another oil weight if you request and give them the oil to do so, however if a motor failure can be linked to an oil problem - they can deny warranty service to you because you chose to use an oil that is a weight outside of what factory strongly suggests. My tech told me that obviously an allstar performer like Mobil1 0W-40 woud probably not cause motor problems (especially 0W which flows better in the cold this winter), still I would like to go to sleep safe and sound knowing that if a motor oil related problem arose - I am fully covered from using certified 5W-30. So I don't think you'd in in court either.

DetroitG37Joe

iTrader: (2)

From http://bestsyntheticoil.com/amsoil/seals.shtml:

I would be a liar if I told you that switching over to synthetics could not possibly cause leaks around seals and gaskets. However, anyone who gives you the impression that this is the most likely outcome is either misinformed or lying themselves. Here is the whole story in easy to understand terms.

Back in the 70's and early 80's some synthetics were not blended correctly and caused engine oil leakage in some vehicles. Basically, the problem is that synthetic basestocks do not react the same way with seals and gaskets that petroleum oils do. PAO basestocks (the most common synthetic basestocks) tend to cause seal shrinkage. If the proper additives are not used, seals will shrink when using a PAO based oil, and leakage will occur.

Fortunately, oil manufacturers learned their lesson and reformulated their oil to contain the proper additive package which helps condition seals and gaskets to maintain their flexibility while also maintaining proper seal swell. In fact, the reformulation in most cases provides for better seal conditioning than most petroleum oils these days. Nevertheless, there is still a possibility of leakage if making the switch to synthetic - but only under certain conditions. Please allow me to elaborate a little bit.

Any of you who are considering a switch to synthetic oils probably know by now that petroleum oils do not necessarily keep your engine squeaky clean. Well, if you own an older vehicle (over 8-10 years old) it's possible that you have leaks in your engine already. Now, before you string me up by my toe nails telling me there's never been a drop of oil that leaked from your engine, let me explain myself.

On older vehicles which have been lubricated with petroleum oils, seals and gaskets can begin to dry and crack. The reason you don't actually see leaks is because petroleum oils tend to burn off and leave sludge, grime and varnish on the inside of your engine. That's simply the nature of a petroleum oil's make-up. Now, conventional petroleum oils are not very discriminatory about where they leave those deposits. Therefore, some of the deposits end up around your seals and gaskets which actually plugs up the gaps which would have resulted in oil leaks.

"Well," you say, "I guess all of those synthetic oil nay-sayers were right. If petroleum oils keep my engine from leaking and synthetic oils might actually make it leak, I guess petroleum is the better oil."

Not even close. The fact is, it's a result of using petroleum oil instead of a high quality synthetic that resulted in dry and cracking seals & gaskets in the first place. As I mentioned earlier, synthetic oils now contain special additives which maintain proper seal swell and keep them flexible so that seals and gaskets don't dry and crack in the first place. So, for those people who use synthetic oils from the start (after a 3,000 to 5,000 mile break-in period), the problem never becomes an issue.

Of course, the next obvious question is, "If synthetics have those special additives, why might they cause leaks in an older engine? Why don't they correct the problem?"

Believe it or not, I've got an answer for that too. The "problem" is that there are also other additives that give a synthetic oil its detergency properties. In other words, there's other stuff in high quality synthetic oil which tends to clean out the sludge and deposits left behind by petroleum oils. Once these deposits are gone, the gaps around seals and gaskets become exposed and the oil might begin to leak in these areas.

However, there is good news. It's likely that the additives we discussed earlier will begin to lubricate the seals causing them to become more flexible and leading to seal swell which may plug those gaps over time. The only drawback is that there's no way of knowing how long it may take for this to occur or if the seals are already too far gone to be salvaged. If the problem doesn't correct itself, it is likely that the seals and gaskets would have to be replaced to prevent further oil leakage.

So, to wrap up. Petroleum oils can screw up your seals and gaskets and then fill the holes with gunk and deposits to cover their tracks. Synthetic oils come in and begin to clean up the place. Once it's clean, the holes might be exposed (if there were any) and the oil begins to leak. After a while (no way to know how long) the synthetic may be able to help the seals and gaskets regain their composure and stop the leaks

One very important point to keep in mind is that if 100 cars were put in front of you (all older vehicles lubricated with petroleum oil), the switch to synthetic would probably cause less than five or 10 of them to leak. The odds are definitely in your favor.

As is the case with most things, you tend to hear much more about the horror stories than you do about the success stories. I have spoken with numerous people who have made the switch successfully without ever having a leak. In fact, I personally have converted two older vehicles without even a hint of a problem.

Unfortunately, those who have had problems start screaming and yelling to everyone they know (with the best intentions) that synthetics will screw up your engine. Just take it with a grain of salt and you and your car will be fine

weave

I just looked at my cap and in the book, I failed to find where it said that 5W-30 was mandatory.....

I was a Triple Master Tech for 15 years before swapping careers, I know a thing or two about the system and how it works, on all ends....

Also, I am pretty sure that the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act protects from this. Remeber that the burden of proof in on the dealer, not on the consumer.

I also cannot recall the last time I saw an engine come in for an oil (or filter) related failure, when the person was actually changing their oil, making this whole conversation worthless.

Back to my first point, the guy at your dealer was an idiot!!! Use want you want, and change it like you should and not worry going forward.

G-ThirtySe7en

Tell your Dealer to put that in writing, then send it to Infiniti Consumer Affairs and ask them why their dealer is telling you to do something other that is in the manual. I'd love to see the response.

notalk

Pages 9-2 and Gas Station Information state 5W-30 is the recommended viscosity. Because of the M-M Act manufacturers do not mandate specific oils or viscosities. Manufacturers only recommend oils and viscosities.

Also, the M-M Act does not place the burden of proof on either the owner or the warrantor. However, if the customer wants to claim the M-M Act protects the customer, then the customer must prove the non-OEM part did not cause, result in, or lead to the premature failure.