My salesman said the same exact thing about using regular fuel. And even though the ECU will handle the lower octane by retarding ignition, the problem is more likely to be during hard acceleration where the ECU may not be able to compensate quickly enough which will result in pinging which is never a good thing. While the ECU can adjust, the engine is designed for higher compression and higher octane so it doesn't make sense to use cheaper gas and save about 3-4 bucks per fillup. No matter what the salesman said, the owners manual is clear that regular fuel should never be used for more than an emergency so if there are any problems they can point to the fuel as a cause and void the warranty. Their CYA has teeth.

 

Joe / Boostard,

Kearny Mesa's paperwork all said Ester on it for the oil change I got today ((I think it said 5W30-I'll verify (receipt's in the car)).

BTW. Can you tell me who your salesperson/service person was that flashed the NAV from 07-08 to 08-09? I asked today about the Navigation update and was told the KM service dept has never downloaded the 08-09 software or flashed an 08 to the 09 (which really sounds like a crock). (from both Tom the service Manager and Mark the Sales Manager).

 

I wish I could be more specific for you, but... It could have been "Vince", "J" or a older white female of whose name I do not recall. I dealt with all 3 of them in one manner or another (J did my test drives and saw me repeatedly as I was making the decision of what car to buy, Vince only did the paperwork and haggling since J wasn't there that day). Because it was already 8:00PM when I finished with the finance department, and they needed to detail/wax the car (it needed it since it has been on the lot for a while given that it was an overstock 08) and fill the gas tank, I took delivery of it the next day... at which point I was given the keys by the fore mentioned unnamed woman.

I hope that helps... i can try to contact them and ask my self though.

-Joe

 

Well, I'm totally confused now. I just bought a new 09 G37 Coupe a few weeks ago. Obviously I have yet to do my first oil change.

The salesman said that the car only needs "regular" oil. No synthetics, and that's what they'll use when I bring it in for an oil change. He also said that if I was going to do it myself, the car needed a special Infiniti oil filter, and I should be sure to buy it from Infiniti.

Now I read of dealerships saying the opposite: you need the special Ester oil, or other premiums.

As far as I know, the manual doesn't mention synthetic oils.

I am not a gear head, and I just want to take care of my new car as best as possible. Should I be investing in Ester or synthetic oil, or follow my salesman and manual's indiciation that normal oil is okay?

 

Normal oil is fine.

The Nissan Ester Oil makes the "VVEL tick" go away.

If you drive hard, I'd recommend you use synthetic anyways.

Use a quality filter. OEM or aftermarket, just use something quality.

 

I am somewhat of a gear head, and also from what I have gathered in this specific case here's how it breaks down:

Nissan/Infiniti has received some complaints about unwanted engine noise (valve train noise, e.g ticking etc.) with the new 3.7l VQ engine. Thus they wrote a service buletin to their dealerships stating that to fix this issue you should use their "ester oil" since it has a very high viscosity (it gets into all the little nooks and crannies of the engine easier, even when cold, given that oil thins out as it heats up). Of course, not every car can or will have this problem, but from the Nissan/Infiniti/dealer's stand point its better safe then sorry.

NOW, to cover their ****, SOME dealerships suggest using ONLY this oil in the G37 and 370Z in order to prevent this problem from ever happening (and thus saving them waranty work). I am also sure they are more then happy to be able to add a high priced oil change to the menu in order to get buyers to buy their extended maintaince packages which include said expensive oil changes.

Does this mean that you can't use regular high grade synthetic oil? Probably not.

As I see it, it boils down to this. If you didnt purchase that extra "plan" from the dealer, and dont want to pay 100-115 bucks for an oil change, then just use a high quality full synthetic. I suggest "Royal Purple", "Redline", or "AMSOIL" (these can be bought online or at some auto stores. I know Pep Boys carries Royal Purple). Just be sure to use the correct weight oil when selecting the oil in question (as you say, Infintit suggests 5W-30, but id refer to the owners manual just in case... the wt of the oil needed can vary depending on climate).

On a side note, companies like Exxon-Mobil make ester based automotive oils. As long as you get the proper weight, this should be on par at the least to what Nissan offers through the dealers... and it may be less expensive as well.

And as for the special "infiniti" oil filter.... Nissan doesnt produce these things. They buy them from an outside maker, who probably also makes filters which are sold to automotive stores. You have a few options here.

You can buy the filter from the dealer, and since I dont know what they charge for it this may or may not be the best decision money wise...

OR you do research, find out who makes said filters for Nissan/Infiniti and try to find/buy it off of the net...

OR you can just use a high end filter which can be found at some auto parts stores and for sure on the web. Just make sure it is the right size for your specific car. Each manufacturer will already know if they make a filter to fit your specific engine/car and what part number you need, so only a little digging is required here. If you go with this route I suggest going with the "K&N GOLD" or "AMSOIL" filters.

Heres the good news though... if you do go the less expensive route and use a high quality full synthetic... and something DOES go wrong with your engine, you can always blame it on the dealership since you were already using an oil which is much better then the "standard oil" suggested to you by them.

*Plus keep in mind that even if you buy your oil and oil filter elsewhere (like say online), you can always have a place like pepboys do the actual labor for a nominal fee (15-20 bucks).

 

That is incorrect, Nissan DOES produce the OEM Infiniti filters....take a look under your car, grey and red Nissan filter. Part # 15208-65F0C.

These are easily obtained from your Infiniti dealer's service dept. Usually for $10-13 depending on location. Surprisingly, they look like a Fram filter on the inside: https://www.myg37.com/forums/engine-...otsa-pics.html

I will be using a Mobil 1 filter on my next oil change.

 

The Ester oil viscosity is the "same" 5W-30 (give or take for manufacturer's variations) as any other 5W-30. I am not sure how it could get into "all the little nooks and crannies" easier than any other 5W-30 oil.

Oil tends to "thicken" or flow less as it heats up and becomes more 30 weight like and less 5 weight like. (Think water when at 5 weight, colder, temperatures and syrup when at 30 weight, warmer, temperatures.)

Neither the European patent application filed by Nissan nor Nissan's white paper for this oil make any of these claims.

 

As I said, Ive never dealt with ester oil before. The information I have received directly from the dealer (as well as online) is what stated that at equal weights, the "ester oil" retains a more fluid viscosity vs other oils. I agree that I would need to further look into this subject, but as it stands I see no evidence in either direction. In any case when I said that ester (and other high end full synthetics) get into "all the little nooks and crannies" easier than any other (petrol based) 5W-30 oil, I was trying to over simplify for a poster who self admittedly didn't know much about engines or oil.

And as for oil "thickening" with heat, you are mistaken, at least when it comes to full synthetics VS petrol based oils... as well as in a general sense (*but not completely, read below).

Case in point:

http://mr2.com/TEXT/synth_oil.txt

(I suggest reading this whole link if anyone want to know [more] about engine oil)

"Low-temperature fluidity ("flowability") becomes an important consideration where winters are severe. Because synthetics are constructed "building block by building block", contaminates present in petroleum oil which contribute to low-temp thickening are entirely absent in synthetics, and fluidity is stable to as low as -65F. Petroleum oils have an inherent percentage of paraffin crystals from their crude oil origins. As temperatures drop, these crystals enlarge and cause the oil to congeal."

The same can be said at more moderate temps. Oil which has been sitting in the oil pan and is effectively room temperature will be thicker on average then that which has been brought up to normal operating temps in the crank case/engine.

*One caveat, however, is that at SERVER temps oil can evaporate and oxidize, which can and will allow for a thickening effect. This, of course, really only happens if an engine is run at load for very long periods of time and/or is seeing severe duty (e.g. driving a car very hard such as during track conditions).

Again, this is yet another reason to use a quality full synthetic oil, given as these compounds are much more stable at higher temps and over much longer periods of time vs convential petrolium based lubricants.



Just because a part (in this case oil filters) has a Nissan branded stamp on it, and a Nissan part number, does NOT mean that Nissan also has a factory cranking said part(s) out for their own internal use. For example, the "OEM" Honda & Acura oil filters are made by a few different companies (depending on your location... i.e. N. America, Japan, Europe, etc; and model number) including Filtech, Toyo Roki, and Fram.

Hell, some North American "OEM Honda/Acura" filters are even made in Canada by a French company... not by Honda of America, Honda of Japan or any other Honda owned company.

And dont delude your self into thinking that Nissan is any different. Trust me, they didn't open up an oil filter plant in Japan just for this...

...and given that Fram makes filters for Honda/Acura, its no surprise that the Nissan filters look like store bought Fram filters on the inside... ahem.

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=338193

 

A little bit of clarification.

I believe what you are reading about is an Ester Oil (Group V). An Ester oil is 100% synthetic, and uses NO petroleum stock whatsoever.

The "nissan ester oil" that everyone refers to is simply a conventional oil with ester additive.

The two are completely different animals. A Group V oil (e.g. Amsoil or Motul) has zero shear. The statement that they maintain viscosity is technically incorrect; ester oils tend to hold viscosity better because they are more resistant to shear and heat, and generally have more additives (due to the VASTLY increased cost and the target market demands it).

UOA will typically reveal that a 'normal' 5W30 will be closer to a 5W20 towards the end of its service life, while a Group V ester oil will typically stay close (or exceed) its original specification.

 

If you read about the Nissan Ester Oil patent and related technology, the reason it's different from other oils isn't due to the Ester additive, but because of a "carbon" additive developed for their diamond like carbon (DLC) coating on their valve lifters. This additive creates an ultra low friction film which supposedly contributes to the improved fuel economy of the engine. Here's some detailed info on this:

http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/DOCU...02_X-1a-05.pdf

 

Thank you to Mike and SkyMG37x.

 

Good information, but that's just a coating on the valve lifter, not part of the oil itself.

I like their diagrams however... awesome illustrations.

 

If you relook at the info, the oil is the red in the diagram (ultra low friction lubricating film) on top of the DLC coating on the lifter.

"Use of an oil additive developed for DLC applications creates a more durable ultra-low friction lubricating film. The resulting reduction in cam lifter friction significantly boosts fuel efficiency."

 

Which brings the question... is there a stand alone additive which can be added to other oil at the tome of said oil change?