the really important things you want to look at when you look at the oil report are wear metals:

ALUMINUM
CHROMIUM
IRON
COPPER
LEAD
TIN (I think most engines don't have TIN)

these wear metals appear at the top in the blackstone report. You want to compare your current values with previous values to determine trending and compare with universal averages to get an idea of how well your particular motor is doing.

The second thing I look at is silicon, this is any RTV floating around or dirt that gets into the oil via any other means.

Also, you can look at sodium and potassium as an indicator of coolant seepage into the oil.

These are just some suggestions, so make sure you do some reading at the start of this thread to understand things.

 

Hi there
I live in a hot climate (up to 40-45C) and don’t drive in winter.
I don't do track days at all. It's a stock G35 coupe.
What oil should I use? My choise is limited by Castrol and Mobil1 brands.
Please advise.

 

I just switched to castrol 0W-30 and have noticed some differences! thanks for all the info guys.

 

Hey, can you guys at Amsoil do a UOA comparison with Royal Purple? I've been using royal purple for the past year and would be interested/curious to see if Amsoil holds up better then the purp. thanks!

 

NEED SOME HELP!!

I have an '04 G35 coupe with about 113000 km (yes I live in Canada) on it. It seems to be consuming oil for the last 20,000km and I had a very difficult time getting Nissan to replace the engine. Long story short, I'm still stuck with this VQ monster that eats about 1qt every 2000km!!!

I'm not sure what is the best option to help maintain my motor. The Infiniti dealership used a Lucas oil stabilizer additive to help at my last oil change however it didn't seem to make much of a difference. I was also recommended to use Nissan's special Ester oil blend however, it is super expensive (more than synthetic oil).

I don't see the point in putting in synthetic oil and spending $80 an oil change since I don't get any more milage out of it. I change every 4500km or 5000km as I end up adding a qt or 2 in during that time.

I am just about to change my oil this weekend and before I go spend $75 on oil, I want to make sure I buy the right stuff.

Should I get the ester oil?
Should I use a 10W30 synthetic oil with the Oil stabilizer?
should I just use a cheap oil and keep topping up every so often?
Is there something else you can recommend?

I really don't want to spend to much $$$$ but if it will save my engine, then I will.

PLEASE ADVISE!!!

 

Your only alternative is a new engine, sorry.

 

Since you're burning a lot, I'd probably use 10W-30 Maxlife and not spend a lot on oil.

 

Yea, that is what I was thinking, 10W30 cheap oil. Nissan recommended this Ester oil though, and i'm considering trying it once atleast, see if it affects it.

The car still runs great, lots of power, no blue or black smoke at start up, no issues in cold weather, but it's obviously consuming oil!

Any other suggestions??

 

Has the PCV valve been checked?

I'd also try Auto-Rx
Look for the heavy oil burning application if you decide to go ahead. It may clean your ring packs to help blow-by or it may do nothing. But it's not a scam and worth a shot if one of your options is replacing an engine. It's essential that the PCV system be working before doing it.

 

I'd like to stick with Amsoil but only if it's still a good brand for my engine. I've got the '05 VQ35 engine, live around the San Francisco area, drive it somewhat hard (high rev in the 4-5k's for short spurts but often) but don't track the car. If Amsoil is still good for this engine, which one do you guys think will go well with where I live and my driving habits? Currently, Amsoil has the SSO (0w-30), the ASL's (whatever weight), the XLO (10w-40), the AFL (5w-40...the "European" one), or the AMO (10w-40). Should I stick with Amsoil and, if so, which one would you guys recommend?

 

It really depends on what you're looking for. The Amsoil is fortified with the most anti-wear and acid neutralizing additives. If you are looking for the best protection AND extended drains, the Amsoil 0w30 is for you.

 

I'm surprised no one is advocating the German Castrol. I read all the praises about it here and elsewhere and threw it in my 06x. Seems good so far. I'm planning to change it @ 4k miles just to clean out the engine from whatever crap was in there before I bought it. Then i'll go somewhere between 5 and 8k and send it in for a UOA.

 

Has anyone else tried the Nissan's special Ester oil blend? Im currently using it now with around 4k miles with it. Obviously no real measurements but i did feel an immediate performance increase after the ester oil was added. Anyone have any analysis on this oil? Or know when its recommended for a oil change?

 

OIL From the dealer, I picked the car up at 32,320 miles on it and changed at 35,309. My maintenance warning came up on my Nav screen so I am assuming it was reset properly when I picked up the car at the 3750 mile interval, plus I didn't want to risk anything. So I just changed it then.
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I have now gone Castrol synthetic and I will resend my oil to see the difference in Sync vs Dino Oils

 

here's my latest Amsoil 0w30 sample with about 7.5k miles.