the next time I'm at my cousin's house....I'll post the page.

 

gsedanman:

I was just at Costco today. If you like the Syntec 5w-50, they have it with a $5 instant rebate, making it a box of 6 for $30CDN.

Gord

 

Thanks Gordgee, Our local Costco had a similar 'sale' this past summer, when I picked up a few cases. (I quoted the reg. price on prev. post)
Have you decided on your next oil 'change'? I'd be interested in your decision on QS. Let me know if you find out anything substantial. There's so much 'info' around these days, it's hard to know what to believe.....................


Gsedanman--in Silverstone Coupe clothing.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by gsedanman on 01/23/03 04:14 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

As I've said b4, there's so much going around about proper oils and what's good and bad. I still feel that experience is the best teacher and have had nothing but good luck using Castrol 5W50
Until Nissan is more diffinitive, I think I'll continue. Others should do what makes them comfortable.
I understand about oil draining back to the crankcase over time and that the '0W' would pump up quicker on startup, but I'm not surprised to here that bearings can be damaged thru it's use cuz b4 startup it's ALL drained back and there's nothing left 'sticking' to the bearings. Whereas there would be with a '5W' or '10W'. You gotta have something left 'sticking' or it's metal on metal on startup.
Ford's decision (and it's their's to make) is out of the ordinary
I definately don't like the '20' end of that grade oil.(and would not use it!). But if they say you must, you must- Only 2 choices: 1/ take a chance on some other oils, and 2/ buy another car. (and take a chance with it) hahaha.
I still believe that most SAE approved oils on the shelf , PROVIDED YOU BUY A SATISFACTORY VISCOSITY, are easily good enough for these engines of today. To me, that's why in the manual you see "recommended" and not "specifically".......
This is only my humble opinion and what works for me. Others must decide what's right for them...................

Gsedanman--in Silverstone Coupe clothing.

 

the other thing, especially in Ford's case.....warranty. They have voided powertrain warranties because the customer used the wrong oil grades.

There are many people who really want to keep their warranty intact, so they'll just follow the recommendations from the designer/manufacturer until the warranty expires.

 

You know I saw a commercial once where they ran synthetic in an engine then drained it completely and ran the car some more. Sounds like I don't really even need oil! Heck the oil weighs a few lbs, I could shed some weight off the car by getting rid of all the oil! Wooo Hooo!

 

About Ford: The official stance at Ford right now is that 5W20 is recommended for newer engines, but 5W30 won't void the warranty. And as long as you buy an oil with the proper ratings/certifications mentioned in the owners manual, I don't think they can void your warranty legally. And the problem with their recommendations for warranty is that they're only interest is in getting you to about 100k miles. If you want your car to go much farther than that, then the official recommendations may not be good enough. They'd rather see you buy a new car every 2-4 years, instead of every 7-10 years.

On the 0W.. it is a synthetic, and I think the good synthetics have something in them that clings to the metal and provides some protection with the oil drained away, not sure though. Plus, the 0W stuff is significantly more expensive than the 5W stuff, anyway.

Synthetic commercial: I believe that was Castrol Syntec. Sure, go ahead and try it.. notice all those other engines in the commercial siezed? How much longer after the commercial ended do you think that one lasted? I'm guessing maybe another 10 seconds....

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

Yes , warranty is important , to us all. The question with Ford cancelling someone's warranty, as other manufacturers have done I'm sure, depends on what this "other oil" was. We hear horror stories all the time of ppl using (and mixing) anything in their crankcase to get by. Those idiots don't deserve the time of day let alone a decent warranty. Just like the clowns that don't change their oil AT ALL for like 50k miles, and then brag about it. They're out there. In their own little world.
I tend to be over careful with maintenance like oil changes. More than that: when I do it I know what's going in, how much, and that it's done right with all the appropriate nuts, bolts and other hardware properly replaced. Not everyone I've talked to can say they've always had service like that.-- So simple a function, yet so important, but usually delegated to 'less experienced personell'.
I feel good with how I treat my car and I do mean 'treat'; The oil I put in is a treat. Perhaps not as good as some, but better than most (IMHO).
This subject can be bantered around all day, but the bottom line is you go with what you feel is good, and what you think the manufacturer likes. Until they are more specific, that leaves quite a selection of good products to choose from.
Agreed? ( and yes for those not wanting to chance any issues, stick with the correct grade or viscosity: from page 10-6 in the owners manual -- 5W30 is "preferred". 10W30 & 10W40 "may be used" under certain circumstances.).......


Gsedanman--in Silverstone Coupe clothing.

 

I don't base any of my choises on 'HOLYWOOD' . That kind of advertising and infomercials like we've all seen brings to mind what PT Barnum said ------"There's a sucker born every second".........................
As far as Ford recommending a lesser oil to get you to 100k miles only, and perhaps denying someone's warranty for deviating from using such recommended oil, in my opinion would be foolhardy on their part. Man, what a stupid way to lose good and loyal customers.
If Ford , or any other manufacturer, is gonna be like that, then they're not too interested in my business, and I suspect many more.

Gsedanman--in Silverstone Coupe clothing.

 

Like Honda?

The real reason behind 5w20 is to increase the CAFE average of their cars

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by VNT on 01/23/03 11:17 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

Is that what it's all about? Man oh man! So all they want is better gas mileage (for better ratings and no fines) at the expense of the paying customer?

I hope you're wrong. I'd like to think that if they 'pushed' something like 5W20, that it wouldn't sacrifice my engine in favour of better gas mileage and less pollution.

Gsedanman--in Silverstone Coupe clothing.

 

That's why Ford and Honda had to do durability testing on their cars with their specified 5w20 oil, before they made that recommendation to the mass market.

Just think real quick: at operating temperatures, 20 wt is less viscous than 30 wt.

What drives the oil pump?
-the engine

What's easier to pump? Thicker or thinner?
-Thinner

The result is less energy is required to pump the oil, thus less load on the engine, thus increase the fuel economy.

 

I get it VNT. Thinner > easier startup> quicker warmup> better mileage. That's pretty basic, right? But is it any good when the ambient temp rises? 5W20 may very well be fine in cold climes, or even moderate climes, but what about hot such as even we, up here in Canada, get too. Let alone in the Nevada desert! As you ( and Ford ) know, the higher the temp, the thicker the oil must be to do it's job. That thinking has been around at least since Henry Ford. Hence multi-viscocity. 5W30 protects from about 0 degrees F (-17 C) up to somewhere above 100-F (38-C) without either being too thick or too thin.-----Is 5W20 good enough to protect our engines to the same degree? From what I remember (in this country) '20' wasn't good for above 100-F . You had to use a 30 or 40 wt. So now there's wts. from say 5 all the way up to say 50. (for arguments sake) and any combination in between for varying weather conditions.
What's 'right' these days seems to depend on many things:
Some of which are "Cafe" , or "Corporate Mileage" related and not necessarily what's best for engine longevity. Something to consider.

Gsedanman--in Silverstone Coupe clothing.

 

That's why automotive manufacturers test in a lab (baseline results), to real world conditions, from death valley to alaska (to find problems that they may not get in a lab).

 

I hope , for all our sakes, that all their testing is good enough. Seems to me like there may be some sacrificing of engine wear going on to suit more stringent CAFE standards......Or am I just being too paranoid?.................Later..

Gsedanman--in Silverstone Coupe clothing.