Condensed BITOG learning

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Will post more on when where, and why, but safely home.

Picked up a Maxima late last month in L.A., and did some driving in it.

Pre-flight inspections weren't all that well performed, as they didn't have the size car that we were after (300C), or comparable, until fifteen minutes of fapping around we were presented with a Maxima (initial disappointment was ultimately replaced with very very happy)...no fuel, and the TPMS had 4 very disparate pressure readings.

Upon refueling, I checked the oil...as you must.

4,500 miles in total, and the oil level was above the add mark, but well below the full...this is completely normal, so I did nothing.

Droe to Vegas, and the level had dropped a little more, but still not to the Add mark, which it didn't get to until Anthem. A quart in over 5,000 miles isn't bad on a running in engine, I'll agree.

Which left me in a quandry...what oil to use, having just made it across the desert, and more to come.

Things that I now know...
* 5W30s become 20s shortly into an OCI, meaning that cars have traditionally run on 20s...even when not specified.
* Nissan's engineers obviously know about this in their 5W30 oils, and have therefore designed the engine to run on what's really a 20.
* 20s don't shear, unless there's either a mechanical problem with the engine, or there's excess fuel.
* Further, having sheared to a 20, NOACK no longer applied, as they run so much cooler than 30s. Consumption should reduce from that point.
* Engineers use the Stribeck curve, and pick "10", 8 is therefore good. Nissan's engineers knowing that 30s are really 20s would obviously make "10" a "10" on the sheared 20.
* Ford have been using 20 weights for ever, and bacspecced them to other models...apparently other manufacturer's models if you beleive some of the recommendations here.
* Ford built Death Valley to prove how good their 20s are, having given up Tattooine as a testing ground.

Which left me with only one logical outcome to my quandry...
P6281336.jpg


Sadly after installing the motorcraft, I still had to add fuel to the tank...maybe I uspet the diamond concentration in the Nissan FF...still used 25.5MPG for the fairly hard driven trip.

At 7,500 miles, I'd lost another 1/4 qt in 2,000 miles, so either the engine was wearing...or...NOACK really doesn't apply to 20s.

And we made it back through the desert safely and without incident.

Thanks BITOG


Oh, and mori says to say Hi !!!
 
Funny.

BTW, the Maxima is speced 5W-40 in the rest of the world, especially in SE Asia where the Thai are often driving on the Autobahn.
 
Funny stuff Shannow!

Wish I could have bought you dinner (and a cold beer) while you were in the States in return for all the "food for thought" you provide here on BITOG.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: dustyroads
Wish I could have bought you dinner (and a cold beer) while you were in the States in return for all the "food for thought" you provide here on BITOG.
smile.gif



Thanks for the thoughts. I caught up with a few BITOGers, tempest and moribundman, plus the board admin lady off the (now defunct) screamforme board. Last time met Gary Allen, and XS650, and another mod off screamforme.

Didn't get to your side of the country...but saw a fair bit ofthe other side.

LA - 5 nights, 3 days at Disney...grabbed car
Vegas - 3 nights, got hitched on night 3, as per plan.
Anthem - 1 night stopover
Sierra Vista - 2 nights - Tombstone was great.
Elephant Butte - 1 night stopover
Roswell - 2 nights (stopped at Sicorro,and exchanged currencies, and a set of burned out Oz flipflops with a couple on a Harley)
Albuquerque - 1 night stopover
Flagstaff - 2 nights, including July 4 fireworks out room window of the Casino we stayed at...best steak I have ever eaten, Navajo raised...1 "tomahawk" fed the 4 of us easily...we had one the second night also.
Vegas -1 night again, had to pick up the certificates and stuff so that we are legal back in Oz.
Fresno - 1 night...stopover between Vegas and SF...don't leave Vegas on July 5th and expect to make good time is what we learned...hours to get to Ca border.
SF - 4 nights - dropped the car at SFO, then stayed down the warf for 3 nights.
Waikiki - 5 nights.

Better half saved for 4 years to get us there...
 
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Did Mori check to see what camera you were carrying ?? ....
56.gif



Given that he was the technical advisor on the purchase of said camera, yes, he confirmed it.
 
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
I smiled the entire time I read the OP.


That was my intent, right from the time I realised that it needed oil...
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Did Mori check to see what camera you were carrying ?? ....
56.gif



Given that he was the technical advisor on the purchase of said camera, yes, he confirmed it.

Nice XZ-1!
 
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