Lots of Controversy over Nissan Ester Use

[GMZ]

Originally Posted By: firefighter6526
OK, lets do it this way......If you owned a Nissan engine that was supposed to use the "recommended" Nissan ester product, would you...

A. Shell out $12 a quart every 3750 miles

or...

B. Use substitute oil "__________" (fill in the blank.)and feel good about it.


B. Use substitute oil "Redline" and feel good about it.

Id like to add for the umpteenth time, 3750 is "Premium" and "Schedule I" maintenance, "Schedule II" is 7500 miles. After seeing what the oil went through temp wise in my 370Z I wouldnt push it that far without a UOA, but provided satisfactory results I would without worry.

 

[RD400]

Also related (or not) to this is that Mobil 1 0W-40 specifically states that it meets the specs of the Nissan GT-R, which was associated with ester discussions. It has the 3.8L twin turbo VR38DETT engine instead of a VQ, but I had not previously noticed a Nissan oil spec.

 

[shokhead]

http://motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/tabid...h-diamonds.aspx

 

[d00df00d]

Quote:
Nissan chose an ester called PAO; an ester often found as a friction modifier in oil.

...Wait, what?

 

[priler]

it's funny but after reading this thread i've come to a slightly different conclusion to some of you.

first of all,according to nissans own test,it is apparent that this particular engine benefits from an oil that contains properties that are highly polar.

the test they conducted was only to find/prove this by adding a particular ingredient(GMO)to a good synthetic oil(PAO). it was not done to specifically prove that it was needed in this specific amount on the test oil.(1%) in fact,they go on to say,"this indicates that there is a large potential for reducing friction through further engine oil improvements."

i have to also concluded that if GMO is added to nissan brand oil for this engine,then they are doing so to turn a profit unless there is also something else specific to this engines needs.(which i highly doubt) in other words,they add the component to solve/reduce a problem but there's nothing particularly special about the rest of the oil.(cheaper to make and more profit at $9-11) especially considering that there are oils in the market that contain a base stock which include highly polarized esters at the same price level and will undoubtedly give further benefits in other oil performance aspects.

having said all that,if it were my car,i would find out if there is something specific about the a-C coating that prefers certain levels/kinds in the additive pack of the oil i chose,but this might not be an issue.(excluding emmision system)

...but i don't own a nissan so it's not my homework.i did own a datsun 260z in high school though.

 

[ryansride2017]

"Only rough architectural details are the same -- basically barely enough that they can still call the 3.7 a VQ and keep their spot on Ward's 10 Best Engines."

Nissan already lost the distinction of being on the Ward's 10 best engines list starting with this year. The VQ isn't what it use to be, plus the competition has improved.

Ward's List

 

[shokhead]

And I'm sure 99 out of 100 Infiniti buyers know about the engine list. It's a nice list.

 

[buster]

Additive technology is probably the most important part of an oil. It's the icing on the cake.

 

[joflewbyu2]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
From what I have read, this engine tends to really heat its oil, and Nissan has been too cheap to use an oil cooler (even my Aerostar came with one from the factory), kind of like GM and the Corvette.
From what I understand, the Corvette only has problems with high oil temps when tracked. The Z-car, however, can reach quite high oil temps in mere summer traffic.
No room for a factory oil cooler?
Oh please!
Anyway, if heat is the real problem, with noise being the alibi, why not Redline?
It is ester based, of course, and it is known for its resistance to heat.
It is also a quality oil, likely at a lower price than what the Nissan dealer is offering their "ester" product for.
This could be a case of a stock street application that really needs Redline.
There are reasons not to use a trans cooler that the engineers know. I shed some light. The fluid already goes through a cooler. Yes it does. The cooler it uses is the radiator. Other reason is synthetic oil withstands higher temps where an addition cooler is not needed. Adding a cooler adds weight, creates space problems, adds additional cost and throws another item in the batch where all other items have to be reconsidered. the added weight takes away performance, increasing HP sometimes increases emissions, increased emissions could be the item which cancels the deal. Increased weight needs larger brakes or rotors which decreases acceleration and might push it into another weight class needing crash testing. Sounds easy until you consider these items which is what the engineers have to tangle with. Trust me on this, it is not as it seems. I had the same assumption as you before I worked with R&D on a project with a auto company and ran into a road block over 2.2 kilos (5 LBS.) which had that domino effect I just explained.

 

[engineerscott]

Can I ask a question? What is the weight of this "ester" oil that Nissan is recommending for these engines and what does it go for at the dealer? Is it an xW30 or an xW20?

Thanks,

Scott

 

[d00df00d]

5w30 I think.

Dealer price varies; if I were you, I'd try to get it online.