M1 5w30 -> GC 0w30 -> what next for G35 drinker?

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Update to my last thread. After a round of M1 5w30 and one of GC 0w30 (made in Belgium, actually), consumption is pretty close. After analyzing my oil tracking log, it seems to drink a couple of quarts between OCIs, about 1qt / 1500 miles (I recalculated the numbers from my previous OC, which I believe I had originally done incorrectly in that thread). So at least it hasn't gone up :|

Been doing some looking up, looking around. Couple of things occurred to me...

Right from the owner's manual: "Infiniti recommends mineral based oils"... by mineral, I assume they're referring to dino. Maybe that recommendation is based on the syns available at the time. I don't know, what were syns like in 2004? I imagine not as advanced as they are 13 years later.

Also came across this interesting / concerning tidbit:

Quote:
The idea behind 0W is that, after any engine sits for awhile, all the oil has drained down to the pan, and there's not much protecting the metal parts of the engine

...

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.


Maybe it's complete speculation (I sure hope so!), but it's enough to make me think. Although, don't BMW/Merc/ze Germans recommend this specific grade for a number of their models?

In any case, I gotta try something else. As much as I like having the extra protection of a good syn, especially because I like to drive hard, I can't help but think that using up *any* oil good for the engine, despite topping it up religiously.

I don't know. Kinda back to square one here. I'm stuck between trying a high quality dino, a high milage full syn, a high mileage blend, or something with a 40 at the end.
 
Try a mechanical repair.

Identify the cause of the consumption (could be rings or stem seals or PCV) and rectify it with working/upgraded parts.
 
Originally Posted By: OCDriver
Also came across this interesting / concerning tidbit:

Quote:
The idea behind 0W is that, after any engine sits for awhile, all the oil has drained down to the pan, and there's not much protecting the metal parts of the engine

...

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.


Don't read that, you'll lose IQ points trying to follow the falsities in it.
 
Mechanical problem with engine, has nothing to do with brand or viscosity of the oil. You can put in 20w60 oil and it'll still burn. Get it fixed.
 
I think Garak uses 5W40 in his VQ and I'm thinking he's also in Canada. Send him a pm and see what he thinks about your situation.
 
Quote:
Try a mechanical repair.

Identify the cause of the consumption (could be rings or stem seals or PCV) and rectify it with working/upgraded parts.


Well, this is something I may have to do eventually. I'm not sure what a shop will look for when there's no blue smoke or any operational problems at all.
 
You shouldn't much/any smoke with a cat, it'll clear things up enough to not notice.

Leakdown & compression check, and report back with your findings
 
Try qsud 10w30 or other low noack easily pumpable 10w30. Cured my ford at 178k that was slurping 0w40 to 5w30 since new.
Consumption was 1 quart per 700 hwy miles.
Oil consumption fixing by tearing up engine should not be the first but perhaps the last fix.
 
Valvoline Maxlife 10w30.

The full synthetic has an exceptionally low NOACK. The synblend is well respected as well. I would bet $10 that it cuts down your consumption after the esters had time to work on the seals.
 
I'm considering doing Mobil1 0w40 ("European Car Formula" is what's available here). My only hesitance here:

* running a heaver oil at 100k miles, having only ever run 30's
* winter driving

On the other hand... just going by the numbers, compared to what I've previously used:

Mobil1 5w30 / cSt 100⁰C @ 11.0 / HTHS @ 3.1
Castrol Edge 0w30 FST / cSt cSt 100⁰C @ 12.18 / HTHS 3.5
Mobil1 0w40 / cSt 100⁰C @ 12.9 / HTHS @ 3.6

Will a 0w40 shear down after a couple thousand miles? Maybe if change now (which I'm planning to do), by the time winter rolls around, it will actually be closer to a 30? Or is that all cockamamie thinking in my head?
 
Originally Posted By: OCDriver
Will a 0w40 shear down after a couple thousand miles? Maybe if change now (which I'm planning to do), by the time winter rolls around, it will actually be closer to a 30? Or is that all cockamamie thinking in my head?
Mobil1 0w40 in particular is famous for shearing down in a few thousand miles, its true. You will have a thinner oil by winter, although by how much is not clear, since it depends on which engine and usage. Not cockamamie.
 
VQ's have a reputation for being hard on oil, that's for sure.

As for usage: it's a sports car. It's driven like a sports car
wink.gif
(when warm)
 
The new 0W-40 "FS" from M1 is slightly thinner and has been shown to shear down a bit faster than its predecessor.
 
So, I'm thinking one of the following:

* Mobil1 0w40
* Mobil1 5w30 H/M (heavier base oil than the regular M1 5w30)
* Pennzoil Platinum Euro L 5w30 (pretty much the same as M1 H/M, but I can get it from shop 5 minutes away)
 
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