Newbie's first analysis on 3.5L Infiniti

[chinee]

Hi guys... did my first oil analysis on my Infiniti G35, and I need some feedback, hope you're all in a generous mood.

7,565 miles on oil, 85% highway miles, had 2 changes of GTX prior to using Mobil 1. Purolator Premium Plus oil filter, OEM paper air filter. Total vehicle miles: 14,928.

I posted the universal averages to the right of actual analysis result numbers... actual result, universal average

EQUIPMENT MAKE: Nissan
EQUIPMENT MODEL: 3.5L V-6
FUEL TYPE: Gasoline
OIL USE INTERVAL: 7,565 Miles
OIL TYPE & GRADE: Mobil 1 5w30 Super Syn
MAKE-UP OIL ADDED: 0 qts
ADDITIONAL INFO: VQ Infiniti

The universal averages column shows typical wear from this type of engine after 3800 miles on the oil. Most wear in your oil sample read right around those averages, though lead was out of balance in relation to the other metals. We would expect it to read 11 or 12 ppm, when you look at the metals produced per mile. If you are using an additive that contains lead, that would explain it. So would a temporary particle streak through the bearings. The TBN read 3.6, showing plenty of additive left. We wouldn't run the oil longer until we know what's up with lead.


Aluminum: 6, 4
Chromium: 1, 2
Iron: 22, 15
Copper: 14, 12
Lead: 21, 6
Tin: 3, 1
Moly: 93, 32
Nickel: 0, 0
Manganese: 0, 1
Silver: 0, 0
Titanium: 0, 0
Potassium: 0, 1
Boron: 119, 67
Silicon: 15, 12
Sodium: 8, 7
Calcium: 4144, 1755
Magnesium: 22, 631
Phosphorus:1033, 707
Zinc: 1293, 833
Barium: 0, 0

SUS Vis @210F: 61.5
Flashpoint: 395 degrees F
Fuel %: Antifreeze %: 0.0
Water %: 0.0
Insolubales %: 0.5

1. My concern, or rather what I don't know, and thus it confuses me, are some of the high readings compared with the universal averages, specifically iron, copper, and lead.

2. Are the universal averages numbers typical for wear at my interval or at a 3800 mile, or other, interval?

3. ...a temporary particle streak through the bearings. Anyone understand this technical-speak?

4. For the high boron, calcium, phosphorus and zinc readings... what causes this?

5. How would you rate this oil at this mileage? Would you change the interval any, and in what way?

Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[ August 18, 2003, 11:15 PM: Message edited by: chinee ]

 

[YZF150]

Oil went in at 7000 miles--iron and copper values could be explained as belonging to an engine still breaking in. The lead, though, is extraordinarily high. Do you do jackrabbit starts? Drive fast away when you first start in the morning? If not, then I'd share this information with your service department, or, I'd ask the lab to retest for lead. Just not normal.

The boron, calcium, phosphorus and zinc readings are additives in the oil. They're supposed to be there like that.

If a stray hard particle went through the filter and entrained into the oil stream to a bearing, it may have scarred a bearing face. Lead is a major component of bearings.

These wear metal numbers are higher than we typically see here in this forum. Learn to figure wear based on ppm/1000 miles. 2/1000 is good. 1/1000 even better. We see some analyses with 0 lead, too.

I recommend changing the oil out at about 3000 miles and get it checked. If these number don't come down, something's up. Silicon is not that high, so I don't think that it's dirt getting in to the engine.

Good luck.

 

[chinee]

Thanks for the quick response YZF.

I do drive pretty aggressively right out of the gate; I do not let the engine warm up much before stepping on the gas. That's a problem I have with the G35, the power and torque is quite intoxicating!

I'll at least take your advice and do another analysis at 3K miles to see what the lead looks like. Pretty glad I installed the fumoto....

Thanks again!

 

[quadrun1]

Yikes, don't do that!

It takes at least 10-15 minutes of moderate driving before the oil comes up to temp.. the increase in oil temp lags behind the increase in water temp.

 

[mikeinaustin]

Do you have the sedan or coupe? I've been thinking about getting the g35 coupe myself. How is infiniti customer service, etc?

 

[Bror Jace]

chinee, yes, lead looks a little high. This might be associated with break-in ... or maybe not. You're at the point where it could go either way (mileage-wise).

I associate lugging the engine more with accelerated lead wear as we have some "spirited" drivers around here and some engines show very little lead ... like the new Accord V6s. Hard to say.

Best to drive gently for the first 2-3 minutes after start-up. I don't think you have to get the oil up to full operating temp, but you want to make sure it's completely circulating through the motor before standing on it.

I'd consider using Mobil 1 10W30 since you live in Florida. Should be a little more stable and you won't know the difference at cold start-up unless you lived much further north.

"For the high boron, calcium, phosphorus and zinc readings... what causes this?"

These are anti-wear and detergent/dispersant additives in the oil. They are a good thing. Same with moly (molybdenum).

--- Bror Jace

 

[chinee]

Thank for the feedback thus far. So to sum up my understanding:

- Drive the car for a few minutes (I'm thinking 5-7 mins.) before getting too heavily on the gas, to allow the oil to warm up a bit.

- The oil still looks good, could go farther than the ODI of 7,565.... if not for the relatively high prescence of wear metals.

- I would have used 10-30, but had already purchased several qts. of the 5-30.

- As per YZF, I'll do an analysis at 3K.

- Mike... I've got the sedan, a blast to drive! The coupe's even more exciting, but it's too difficult to fit two child seats in the back.

Check out this G35 site, great folks and good reading, www.g35driver.com.

 

[G-MAN]

Good googa-mooga, look at that calcium!

Mobil is definitely going the overbase route with Mobil 1 now, and I'm convinced more than ever that what we're seeing is the early stages of how they are going to tackle the lower ZDDP requirements of GF-4.

 

[chinee]

Good googa mooga G-Man II... now let's have that in english!

 

[MNgopher]

Except didn't they miss meeting GF-3 with the Phosphrous at 1033 - over the current cap of 1000?

 

[Robbie Alexander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by chinee:
--snip--
I posted the universal averages to the right of actual analysis result numbers... actual result, universal average
--snip

---

Where would we find a list of these universal numbers?