Nissan 3.5VQ - 4600 miles, Schaeffer Supreme 5W30

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

TNTransplant

Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
21
Location
Ohio
I've been a lurker for a while, and this is my first run with the Schaeffers. I'm using a Napa Gold filter, and the air filter is a PureOne. I think this looks pretty good, but let me know what you think.




Miles on Oil 4500 / Universal Averages
Miles on Car 40603


Aluminum 3 / 3
Chromium 1 / 1
Iron 7 / 11
Copper 4 / 6
Lead 0 / 5
Tin 0 / 1
Molybdenum 261 / 74
Nickel 0 / 0
Manganese 0 / 0
Silver 0 / 0
Titanium 0 / 0
Potassium 2 / 1
Boron 13 / 60
Silicon 14 / 11
Sodium 6 / 7
Calcium 1967 / 2292
Magnesium 9 / 114
Phosphorous 707 / 695
Zinc 764 / 826
Barium 0 / 0


Sus Visc @ 210 F 53.9
Flashpoint 415
Fuel % < 0.5
Antifreeze % 0
Water % 0
Insolubles % 0.3
 
I'd say this one puts to rest the theory that the VQ Nissan motors need thick oil. Great report! The oil did end up on the thin side though for a 5w-30.
 
Without a TBN, I won't recommend increasing the OCI too much.

This engine most love moly. Stick with this oil and ~5k OCIs. No need for anything else.
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. You've all just confirmed what I was thinking. I made the decision to go with the Schaeffers/NapaGold after reviewing many UOAs/comments here on the forum.

unDummy - I do plan on sticking with a 5k OCI just for convenience/ease of remembering, now that I've found an oil that can handle it. Up until this report, I had been using Havoline 5W30 exclusively, but the oil was wasted after 3500 miles according to the UOAs I had done. Also, the TBN was 2.5.
 
Thats great.
I wish I could get this stuff for a decent coin around here, but all the resellers want $6-7/quart.
frown.gif
 
i just got a UOA on my VQ35 using the dealer supplied oil, 11ppm iron, 4ppm copper/lead, 2ppm aluminum/chromium, 15ppm silicon. flash point down to 360F with only trace fuel.

this was at 3200 miles, however i drive the thing HARD, and it has a CVT, so its normal operating range for me is between 3 and 4K RPMS.

needless to say, 3000 is as far as i am comfortable running the dealer oil.

new oil is GC with Amsoil filter, gonna sample that at 7500.
thinking of getting an Amsoil air filter too considering the Si.
 
Onmo'Eegusee - A buddy of mine knows a guy that runs a local quick-lube joint. He was able to get the Schaeffers for me at $3.50/qt.
grin.gif


BillionPa - let me know how the Si is if you get the Amsoil air filter...that's the one value that always been in the teens on my car.
 
Tn...

With a TBN of 2.5, I wouldn't push much past 5k miles on an OCI with this oil.

I'd like to try Schaeffer's in my 2001 I30, but I still believe it needs a thick oil, i.e., the GC 0w-30 I've been using. Maybe I'll try it in the 3.3L V6 Highlander.
 
Quote:

I'd say this one puts to rest the theory that the VQ Nissan motors need thick oil. Great report! The oil did end up on the thin side though for a 5w-30.

Click to expand...

Single results don't put theories to rest. That said, I've never seen such phrased in terms of "need". However you put it, mine certainly sounded better on 12-plus cSt GC than it did on ~10 cSt Havoline. And rememeber, Nissan's own recommendations for this engine are not theory at all: 5w-30, 10w-30, or 10w-40. This result tends to confirm that, not surprisingly, the VQ will work fine on one of its three recommended oil grades.
 
Along with ekpolk's post, I'd say my VQ does better on thicker oils than thin. Reference this link: http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/s...ge=0#Post827667

The last UOA was of GC Gold, while the first two were with the then 10.* cst Mobil 1 5w30. Notice the increased lead and iron when running the thinner oil. However, to be fair, I was also running a K&N panel filter during the Mobil 1 runs, and the silicon was much higher. But I don't believe the increased silicon was responsible for all of the increase in lead and iron. I would imagine my upper end wear would have been higher if the only cause was the silicon. But seeing as the bottom end was mainly affected leads me to believe the thin oil was a major contributor.

Like I mentioned in my post, there was definitely an audible difference when running the thin Mobil 1 compared to even slightly thicker GTX (5w30), and especially the GC.
I may try a 5w40 next go round after this one (GC in there now; will be sampled in about a month or so), just to see how it fares.

Not to start some thick/thin war, but Nissan has different recommendations for the same car sold in Europe. They recommend everything from a 5w20 (but specifically not for sustained high speed driving) up to a 20w50 for above 14*F temps. Like ekpolk said, this would confirm the VQ will work surprisingly well on a wide variety of oil viscosities. I personally like the quietness/smoothness I get when running a slightly thicker oil. And I have not sacrificed any measurable mileage according to my spreadsheet that tracks it to the 100th mpg. Driving style/conditions play a much bigger role than my oil choice.

Dave
 
If this was your first interval with the 7000series you did well. I feel sure that the second or third run will be even better.5K on that oil is not a problem. I run it 7.5K in one car and 10K in two others. They all have had good UOA's and don't require any make-up oil so I am pleased.
If 5K intervals work for you stick with it. I would take the opportunity to do another UOA after two or three runs on the oil to see how things look.
coffee.gif
 
Quote:

Quote:

I'd say this one puts to rest the theory that the VQ Nissan motors need thick oil. Great report! The oil did end up on the thin side though for a 5w-30.

Click to expand...

Single results don't put theories to rest.

Click to expand...


Agreed, however, if you look, you can find there's many more than one or two. I'm just about convinced the newer VQ Nissans don't "need" or "do better" with thicker oil. They may tolerate it just fine or sound better, but I believe the words "need" or "do better" are perpetuating maybe somthing that was true long ago. Here's another example:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=247962

Back to this Schaeffer Supreme, 53.9 SUS = 8.4 cSt

At this point I believe GC does well in many applications because it's formulation is superior, not because it's a "little thicker".
 
Quote:

. . . At this point I believe GC does well in many applications because it's formulation is superior, not because it's a "little thicker".

Click to expand...


And I can't dispute that either. It must be the magical green glow of the original formula.
wink.gif
tongue.gif
Still, there have been some disturbing, less-than-optimum VQ results with 5w-30 oils, but no, those can't be pinned to the viscosity with any certainty either. Rhetorically, I'd like to know why Nissan includes 10w-40 in the spec oils for this engine. That seems somewhat anomalous today, as so many of the VQ's "advanced" peers are headed into the world of xw-20 oils.
cheers.gif
 
Quote:

Rhetorically, I'd like to know why Nissan includes 10w-40 in the spec oils for this engine. That seems somewhat anomalous today, as so many of the VQ's "advanced" peers are headed into the world of xw-20 oils.

Click to expand...


I believe it's because it really doesn't make a difference, so they give you the option. There's also other parts of the world that are just accustomed to thicker oils, although they may be of lesser quality. It's much easier and/or less costly to build a 10w30 than it is to build a 5w20 and meet GF-4 requirements. Even easier for a 10w40 when were talking just SM requirements. That's why I don't put much stock in what foreign manuals spec...it's a different market, with different options available to the consumer.
 
Is this sample 5W30 9000 (full synthetic #9003) series, or 10W30 7000 (blend #703) series? The SUS indicates a 20W. Do you know for sure what it was? The reason I ask is because I just picked up a case of 7000 Supreme #703 10W30 today and I don't really have an application for a very thin 30W or 20W. I was hoping it would be on the thicker side of 30W, as their website technical data sheet indicates.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
2017 Corvette / Motul 300V 0w40 / 6.8k miles
2
Replies
36
Views
8K
randomhero439
T
Amsoil ASL 5W30, 12K, 94K 12 Jeep Wrangler
Replies
5
Views
1K
madeej11
P
  • Locked
Castrol GTX 5W30 4,115 miles 1999 TransAm
Replies
9
Views
2K
jayjr1105
8
  • Locked
2011 BMW 335xi 5474 mi Edge 0w-40
Replies
8
Views
2K
edyvw
D
06' V6 Accord 12,462 miles Penzoil Platinum 0W20
Replies
7
Views
4K
randomhero439
Back
Top