Oil Suggestions for a new car

Only have 800 Miles on it, waiting until I get to 1K to change the oil but was looking for the best to use going forward on a TGDI


The “best” would be any major brand of oil with the latest GF6/SP specs. This sounds like your first experience with 0w20. I was there once as well. I have no worries running it.
 
Does your owner’s manual or the warranty booklet state that the new car warranty will be voided if you use a different grade?
The owners manual says ""Damage caused by the use of motor oil (or engine oil) other than as recommended is not covered under INFINITI’s new vehicle limited warranty" after the oil recommendation, which to me translates to "use a different grade we'll find a way to weasel out of any engine related warranty work."
 
The owners manual says ""Damage caused by the use of motor oil (or engine oil) other than as recommended is not covered under INFINITI’s new vehicle limited warranty" after the oil recommendation, which to me translates to "use a different grade we'll find a way to weasel out of any engine related warranty work."
Yeah the same language as in my Tiguan manual. If you use a 30-grade or even a 40-grade oil that carries an appropriate rating there will be no engine damage. Common sense helps here.

I used 504 00 oil in the Tiguan at 5000 miles and for the 10,000 change I asked the dealer to do the same and they said yes without asking a question. Bottom line is that these oils will not cause damage.

It helps if you know why that language is there, why it’s worded that way and where it’s coming from. For one thing it’s because they don’t want you using Bullseye 5W30.
 
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Does your owner’s manual or the warranty booklet state that the new car warranty will be voided if you use a different grade?
Here is snip of the 2020 manual:
1617323978973.png

There is no option for different viscosities. Again, they seem to be writing an option to avoid warranty work regarding the engine.

In older owners manuals and FSM prior to 2020, they provided this chart which gave people the option to use a different viscosities:
1617324113391.png
 
Yeah the same language as in my Tiguan manual. If you use a 30-grade or even a 40-grade oil that carries an appropriate rating there will be no engine damage. Common sense helps here.

I used 504 00 oil in the Tiguan at 5000 miles and for the 10,000 change I asked the dealer to do the same and they said yes without asking a question. Bottom line is that these oils will not cause damage.

It helps if you know why that language is there, why it’s worded that way and where it’s coming from. For one thing it’s because they don’t want you using Bullseye 5W30.
The owners manual says ""Damage caused by the use of motor oil (or engine oil) other than as recommended is not covered under INFINITI’s new vehicle limited warranty" after the oil recommendation, which to me translates to "use a different grade we'll find a way to weasel out of any engine related warranty work."
You both beat me to it, but yes this is concerning. They changed the language in the both owners and Service Manuals. I also talked to my service manager at my dealership and he highly recommends using viscosity Infiniti recommends, you can use different brands but stay with the viscosity and certifications.
 
Why ESP x2 over say Mobil1 EP which is much more commonly available and seems to use PAO as it's primary base oil compared to ESP x2 which seems to be about 2:1 GTL and PAO as the base oils, Mobil1 EP is up to the latest API SP/ ILSAC GF-6A standards and Dexos1gen2 so it should be good at combating LSPI.
I don't know anything about EP's formulation, but if it matches or betters ESP X2, then yeah go for that. Do you have any links to VOA?
 
First, a good synthetic 30 grade like the ones I mentioned aren't going to cause any engine damage. Engines aren't designed around a particular grade of oil, because there are widely varying temperature differentials around the world, and OEMs sell vehicles with these engines around the world.

Second, if your worst fears came true, and your new Infiniti had catastrophic engine failure, the burden of proof would be on the dealership to show that the failure was due to oil. What would happen in that case would be that the dealership would look at the oil, possibly pull the valve covers and maybe the oil pan, and inspect the condition of the engine and the oil. If it looked bad, and sludge was present, they might have a leg to stand on in denying warranty coverage for oil-related reasons.

But that's not going to happen if you follow the oil change regimen you've outlined here.

It's a high-performance, direct-injected, turbocharged engine. A version of this engine (probably with more power) will be used in the upcoming 400Z. It deserves a high-performance oil with an adequate viscosity cushion for times when you drive the car as it should be driven. And that's not a 20-grade, IMHO.
 
Your owners manual will give you what specs the oil requires. Any oil that meets those specs from one of the major oil companies will be a great oil. 30wt?
 
First, a good synthetic 30 grade like the ones I mentioned aren't going to cause any engine damage. Engines aren't designed around a particular grade of oil, because there are widely varying temperature differentials around the world, and OEMs sell vehicles with these engines around the world.

Second, if your worst fears came true, and your new Infiniti had catastrophic engine failure, the burden of proof would be on the dealership to show that the failure was due to oil. What would happen in that case would be that the dealership would look at the oil, possibly pull the valve covers and maybe the oil pan, and inspect the condition of the engine and the oil. If it looked bad, and sludge was present, they might have a leg to stand on in denying warranty coverage for oil-related reasons.

But that's not going to happen if you follow the oil change regimen you've outlined here.

It's a high-performance, direct-injected, turbocharged engine. A version of this engine (probably with more power) will be used in the upcoming 400Z. It deserves a high-performance oil with an adequate viscosity cushion for times when you drive the car as it should be driven. And that's not a 20-grade, IMHO.
Well, in the Infiniti Q50 forum someone mentioned that Infiniti may be recommending the 0W-20 due to the engine design. It may be possible that the oil galleys, tunnels, bearing tolerances etc may be smaller requiring thinner oil to circulate correctly. They may have determined from prior models that using heavier weight may be problematic. I have also read that they redesigned the turbos around 2018 and this may be the outcome of that redesign. This is pure conjecture but unless we know the driving force behind the recommendation, going with a heavier viscosity may not be a wise choice.

Your owners manual will give you what specs the oil requires. Any oil that meets those specs from one of the major oil companies will be a great oil. 30wt?
The owner manual and FSM say to use 0W-20, they list no alternative viscosities. Prior to 2020 models they had a chart listing alternative viscosities.
 
Well, in the Infiniti Q50 forum someone mentioned that Infiniti may be recommending the 0W-20 due to the engine design. It may be possible that the oil galleys, tunnels, bearing tolerances etc may be smaller requiring thinner oil to circulate correctly. They may have determined from prior models that using heavier weight may be problematic. I have also read that they redesigned the turbos around 2018 and this may be the outcome of that redesign. This is pure conjecture but unless we know the driving force behind the recommendation, going with a heavier viscosity may not be a wise choice.


The owner manual and FSM say to use 0W-20, they list no alternative viscosities. Prior to 2020 models they had a chart listing alternative viscosities.
The idea that there are tighter clearances (not tolerances) in modern engines, that didn’t exist on earlier, similar engines, that preclude the use of anything but 16 or 20 grade oil is, in my belief, wrong.

But, it’s often repeated on Internet forums.

We do know the driving force behind the “recommendation”. I’ve already mentioned it in my first post in this thread.

It’s solely an attempt to boost the OEM’s corporate fuel economy rating (it probably won’t improve an individual car or truck‘s burn by even 1 MPG. But, fleet-wide, it raises their score).

The proof is the fact that almost every vehicle that’s sold on the worldwide market specs, or, at least, allows, a heavier oil outside of North America, in places like Latin America, the Middle East, and Australia.

Anyway. Not trying to argue or anything. It’s your car, and, of course, you have the right to run anything. I’m just telling you what I would run.

Congratulations on the car. It’s awesome. I’m a long-time Nissan fan, and can’t wait till the new Z comes out.
 
The Ford engineers claim nuch much lower than 1 mpg with the voscosity change.
I know. Most manufacturers, experts and oil companies claim .5% to .25% gain in fuel economy.

Viscosity choice is only 1 part of the equation in my goal for better fuel economy.
 
Only have 800 Miles on it, waiting until I get to 1K to change the oil but was looking for the best to use going forward on a TGDI (I think that's right). I heard about the deposits forming on valves so wanted to prevent that.

Its going to be a pretty long time before my warranty is up so will be using the 0W-20 but will do OCI of 4-5K miles instead of the factory recommended 10K.

I really don't believe the manufacturer has the consumers best interest in mind, I think the 0W-20 is a bit thin. A prime example would be "lifetime transmission fluid", it lasts the life of the transmission which is usually just a little bit longer than factory warranty. But completely understand, a company would be out of business if their product lasted forever, so planned obsolescence.
Great Choice for a new car. Refined fast and good looking. Me I would want something scrappier and more connected for around town. Like an Alfa 4C.

I would absolutely wait until at least 2500 miles to change the oil. The nissan v6 engine has a filter and an oil pickup screen. Assembly lube usually provides additional anti - scuff and fretting agents. But go by the sound of the engine; it should talk to you and let you know with racket when its unhappy with the oil. Also listen for hot mechanical knocking racket which would indicate inadequate hot viscosity.
I recenty owned a (factory) highly boosted VW turbo that spec'd VAG 0W20. This oil was inadequate when warm as there was loud engine clatter and the engine would not rev up smoothly when hot. I added a litre of M1 0W40FS to the sump of Motul 0W20 and this ran well till I turned the vehicle in. I was able to add the litre a the Motul was burning off at an alarming rate after the First oil change at 5.5K miles. I think this replacement sump of oil had 7K miles on it at that time and showed no sign of "fatigue".

What oil is Nissan running in the 3.8L GTR?

Good luck.
 
Well, in the Infiniti Q50 forum someone mentioned that Infiniti may be recommending the 0W-20 due to the engine design. It may be possible that the oil galleys, tunnels, bearing tolerances etc may be smaller requiring thinner oil to circulate correctly. ....
That is completely untrue.

What is viscosity sensitive is the VVTi programming which anticipate a specific "fully warm"
viscosity and HTHS, also if the engine uses a HLA ( hydraulic lash adjuster) these has specif bleed-down rates that are viscosity sensitive.

Cold motor oil is very viscous - even the 20 grade. The drills and ports flow this cold fuid adequately.

Now if yo go silly and put 20W50 V- Twin air-cooled engine oil in there, then do cold starts at 10 deg C.
Here, you may get some VVT clatter and other valvetrain issues - but that is an extreme circumstance and likely what the OM was cautioning against.

Again, Good luck with the new ride.
 
I've run 5w30 and now running 0w40 in my 508 0w20 required VW. My oil change interval is more often than what is recommended.
Other than internet hogwash, there hasn't been any 'engine design' that prevents using different grade of oil, albeit with uncommon sense....don't use a 25w60 during winter when driving around the north pole. I only know of one automaker that programs failure with the wrong grade of oil, wrong ATF.... and I don't own or would even consider their garbage products.

I drive my VW 10k miles a year, give or take a couple thousand, and change the oil twice a year, giving me grade choices for my spring/summer oil vs the fall/winter oil, every 6 months. Clean oil is important to reducing deposits.

With your intended interval, ANY full synthetic 0w20 or 5w30 could be used. And, I'd consider seasonal grade changes.

Don't wait for your 1st oil change. Don't wait for your 1st ATF change.
So, 500-1000 miles on the 1st oil change is a good starting point, and maybe 25-30k for the ATF/diff/coolant/brakefluid/.....

Run a yearly IVD cleaning spray and don't worry about carbon deposits. Your more frequent oil change interval should reduce the buildup, regardless of the oil grade.

I'd love to see 508, C20, and SP/GF6 battle it over engine protection and deposits.

Which one that could be better is unknown.

Location shows winters(Illinois? ). Since you keep your cars until the wheels fall off, maintain it and consider 5w30 for spring and the 0w20 for fall. And, looks like there is room for a bigger 7317 filter in place of the 6607. So, my other recommendation is to stick with a full synthetic media oil filter, changed at every interval, and use the oversized if it fits(simply verify).
 
I haven't seen a VOA, but the SDS from XOM says 60-70 PAO in the 0w20 EP.
Uh, so is that good? EP or ESP X2?
BTW @MaxdOut we need some pics of this car!
Forgot to take a picture this weekend and just washed it too, and now it rained bummer. Will post next time I get a chance to wash it.
The idea that there are tighter clearances (not tolerances) in modern engines, that didn’t exist on earlier, similar engines, that preclude the use of anything but 16 or 20 grade oil is, in my belief, wrong.

But, it’s often repeated on Internet forums.

We do know the driving force behind the “recommendation”. I’ve already mentioned it in my first post in this thread.

It’s solely an attempt to boost the OEM’s corporate fuel economy rating (it probably won’t improve an individual car or truck‘s burn by even 1 MPG. But, fleet-wide, it raises their score).

The proof is the fact that almost every vehicle that’s sold on the worldwide market specs, or, at least, allows, a heavier oil outside of North America, in places like Latin America, the Middle East, and Australia.

Anyway. Not trying to argue or anything. It’s your car, and, of course, you have the right to run anything. I’m just telling you what I would run.

Congratulations on the car. It’s awesome. I’m a long-time Nissan fan, and can’t wait till the new Z comes out.
Agreed, not arguing about the a using a heavier viscosity, but would rather not tempt faith on my factory or extended warranty.
Great Choice for a new car. Refined fast and good looking. Me I would want something scrappier and more connected for around town. Like an Alfa 4C.
I was actually going to buy a 2019 C7 Grand Sport but after further research noticed some unresolved (at least when I was looking at them) issues and given they were switch over to the C8, I did not feel they had incentive to fix those issues (mainly transmission and powertrain).
I've run 5w30 and now running 0w40 in my 508 0w20 required VW. My oil change interval is more often than what is recommended.
Other than internet hogwash, there hasn't been any 'engine design' that prevents using different grade of oil, albeit with uncommon sense....don't use a 25w60 during winter when driving around the north pole. I only know of one automaker that programs failure with the wrong grade of oil, wrong ATF.... and I don't own or would even consider their garbage products.

I drive my VW 10k miles a year, give or take a couple thousand, and change the oil twice a year, giving me grade choices for my spring/summer oil vs the fall/winter oil, every 6 months. Clean oil is important to reducing deposits.

With your intended interval, ANY full synthetic 0w20 or 5w30 could be used. And, I'd consider seasonal grade changes.

Don't wait for your 1st oil change. Don't wait for your 1st ATF change.
So, 500-1000 miles on the 1st oil change is a good starting point, and maybe 25-30k for the ATF/diff/coolant/brakefluid/.....

Run a yearly IVD cleaning spray and don't worry about carbon deposits. Your more frequent oil change interval should reduce the buildup, regardless of the oil grade.

I'd love to see 508, C20, and SP/GF6 battle it over engine protection and deposits.

Which one that could be better is unknown.

Location shows winters(Illinois? ). Since you keep your cars until the wheels fall off, maintain it and consider 5w30 for spring and the 0w20 for fall. And, looks like there is room for a bigger 7317 filter in place of the 6607. So, my other recommendation is to stick with a full synthetic media oil filter, changed at every interval, and use the oversized if it fits(simply verify).
Agreed, was not going follow the recommended fluid changes. They all seemed way too long to wait, like they want you to kill the car just after the factory warranty so you buy another one:unsure:
 
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