M37 2011 ***Oil Synthetic vs Standard**

[alukfan1]

This is my third Infiniti (I-30,I35 always bought them used) now a 2011 M37x used (49K miles) just purchased used last month. I have always been a Havoline 5W30 Standard Oil with Fram Filters every 3000 to 3500 miles. Now this car comes with Synthetic Oil 5W20 and I am lost. I have read that most Mobile One Syn oil gets 15K mile before changes and better filters must be used. I understand Fram filters are cheap but not that bad when changing at a rate of 3K to 4k miles. The cost is not the issue.....in fact if the Mobil 1 gets 15K it beats the overall cost of the standard oil.
Which is best for the engine?

Any ideas from this great forum of pros. You guys out there are the best since you live it.....!

I welcome the discussion and facts.

ALUKFAN

[agoodall]

I run full synthetic in my 2011. I had a Lexus IS300 before my M37 and I always ran full synthetic. I had it changed between 3500-5000 miles.

While full synthetic can let you go longer with out changing the oil I would NEVER let 5000 miles go by without an oil change. EVER!...

[Budje]

I never understood this short interval. In Europe there are really almost no cars where you have to change oil and filter before 15.000 km. That's 9375 miles... And here I am constantly reading about intervals of 3000 to max 5000 miles?
Do you seriously think we have other oil of filters?
in Germany we don't even have speedlimits on certain freeways so engines are far more tortured at higher speeds. So the oil wearsmore quicly. Still oilchange minimal after 9375 miles....

And yes this is also for the M37.

[M37owner]

The service recommendation (from Infiniti) is to change the oil every 7,500 miles for normal conditions - unless you drive in severe conditions then change at 3,750 miles.

Severe is

• "driving primarily short trips of less than 5 miles in normal temperatures

or

• less than 10 miles in freezing temps

or

• stop-and-go traffic in hot weather

or

• low speed driving for long distances

or

• driving in dusty conditions or on rough, muddy, or salt-spread roads

or

• towing a trailer or using a camper or car-top carrier

".

So I think almost anyone is driving in severe conditions - "except me" since I drive 95% long distance on the expressway (to/from work) and live in the south. I change my oil at 7500 miles and use full synthetic.

[alukfan1]

Thanks for the input...I decided to stick with the oil package I have been using for the last two I-30 and I-35 cars I owned. Standard Havoline 5W-30 with Fram Filters. But I did make the call to go to K&N Air filters. It is a cost effective choice for the M-37's over a throw away air filter.

Thanks Again

Alukfan1

[szh]

Thanks for the input...I decided to stick with the oil package I have been using for the last two I-30 and I-35 cars I owned. Standard Havoline 5W-30 with Fram Filters. But I did make the call to go to K&N Air filters. It is a cost effective choice for the M-37's over a throw away air filter.

Thanks Again

Alukfan1

With regard to oil, I have come to the conclusion that if you use good dino or good synthetic oil and keep the oil change interval decently low, then it really does not matter what oil you want to use. For best results, you could do an oil analysis and optimize the interval for a given oil - see Blackstone for one source of analysis.

Good dino oils in a 5W-30 weight are: Castrol GTX, Pennzoil for example.

Now, with regard to your use of oiled air filters, this is not recommended for our Nissan engines - there are lots of threads as to why. Please do a search on NICO and see if you should simply consider going back to standard air filters - they are cheap enough that replacing them every 12k to 15k miles is not a big cost.

Z

[Pimperish1]

Been using k&n high flow air filters since I got my M and have had no issues. My recommendation is to resist the urge to "over saturate" the filter media with oil and she'll be rearin to go. Was using 0w-20 for the longest but noticed increased oil consumption lately especially with high revs so switched to Mobil 0w-40 euro spec and so far seems to help but I'll know better over the course of the next few months. I also use k&n for an oil filter, research shows they have the greatest surface area of filter media, used to use the hp (white canister) version till I managed to out drive it and it sprung a leak. Called them, they told me to send it to them with a copy of the receipt for the filter and oil and they reembursed me for both. I've since switched to the black canister version of that same filter which carries the same specs and is a few bucks cheaper (doesn't have the easy off nut thingy- big whoop, I got tools) and have had no issues considering I routinely make magic happen at trip-dig speeds in this car (yeah, I know, I know, but really she's much happier at trip-digs as am I).

[szh]

Been using k&n high flow air filters since I got my M and have had no issues. My recommendation is to resist the urge to "over saturate" the filter media with oil and she'll be rearin to go.

Even without over-saturation, the oil will get into the air flow in micro droplets and then burn onto the MAF (which is a hot-wire design). In time, on our Nissan engines, this will damage the MAF permanently and lead to performance issues.

Requiring a replacement of the MAF. The so-called performance gain of the K&N is not enough to warrant doing this to your car - however, it is, of course, your choice.

Simplest to just use a stock air filter and change it often enough (like at 12k ro 15k miles) and you will be perfectly fine.

Z