# Bad Mistake



## socalzbone (May 28, 2004)

Okay, so I was trying to be pro-active and I had my oil changed before a long trip on my new Z. Noticed some reluctance in 1st and 2nd gear after the oil change, but powered thru it. Heard today that the Z is finicky w/ what oil to use, preferibly a 5w-30, my mechanic used castrol gtx 10w-40, how bad is this. I put over 600 miles on it w/ the castrol gtx, could it have caused damage? I am going to call my mechanic in the morning to see if he will put in the correct oil (for free hopefully since he screwed up) should I tell him use something like this Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic ? Mobil 1 5W-30


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## niznos (May 27, 2004)

Your owner's manual will tell you the oil to use. It is 5w-30; or 10w-30 if it does not get below 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C). You can upgrade to synthetics or blends if you like, but Nissan does not require it, per se. 

If you are in a moderate to warm climate, the short time you used 10w-40 shouldn't hurt anything, but I would change it out when you first get a chance.

Make sure your mechanic puts in the right amount of oil though. The engine's dipstick hole gets oil sloshed around when you add oil or run the engine. Again, the owner's manual even says to wait 10 minutes before checking oil after running the engine. If you add oil, same story, it runs down the dipstick tube and gets all over the stick. Give it time to drain down for an accurate reading. I've seen people put too little oil in because they read the dipstick wrong.


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## socalzbone (May 28, 2004)

Had the swap this morning, he used regular Castrol 5W-30, hoping it will do the trick, good lookin' out man.


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## socalzbone (May 28, 2004)

Any shot of the mechanic's blunder robbing any engine power down the road? I ask esp. because the car was still in the break in period.


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## niznos (May 27, 2004)

I doubt it, but keep in mind that the way you drive should be limited to "break-in" driving. Some cars are known to do funny things during break-in, like burning oil or other things that would alarm most people. Anything like that should subside after the break-in is over. If they persist afterward, then you'll want to contact your dealer for warranty issues.


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## 2ndb18 (Oct 24, 2004)

you know that nissan engines do not require any break in right?


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## socalzbone (May 28, 2004)

Yeah, it's more or less Nissan's recommendation to cover their asses. I am still curious if by having the wrong oil in there, if i'll have to worry about any performance loss now, or down the road. I had a coworker say he only uses synthetic in his G35, I was just glad to get the right viscosity in ASAP.


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