Millers Nanodrive CFS 5w-40 Analysis Report

Millers Nanodrive CFS 5w-40 Analysis Report

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Discussion

lemonslap

Original Poster:

960 posts

154 months

Thursday 26th February 2015
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Evening all, I have used this oil in our Audi S4 B8 over the last 9,000 miles/ 8 months and would be interested in your opinions:


Heaveho

5,279 posts

173 months

Saturday 28th February 2015
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Interested as well, plan to run my Evo on this from the next oil change. Had a bizarre experience when I changed from a previous manufacturers 5-30 to Millers 5-30 Nanotech. The car halved it's oil consumption, and was significantly better on fuel over a 2k mile high speed trip that I do every year. I'm not the only person with an Evo to notice improvements with this stuff. I have absolutely no idea why this should happen.

Tried the Nanotech gearbox oil in the same car, and it ruined the change, a swap to Redline and it's better than I can ever remember it being.


Edited by Heaveho on Saturday 28th February 15:34

George111

6,930 posts

250 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
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With all due respect, just use the oil which meets the specification quoted by the engine builder or engine manufacturer. Different brands make almost negligible difference. There are all sorts of marketing words used to describe oil and supposed additives but fundamentally, just use whatever Audi recommend as it's going to make almost no difference and certainly an order of magnitude difference less than the way you drive it, allow it to warm and cool etc



Robert Elise

956 posts

144 months

Friday 13th March 2015
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If this wonder oil is all it's cracked up to be then it should have low viscosity at 40deg, yet still be in grade at 100deg. That's one of the benefits of ester-based oils i thought?


Locknut

653 posts

136 months

Sunday 15th March 2015
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The comment about high Molybdenum content is interesting. Many of those additives that are bought by gullible types are claimed to be based on molybdenum technology. I assume you did not put it in so we have to wonder about what Millers are doing. Part of the problem is that molybdenum is a solid so too much of it can clog passageways. Over-all I don't see anything out-standing in that result sheet, you would probably do as well with an ordinary oil.

Here's a bit from Wiki about molybdenum:
Wiki said:
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is used as a solid lubricant and a high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) antiwear agent. It forms strong films on metallic surfaces and is a common additive to HPHT greases — in the event of a catastrophic grease failure, a thin layer of molybdenum prevents contact of the lubricated parts.[50] It also has semiconducting properties with distinct advantages over traditional silicon or graphene in electronics applications.[51] MoS2 is also used as a catalyst in hydrocracking of petroleum fractions containing nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen.[52]
Edited by Locknut on Sunday 15th March 19:43

PhillipM

6,515 posts

188 months

Thursday 19th March 2015
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That's not the same form of moly that is used in oil, which is a soluable form, of which many, many oils use in various amounts.

lemonslap

Original Poster:

960 posts

154 months

Friday 20th March 2015
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No additives added, the point of the oil analysis was that there isn't a lot of info on this oil. As said above the issue is typically moly drops out of suspension, millers have clearly cracked this. The benefits I have seen: reduced oil consumption, timing chain rattle at cold startup gone. I do tend to spend a bit more on oils than the norm, my focus St170 runs Fuch race Pro S although I will be trying the nanodrive in it next service.

PhillipM

6,515 posts

188 months

Friday 20th March 2015
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The 'Nano-drive' additive is not the moly, like I say, the moly in the analysis is a soluable form, which the vast majority of engine oils use these days, the Millers is just rather high in it as it's designed really as a competition oil so won't have as many detergents/dispersants fighting for the surface interface (although they do have similar levels to API specs so can be used daily), and doesn't need to meet regulations on phosphorous levels (so can use more ZDDP, etc).
The 'nano-tech' bit is actually a tungsten disulphide additive I believe, not moly.

Heaveho

5,279 posts

173 months

Friday 20th March 2015
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George111 said:
With all due respect, just use the oil which meets the specification quoted by the engine builder or engine manufacturer. Different brands make almost negligible difference. There are all sorts of marketing words used to describe oil and supposed additives but fundamentally, just use whatever Audi recommend as it's going to make almost no difference and certainly an order of magnitude difference less than the way you drive it, allow it to warm and cool etc


In what respect do you feel qualified to say the above? Genuine question. Personal experience, background in oil technology, etc?

The above certainly doesn't mirror my experiences, particularly with modified engines.

George111

6,930 posts

250 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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Heaveho said:
George111 said:
With all due respect, just use the oil which meets the specification quoted by the engine builder or engine manufacturer. Different brands make almost negligible difference. There are all sorts of marketing words used to describe oil and supposed additives but fundamentally, just use whatever Audi recommend as it's going to make almost no difference and certainly an order of magnitude difference less than the way you drive it, allow it to warm and cool etc


In what respect do you feel qualified to say the above? Genuine question. Personal experience, background in oil technology, etc?

The above certainly doesn't mirror my experiences, particularly with modified engines.
Personal experience and looking at what various race teams use . . . having initially (years ago) believed like you that some oils must be significantly better than others. Last engine is Hayabusa 1299cc with 340bhp in a car - synthetics all perform about the same. Most race teams use whatever they are given or can get cheap which is in spec for the engine. Makes almost zero difference.

What does make a difference is how you manage the engine and gearbox, how it's treated and the quality of the initial build. If you're an F1 team or front runner in the WRC then of course you'll manage your oil differently but if you're running a road car it's not necessary.

Heaveho

5,279 posts

173 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
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Hmm, I'm a pretty cynical sort of geezer.......the only reason I mentioned that I felt there might be an improvement to be had was because I experienced it, all the more surprising when I wasn't expecting or hoping for it. If someone else had related a tale of reduced oil consumption due to a brand change, I'd have given them a sideways look, but it was noticeable enough for me to pay attention to it and subsequently act on it to try and make the most of it.

I'm doing a trip with a thicker grade of Millers next week, I'll post on here afterwards about consumption. Just for the record, the car was modified about 4 years ago, and it was immediately noticeable that it had begun to consume oil. The first proper trip I did in it afterwards was on Fuchs 5/30 fully synth, 2 years ago, car consumed 1.5l of oil in 1800 miles. The following year, similar driving, destination and mileage, less than 1l of oil, brand change to Millers, still 5/30 fully synth. Trying 5/40 Millers this year, same sort of trip, hoping for, but not expecting great things!

The car is an '03 plate Evo 8 which I've owned from when it was 8 months old, and which consumed no oil until 31k miles when it was modified with Evo 9 variable valve timing head, inlet manifold, turbo and ecu, using factory parts from a 7k mile old car. The head was rebuilt before fitting, and the turbo has no play. There is no obvious reason for it to consume oil, there are no leaks, and there's nothing visible from the exhaust. Christ knows what it's doing with it.

rdjohn

6,135 posts

194 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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If anyone has looked at the Porsche threads on PistonHeads you will be aware that there are significant engine failure problems with the water cooled flat 6 engines. A firm called Hartech in Bolton have done a lot of research on making effective long term and durable rebuilds at rate of about 4, or 5 per week.

One of their recommends is a switch from the Mobil 1 synthetic that Porsche recommend to Millars nano technology oils. Porsche failures look as though they could be as high as 9%. Harlech have not had any failures and they have being doing rebuilds for many years. They are pretty convinced that Millars is not just a load of marketing hype.

My low mileage engine is fine, but I follow their advice as the car can be left standing for longish periods and I think a cold start after 3 months, or more, inevitably puts the upper horizontal cylinder bore at much greater rirsk of scoring than a vertical cylinder would be..

Edited by rdjohn on Monday 4th May 12:51

Test driver

348 posts

123 months

Saturday 23rd November 2019
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I’ve just put millers nanodrive in my Jeep V8, made a huge improvement instantly. Great stuff imo.

blade7

11,311 posts

215 months

Monday 25th November 2019
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Haven't used Nano, but I've used CFS for 8 or 9 years.There were always oil drops on my drive when using a VAG synthetic 10w40, no leaks since swapping to Millers 15w50 oil.

stevesingo

4,848 posts

221 months

Tuesday 26th November 2019
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So Millers Nanostuff

Reduces wear compared to other brands.

Hugely improved and Jeep

Stopped oil leaks.

Can we get it to fix Brexit or cure cancer?

Castrol for a knave

4,639 posts

90 months

Tuesday 26th November 2019
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rdjohn said:
If anyone has looked at the Porsche threads on PistonHeads you will be aware that there are significant engine failure problems with the water cooled flat 6 engines. A firm called Hartech in Bolton have done a lot of research on making effective long term and durable rebuilds at rate of about 4, or 5 per week.

One of their recommends is a switch from the Mobil 1 synthetic that Porsche recommend to Millars nano technology oils. Porsche failures look as though they could be as high as 9%. Harlech have not had any failures and they have being doing rebuilds for many years. They are pretty convinced that Millars is not just a load of marketing hype.

My low mileage engine is fine, but I follow their advice as the car can be left standing for longish periods and I think a cold start after 3 months, or more, inevitably puts the upper horizontal cylinder bore at much greater rirsk of scoring than a vertical cylinder would be..

Edited by rdjohn on Monday 4th May 12:51
There's endless discussion on the 928 threads, but the view is the higher in ZDDP for those engines, the better. ...something something lifters...something something Royal Purple.

Mind you,. it is all Yanks arguing about what oil to use in 35c degree heat.


cornershop

2,136 posts

195 months

Monday 2nd December 2019
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blade7 said:
Haven't used Nano, but I've used CFS for 8 or 9 years.There were always oil drops on my drive when using a VAG synthetic 10w40, no leaks since swapping to Millers 15w50 oil.
More to do with change in viscosity than oil type? A 10w40 nanotech may still leak on yours