Hey, I was just curious to know what kind of motor-oil you guys use in your Maximas. I use Mobil-1's 10W-30 formula for Higher-Mileage Vehicle. Do you guys think its worth the $5 per quart of Mobil-1?

 

Yup. But then, I'm the gullible type that thinks you get what you pay for.

 

Where's Bill?

 

I squeeze my leftover fried chicken and use whatever comes outa that.

 

I'd say he'll show up any minute now. Bill has a radar that detects any new threads about oil.

 

IMHO...unless you plan on driving your car past 200k miles...mobil 1 is a waste of $$$....

I use Castrol GTX 5w-30 and noted LESS engine wear than when I used Mobil 1 5w-30. Tests were done at Blackstone Labs.

 

Valvoline Durablend.

 

How much does the castrol go for?

SuDZ

 

I use Mobil 1 and I buy it from wal-mart. If you buy the big 5 quart container it costs like $20.
I used to use royal purple but it's too expensive.
Any other oil you besides like Mobil 1 you might save $5. Big deal.

 

I use Valvoline SynPower 5W-30, fully synthetic. It also runs about $5 per quart. I have no idea if it's worth it or not, but it seems like a small price to pay in the long run.

What brand oil filters does everyone use?

 

I stick with the Nissan ones.

SuDZ

 

That's what I use currently. But I may try some Amsoil full syn. soon

 

Valvoline Durablend is a relatively poor oil to put in your car for the money, as well as SynPower when comparing them to their blend and synthetic competitors, respectively.


The reason: Additive packages versus the competition is noticeably lower.


Cliff Notes for VQs:

Dino oil:

Castrol GTX 5W/30
Drain Interval: 5k

Synthetic oil:

Mobil 1 5W/30
Drain interval: up to 10k with 5k oil filter change

Oil Filters:

Nissan OEM
STP S6941 (at AutoZone)
Bosch 3323



Unless you are doing extended drains (over 10k), have an unknown oil history, neglected your oil change history, the recommendations above should suffice.


I no longer recommend Amsoil oil filters. I do like their oil if you intend on going a long interval, want superior sustained viscosity protection, and don't mind paying a few cents more a quart than Mobil 1 (that's right, I said a few cents).




The more you "neglect" your car, the less comfortable I would be about 10k drain intervals on any synthetic. The wisest thing to do is to take a current sample of your car and see where you stand, then it will be easier to make an intelligent recommendation based on your own driving conditions and oil history. Even if you don't sample in the future, it's good to do it once to see where you stand.

 

i bought 5 quarts of it at a local parts store for less than 11 bucks

 

I always use Castrol GTX 10w-30 w/a Nissan oil filter. I live in NC. I wasn't and still aren't really sure whether to use an oil w/a cold viscosity of 5 or 10. I drive in somewhat dusty conditions in a lot of stop and go and change my oil around every 3000 miles, which I realize is almost certainly overkill.

BTW the "W" stands for winter not weight. Also, how dark your oil is does not tell you anything about the need for an oil change (i was told the only way to know is to get an oil analysis). Really, if your oil stays clean too long you may be using a lesser oil that has no detergents and is not cleaning your engine properly, thus creating a sludge build-up. Also, I wouldn't recommend any oil additives.

 

Really? I was told 3000 miles at least by Jiffylube. I also thought the darker the worse the oil's condition? I hear stuff like v-max or whatever additive is great for cars? Dunno, please explain it in detail for me. Thanks

 

 

That sounds about right, you should put it in the FAQ

SuDZ

 

I have always used Mobil 1 5w30 in my 92 and 99 Max.

I still use Mobil 1 5w30 in my WRX.

I always use OEM filters.

 

my DSL Modem lights are blinking pretty fast again

 

I was stating the obvious and something that has been discussed hundreds of times in the past but someone somewhere may learn something from my post.

If I am not reading your sarcasm right let me know.

 

No you are reading it right, rats! Proper reply to these types of questions is "use the search dammit!". Say it with me now........heehee

 

wow, i think bill99gxe and his crew deserve a hand for their work on the oil-analyzing. thanks for the responses. i use a mobil 1 filter by the way.

 

I agree on the product cost, but the shipping is killing me. It raises the total cost per quart to around $1 over the cost of Mobil 1. Can you recommend a low cost source?

 

I've been using Mobil 1 in both my Max and my Z rather than my dino-preferred Castrol mainly cause I usually go too long between changes and I like the extra buffer to finally find the time to do it. I run a blend in my wife's Honda cause she's better at nagging me than I am at nagging me...

I have been using Purolater One filters but will probably go back to OEM after reading some of the posts about the particle-size matching of the filter to other parts of the engine dims (both have the check valve but I notice my max "rattling" on start-up with the PureOne).

 

i use pennzoil 10w-30
it supposed to have more protection for stop and go city drivers
but who knows, just as long as you change your oil and filter every 2500-3000k , things should be fine

 

I use royal pruple-about to go to 5w30 for this cold weather...it is like 6 or 7 dollars a quart...

 

i just used car and driver oil on my last oil change... 99 cents a quart . its "TURBO APPROVED" so it cant be bad, right

 

PM or e-mail member iwannabmw (do a member search and he'll come up). He offers close to his cost prices on Amsoil and I'm sure he'll do what he can to minimize shipping. He can clarify this, but I believe it's a dab cheaper to buy a gallon container than individual quart bottles........


He is now my official Amsoil supplier, as paying the sales tax and shipping on my Amsoil orders seemed too cost prohibitive for me to re-new my Preferred Customer membership.

 

 

For the record, I use Castrol GTX 10-w30 and the Bosch 3323 filter. I usually change every 4k miles, give or take a few hundred...

You can Castrol at Wal-Mart. The 5-quart jug is usually only about $8.

Edit: fixed

 

Ben:

3233 = 3323


My local Wally Worlds recently lowered the 5-quart jug of GTX to $6.73.....

 

can you swich from synthethic to regural.
I know that Yamaha doesn't recomend it for their bikes.

 

Actually, he's the source I went to. He is very helpful and does offer the best price available, which in turn is about the cost of Mobil1. But add the cost of shipping, which in my case is PA-to-CT, and I end up with another $1 per quart.

It's unfortunate that Amsoil is not available in local stores.

 

EVERY Amsoil dealer says they're selling close to cost.

By doing a search on Yahoo...I was able to find a local independent Amsoil dealer here in Dallas. No shipping, only tax. I paid $57.37.

Just an option.

 

Had contacted all of the local dealers here in CT, who were all more expensive. However, based on your tip and a call to your Dallas dealer, I'm exploring an option that might get the cost back in the ballpark.

Thanks.

 

A lot of us do sell at cost, though are some who are ridiculously expensive. What you might not know, is that our cost structures are vastly different. Some dealers are cheaper because they are buying very large volumes at a time to get the product cheaper. The prices I have are pretty much parallel with what you could get individually as a preferred customer. That particular dealer in TX is also in a good position, even if he ships the products out. There is an Amsoil distribution center there and he must just go there and pick up his stuff. In my case, no matter how much I buy, I would still have to have it shipped to me, and then shipped to you. What I do instead is just place the order and have it drop shipped directly to you, whcih tends to be the best deal all around. The only way other dealers should be able to beat this is by living near a distribution center. One of the other things that I'm working on is tax exemption status, which should drastically prices as well.

In rickalodeon's case, what is really killing him is the fact that CT has a 6% sales tax AND a 5% excise tax on petroluem products. This makes it prohibitively expensive at the moment.

Edit: I forgot to add that all shipping has nothing to do with distance. All freight charges are weight dependent only.

 

Regarding the filters, are the others as good as the OEM filter, or just reasonable substitutes?

 

Very good info...thank you for posting it. I understand what you mean and I apologize as it was a very broad statement on my part. (I'm just lucky I guess)

-Jeff

 

The 6941 is an oversized filter. The 3323 is an OEM-size replacment.


Both are reasonable substitutes.