Hey guys,
I've decided to switch over to synthetic oil for my oil changes, and from what I've been reading, everyone says 5w30 mobil should be good. How much oil does the maxima need? Will one bottle be enough? Also, how much can I expect to pay for a bottle?

Thanks.

If you find a walmart it's about $22 for a five quart container and I would say you need about 4 and a half quarts.

4.5 Qts, i use it, and im an oil nerd...

So what would you suggest for a 98 max GLE with about 112k mile on it? Beleive it or not Iv been using 20/50 Full sythetic!!!! just for the extra protection...

5-40 MAX, 20 50 only for a race car, in Cali you should be alright on 5-40, and yes full syn, 5-40 or mabye 0-40

Good luck

Cool, I think im gonna switch to that on my next oil change..

Thanks

5-30 is good all year round

MOBIL 1 EP

i just stopped by pepboys, and theyt old me i need 4 quarts?! ****..They looked up some info on their comps and told me the 4th gen maxima only takes in 3.9 quarts in its crankcase. I have to go back and buy antoerh bottle? Also, I can change my oil every 7k with synthetic right?

Thanks.

Wear a condom

I've usually needed part of a 4th bottle. Oil changes are a matter of preference if you are out of your warranty period. I used to do 20k oil changes with Mobil 1, and an extra filter change in between. Some people think that's obscene, but those are generally the same people that don't know for 18 wheelers, 100k oil changes aren't uncommon. But they also do regular oil analyses.

The VQ's like the M1.....

But they love the 0w30 German Castrol Syntec.

for the maxima that has 112k and if it never has had synthetic in it before, use castrol high mileage. it has an additive to help seals swell so they last longer. i personally use mobil 1 in all my vehicles, cant go wrong. i also use napa gold oil filters, they are made by wix and are known to be some of the best out there.

Hey,
Sorry to be repetitive - but I really need to know how many quarts the maxima needs in its crankcase for an oil change, so that I can drop by the local car parts store before work. I purchased 4 quarts because the pep boys rep. told me our car takes in 3.9 quarts, however some have said they put in 4.5 quarts. Somebody please fill me in.

Thanks as usual!

Get 5 quarts, you can never go wrong with having an extra quart of oil or half a quart laying around just in case...I use 4.5 quarts. Put in 4 quarts and just measure with the dip stick if it needs more you have it.....

Just pour in 4 quarts and then look at the dipstick. If you also changed the oil filter you'll see that you should be able to pour in another half quart without passing the max line on the dip stick. And if you went to pepboys for your mobil1 then you overpaid. The cheapest that I've seen anywhere is the 5 quart bottle for around $22 at Walmart. They even have this more advanced formula mobile1 with a 15,000 mile guarantee for like around 27 for a five quart bottle.

i put in 5 quarts.

and in my opinion, synthetic doesnt do much.

VQ30DE takes 4.5 quarts to the drop when changing the filter. I say dont be cheap, spend the $5 and change the filter every time! Yer oil is only as good as yer filter!
DJ

obviously, you never have torn apart engines that have been run on regular oil and synthetic for over 100K. for the extra few bucks its worth it, especially if you want to keep the vehicle for the long haul

Don't bother, you obviously don't know enough about oil and changing oil to make the switch.

1 quart....... ya that might be about the amount you'll burn up.

If you need synthetic oil in a Nissan Maxima, then you must be beating the living snot out of it far too often. I'm on my second Maxima and I will never put that overrated oil in my car. I sold my first maxima w/180k on it and it never once burned a drop of oil. Regular 5w30 or 10w30 in the winter is all I've ever put in either of my max's.

I'd like to know what the difference (if any at all) there is except spending way too much for an oil change...

It has nothing to do with how you drive, it has to do with how the engine is lubricated. Synthetic is better because it does not break down quickly like conventional oil. People who use synthetic actually change their oil less frequently because of this and save money over standard oil changes. mobil1 has been shown to run for up and over 20k miles before need to be changed... whereas dino oil typically needs to be changed by 5k. Dino oil at $20/change vs synthetic at $27/change you save up to $53 dollars if u go as far as 20k with it.

I change mine ever 10k, so I save roughly $13 dollars.


You really need a bit more education on the topic.

If you havent been running synthetic since day one I wouldnt switch. Specially on a high mileage engine. Too many times I have seen it cause leaks. You need to remember that synthetic oil is a little thinner than the other. Some thing that might not leak with regular oil will leak with synthetic.

This topic is just as bad as the gas one. I use Castrol high mileage oil, change it every 7k miles, sometimes ten, with no problems. I also use cheap gas (87-89 octane). My car has 140K miles and runs like a champ, I do drive it hard every once in a while too. Hell when I had it in Germany I loved the autobahns and made it my mission to drive 120+ whenever I got on them.

IMO the best oils to use are Valvoline, Castol and Havoline, I stay away from Mobile1. I had a friend who rebuilds engines and his 88 Daytona was ruined because of Mobile1 oil, his pistons and valves were black because the oil didn't protect them from the heat generated by a 4 cylinder engine. But the good thing is, all the money you save with the 20k between oil changes can be spent on the 93+ octane fuel.

I've never heard of a problem with a motor like the one you're friend had on vehicles using mobil1 from the get go. So I guess he was using the mobil1 in his '88 since he got it in '88? If not there's no way to blame the mobil1 when it could have been a number of other issues. Especially if he switched to synth later on.

Its never too late to learn.

Good point, 4.5 quarts is full.

There is no car that runs on only 1 quart of oil.

Bottom line, synthetic is better, period! I have used several brands and by far Royal Purple is the best, IMO. I change it at 5000 miles and use a K&N Gold filter. The oil is clean and still purple even after 5000 miles! Just use a good synthetic, your engine will notice the difference. I also use Royal Purple in the auto trans.

I think there are too many variables within an engine to base engine problems on the type of oil used. The bottom line is that you should read the owners manual, do what it says and you should be good. Keep an eye on your fluids and change them often. Synthetic oil is good if your car is still young, but i agree that it should not be put in higher mileage cars, do to it being more likely to leak. Regular oil works just fine, and if you change it often there shouldn't be many problems. If there is problems, than its probably not related to the oil you are using.

That is the single handed biggest load of crap ive ever heard, i could go on for days about it, but i dont want to type it all out, and im not the only one who knows your dead wrong, so ill make one point, synthetic handles heat better than conventional, mobil one is a great synthetic (full PAO and good additives) his engine was likely ruined because it was made in this contry, and we cant make cars...

AND PISTONS AND VALVES WILL ALWAYS BE BLACK, ITS CALLED CARBON DEPOSITS, AND EVERY ENGINE HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THEM

Christ

I know what I saw and for the record my friend and I were in the Army together, he was an 18 wheeler mechanic and knew way more about engines than I ever care to. His car was an 88 Daytona Pacifica we bought our cars new in 88 and he had to rebuild his engine in 94. Albeit he drove it like a madman his 3.5 yrs in Germany, he swore by Mobile1 and used it exclusively. So forgive me kcryan when I say I give a damn what you and the others on this site think. When a master mechanic with over 13 yrs experience says the oil used caused an engine to die I tend to listen.

Your excused, we all make mistakes....we just usually learn from them....but these engines dont need synthetic, nor do just about any (excluding Corvettes, Caddy XLR's, Mercedes AMG, Porsches,and other high performance cars, they use it for a reason)


Anyway, your entilted to your own opinion, i believe yours is completly wrong, and think that there are only a few cars i wouldnt use it in, 1 being a rotary, and 2 being something real old with worn gaskets that wouldnt be worth it anyways.


As a side note, thank you for serving our country in the military.

Doesn't mean he's not possibly wrong...

I once had a certified mechanic at AAMCO, with ~15 years of experience, insist that the noise coming from my transmission was the throwout bearing and couldn't be the input shaft or differential bearings. When I spoke about that with a rep, who turned out to be the regional manager and had "been in the business for over 25 years", I distinctly remember having to repeat five times to him in the space of two minutes that I had a manual transmission and not an automatic before he stopped talking about the additional possibility of bad solenoids, clutches, and wiring. Anyone who knows how to spell the word "transmission" knows that manuals don't have solenoids, multiple clutches, and wiring. The mechanic turned out to be wrong, too: the problem was indeed input shaft and differential bearings, and my throwout bearing was 100% fine.

I also have no end of stories about telling off computer techs who had been around two and three times as long as I have...

Exactly....


Oil doesn't CAUSE engine failure, period. LACK of oil can cause engine failure, oil that has been used too long and lost it's lube properties can contribute to engine failure, oil pumps not supplying the right pressure can cause it, etc., but it is NOT Mobil 1 that caused a pos Dodge Daytona Pacifica (from the quality 80's time period ) to implode.

If it was the oil's fault then how come everyone using Mobil 1 in their 4 cyl cars in the late 80's didn't have the same problem????

Your friend might WANT to blame the oil, but it wasn't the oil imho. And just because he was a truck mechanic doesn't correlate to automatically being a 4 cyl auto expert.

Especially when that 4 cyl was a pos Dodge/Chrysler from the 80's.

Mobil 1 5w-30 4.5 qts every 4000 mls... 96 max 506,000 miles and counting dipstick still clear after 4000 mls. Also mobil 1 in 5sp tranny not one problem. Previous 82 Max totalled with 400,000 mls using mobil 1.