would people recommend the dealer for a simple oil change or service? i would like to know some people's thoughts on this debate. is service from the dealer better than a local mechanic? is the extra cost worth it?

 

This can go either way. We actually have three categories:

1 - Those who use their dealer. This is generally the most expensive, but I have usually received coupons in the mail from Nissan that enable me to have my oil changed at my dealer for slightly less than some other oil change places. I have never had a problem with any oil change done at my dealer during the last dozen years. I also use this time to pal around with the friends I have made at my dealer, and they treat me very well. I also sneak into the back lot and check out all the Maximas that haven't yet been put on the display lot. If you feel good about your dealer, and he seems to be on top of things, I would consider using him for oil changes.

2 - Those who use non-dealer shops. Generally less expensive than dealers. But some shops do very good work, while others are not as careful. These shops are almost always quicker than dealers. I have been in and out of Jiffy Lube, Quik Lube, etc, in 30 minutes, while never less than an hour at my dealer. I used these type shops frequently for many years, ending in 1997, when one of them overtorqued my oil pan plug, causing a leak that required a new oil pan. Also, back in the 70s, I drove off from one of these quickie places, saw the red oil pressure light on my dash blinking, turned right back into the bay, and they found they had forgotten to put the new oil in. Of course the vast majority of oil changes went without incident. If you are not enamoured with your dealer, or are in a big hurry, or are strapped for cash, this route might be right for you. If you go this way, you MUST keep records to prove you met warranty requirements.

3 - Those who change their own oil. I did my own oil changes from 1949 until that awful day in fall of 1958, when I drove up the canyon from my apartment in Bisbee AZ to Mule Pass and straddled the deep ditch there. That enabled me to get underneath to take out the drain plug and put the pot in place to catch the old oil. I drained the oil out, then opened my trunk and realized I had forgotten to put the cans of new oil in. No cell phones in those days, and nothing in sight but cacti and tumbelweeds. I hitchhiked back to Bisbee and had a neighbor drive me back with the oil. Yes, that incident was the joke of the apartment complex for months. This is probably the least expensive way to go. If I did my oil change this way, I would keep all reciepts for the oil, and even talk to my dealer about how to prove I had done the proper things to keep my warranty valid.

One of these three approaches is right for you, but only you can decide which.

 

just to add to what lightonthehill said

with dealers it's trial and error, prices vary, an oil change can be 30bucks where soon as you say synthetic it's 100 more, also ask what they would charge if you supplied the oil and filter, my brother takes his 300 to a dealer in Marietta Georgia and it cost him 10bucks and he watches them do it

private shops, and quick change places, 1st thing is know exactly how many quarts of oil the car takes, but ask around you should find a nice local place

With either the shop or the dealer I generally always give whoever works on my car a couple bucks depending on the job done, but Im one to bring my car to you for something simple and if it's messed up and suddenly because way more then it ever should of then I will never return.

Don't be cheap, pay to get the job done right

 

Hello everyone. I spoke with someone at Baker Jackson Nissan here in Houston and asked about the oil. He said that they don't carry the oil (with the additive) and that any good 5W-30 oil would be fine. He did mention Castrol GTX.

Also, I changed my oil today for the first time and there is a strap holding a plastic cover over the oil filter. There's a plastic push-pin that you have to remove in order to remove the strap and access the filter. I just used a flat-head screwdriver to pop the center part out so that the strap could be removed. Just letting the rest of you DIYs know just in case. :-)

 

Lexus charged my mom $200 for an oli change.

 

$200 = the

 

i just got my first oil change at just under 1200 miles at the dealer. i dont think they did anything special or did any of the 22 pt inspection. luckily i only paid $27 with an online coupon but i dont think i would go again and wait an hour for an easy oil change!!!

 

A one hour wait is pretty standard at most of the dealers I have used in the last thirty years. The 'quick change' places I used in the '60s and '70s took about 30 minutes. That was about as quick as changing it myself, which I did through the'50s.

I use that hour at the dealers to chat briefly with the service folks (I've known them for years), and to check out every Maxima on the lot, even the ones in the 'closed' back lot. There are usually over a dozen on hand.

 

Has everyone who bought an '09 gotten a free first oil change from the dealer? Anyone think it's a way for them to check something at 3750 miles that may be wrong?
I like to do my own oil changes with synth oil, but wouldn't turn down a free oil change, but was thinking they were really doing that to check the car out.

 

I just did my 3rd oil change (12k now), my 1st 2 were free, but this last one i did a few days ago was $75 in Mass. is this similar to synthetic oil? can i use synthetic oil instead?

 

In Alberta Canada I just paid $45 for dino oil (1200km) at Nissan. The dealer doesn't carry ester oil, says it's a US emissions thing, but that Nissan is now in bed with Mobil and they recommend Mobil-1 or any good 5W-30 dino.

In the past I've always broken in new cars on dino and switch to Mobil-1 after 5-10k and then change it every 4-5K kms. I buy the oil whenever it's on sale and only use OEM or premium Wix filters. I change it myself or take the oil/filter to a 10min shop in the winter so it doesn't cost that much more than using dino at a dealer.

I am not a fan of running synth's for extended periods as the oil does more than just lubricate, it also collects corrosive combustion by-products that the filters don't remove. I've also never found a oil/lube place that sold a filter that I liked. My 2K2 SE was a real picky car when it came to oil and needed a filter that wouldn't leak through the drain back valve (like almost every Fram and other crap filter sold in Canadian lube shops). After doing some research I found the Purolator Pure One, Bosch and Premium Wix (same as Napa Gold in Canada) had the best valves and filtering and my 2K2 would start much quieter with those filters in place.

 

I just had my first change and it cost $109.00 for oil and filter. The oil was 18.00 a quart.

 

90 bucks for me

 

There seems to be some confusion over the requirement for "ester oil" for the 09 Maxima.

My operator's manual was printed in May 2008 and nowhere is there a call-out for ester oil. However, in reading the posts on this forum, I found out about this need.

I went to the local stealership this weekend. The parts guy said I must use ester oil; cost is $11.50 per quart. The service guy said no, normal oil is OK. It seems that the ester oil requirement was for Infiniti cars as there was incidents of engine ticking.

I suspect that some stealerships want to continue promoting the ester oil need for obvious reasons.

 

A dealership is going to charge you an arm and a leg any chance they get. why would anyone pay $18.00 a quart!? You would have to have crawled out of a cave to think that is a good price. The most i have seen a quart go for is AMS oil at $8.75 a quart, and there is nothing special about it. stick with a quality synthetic ( Mobil-1 ) and do it yourself, you will know if there is something wrong with your car before the dealership if you spend some quality time under the hood. And for those who have little or no mechanical knowhow, ask a buddy that does or a local Mechanic with a good rep, most friends love to spread the wealth and a good mechanic won't lead you astray. hell most auto stores will take the time to show you what to do now.

 

What seems to be at play is the perception that ester oil is required for the car. The fear is that if you do not use it and an engine issue arises, warranty may be denied.

There is no requirement for the more expensive oil. But we should not expect the stealership to broadcast this knowledge to all that need to know.

 

This has been a confusing topic. Someone needs to get an answer from someone other than a salesman or a service dept.

 

The only thing Nissan REQUIRES as far as oil goes is that the oil be API approved, and be of appropriate grade, quality and viscosity. Nissan also recommends energy conserving oil. The recommended viscosity is 5W-30, except in extreme climate conditions. The owner's manual shows an oil can with API level 'SM' (I think this is currently the highest grade in common use). And the oil entry in the Recommended Lubricants table (page 9-2 of the owner's manual) has an asterisk which refers to a footnote that says the Nissan RECOMMENDS genuine Nissan Ester Engine Oil available at Nissan dealers.

So the expensive Nissan Ester oil is not required to maintain the warranty. $4 a quart API rated 'SM' 5W-30 oil off the WalMart shelf will work. I would stick to name brands. I have always likes Castrol.

Of course for those who like to really baby their Maxima, Nissan has this Ester Oil . . .

 

interesting article about the synthetic vs. dino oil
http://www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/re...s/synthoil.htm

 

At $12-18 per quart, that's one expensive oil change!

 

My dealer mistakenly sold me the lifetime oil change package with my car... apparently that was a no-no due to the expensive ester oil and $110 per oil change. They still honored it though, and to my pleasant surprise, I got an unsolicited call from them a couple weeks ago regarding the matter. To make things officially right all-around, they decided to upgrade me to a higher-level maintenance package that includes ester oil and tire rotations at no extra charge. All for my original $250, I can't complain!

I really appreciated their good customer service and felt lucky. On another lucky note, I flew US Airways flight 1549 on Wednesday, the day before it crashed... Charlotte-Seattle leg though. I'll be buying a lottery ticket soon!

 

Even though this article was in connection with what oil to use in AIR cooled engines (like the old Volks), it did explain the differences in dino and synthetic in a way (at the molecular level) we usually don't see.

Reading between the lines of that article, I gather that (once an engine has been broken in), if we are going to drive the car aggressively, or tow a trailer, or operate in extreme climates, we should consider changing to synthetic. But if we are going to drive the car as a sporty family sedan, either oil is fine.

For me, the salient point of that article is that synthetic oil should not be run longer intervals than dino oil. It should be changed every 3750 miles, just like dino.

 

I'd be careful not to read too much into that article. While it did a good job of discussing the differences between synthetics and conventional oil, the interval changes between the two is subject to more factors than the author acknowledges. The UOA thread goes in-depth to evaluate the various factors that make some oils well suited to extended oil changes in VQ35DEs. For example, one sample (Shell Rotella T syn) was run in a 350Z for over 6K miles and still had TBN figures indicating the oil additive package was still intact.

Of course, for warranty purposes (or for those who want to be conservative) 3,750 mile changes is what you want to stick with on the Maxima. But it's good to know that, depending how and where you drive, some oils offer the OPTION of protecting your VQ35DE for longer. And in a day and age when fossil fuels are becoming ever more precious, conserving them is also becoming more necessary.

 

Advice taken. When that article began talking about engines without filters, I knew I was in over my depth. Even my lawn mower engine has a filter. I can see how they would say that unfiltered oil, whether dino or synthetic, should be changed at the same interval, but every mainline car sold in the U.S. that I am familiar with has a filter.

You touched on one of the reasons I tend to be slow in converting my Maximas to synthetic: I will be having the oil changed every 3750 miles without exception during the warranty period. The way I baby my Maxima while driving, a good dino oil works fine for 3750 miles.

 

read your service manual, it should state in there what you can put in the car. My Maintenance book or whatever you call that damn thing in the glove box states 5w30 or 10w30, however the service manual also mentions 10w40. I have a 6th gen and have an oil burning issue that is pretty common in the Vq35de and have done extensive research on what oil is the best to use and what not. Each oil has it's own qualities, whether it be cleaning agents, additives for quieter performance, or properties to help in fuel efficiency. I have used many different kinds of oil to include, Royal Purple, Penzoil, Valvoline, Castrol, Quaker state, and Mobile. Last week I switched from 5w30 to 10w30 to see if that would slow the oil buring issue, but after doing research I found what the numbers mean. First number "5"W30 is the winter catagory. So 5 is better in cold weather, like stated earlier, than 10, and 0 is better than 5. The 30 is the weight of the oil. Meaning 5W20 is thinner oil than 5W30. The "W" means "Winter" not weight as some people might think. So since I am burning oil I am going to use a 40 weight. I couldn't find a 5W40 from Mobil 1 so I am using a 0W40. Although me being in Hawaii I could use a 10W40 or even 15W40. I am not sure how the 7th gen engine was built in difference to the 6th gen or 6.5 gen but if I owned a 7th gen I would read the service manual and if I could use a thicker oil safely I would. A mistake I wish I would have known about earlier. Now I have to wait and hope I didn't do any serious damage by not using a thicker oil even though Nissan recommended 5W30 vice 5W40. This might have prevented the huge 4 banger Altima oil burning issues, that caused fires and recalls, and the G35/350Z lawsuit that's going on right now due to people burning/ceasing up their engines due to oil burning itself bone dry. I think I was lucky. I noticed abnormal noise early and checked the oil to fine nothing on the Dipstick. The next day changed the oil to only get 2 quarts out of the car. That is 2 1/4 quarts burned off in 3200 miles. That was using Nissan's oil. I had them change my oil last. Hope this helped in some way, if not please just ignore my rambling/irritation.

 

po8pimp - There is a problem with your engine. I have owned nothing but Maximas for over 24 years, and NEVER had one use more than a third of a quart between oil changes (at 3K intervals in olden days, now at 3750 intervals). That was true even with Maxima engines on which I put more than 200,000 miles using dino oil. I repeat: SOMETHING BAD IS WRONG WITH THIS ENGINE.

When I lived in southern Arizona (Bisbee, Sierra Vista, Tombstone), I used 10W-40 oil all winter, and 20W-50 oil all summer. Never saw much cold weather down there; just varying shades of hot. Never had any sign of engine problems. I probably would not use 20W-50 in this '09 Maxima, though, no matter how hot the weather. 5W30 in normal climates, 5W40 or 10W40 maybe in desert areas.

 

Yea that's kinda what I am afraid of. That's why I am monitoring it like never before. 150miles and so far so good. only 2850 to go The sound seemed like the timing chain and well since the oil change no sound whatsoever but the oil burning is my issue. I hope this thicker oil works out. Will be checking my fuel injectors soon as I can to see if one is leaking but until then I have to baby this thing. I heard a fuel injector failure causes oil to breakdown faster and burn off quick and well do what my car has done. But there are also other things that can cause burning of oil which I hope are not the cause but most likely it.

 

5 qt bottle 5w30 penzoil platinum full synthetic - $23, supertech filter - $3. Wallyworld. That's under $30 for a 7K interval. Get some ramps ($40), a drain pain ($8), and a oil filter wrench ($5) and your garage is in business (oh - and the 9/16ths wrench you already have in your basic set). You WILL be a much more burly man when you finish, and the neighborhood wives will be lovelorn for your accompaniment. $90 is a scam, and I would bet those with a service agreement are NOT getting the $12 Q oil. You will probably never know the difference since nothing happens to 99% of engines in the first 2 years...

 

I just left the dealership and had them perform the free 1st oil change on my car. When I was checking out the service rep told me that the car REQUIRES synthetic oil. He said that using the Nissan brand would cost me $114 or I could go with Mobil 1 and it would cost around $80.

So now I feel comfortable knowing I can use Mobil 1 and change my own oil from now on.

On the invoice it shows they used 5 quarts, is that what everyone else is finding out? I don't know if they rounded up or down or if it was 5 qts exactly.

 

^
I'm pretty sure that the service rep just lied to you to get you to buy the more expensive synthetic oil from them. I could be wrong, but I'm 99% sure that you are NOT required to use synthetic oil and using Dyno is perfectly fine. Can anyone please confirm.

 

Just did a change the other day and got Mobil 1 Synthetic, cost $35 with filter, flush and fill, car runs great.

I used to use nothing but Castrol in my other Maximas (the 2k is still on the road today over 400k Original motor and the 2k3 is still all and good with 100K on the original motor) both ran off of Synthetic Castrol.

I see no need to use Ester, especially at $12 a bottle<<<<<ridiculous!!

 

I've got a few options for you all from AMSOIL.

BUY AMERICAN!!

Spec. calls for 4.9 quarts, so round up to 5 quart bottles.

Filter:

"Made with a full metal base plate for superior strength at the double seal & also feature a silicone anti-drainback valve. Glass-enhanced media in WIX oil filters offers greater efficiency, capturing more 10 to 12 micron sized particles than other cellulose/synthetic blend medias. "
Retail: $11.95
Preferred Customer Pricing: $8.95

Synthetic Oil Options:
SAE 0W-30 Synthetic Signature Series Oil

"The industry benchmark in lubrication technology. Designed for those who demand the absolute best in motor oil performance. The exclusive “extended drain” formulation delivers superior engine protection and maximum fuel economy and exceeds the requirements of modern, high performance and older engines."
Retail: $11.10/qt
Preferred Customer Pricing: $8.50/qt

SAE 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil

"Engineered to outperform all conventional gasoline engine motor oils. Reduces heat, friction, and wear for maximum performance and fuel efficiency. Clean engine formula resists high-temp breakdown that forms sludge and varnish. Lasts longer and offers better protection."
Retail: $8.90/qt
Preferred Customer Pricing: $6.95/qt

These synthetic oils can also be purchased in Gallon jugs and Cases of 12 quarts.

If you are interested in the savings of being a Preferred Customer, you can Sign Up Here.

There are also a host of other products for your filtration and lube needs. Let me know if I can be of assistance.



Cheers,
Brian

 

I call BS BIGTIME on the garbage your service rep gave you.

An oil change (with filter change) requires 4 7/8 quarts, so 5 appearing on your bill is fine.

The owner's manual calls for API certified oil (all major brands with which I am familiar are 'API certified').

The owner's manual calls for viscosity of SAE 5W30.

The owner's manual RECOMMENDS (NOT REQUIRES) genuine Nissan ester engine oil.

The owner's manual NEVER MENTIONS synthetic oil, nor should it. Synthetic is DEFINITELY not the best oil to use during the break-in portion of an engine's life.


In summary, using ANY major brand 5W30 dino oil meets ALL WARRANTY REQUIREMENTS for maintaining your '09 Maxima, and will work fine in your car. I once drove a Maxima HARD (Atlanta commuter traffic) for over 206,000 miles using ONLY Castrol GTX 10W40 dino oil, and the engine was perfect the day I let that car go.

Going a step further, I personally would never use synthetic in a car of mine until I had at least 10K on the odo. The reasons for that (as well as the reasons some new cars come with synthetic) have been covered in various places here on the ORG dozens of times in the last five years. In a nutshell, synthetic lubricates so well it greatly slows down the engine break-in period, meaning the engine will not be running at full efficiency for an extended period.

Yes, the price Nissan is charging for their new energy-efficient ester oil is absurd. But I am hearing that these new ester oils really are excellent performers. I have not decided how long I will stick with the ester. But at some point, I will revert to either Castrol GTX dino or a good synthetic. I'm not into $100 oil changes for very long.

 

To me $90 oil changes for the first few years it is....I don't like it, but this is an expensive car and I'd like to make sure I'm doing whatever I can to keep it running at its best.

 

I like that approach. We want to give our babies the best, but not go bankrupt doing it.

I should have included in my tirade (post) above that the oil should be API certified with a Service Rating of 'SM'. Every time oil standards are raised, the last letter in the Service Rating goes up one. I can remember API service 'SC', as well as most of the ratings in between 'SC' and 'SM'.

Actually, I can remember when multi-viscosity oils had not yet been developed, and a can of oil had only one weight associated with it. That was the case when I began driving in 1949. 30 weight was the most common weight used in the south at that time.

 

On another thread I posted a link to a used oil analysis (UOA) thread for the VQ35DE. Reading through the latest posts, there's been some impressive results from a readily available synthetic oil. There's also a bonus in terms of cost; it's one of the cheaper synthetics out there. Here's the link for you to decide for yourself (see post #748):

http://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-d...d-info-38.html

 

Just got my first oil change at the dealership here La. $35 and they castrol 10w30; or at least thats what the ticket said.

 

I just changed my oil for the first time. Standard off-the-shelf 5W-30 Dino oil. I think it is Pennzoil. I don't think any of the dealers really buy into the ester oil.

At Walmart, the price of synthetic is only double that of Dino oil. I will go to Dino after 10k miles.

As much as we want to protect our investment, we don't need to go to extremes of formulation or cost. Just be consistent.

 

Hey guys,
thinking toward my first oil change, I have a question for those changing oil themselves. What filter model and number did you use.
The question stems from my inability to cross reference
WIX / Purolator / FRAM

I got model
51358 for WIX
L14612 for Purolator
PH6607 for FRAM

Not that I am going to use FRAM, but when I saw it at Walmart, I was surprised at how small it was, and to make sure decided to cross reference on FRAM.com website. My intent is to use Wix, so if you have the right part # verified, please let me know.
thanks,
Max

 

Max-I have no cross-reference #'s to provide. However, the Nissan OEM filter is quite compact, so replacements will have to share those dimensions. Many of the current Nissan (and Infiniti) line share these universal fit oil filters.