I mean for example, If i use the mobile 1 synthetic on the 7th gen, should I change it every 3,000 or go even longer?

 

I use Mobil 1 every 5,000 miles in the Corvette and 2007 Maxima (86K miles). As soon as I use up the 4 freebie dino oil changes at the dealer on the 2012 Maxima, I'll shift it over to Mobil 1 also.
Also I use the 15208-9E000 better filter on both Maximas. Lots of threads on this subject.

 

i would go a little longer since it is synthetic ...i normally go about 7000 miles

 

I've never read a report from a VQ35DE owner where the oil survey supports extended change intervals. Something about shear. Better, I think, to change at 3750 with cheap Castrol GTX than to try for 7000 with expensive synthetic.

 

theres plenty of guys on here that use synthetic and have extended change intervals...if you go to auto zone they tell you that you can easily double the mileage if you use synthetic.

 

Link me to a clean oil analysis of a VQ35DE with a change interval of 7000 miles or more. From what I see on the BITOG forums, a number of folks have had better results with non-synthetics.

If you really want a good answer, check this out:

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

 

i actually read the whole thing and it says and i quote "If you want to stay in warranty, then follow Nissan’s guidelines. If you’re outside of warranty, or don’t care to follow Nissan’s guidelines while you’re in warranty, then there are oils which have been shown to protect the VQ engine for long drain intervals (over 12k miles)." AND "The only thing I will add is that for extended oil drains, a synthetic media filter has been shown to maintain filtering efficiency longer than other filters. So, if you plan on going longer than 7k miles on an oil change, I recommend a good synthetic filter like Mobil1, K&N, or Amsoil." so im not quite sure where you got your info from..

 

That's a pretty heavily qualified quote selection, and so it should be. The VQ series is known to be hard on oil. My point is that you can't treat all synthetics equally. More than a few folks have seen better results with GTX than standard Mobil 1, and they've posted the analysis slips to prove it. My dealership sends me $20 oil change coupons about every other month. The cost difference is a wash, I don't see any great reason to do extended OCIs at all.

 

however we are talking about our maximas and that exact forum thread is talking about our engines....so what i was saying to the guy above was accurate.

 

Both sides are correct here. I have run Maxima engines over 200,000 miles with Castro dino oil and had the engine still purring like a kitten. But there are many folks (probably the majority on this board) who switch to full synthetic, and go between 5K and 10k between changes, and that works very well also.

It only stands to reason that the synthetic oil which has been in the engine 7K miles will be dirtier than dino oil that has been in the engine only 3K miles. But there are many factors involved.

The purpose of oil is not only to keep the moving engine parts from wearing each other out, but to carry all dirt and particles in suspension to the filter, where they can be removed from the oil. But filters are all different. Some screen smaller particles than others. Even the best filters leave some microscopic particles in the oil.

What we have to understand is that the particles that make it through a good filter and stay in the oil and make make the oil look (and analyze) dirty, are very very tiny, and do not offer a major threat to engine parts. So synthetic oil that has 7K miles may look and test dirtier than dino oil with 3.7K miles, but its superior lubricating properties should offset the effect of microscopic particles that make it look and test dirtier.

As I said at the top, both ways work very well. I have now owned nothing but Maximas for 27 1/2 years, and never had the first whisper of engine problems. That tells me that both these methods are working just fine.

 

Like the other person, before I go to change my 1,000 mile first change, want to locate this oil filter. A small "door" on the pass side?

 

I've been using Mobile 1 on all my vehicles for a long as i can remember, changing every 5K miles and never any kind of problem. One vehicle a 1990 Accord had almost 300K miles and still running strong. I gave it to my Grandson for a daily driver to school. For about 27 bucks to buy a Nissan oil filter, 5 qts of Mobile 1 and add an hour of time, a couple times a year is little money and effort to keep my Nissans well protected.

 

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4z...bDFIWGhrZzIzUQ

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4z...WW1SOFdtbE9hQQ

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4z...dEhrbk9nQV9Vdw

It seems like there ARE a few samples that have run longer than 7000 miles without significant trouble. The one that I ran to 11,xxx miles was probably a little too far, but I'm certain that the problem was a bearing streak rather than actual wear from abrasive oil...especially considering that the numbers were EXACTLY the same when I changed the oil at 13,xxx miles (was having some trouble with USPS and the sample took a few weeks to get to Blackstone).

1 - when you live in a remote area of Navajo Nation as a contract worker, ANY form of modern civilization is 2 hours away....that means anytime you go grocery shopping or just somewhere that has walmart, or decide to get of the rez, it's a minimum of 400 miles. As you can see, I rack up a little over 3000 miles / month. I change my own oil and garages don't exist here. For me, it's not economical to change the oil every month or two. Especially considering there's a Tundra 5.7 here as well that requires 8 quarts of oil every oil change and it accumulates the miles just as fast. The VQ is hardER on oil than most engines....but it's not THAT bad.

2 - yes, my personal information is on there, so please don't stalk me.

Late,
Trav

 

Look up.

 

Hey this is fun, The Nissan Service Advisory said the same thing "it's on the oil pan" I said funny. Finally found everything unlike most cars I worked on for the last 40 years. Get old Can't find it. First time great, hard and messy. Damn thing so low to the ground can't use a creeper, even when it's on ramps. Oh wish I wish I had lift. This elderly outta shape lazy shade-tree ain't been under one in a while. Not when I can get Wally-World to do it for $14 or so. Be see'n ya. hope I didn't make mistake. But Got about 4 more yrs. on warranty and 46,000 mi. I know, but every time I bought one I was glad I did. P.S. Anyone know of any unannounced secret recalls. I have a small clunk in the left front sometimes. Don't wanna pay dealer to not find something.

 

+1 I've been doing this since the mid 90s when I had first camaro, and 3 camaros, a chevy truck, and now my 09 max and the wife's 11 Murano I'm doing the same thing every 5k and have not ever had problems.

 

Hey guys....

I just got my 2012 S a couple months ago. Before that I had an '03 with 170k on it. While I still had my '03, i stocked up on some M1 EP when it was on sale at walmart, but having a car that was long out of warranty with no plans to get a new car, I didnt keep the receipt.

So now I have a new car thats under warranty, and three 5-qt jugs of M1 EP without a receipt. I know we are allowed to change the oil ourselves and maintain the warranty as long as we keep the receipts, but i dont have the receipts.

Any recommendations or advice on how to use the receiptless oil and still keep the warranty?

Thanks.
Kevin

 

I would consider getting new oil during the warranty period, and then using the stock you have after drivetrain warranty runs out. Or, you could use the old oil on other/friends/relatives cars.

 

Buy new oil, put it in your garage and use the oil you've already got. Rotate your stock for a couple years like that. Then you don't have to worry about the receipts.

 

I was talking to a guy at work about it.....he recommended to return them to walmart and take a store credit. They go and buy new jugs and get a receipt.

I think thats what I'll do

Thanks for the advice.

 

Note that I did a write up on this (with photos) at http://forums.maxima.org/7th-generat...-pics-diy.html

 

My brother from another mother.... I thought I was the only person that changed oil at 1K miles on a new car. I have done this on every new car I have purchased. Next oil change at 3k miles and then every 3K after that. Nearly everyone I know thinks I'm crazy for changing oil at 1K miles and as often as I do...

My take on it... it's cheap insurance.

 

So I just bought my son a used 2011 Maxima S 3.5 for his 16th bday! We were changing the oil in his car this evening, and did everything it said to do. Purchased oil filter from AutoZone, used Mobil 1 synthetic oil (5 qts) and made sure to tighten the drain plug and oil filter. Once he started his car, oil starting gushing out from under his car....... HELP! I am trying not to freak out here, but any ideas on what happened? It looks like the oil filter pulled away since there is about a 1/4" gap between the filter and the car. I am a single mom and am learning all of this with him. He is frustrated and I am scared that we may have messed something up.

 

Sounds like the oil filter is not seated up against the receiver if you can see a 1/4 inch gap. Can you give us the filter brand and number, maybe its the wrong one. Get the number off the filter not from the box or sales receipt. For the future I have only used Nissan OEM oil filters and never any kind of a problem.

 

Sounds like the old filter gasket may still be on there...make sure that it is removed before putting the new one on as sometimes they come off the filter and stick to the vehicle. To be safe, just put a whole new filter on tightened properly after verifying the old seal is removed, and top off the oil as needed. No need for OEM on the filter as long as it's decent quality.