Go to BITOG, i.e. bobistheoilguy.com there you will get all the answers

 

WOW, tmi...I thought we were dorks nerding over our cars, but all that over oil? Jeez, just keep it changed REGULARLY with consistent name brand and you'll be fine.

 

Just finished a 15000 mile interval with Extended. The time around I have the filter to go along with it.

 

for all you guys who change filters at 5k and oil at 10k. Do you guys just swap them out quickly and let w/e oil drip out drip? Or is there a way to prevent oil from dripping when removing the fliters?

 

This is prob going to be the most n00b question in this thread. You guys all said that buying the 5-quart jug at Walmart/Costco is the cheapest. But the VQ needs 4.25 quarts. What do you guys use to measure out the .25 quart? or know how much 4 quart is? Is there like a water bottle I can rince out to use or something? Say a 2 liter soda bottle, 4 liter = 4.22 quarts, would that work?

 

I use one old quart oil bottle to get the 4 quarts. There is no easy to read mark on that old bottle, so this is just an approximate volume of 4 quarts. Then I use the dipstick to get the final amount in the car. You have to check it a couple of times to be certain the oil filter is now full of oil. It works.

 

just pour it from the jug...theres a reading on the side of the bottle telling you how much you have left...just keep going until you have .75qt left...no need to fiddle around with other funnels or coke bottles

 

Oh great! The bottle marking will def help, thanks steven.

 

I find it hard to pour from a 5 quart jug. That is why I use the individual quart old oil bottle.

 

Well, that's what funnels are for.

 

Just bought my Max 2 weeks ago. First thing I did was put M1 5w30 synth. in it with an M1 filter.

I'm mainly doing in town driving so I'll be changing oil and filter every 6 months(about 4,000 miles).

 

With the help of this thread and steven, I changed my own oil today! Haha, I know it is not a big achievement, but now I will NEVER take it to be done by a shop again, it is so rediculuosly easy! The entire process took my friend and I an hour (30 degree weather) including the trip to Autozone to recycle the old oil. And I don't know if it is a placebo effect, but my engine feels smoother through the rpm range.

And does anyone know if it is bad to go WOT right after an oil change? Because I did

Edit: Walmart sells a plastic oil drain pan for $5, it is really convinient to use. It has 2 drain holes up top, and a side hole to pour out.

 

Costco Sells 6 quart cases for $22.00, +/- some change depending on where you live. The one by me has both 10w30 and 5w30. The '05 uses 4.5 quarts, so on my fourth change all I need to buy is the filter.

 

Once the new oil filter is saturated with motor oil (about 2 minutes max), WOT should not be a problem (unless the engine is not yet broken in per Nissan's recommendations).

 

Actually Mobil synthetic excels there too , with it's low volotility in the hottest part of the engine , the ring belt area will remain very clean as will the cylinder decks .

Mineral oils have come a long way but in regards to overall engine cleanliness over the long haul Mobil synthetic will win out . Not many keep their cars to 200k-300k and extend to oil change intervals out if even to 2k more miles per interval to ever see the cost/cleanliness benefits of full pao type synthetics though .

 

I change oil every 6-7K

 

Mobil 1 every 5k for me

 

I change mine every 6 months. I would do it every 5K except that I only drive about 6K a year. That's right, I said a year! That will change this upcoming summer (moving to Fort Worth and will probably have longer commutes to work and other places).

 

I just started using Mobil 1 and am changing it every 3k. Having a buddy who closes at George Forman's shop has some great advantages...

 

i use 5w-30 and change every 12K with a filter change at 6K (using a nissan filter). from what i've been told, synthetic oil can theoretically be used up to 20K.

 

Thats crazy...I do it every 3K since I am boosted. I like sending clean oil through my blower at all times

-matt

 

Im running castrol synthetic right now, but I think with my next oil change, I'm going to switch over to M1 10w-30 just to see what it's all about. Any others ever made this switch from castrol to M1? Any noticeable differences?

 

I agree with everything that Chernmax posted. I like a lot of posters for this forum used to change my oil (dino) every 3K religiously. I think I did this because it's what everyone did and also what my dad told me to do. The fact is this might have been true maybe 20 years ago with older technology and inferior oils/filter. A few years ago I started hearing all the buzz about Mobil 1 and Synth. Oils. Some people said they're too expensive; they swell your seals and cause leaks and other things. They pretty much all turned out to be a bunch of BS! Look on your owners manual, nowhere does it say 3K intervals I believe most say 7500K for dino.

I did hours of research on-line, on forums, articles like: the Synthetic Oil Life Study http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/s.../oil-life.html Then I came to the conclusion that the whole 3K OCI is nothing but a scam! A bunch of FUD (Fear, uncertainty, and doubt). I realized I'd been wasting my time and money for years with my previous cars. I then started to do the math and realized that since I change my own oil that running Mobil 1 and Nissan OEM filter and running 5K intervals that my cost would be about the same. One big plus is less oil changes, I don't mind working on my car but it's not my favorite thing to do.

I started out with 5K intervals with OEM filter for two years. I purchased my 97 SE with 19,200K on it. I made the switch @ 20K, I also did FULL AT tranny flush with Redline D4 Synth. (about 12 qts). After about 2 years of 5K oil/filter OCI, I decided to revisit/research the oil change interval debate again researching hours on-line. I then realized that changing my oil @ 5K was waste for my driving style because dino can easily go 5K. When I told my brother, also a car fanatic about what I was doing he said I was crazy, crazy for paying the extra $ for Mobil 1 and also running 5K intervals. We actually got into a pretty heated argument. I sent him a hand full of links which FACTUALLY supported my conclusions. After about 6 months he called me one day and told me that he had switched to Mobil 1 and 7500K intervals. It’s not a type. He is the guy that told me I was crazy for doing 5K intervals and then calls me to tell me he’s doing 7500K? I was pleasantly surprised, but curious to see why he was doing 7500K. He said he learned from doing some research that 7500K was more than safe. I too switched to the 7500K interval at the next change. I only stayed on the 7500K interval for 3 oil changes. I learned from many peoples Black Stone Oil Analysis’s that it would be safe to go 10K. But, but bro is too chicken to follow me and go the 10K route.


This is the third time I've visited the whole OCI debate and people still are talking/debating about this issue. The fact is Synth. Oil i.e. M1, Amsoil, Redline, etc. can easily last 10K. Those of you changing @ 3K are wasting your money. True, it is your money, but you're wasting it. The disturbing part is that you're using Synth Oil because you know the inherent lasting protection/performance qualities, yet you're not trusting them by not running the oil longer. Correct me if I'm wrong is this not hypocrisy? Most people say it's for a peace of mind, or they feel safer and what not?. This makes no sense to me? If you believe in Synthetic's superior qualities then you should use them for how they were designed. The quick oil (Jiffy, Valvoline, Dealers) change places are making a killing on the 3K OIC scam. If everyone changed their oil at about 7500K those places would only make half the profit. Also think about the environment effects. The fact is no one here on Maxima.org is can make anyone change their oil at such and such intervals. But, the forum is a great place for advice and help. I’ve been helped and help many issues because of the forum and also donated some cash to the cause. By telling people that OCI at less then 5K is a waste of $$, is sound, money saving advice. If I didn’t know I was wasting money and someone show me why with sound, factual advice I would be a fool not to take it.



.My 97 SE has just hit 116K, still runs perfect! I get about 23 MPG in city and about 32 MPG on a good day highway and sticking to my 10K OCI, maybe even thinking about going to 15K, who knows? We’ll see.


Not to digress, but is a Nissan Max. OEM filter good for 10K or should I change at 5K which halfway to my 10K OCI. I'm not looking to make myself feel better or give me peace of mind if I change the filter @ 5K. Only sound advice please. No "my daddy says oil filter should be changed at 3K" replies.

 

Great post madd. I agree with all of your points. I am changing my Mobil 1 every 7,500 because that is the maximum OCI that Nissan will allow and still keep the power train warranty in force. When that warranty ends for me, I too will go to a 10 K mile OCI for my Max. It also appears that the better quality Nissan oil filter remains the best buy for the money.

After reading a number of posts on this site, I believe that when I go to a 10 K mile OCI, I will also begin changing the Nissan oil filter at a 5 K mile interval. It appears that going 7.5 K miles on this filter is probably the maximum you should attempt.

Finally, it's not been noted in any media that I read, but extra-low sulfur gasoline will be everywhere in the USA by some time early this spring. Because the government is forcing the oil companies to take out more of the sulfur that normally appears in most commercial grades of gasoline, this will improve the life of many auto components including: mufflers, tail pipes and motor oil. I can give you the physics why reducing sulfur increases the life of motor oil, if you don't already know -- but it does. With this better gasoline, we may even be able to look at even longer OCI in the future.

 

^^^^ OT, but whatever savings we may see in not replacing componentry, will more than be taken up by higher gas prices thanks to reformulation. The oil companies don't lose, they just pass the cost right along.

 

And the oil companies know this, that's why their is not a Hugh marketing campaign to change the 3K mindset even if you use Mobil 1 syn unless you actually read the bottle or do the research. The oil companies will always remain more than happy that you are now paying a higher price and doing oil changes more often, If I where in business and 3K is the brain lock of my customers, I'd also be more than happy to deposit a customers money in my bank account.

Here’s a thought, BMW M-5, M-3, Ferrari, Z06 Corvette, Porsche, 50K+ (lowest price tag) just to name a few that all come brand spanking new with Mobil1 syn as stock oil.

"Quote" Mobil 1 currently enjoys the distinction of being the only readily available true PAO synthetic motor oil. You can get the stuff at Wal-Mart for Pete's sake! Perhaps because of its wide availability and comparatively low price, we entered this test with both hope and skepticism: hope that it would do well and vindicate millions of M1 users, and skepticism that it would pull it off. We were expecting it to look pretty beat up by 8,000 miles or so; to say we missed the mark would be a polite understatement. Mobil 1 really delivered: 18,000 miles later, it was showing its age but was still hard at work protecting the engine. “End Quote”

Links:

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/s.../oil-life.html
http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html

Did some of your homework, read up:

Bottom line, I stand behind 7500K-10000K based on MY driving habits and oil filter change every 5K.

 

There is no one oil interval that works for everyone. Your driving habits, enviornment, and engine condition and maintenance is the ultimate determi-nator.

I too through habit and old-world dad and mechanic hearsay have followed the 3-5k oil interval and adjusted it accordingly depending on how often you do city driving. However, after doing an oil analysis comparison between regular and synthetic oil in my 2001 I30, I've found it best to recommend the 5-7.5k interval for dino and 7.5-10k for synthetic.

I also have cut apart various filters for our beloved engine and with the oil and compared in the oil analysis and concluded that for the Nissan OEM oil filter and Purolator Premium+ that both contain similar amount of filter area and can go farther than 10k.

For the technically inclined search through BITOG forums for razel to see details on my comparisons and filter cut ups.

A quick preview:

2001 Infiniti I30 (Nissan V6 3.0L VQ30DE-K)

70% highway with some traffic - 30% street driving

1st column: Castrol GTX 5/30 SM @ 7.2k
2nd: Mobil 1 10/30 SL @ 10k
3rd: Chevron 10/30 SL @ 5.5k
4th: universal averages

miles 7.2k 10k 5.5k
Aluminum 3 4 2 4
Chromium 1 1 1 2
Iron 8 12 8 13
Copper 7 9 5 4
Lead 5 6 5 9
Tin 2 1 2 1
Molybdenum 12 69 56 60
Nickel 0 0 0 0
Manganese 1 0 0 1
Silver 0 0 0 0
Titanium 0 0 0 0
Potassium 2 0 1 1
Boron 12 90 53 40
Silicon 13 13 13 14
Sodium 8 9 2 8
Calcium 2175 2273 1735 2017
Magnesium 13 15 4 322
Phosphorus 582 658 653 778
Zinc 712 856 894 918
Barium 0 0 0 0
VIS @ 210F 62.6 61.5 62.6 should be 56-63
Flashpoint 415F 435F 435F should be >356
Fuel <0.5% <0.5% <0.5% should be <1%
Antifreeze 0 0 0
Water 0 0 0
Insolubles 0.3 <0.2 0.2 should be <0.6
TBN 2.4 1.8 2.4

The summary:
dino at 5.5k and 7.5k perform just as good as Mobil 1 synth at 10k.

 

So you're saying that changing my OEM oil filter at 10k interval is safe? Or Should it be done at 5K in the middle of my OCI? Can anyone shed more detailed info on how long the OEM Max filters are good for?

On a side note I've noticed that M1 now has this "Extended 15K Sythetic" out. I believe the bottle says Guaranteed for 15K, is this a better blend or more marketing hype? I always buy my M1 at Walmart and stock up on the 5 quart jugs 4 at a time because I change my wife's Accord and my Max. The last 5 trips to Walley World I've had no luck finding the 5 Quart 5w30 Extended in stock and the regular 15w30 in the 5 Qts are the there but scarce. The stock guy said something about Hurricane Katrina and a shortage/delay. The extended 15K M1 is about $4.00 more in the 5 Qts than the stand 15w30 in the 5 Qts. I've ran both and didn't notice any difference. I wonder if the 15K has more additives as far as detergents to make the oil last longer.

 

For Mobil 1 syn, the test data indicates far greater than 10K on oil changes, however I recommend 7.5K-10K oil change intervals and oil filter changes at the 5K intervals. This balance ensures maximam protection without the brickhead 3K change everything thinking!

Oh and you will truly be getting what you pay for and not OVERPAYING...

Again, information the oil companies will never tell you unless YOU ask...

 

To qualify the oil filter @ 10k statement. It's only true if your driving and engine conditions are the same as mine which on this board seems like your engines are far more babied than mine. I drive 70% freeway with traffic in Los Angeles and rest is city. Of course I do WOT a few times a month to enjoy the car.

Regardless, the data shows that the oil filter can do more than 10k, but I wouldn't do so unless you do oil analysis to check the insoluables. The Nissan OEM @ 5k & 10k with .2 insolubles was as good as Purolator .3 @ 7.5k. That's ABOUT LESS THAN HALF the borderline .6 value. And at those wear #'s the engine can last WELL past 200k. So yes 10k is safe for the oil filter, if your engine is well kept and well driven and you're not doing rallies.

Mobil1 Extended 15k synthetic is a more robust blend, (see virgin analysis on BITOG) but most people don't bother to do the 15k mileage. I was tempted to, but didn't since I already met my maintenance requirements of 7.5k. At 7.5k while waiting to let the dino drain, rotate the tires. Maintain the car in the morning and enjoy the car the rest of the day.

I try to keep maintenance to a minimum and maximize my enjoyment of the car. Unless maintenance is a hobby you enjoy, then enjoy finding, fixing problems and improving your ride!

 

Thanks for the expounding on the 10k Filter interval. I think I'll be "safe" and do the filter @ 5K in the middle of my OCI since my driving is about 70% city and 30% hwy. I agree, I too try to maximize the enjoyment of my car. I do the airfilter and tire rotation also @ 10K. I've been doing my tranny with Redline @ 30K, don't know if this is early or not?

 

30K for tranny sound about right...

 

Speaking of Tranny. My max has 67,000 and I only did a "flush" (did it at a shop who didnt do a complete drain. Only drained the pan and poured more in. So Im guessing it was half.) at 30,000 miles. Should I really take the pan apart and clean the magnets and do the whoel 12 qt. flush? Am I screwing my tranny by not doing a flush for this long?

 

If you're not having problems, I wouldn't worry. The tranmission enviornment is cleaner than the engine enviornment that engine oil has to deal with. You at least changed some of it.

Just remember at 90k or 100k miles to flush all 12qts.

If it helps you sleep better, if your transmission pan has a drain bolt, drain it next time you change your engine oil. It does take a LOONG time for the drain from the bolt to slow to a drip. Took me 2 hours+

 

I change mine every 3k with Mobil 1 5-30 its only like $25 to do my oil change so mite as well keep my engine healty

 

So how do you change the filter without losing some of the oil? Add more im guessing...

 

............................BINGO

 

Lower sulfur content in gasoline will be here by March 1, 2006. Read the details of this change and the implications that the change has for OCI and exhaust system life on my new posting in Fluids & Lubes.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=456754

 

Every 4K, with a Fram TuffGuard filter

 

If your using Mobil 1 your intervals are wasting money and you have ZERO justification as to why you are fixed on your moron ways...

Oh, and please don't tell me you daddy told you so....