My 05 Maxima SE is at 1100 miles, so I contacted my dealer's service department. At 1000 miles, they do a general vehicle inspection, but I also mentioned that I'd like to go ahead and do an oil change. He said they use Mobil products and I asked when he recommended going to synthetic. He said with the Max you could go synthetic at any time... but this conflicts with some of the things I've read here and at bitog.

When I go, I was thinking of specifying Mobil Clean 5000 5W-30 with the 15208-9E000 filter.

Thoughts?
JTB

 

you're engine is not even broken in yet..
at least waitn 15k before going synthetic

 

Why don't use just use Castrol GTX 5W-30 and the Nissan oil filter if thats not what you specified. I'd also be inclined to wait awhile before switching.

 

The general rule of thumb for Maximas is not to switch to synthetic before 10,000 miles.

 

I thought it was more like 15 or 20K.

 

most new cars you can switch to synthetic whenever, I did at 6 K after 1 regular oil change. New cars dont "break" in like older cars and many have synthetic from the factory.

 

I'd agree with the max the only issue if there is one that the rings may take a little longer to bed in, is this going to cause adverse affects on the motor during this time I think not, I did mine after 1500k used ams 0w-30 no issues used a 1yr/12k change out 6month filter change. I took oil analysis along the way engine was wearing xcellently oil was still fine and suggested to go longer I didn't I just changed out just my ritual @ 36k I've been using a different synthetic experiencing awesome results motor is clean as a whistle no sludge what so ever super clean vehicle now has 75k on it. I've got over 40k on this synthetic. Filter changed out only twice.

 

You should not switch to syn with less than 11237.54 miles.

 

I think the dealership is right, i.e., you can use synthetic at anytime. Based on the ubiquitous expertise, most cars now don't require a break-in-period, so go synthetic!!!

 

Max is right-on...

 

Nissan and Mobil are running a sales promotion this next month and last, give your engine a chance to wear in, and wait for synth

 

I am very iffy on the oil changes (although not a Maxima driver but SR20DE-engined).

1st change at 50 Km ( !!!): oil filter + any good mineral oil at the viscosity suggested in the FSM.
Almost 50% of the wear-tear-ring bedding seems to happen right away.

2nd change at 500 Km : oil filter + any good mineral oil at the viscosity suggested in the FSM.
At 500 almost 75% of the wear-tear-ring bedding is done.

3rd change at 5000 Km: oil filter + any good fully synthetic oil at the viscosity suggested in the FSM or better. Currently Shell Helix Ultra 0-W40.
After 5000 almost 90%+ of the wear-tear-ring bedding is done.

After that changes as per FSM.

 

Sounds like overkill to me. Aren't the engines run in at the factory to a certain extent, which would preclude the need for the above oil-change schedule?

 

Well, it sounds like overkill to me TOO!!!

And yes, they do run the engines at the factory. The interesting thing is HOW they run them. Idle to 2000rpm until they are in operating temperature and then continuously to the redline for 2-5 minutes in a stream of air-flow so they never get above proper temperature. And then they change the oil and they are ready to be sold!!!

Still, I used the above method in 4-stroke motorcycles back in my "moto-racing" days and paid very close attention to the ammount of debris collected by the oil filter. The % points I stated above are accurate and also hold for car engines.

1st oil filter at 50Km contained roughly 50 "units" of debris.
2nd oil filter at 500Km contained roughly 25 "units" of debris. (half as the first one)
3rd oil filter at 5000Km contained roughly 15 "units" of debris.

All filters from there on (every 5000Km with oil in my case) contain like 1 "unit" of collected metal. Unless of course something was wrong with the engine.

Overkill or not, the 50:1 ratio I observed back then between the 1st filter and the remaining ones convinced me. I would do it even if it was 5:1.

BTW, the 5000Km (~3500miles) change interval was motivated from tests done by the Sr20 croud on synthetic and minral oils. They basically found that mineral started showing a degradation of its characteristics at ~ 2500 miles. Synthetics at ~3500 miles. Not that they were done by then but they definitely had started displaying an observable degradation.

 

Both my Maxes -my previous Gen4 and now my '01- went to full synthetic at their first oil change which I performed at 1500 miles....

BTW, Corvettes, Porsches, all BMWs and many other cars come from the factory with synthetic oils in the crankcase, so.....the 'dont do synthetics until after 10k miles or the engine is fully broken in' opinions are pure hogwash, IMHO. Maybe that was the case when engine machining tolerances were crapola, but with today's precision machining and fine control of tolerances, synthetic, dino oil....no difference for better or worse break-in.

Wait until 10k miles and you have just added 8k miles of unnecesary, unwarranted, extra engine wear by staying with the dino oil....

 

.......

 

So sayeth the Master tho really it's the equilivant of what I have gleemed from automotive mags at the mechanics shop and at home. So if my mechanic / Groomsman swears by the technology than it's good enough for me.

 

Wait a minute, the mobile 5000 clean isn't a synthetic oil is it? It's a dino oil. The 7500 is a blend and 15000 is the full synthetic. Right?

 

Mobil1 means full synthetic. why would they sell dyno extended and original Mobil Syn?

your dealer will put in whatever oil you bring, but telling them you're interval will be 5000 will lose your engine warranty. Service flat out told me Nissan will not cover oil changes over 3750. Unless I suppose you fall under the 7500 schedule.

Your warranty will be under Mobil and a lot of fun it will be to get service due to the oil.

Nissan's standing is to wait for 20,000 for synthetic. it may not matter if you go early, but won't hurt if you wait.

Also, doesn't it make any difference that the "corvettes, porches, bimmers..." come with syn and are engineered to do so? What would you say to a guy that prefers dino and dumps his new vette to use GTX?

 

I changed my Max to full synthetic at just over 1,000 miles. I bought the car new in December 1998 (she is a 1999 GLE) and I drive her about 25,000+ miles per year. She turned 164,500 on the way home today. IMHO, there is no problem in switching to syn at the first oil change.