Recently I have taken on doing more things on my own, mainly to save money. Also I moved to New Zealand and im having a hard time finding anything the same. It has been difficult to find my old brand of oil or anything in 5w-30 for that matter, and 10w-30 is very hard to find as well.

As for the oil, I have used Castrol GTX 5w-30 since 1997. Here in New Zealand this about the closest thing I can find but its synthetic. Here is the link:
Castrol : Formula R Synth
http://www.castrol.com/castrol/produ...tentId=6007628

I wanted some second and third opinions to make sure this is ok to start using. My engine is fine, no leaks.

Also the oil filter was different. The Nissan USA oil filter 15208-9E000 is not available here, so I ended up with Nissan of Japan oil filter 15208-31U00. I did a search to see if this one will be okay and found some info here:
http://www.motorvate.ca/mvp.php/515

at the bottom of the page he list some information about it.

I plan on sticking with the oil but just having a few of the nissan oil filters from home sent over. I apprecite any help and advice. I have always let nissan change the oil and filter every 3000-3500 miles but with the cost of living so much more here, i have no choice but to get my hands dirty and do this stuff myself to save money.

Castrol : Formula R Synth 5w-30: $54.99
Nissan Genuine Oil Filter: 15208-31U00 : $30.00

By those prices alone its enough to make you cry. Which brings another good question. How many miles should i expect with this synthetic blend ?

Thanks for the help !

 

 

The JDM filters in general have consistently been of better quality, I wouldn't worry about them. But at $30, I'd have a case of USA nissan ones sent over!

 

ROFL !! no kidding jeff, i looked on some receipts from nissan and they were charging me 5.68 cents for the nissan filter. any idea on the oil ? it should be okay right ?

 

You don't say how many miles you have on your Maxima. If you have at least 10,000 you are safe to change to synthetic. The Castrol product you show appears to be a full synthetic motor oil and not a synthetic blend. That is good.

It will depend on the type of driving you do in New Zeland. If you don't drive very far before turning the engine off -- so the motor oil does not have a chance to fully warm up, you will need to change it more frequently. If the engine runs for longer periods so the oil warms up, you will be OK changing the synthetic oil like I do every 7,500 miles while the engine is under warranty, going to 10,000 miles when the warranty expires. In any event, I would suggest that you at least change oil every 12 months.

 

the chariot has 158,000 miles.

 

With that mileage on the engine, I would watch carefully for excessive oil burning. I had an 87 Celica that burned too much oil, so I only did one change to synthetic and then went back to dino-motor oil. If your car only burns about 1 to 2 quarts between oil changes, you should be OK. Also, pay attention to how long the engine runs. Many short trips are very hard on motor oil, and require you to change more frequently (in your case I would say 5,000 miles or 6-months) than if the oil gets and stays hot for some time (when you can change every 10,000 miles or 12 months).

 

silver thanks for all the info, my car doesnt burn any oil, from oil change to oil change. but i will keep an eye out with this oil to see if anything happens. i have heard on a few occasions some ticking at idle. Which i switched to castrol gtx 10w-30 and can hear nothing. Seems like it was at start up though. again thanks and i will keep a look out to see how things go with this castrol formula r. just kinda felt like my back is against the wall over here.

 

interesting find from looking through the stickies and faqs:

1. Oils to stay away from IF going over 3,000 mile intervals:
Any Valvoline Oil (consistent sub-par analysis results, all tend to shear down real quickly; additive packages are inferior to other brands)

Castrol Syntec Blend Castrol Syntec Full Synthetic Oil [NOT GTX] (consistent so-so to sup-part analyses results and shady marketing practices)

Royal Purple Oil (thins in viscosity relatively quickly and too expensive considering there are other synthetic oils that do not thin as fast that are less expensive)


NOTE: These oils will protect fine up to 3,000 miles, they just don't represent a good value based upon their additive package and/or their oil analysis reports for Maxima-specific engines. It does not mean they "suck".

Link: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=227996
Post: #1

 

Bottom line: You would be better using Amsol or Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil. Perhaps you can order some sent to New Zeland and not have to pay an arm and a leg for shipping cost. But you should order this oil now because the cheaper shipping cost will be via ship -- which takes a long time.

 

There's an AMSOIL Distribution Center in New Zealand, so that will solve the delivery problem. Normally I don't push this option, but in your case it might be advisable to become a Preferred Customer. I don't know what the fee is in NZ, but for US customers it's $10 for a 6-month membership. Members can place their orders directly with AMSOIL and they can order as much or as little oil as they want for the same price I pay as a Dealer...this will save about 25% on the purchase. Members also receive a nice introductory packet of literature and a subscription to AMSOIL's monthly magazine. The magazine is a good publication as it contains technical information on AMSOIL products, highlights new products and has interesting articles on industry trends. The membership fee essentially covers the cost of the literature/magazine you receive...it's a good deal. If you think you might benefit from this, pls drop me an e-mail or PM and I will e-mail you the appropriate form.