Alright so here i am once again asking about 40 weights.

I think i can get some esso 0w-40, synthetic, if i could would this be a good choice for my car (98 I30) with winter approaching? i currently use 5-30 M1?

Lets see how many responses i can get here.

 

The Canadians on this site think highly of the Esso synthetic. It is not available in the states because it would have to be marketed as Exxon synthetic. Since they have better experience with this oil, I will defer to their experience with it and using it.

 

Why would you choose 0w40 over 0w30, kcryan? I can hardly wait until I bring my Esso XD3, 0w30, that I have had stashed away since July out of hiding. But I've still got 1,300 plus miles left on my AutoRX rinse phase.

I see no reference in the owner's manual or Haynes manual to a 10w40 oil being recommended, just 5w30 and 10w30.

I would be inclined to use the Esso XD3 Extra, 0w30. Since the XD3 is not an energy-conserving oil you would likely experience better fuel economy with the 0w30 (over the 0w40) at operating temperature.

I haven't been on BITOG today. You should post this there as well, if you haven't already.

 

Can you get the 0w40 at Wally World, kcryan? I know the 0w30 isn't available in the US, but I think the 0w40 is at certain Wally World's.

 

Go with Amsoil 0w-30. You should definately use a 0w weight oil in upstate NY during the winter. The engine will start much easier and it'll protect the engine much better during cold starts as well.

 

The Esso XD3 is a fraction of the cost of Amsoil and has acquitted itself very well on UOAs and VOAs (see BITOG).

I doubt that kcryan is going to extend his OCIs and change oil filters to the extent that Amsoil would be a cost-effective alternative.

 

Cant bring myself to do amsoil, but i think i may be able to get esso 0-40 at BJ's, my thinking on this is that the european manual for the VQ's reccomends 40 and 50 weights, prob because they dont have CAFE

 

Give the 0w40 a whirl then and report back on your findings. Unfortuanately, I am entering my low-driving period for the Maxima and may not finish my AutoRX rinse phase and switch over to XD3, 0w30, until February.

I am in no rush and don't want to rack up the miles for the sake of making the switch sooner.

I still wonder which would provide better fuel economy: XD3, 0w30, or XD3, 0w40.

 

Thicker oils like a 0w-40 will give worse mileage than a 0/5/10w-30 will. A 5w-20 will give slightly better mileage still, but it's not worth it for the extra wear it creates.

 

That is precisely what I thought!

 

well i decided, i just went with some pennzoil platinum 5-30 that i had lying around, so far not so good, i dont like it... too loud

 

WTF, I thought you were a died in the wool Mobil 1 man who is considering trying out XD3! What's with the pennzoil stash?

I've never run Pennzoil dino oil in my Maxima, but took advantage of a fall service special at a shop recently and presently am running Pennzoil 5w30 dino oil (out of a bottle, not bulk) as my AutoRX rinse oil. I literally can't hear the engine idle which was the case with the Castrol GTX 5w30 oil I was running in the clean phase. The Pennzoil is only going to be in use for 2,000 miles but the car seems just fine with it.

 

i got it cheap...

 

I bought some Pennzoil fully synthetic motor oil cheap a few years ago and continue to use it in my Dodge Ram pickup. Some deals are too good to let pass you by.

 

you know it, we shall see how this oil seems as time goes on, and if by any chance its the cause of my new CEL.......

 

how does oil cause a CEL??? You could put vegetable oil in the engine and it won't throw a CEL. Or none at all.....

 

i was joking, but i did get a CEL.......

 

Owning a Dodge Ram pickup may help to explain your affinity for running 85 octane gas in your 6th Gen Maxima to some extent.

 

Don't understand that point, at all. Please explain.

I should point out that I get about the same amount of light engine knock from the Ram as I do from the Max when burning 85 octane gasoline here in the higher elevations of Colorado (6 K feet and above). I only get the light knocking when climbing the hill (about a 2 mile long climb) to my house when the temps are above about 70 degrees F. When it is colder, I have no problems. When I get light engine knock in either, I simply increase engine RPMs by down shifting to a lower gear. Find in both I need to keep RPMs above about 2K (can go slightly lower in the Ram because it is a V10).

 

"a slight knock felt only when going up hill or on very hot conditions, is ok as you get your best fuel economy when you have a slight knock"

I love my manual

 

I too love my 6-speed manual trannie.

That is correct, but when you do hear light engine knock, you should do something to eliminate it. The easiest thing to do is to increase engine RPMs by downshifting.

 

haha i meant my owners manual, unfortunatly im stuck with my damn automatic, hence the bottom of my signature

 

Or perhaps spring for some higher octane gasoline!

 

I was intimating that the Ram is probably a gas guzzler and to compensate you buy 85 octane gasoline for the 6th Gen, but I suspect you would do that if the Ram got 50 mpg.

 

It is, and I would. The Ram only calls for regular gasoline anyhow. The Maxima only recommends premium gasoline for Maximum performance.

I bought the Ram to haul my slide-in camper around and I wanted a truck with enough torque to do the job properly. The V-10 does, but it only gets between 10 and 12 mpg when the camper is in the back. Otherwise it gets 14 to 18 mpg depending on circumstances.

 

hey now were all cheap, silvwer and his gas, me and my cv, bobo and his tires (although i am happy to know there no longer original)

 

I guess we all have our idiosyncracies, lol! Now that I have new Yokohama Avid H4S, my main maintenance fault is still running OEM platinum plugs with 61,400 miles on them.

Have you got those CV boots duct taped up yet, kcryan?

 

not yet, what kinda grese should i shoot in there before the duct tape goes on?

 

I don't consider following the recommendations in the owners manual to be idiosyncratic. You assume that all Max owners want Maximum performance all the time. Here is one who is happy with just a little less than Maximum performance -- based on recommendations in the manual.

 

I've given up on you, SilverMax_04. However, I asked a question previously of you and have never received a response.

Just for interests sake, I'm wondering if you have any friends/acquaintances with 6th Gen Maximas where you live? If so, what kind of gasoline do they use in their vehicle? Ask the stealership what % of 6th Gen Maxima owners run 85 octane gasoline where you live? I suspect you are in the minority, for what that is worth. Considering the source, the respone of course will mean that it means nothing but I'm interested just the same.

 

The only kind of grease I see shown in the Haynes manual is for wheel bearings: NLGI no. 2 lithium-base grease.

I don't know if that helps.

As much as I hate to suggest this, perhaps you should check with the service department at 2 stealerships and see what they say and if there is a conflicting answer.

 

I suspect that most maxima owners run regular octane, esp. with the high gas prices. Most people see cars as a transportation appliance. Nowhere does it say that premium fuel is "required." It says "premium fuel recommended for maximum performance." Joe Blo says to himself "I'm not racing or anything, and premium costs $0.20/gal more, I'll just put regular in."

Unless someone does a scientific survey of maxima owners, we can only guess.

 

I personally wouldn't use an oil that thick in the Maxima. Tolerances are too small and your not going to notice any significant decrease in wear. If the oil thickens it may kill your oil pump, which has happened to a couple people here.

 

This has been discussed, debated and polled ad infinitum. The vast majority of .orgers do not use regular octane gas.

 

Maximas are not very prevelent here in Colorado. I do see some on the roads, but not many. People here seem to prefer pickups, SUV, and minivans. (I have a pickup, but for a specific purpose.)

I don't go to the dealer very often, and doubt if the service manager would know the answer to your question if I were to ask him. When I bought the Max new, the dealer filled it with premium (91 octane). I may be in the minority. But remember my earlier post, which essentially says: "The correct gasoline for your Max is the octane that works for you. Each VQ and each driver is unique and each needs to find what works for their circumstance."

 

The correct gasoline to use is one that eliminates engine pinging, particularly when climbing a hill. Obviously 85 octane does not meet that criteria where you live. Is there no octane readily available that does?

Despite the oil industry background, I may be asking the wrong person unless, in fact, you have ever splurged for higher than 85 octane gas at your elevation. I suspect pigs would fly first!

 

We are on the wrong thread for this discussion -- have been for some time. You simply don't want to let go of this, do you?

Remember, my Ram (where Chrysler recommends regular) gets as much light engine knock as my Max. You would tell me to run premium in the Ram, too, even though the manufacturer says nothing about burning it. I simply increase engine RPMs above 2K in each vehicle to eliminate the light engine knock.

I have burned the follwing gasoline octanes in my Max here in Colorado:
- 91 when the car was new,
- 87+ (a blend of 87 and 89 in my tank) many times when coming back from the east. In these cases, I would run down the tank before buying 85, rather than fill up a half-full tank of 87+.
- In January, 2006 I will come home from the east with premium in the tank (likely 91). I can either run down that tank or fill up immediately with 85. I will probably try running premium for a few days before filling up.

With the second gasoline, I can still get light engine knock when climbing the hill, but it occurrs at a lower RPM than when I burn 85 octane. You want me to burn 91 octane premium so I can climb the hill at 1500 RPM without light engine knock. No thanks, I don't like to consistently lug my VQ for long periods of time (more than a few seconds). IMO running the VQ at 1500 RPM to climb my hill would be lugging the engine.

Your point is that I would get better performance if I burned premium. I don't disagree, but I get very adaquate performance burning 85 octane regular.

As kcryan in an earlier post quotes the manual: "a slight knock felt only when going up hill or on very hot conditions, is ok as you get your best fuel economy when you have a slight knock"

 

I was just trying to get a rise out of you SilverMax 04. Enjoy your engine knock. I have been travelling to ski hills all over British Columbia for years and have never once experienced engine knock on any car I've owned regardless of the fuel I was running.

I've only experienced engine knock in my Maxima twice - once on an extremely hot day climbing a steep hill at say 120 km/hr on a 4-line highway leading to the Interior of BC and a second time last March after I had filled up with 89 octane gas at Blaine, Washington.

You can choose to use whatever gas you want but I will never buy anything lower than 91 octane in the US, given the crappy gas you have.

 

I bet the vast majority do use premium.

And if its too thin why do the european manuals reccomend it?

 

I agree, so true.....excellent post! These octane argument threads are the best....