I bought my car in 2008 and I've always used synthetic oil. The owner before me also used synthetic oil. Now, I am getting an oil change today and was told that a BLEND was half the price. I was also told that it doesn't make a difference and doesn't have any negative effects. Is this true? The price was almost exactly HALF of synthetic which is why it caught my interest. I would feel more comfortable if I heard it from fellow org members.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/group-deals...ubricants.html

I would use the ASL 5w-30 if I was you. Don't cheap out on your oil and filter.

 

i use synth blend in my zx2 (motorcraft 5-20). change every 3-4k miles. so far so good. i'd say use synthetic since you can go much longer intervals w/o a change (hence, actually saving $ in the process).

 

I just bought a Saturn with 150k miles that has apparently had only cheap oil every 3k its whole life. I have the head off to replace the valve seals which are totally destroyed, and it's got varnish and gunk all over.

My Maxima, as far as I know, has always had synthetic oil. I use Mobil 1 extended performance, which is made to go 15,000 miles on a change, and I change it every 10k miles, just to be safe. I haven't taken the VQ apart, but I peeked inside when I was changing my oil last week, and the head is shiny inside. As far as I could see, there were no signs of gunk or varnishing. Only a thin coat of like-new oil on every surface.

My point is just what everyone else has said so far. Don't cheap out on your oil. I've never tried a synthetic blend, and after what I've seen, I don't intend to start. I don't like the idea of risking my engine to save a buck in the short term, personally. And, as 999zx2 said, you can go longer intervals with synthetic, especially if you get a formulation that's guaranteed for longer change intervals.

 

when i used 5w-30 in my max, it made a ticking sound, so i switched to 10w-30, sound went away....i use mobil1 synthetic. you can get amsoil on their website for $6.80 a qt. cuz in the stores its more than that. its well worth it to use synthetic.

 

there are many many oil threads so im not gonna jump off topic...

If the car has been running synthetic, keep running synthetic.

 

I think the formation of gunk/sludge is more a function of short trip driving.

 

Is there a way to get rid of that gunk/sludge?

 

you can do a engine flush yourself or at a oil change place, i got mine done once. there were no harsh chemicals in the flush, just stuff like soybean

 

What's a good product? or what did you use and is there any write ups on the procedures.

 

i just got it done at a oil change place

 

I know this is Irrelevant But I had a 95 240Xs se a few years back and its whole life it was apparently changed with typical conventional oil. I diddnt know this at the time when I bought it changed the oil in it with Mobil Synthetic 5W30 and 3 days later Spun a Rod bearing. Sounds kind of ridiculous but I got the engine was so use to crappy oil and the molecular build of synthetic just diddnt go well with an engine that had 110,000 miles worth of Conven Oil.

 

Avoid those engine flushes likle the plague. If you want the best product on the market to clean your engine internals safely, go to www.auto-rx.com

I have used it and swear buy it. You have to buy it on line. Follow the instructions to the T and you won't be disappointed. I used it 20,000 miles ago before converting to synthetic and am now using it on a maintenance basis, which should extend the OCI by 20%.

 

+1

 

Just get the synthetic oil if thats what the car has been using. Plus always remember, you can go over 5k on the synthetic. Even 6k. Your basically skipping an oil change so thats why you pay twice the price. This should be a no brainer.

 

Synthetic FTW!

 

If price is a factor and you don't change your own oil, you can do the following:

Go to an auto store or Walmart, buy the 5 QT synthetic oil and filter, it should run you about $30 - $35.
Then call a few places (trust me it has to be a few, don't go to the first one you can think of, they will charge you a lot since they consider it lost business) and see who charges the least.

The place I go to charges $69.99 + tax, but charges me $15 + tax for the oil change if I bring my own. I save over $20 and I pick the filter and the synthetic oil I want for my Maxima.

Why do I do this? I live in rental apartments where they don't allow working on cars, so I found the best alternative. Otherwise I would do it on my own, but this strategy will work good if you don't want to get dirty.

 

You can always do it on the side of the street thats how we do it out in NY.. but then again i heard you guys out there dont even have paralell parking, so dont know how that would work out..

 

What do you do with the used oil and filter? Leave it on the side of the street?

I did the same thing with my last oil change. I provided the synthetic oil and filter and paid a shop $20 cash to do the oil change and they dealt with the oil and filter disposal. I couldn't be bothered doing it myself for that price and being stuck with the disposal of the oil and filter.

 

Not really a big deal.. Bucket underneath the drain plug, oil filter in a plastic bag and into the garbage, oil from the bucket into a big enough plastic bottle via funnel, take the used oil to Autozone or any mechanic shop, and $20 bucks stays in the pocket for more important things

 

i use synthetic in all my vehicles, every single one loves it, runs better, cleaner better mpg, etc