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-   -   whats your favorite oil? (https://maxima.org/forums/fluids-lubricants/621244-whats-your-favorite-oil.html)

ShocknAwe 12-06-2011 03:39 PM

There seems to be alot of misinformation on this thread and I think this site will help all future visiotrs to this thread as well http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity/ it explains what all the numbers mean and why a multi weight oil is needed. This site is an oil comparison and shows my most "synthetics" are only labeled that way becasue of a legal loop hole and of the print date the only major oil compnies still using a true systhetic oil are mobil 1 and amsoil. Very interesting considering I used to use castrol and come to find out it isnt a true synthetic oil, it can only call itself that through a lgal loop hole.

DrewSER 12-06-2011 03:57 PM


Originally Posted by ShocknAwe (Post 8292666)
There seems to be alot of misinformation on this thread and I think this site will help all future visiotrs to this thread as well http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity/ it explains what all the numbers mean and why a multi weight oil is needed. This site is an oil comparison and shows my most "synthetics" are only labeled that way becasue of a legal loop hole and of the print date the only major oil compnies still using a true systhetic oil are mobil 1 and amsoil. Very interesting considering I used to use castrol and come to find out it isnt a true synthetic oil, it can only call itself that through a lgal loop hole.

The article you linked to is 4 years old. Past what everybody should already know about oil anything of real value is practically irrelevant.

That being said. If you want to read current unbiased information about motor oil Bob is the oil guy FTW.

FishyMan 01-30-2012 03:27 PM

I've had various makes and models, experienced young cars, new cars, valvoline, mobil 1, etc. etc. In my opinion, a lot of the oil in today's market are pretty good.

I've always stuck w/ MOBIL 1 for my newer cars, but on the older ones, I've used regular mobil, valvoline or castrol w/o any problems. You could say, whatever's floating in the ads at that time to be the determining factor. LOL I plan on keeping my import on mobil 1 for as long as I keep it.

Extended drain intervals don't mean a thing to me. If your car is running smoothe, it's rumming smoothe. If there are leaks, there are leaks.

SilverMax_04 01-30-2012 10:49 PM


Originally Posted by ShocknAwe (Post 8292666)
There seems to be alot of misinformation on this thread .... This site is an oil comparison and shows my most "synthetics" are only labeled that way becasue of a legal loop hole and of the print date the only major oil compnies still using a true systhetic oil are mobil 1 and amsoil. ...

Truth be told, there is mis-information throught the internet. You need to consider the source whenever you read advice. On this site and this thread there IS still some good advice, but it takes some intelligence to sift it out.

According to information that I believe to be true, the legal loop hole you discuss was a court case that Mobil brought against other companies because they were calling their motor oil synthetic. When Mobil lost this case in court, it too began using the ingredients that it was complaining about in the court case - they are cheaper.

So Amsoil and I believe a few other small specialty motor oil manufacturers are the only ones still making a true synthetic motor oil. The rest can call their product synthetic based on the court case, but it is not really fully synthetic.

high3r primat3 03-21-2012 09:31 AM

I use Mobil 1 or Havoline with PureONE filter.

Bobo 03-25-2012 05:36 PM

I use Esso Extra XD3 0w30 PAO, full synthetic, and a Napa Gold filter. It costs a fraction of the cost of Mobil 1 and is a superior oil oil based on VOAs and UOAs.

LudaTej 03-31-2012 10:39 AM

Castrol GTX 5W-30. I was using Mobil1 SuperSyn 5W-30 before but the economy has really taken a hit.

Hurricane05 07-21-2012 05:24 AM

My 2011 now has 9,500 miles (got car in Nov 2010). My first two oil/filter changes were at the dealer. They were free. When I asked what oil/filter was used, I got less than a warm and honest feeling about the answer. So I can't say I really know what was used the first two times. I do know that the car runs great, and if the on-board MPG read out can be trusted, I have gotten up to 28 MPG on a long highway trip, and I average 25 MPG doing about 75% normal highway driving.

The car seems to get better MPG going 80 MPH than 55 MPH. Really. Possibly the engine is awesome or the computer is skewed by miles/time.

Whatever the case, my mechanic (trusted around here for over 25 years) has a 10 year old Maxima (as well as a few other cars) and said not to worry about what the dealer may have put into the car. But, he just changed my oil/filter and gave me a few choices. Various semi-syn, syn, CAM2, Mobil, Royal Purple, filters, etc. We went with Mobil1 5-30w and a WIX 51358 filter.

The car ran awesome before the change, and still does. Can't say it feels better. So I'm feeling good and will monitor performance and MPG and will report back in a few months.

Interesting.

TravisCadello 12-24-2012 07:38 PM

The only thing i will put into my 267xxx mile vq is Mobil 1 High Milege 10w30 and a matching Mobil 1 oil filter past 100k miles and my car sees it red line just about every single day and tons and tons of hard miles. i beleave Mobil 1 is the only reason i havent spun a bearing or threw a rod.

SilverMax_04 12-24-2012 10:35 PM

You could be right about the Mobil 1 keeping problems away from your engine.

But I maintain that a bigger reason is that Nissan builds a superior engine.
It does not necessarily damage a well built engine to take it near red-line.
You just don't want to "beat" the engine or starve it from proper lubrication.

progrocker 04-10-2013 06:07 PM


Originally Posted by crazy97 (Post 8262750)

I put this stuff in last week. Hope it reduces oil consumption.

I've used M1 5w30 (awful) German Castrol 0w30 (pretty good) now I'm using German Castrol Edge 0w40, engine's quieter than the Mobil 1 0w40 and I think the GC is a slightly lighter 40 weight. Great lube-a-dube for the VQ.

Quickywd01 04-13-2013 12:54 AM


Originally Posted by progrocker (Post 8769013)
I've used M1 5w30 (awful) German Castrol 0w30 (pretty good) now I'm using M1 0w40, engine's quietest and smoothest. Great for the VQ.

:sprint:

Darkstonian 04-21-2013 08:38 AM

Castrol GTX
 
Sinced purchased @ 131k, Castrol GTX high mileage 5w30 year round in NJ. Does an engine good. At 192k now, no leaks ever, and is still quieter that my friend's '05 TL :laugh:

ShocknAwe 04-21-2013 07:55 PM


Originally Posted by progrocker (Post 8769013)
I've used M1 5w30 (awful) German Castrol 0w30 (pretty good) now I'm using M1 0w40, engine's quietest and smoothest. Great for the VQ.

I thought about trying 0w-30 but 40? Thats thick at operating temp

AWeb80 09-23-2013 06:31 AM


Originally Posted by ShocknAwe (Post 8776013)
I thought about trying 0w-30 but 40? Thats thick at operating temp

Not really. It probably helps with not burning oil. Look at the non US markets for the 3.5....they all recommend a 40w.

george__ 09-23-2013 03:48 PM

whatever is on sale for engine oil...

progrocker 10-14-2014 08:49 PM


Originally Posted by Nealoc187 (Post 7886530)
Rotella blows 5w30 mobil 1 right out of the water, which is a particularly crappy oil in the M1 lineup (there are pages and pages of oil analysis threads on various oil analysis and technical oil forums that support this). the lubrication properties of M1 5W30 and 10W30 oils are not even in the same ballpark as rotella dino, let alone rotella t6 synthetic.

research oil analyses like I have and see for yourself. if you drive your car hard and want to spall the sh!t out of your mains and rod bearings and score up your crank by all means, keep using the 5w30 mobil 1. if you drive your car hard and want to actually keep those bearings in good shape, run a better oil, because 5w30 mobil 1 does not hold up. Mobil 1 0W40 on the other hand gets great reviews, but their 5w30 sucks, hard. if you like having an oil that doesn't provide adequate protection within 2500 miles in your car, by all means, keep using M1 5w30 or 10w30. Meanwhile, I'll keep rocking my "cheap ish" Rotella which had excellent UOA @ 4500 miles (meaning the oil was still going strong) and those 4500 miles included TWO track days racing the car and seeing oil temps up to 280*F, and 10 drag strip days, in addition to normal street driving - the oil analysis people recommended that I go 5000-5500 miles on my next change under the same conditions, or that I could go more like 7000 if I don't do any racing, Not only are my results good, ALL of the UOAs for Rotella T Synth have been stellar in the gigantic oil analysis thread on my350z. See where this is going?

Rotella is the superior oil in this comparison. Period. There is no argument.

if you drive the car easy it's likely that you won't notice a difference either way, but if you want the best oil do your research. because the oil you're using sucks, bad, and it's like 1.5 times more expensive per quart, oh and you have to change it 2x-3x as often. Awesome. So you're paying like 3-6x as much for any given oil change interval, and your chosen oil's protection is crap in comparison to the "cheap ish" you're bashing. Good choice.

:nod: M1 5w30 gets lots of love around here. I don't get it. It was the first oil I put in my Max and the normal VQ (clicking) sounds were noticeably louder. :eek:

AWeb80 10-15-2014 07:51 PM

My last oil change I put in Amsoil Signature Series 5w-30. I'm pretty impressed after the current 4k miles.

My oil usage has been cut by over 50%. Added maybe a pint in 4k miles. With the Rotella T6 I had in there, I put over a qt in at 3k.

Mileage is up over 1mpg. (I watch it like a hawk).
Engine idles eerily quiet. The timing chain used to have a quick growl on start up, now no noise.

I also started running Amsoil SS 5w-30 in my Civic. It's never ran better.

I'm anal about the mechanical condition of my cars. Afterall, I work my a$$ off to afford them.

progrocker 10-15-2014 11:06 PM


Originally Posted by ShocknAwe (Post 8776013)
I thought about trying 0w-30 but 40? Thats thick at operating temp

There are heavier 30's(like the 0w30 German Castrol) and lighter 40's(like the 0w40 German and Belgian Castrol). These two have close to the same visco specs and are fine for our VQ's. Checking out German Castrol Edge 0w40 in the VQ30 now. First impressions... super smooth, quiet cold starts, gas mileage is down one or two mph but I don't sweat that knowing these engines are pretty tough on oils and run a little on the hotter side. I think they're better off with a heavier 30/lighter 40(between 12 and 13 cSt@100c). I'd rather have a light 40 weight that might shear down to a 30 instead of a 30 that'll shear down to a 20. :thumbsup:

AWeb80 12-03-2014 05:53 PM

or Amsoil 5-30 that doesn't shear.

JC King 12-21-2014 12:01 PM

Off the shelf?
 

Originally Posted by Nealoc187 (Post 7886541)
Rotella (and other diesel oils) generally provide worlds more protection under harsh operating conditions than do most normal "off the shelf" oils - there are exceptions to this of course. the fact that the VQ's design lends itself well to the properties of heavier diesel oils is a nice benefit.

recommended by the factory and best under exceptional operating conditions are often two different things.

after the analyses I've had done on my own VQ which sees racing conditions, after the analyses done on a couple other buddies who race also, I'm a firm believer in using the better regarded diesel oils in the VQ. i've done the research and participated in the tests myself, and i'm convinced.

Just curious? How is off the shelf oil? Compared to?? What? What do you mean? Is there another kind? If so from where does it come? An do I need a prescription for it? And if so from whom would I get such a thing?

AWeb80 12-28-2014 11:22 AM

My oil consumption was cut by more than half when I went to Amsoil SS 5w-30 vs the old Rotella T6 5w-40. I think the T6 just burns off faster. Amsoil is a superior product.

Alexyan 01-04-2015 09:47 PM

My favorite engine oil for 02 maxima. It stops the leak

Liqui Moly 5W-40 LEICHTLAUF HIGH TECH Fully Synthetic Motor Oil:

http://s4.postimg.org/7zv0akx0t/IMG_2033.jpg
image hosting over 10mb

Boxness 01-11-2015 01:28 PM

I just use the nissan specific warranty-grade service oil. Haha, which is really just mobile-1 with a nissan sticker on the bottle, same as that GM Dexos stuff. But hey, I get it for free at work so its what ill use. When an engine only takes 4.8-4.9 that .2-.1 adds up fast enough to save ;)

BIGIRISHSTL 01-15-2015 09:38 AM

So I have a new 7th gen and I'm so overloaded by the info. I'm not sure what to use. I changed the oil at 1200 miles with Dino as most people say but I'm coming up on 5000 miles and I'm thinking of going to synthetic amsoil. What is a reasonable amount of time or miles to leave this in? Also, it sounds like filters are a bigger deal than I previously thought. I would love a good recommendation on one of these too? I will probably do this for both my 2012 and 2014 maximas. Thanks.

mclasser 01-18-2015 12:24 PM


Originally Posted by BIGIRISHSTL (Post 9015482)
So I have a new 7th gen and I'm so overloaded by the info. I'm not sure what to use. I changed the oil at 1200 miles with Dino as most people say but I'm coming up on 5000 miles and I'm thinking of going to synthetic amsoil. What is a reasonable amount of time or miles to leave this in? Also, it sounds like filters are a bigger deal than I previously thought. I would love a good recommendation on one of these too? I will probably do this for both my 2012 and 2014 maximas. Thanks.

Amsoil makes good stuff but it's just too pricey, IMO. Castrol, M1, Pennzoil, QSUD, Valvoline - you can't go wrong running any of these synthetics. Stick with an OEM Nissan oil filter in case any warranty issues arise.

Vary up the oil every change, see what your Max likes best and have fun :thumbsup:

SilverMax_04 01-18-2015 10:22 PM

You should stay with conventional motor oil for at least 10 K miles before switching to fully syn. (Why do you think the engine comes from the factory with conventional?) This allows your engine to fully break-in. I changed to synthetic at 7.5 K and wish I had gone the full distance. Some even say to stay conventional for the first 15 K miles. But certainly wait until after 10K.

I also agree with the comment above that Amsoil is great synthetic motor oil - but too pricy. Those suggestions are good. I'd buy a name brand synthetic based on price.

Good luck,

BIGIRISHSTL 01-21-2015 01:05 PM

Thanks for the replies. Ill stick with Dino until 10k. @silvermax, why do you wish you would've stay on Dino longer specifically? Thanks again.

SilverMax_04 01-21-2015 02:27 PM


Originally Posted by BIGIRISHSTL (Post 9017175)
Thanks for the replies. Ill stick with Dino until 10k. @silvermax, why do you wish you would've stay on Dino longer specifically? Thanks again.

I have some oil burning in my engine - had it from the first. Has not changed and I now have 145 K miles on her. But I was told by someone (don't know if it is true) that dino oil does a better job of letting the rings properly seat and the engine properly break-in. This person suspected that I changed too soon and thus am getting a little oil burning from my engine. It burns a little more than a quart in 10K miles - which is my oil change interval. (I did not go to this interval until after the engine warranty expired on my car. I was doing changes at 5 K miles with dino oil and 7.5 K miles after going to synthetic - until the warranty ended). To take my engine to 10 K miles rather than 7.5 K would have been one more oil change with dino oil before going to synthetic - not a big deal.

After finding antifreeze in my Dodge pickup motor oil when I sent it in for analysis, I always have my used motor oil analyzed after every oil change in both vehicles. (Both heads in the Dodge engine had hair-line cracks that were leaking coolant into the motor oil). The lab continues to tell me that there is still life in my old synthetic oil after 10 K miles - but I change there anyhow. I am worried that the oil filter needs replacing at that time, even if the motor oil remains OK.

BIGIRISHSTL 01-22-2015 04:21 AM

Thanks Silvermax. I will go for 10k and then switch.

asand1 02-17-2015 10:05 PM

I'm at 307K and I run Supertech conventional 5W30 and a Purolator classic. Change at 4-5K.

No issues whatsoever. That you change your oil is more important than what kind of oil you use. Use the correct spec of course.

Sent from my XT1060 using Maxima

talkinghorse 03-02-2015 11:54 AM


Originally Posted by SilverMax_04 (Post 9017194)
I have some oil burning in my engine - had it from the first. Has not changed and I now have 145 K miles on her. But I was told by someone (don't know if it is true) that dino oil does a better job of letting the rings properly seat and the engine properly break-in. This person suspected that I changed too soon and thus am getting a little oil burning from my engine. It burns a little more than a quart in 10K miles - which is my oil change interval. (I did not go to this interval until after the engine warranty expired on my car. I was doing changes at 5 K miles with dino oil and 7.5 K miles after going to synthetic - until the warranty ended). To take my engine to 10 K miles rather than 7.5 K would have been one more oil change with dino oil before going to synthetic - not a big deal.

I think if you're only burning ~1 qt in 10,000 miles that's pretty darn good. Some of the early 3.5's burned a lot of oil but that was corrected in later model years.

People will often tell you a lot of things based on folklore or what they've heard from some unspecified source. With that said, the industry leaders including Mobil and AMSOIL both state that their products can be safely used in new engines during break-in. Many vehicles, especially high performance cars, come factory-filled with synthetic oil and it's required for service fills thereafter.

I've personally changed my new cars over to AMSOIL engine oil and transmission fluid with fewer than 1,000 miles on them and those engines never used a drop of oil in the extended drain intervals I practice.

It certainly doesn't hurt to wait for some specified amount of time to convert to synthetics, but it's not a necessity.

mdb007 06-07-2017 11:55 AM

I got my 07 with 27k miles, did one blend of valvoline synthetic then switched to mobile 1 -5W30 and change every 9-11k miles. Have 155k now and it doesn't burn oil, so far! Also use on our other cars. it's been a good oil. I get such crappy mpg on my max that i may try 10W30 next time it won't make a difference.


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