I know this question probably has been asked a million times. I bought my 97 Maxima SE with 20K on it. It was driven by a retired couple. I know it was changed with dino (conventinal oil). I currently have 34K on my car. I've always considered the use of synthetic motor oil for its protection. After reading some of the posts I feel the longevity would also prove very beneficial. I've always changed my own oil @ 3K religiously. I use Castrol 5W30. The main concerns I have are:

1. If I switch to synthetic will it cause leaks. I currently have no leaks. Some people have told me since my car hasn't used synthetic since new, it will eat the seals??

2. Is Mobil 1 the recommended brand.

3. What oil filter should I use?

3. What weight should I use. I live in the Midwest.

I know I will get many different responses I need facts from people who have made the switch, not just opinions please! Thanks in advance to all who reply. This forum has been a great asset to my Maxima questions.

Madd Maxx

1. Your mileage is low enough that the leak issue shouldn't arise - that tale applies to high mileage cars. I have switched at mileages as high as 75k with no problems other than the first load of synthetic picking up a lot of dirt from the inside of the engine.

2. Mobil 1 is the best all around choice. Mobil 1, Redline and Amsoil are about the only true synthetics available (Castrol, Valvoline etc. are petroleum based) and Mobil 1 is far less expensive than the other two. Note that Mobil 1 is the only synthetic installed by oem manufacturers - Porsche and GM for two.

3. Use whatever oil filter you have been using - synthetic has no special requirement. If you are going for extended change intervals shop for filter accordingly. (I solved that by changing my filter halfway between changes as well as at changes.

4. Use the same weight as you would with conventional - 5w30 or 10w30.

Dave

I use AMSOIL because I feel it offers the best protection. It also ends up being cheaper if you use it the way it's recommended. It costs $5.70/qt with most filters selling for $10. You only have to change the oil once a year (or 25,000 miles) and the filter every 6 months (or 12,500 miles). In my opinion it saves time and money while protecting your engine better. If you pay a $10 fee they will sell you their products at wholesale cost for 6 mths (ie. oil $4.45/qt.) http://www.amsoil.com

If you are going to use AMSOIL oil for extended drain intervals I would recommend using their filter also.

I switched at 20K to Castrol Full Synthetic 10W30 (midwest, AR)with no leaks or usage I now have 100K. I have always used Nissan filters I get a group deal on purchase of 3 or more.

I too am a Castrol fan; they are the big supporters of our car show. I use 3.5 quarts of 5W30 and 1 quart of Syntec. If you want some imperical data, here are two links worth reading. One is on synthetic oils and the other is on oil filters.

http://www.bmcno.org/techtip_motor_oil.htm
http://members.nbci.com/minimopar/oilfilterstudy.html

1) The problem with leaks only applies to much older cars.

2) I use Mobil 1, but any brand is fine. (Mobil is a refiner - Red Line Amsoil, Castrol, etc. are just marketers, they buy their product from one of the large refiners.)

3) I also use Mobil 1 filters, but any decent brand will work. (There are some quality differences between filters, so for a few bucks, why not?)

4) The same weight you would ordinarily use.

[Edited by MI2KSE on 03-10-2001 at 10:48 AM]