"It's not wise to use an extended oil change interval with synthetic oils. You get particulates in your oil that can cause harm if left in. You are still supposed to stick to what is specified in the maintenance schedule."

Also,

"About the same as this thread. Also note... If you use a oil change schedule that is different than the manufacturer states, you void the warranty."

What? I would love to know where this info came from and who said it. First, of course particulates are in the oil, that is the job of oil. It's when the additives added into the oil breakdown that you start getting into trouble with when to change the oil or these particulates will have an effect on engine life.

Granted, Nissan would exhaust all resources trying to prove the customer to be at fault if an engine blew or something. But saying that extended oil drain intervals with proven and better oil than standard dino stuff is pretty far reaching, especially when an independent lab can analyze the oil and determine whether or not it was providing adequate protection at the time the motor blew.

I think in 70k miles I've performed all of 6 oil and filter changes, using either Mobile 1 (4 times @10-12k intervals) or ULX-110 (2 times @10k intervals). And, amazingly, the car still runs! 102k and she still purrs....My first use of Amsoil has been in a 99TL for about 5k now.....and it will be 25k before that oil is changed. The Acura has responded fairly well to the change, operating temp is a little cooler and fuel economy is up about 10% (20 to 22MPG).

As long as posts like these that say "7500 miles or the motor dies" and others about how Amsoil is $9/quart I will continue posting until I'm blue in the face.

 

Well to tell you the truth, I am kinda scared to push the mobile mover than 10k miles. I will inch it up there slowly and do tests each time. Now I am going to push 8000-8500. I know 7500 the oil is fine so I will slowly inch it up.


As for Amsoil, I am anad have been sold on the product. I just need to get off of my *** and send my paper work in.

BTW did you get my email from last week?

-Shing

 

and not synthetic. If the manufacturer will let you go 7500 on dino oil and still offer a 60k powertrain warranty, then I don't understand how someone could claim that you HAVE to change any oil at 7500 miles. It just doesn't make any sense.

You should see the Amsoil literature I have for their synthetic oil that is "for 7500 mile intervals only". The literature basically tells you that if you are a dealer you will make more money putting in the Amsoil XL-7500 brand of oil rather than their regular synthetic oil because the customer will come back at 7500 miles rather than 25k. I suspect that it is just re-labeled oil that Amsoil offers to make people "feel" better about using synthetic and dealers more money. The two oils are basically the same price, but the XL-7500 is only available in quart bottles or drums, which means you can't buy 1 gallon or 2 gallon containers and get a price break like you can with the 25k interval synthetic.....

It's real interesting how people react to media/marketing hype.....

I suspect you'll be surprised about how long Mobile 1 can go. 10k is probably easily achieved.

 

Yeah, what these guys said!!

Actually, I just had to put 1-2 quarts in my maxima. So I don't even know if I can even do an extended oil change program. Maybe I'll just perpetually just keep changing oil filters and adding oil

 

...EXTENDED oil changes. You own/buy an expensive car. You disregard the fact that you could've bought a cheaper set of wheels that doesnt burn PREMIUM gas, yet people are worrying about extending the oil change periods?????
Chintzin out on oil....Is THAT what extended change periods is all about??someone help me out here!!
For the amount of money I have sunk into the purchase of my wheels, including aftermarket stuff, I'm going to treat my baby like my first born..the BEST quality synthetic I can buy, and it'll be changed every 4,000 miles. Do I REALLY care aboout saving a buck or two at this point???NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Do YOU????????????????????

 

Errm yeah... Maybe you have more money than other people? May be I drive so much that if I have to go by the 3000 mile rule then i would literally have to change oil once every month(in fact I would have to change once every 3 weeks)? Sorry you sunk so much money into your rims, but how is that relevant to the fact that Amsoil can go 20kmiles without change???

The point of this thread and many like it is that Amsoil is probably the best oil out thre and that changing it at 4000 miles is a waste. I guess you didn't read my oil report either. You think you are doing your car good by changing it at 4,000 miles, but I have proved all you are doing is wasting money.

BTW, this is not an expensive car, don't kid youself. People buy Maximas cause they are inexpensive.

 

Hmmmm....maybe you like getting under your car all the time and changing the oil. That's fine, to each his own. But when you have oil that is capable of going a year without having to be changed, that is appealing to many people.

You are not gaining anything out of changing your oil at 4k. IT DOES NOTHING TO BENEFIT YOUR CAR, BUT ONLY YOUR PEACE OF MIND.

As far as the Max being an expensive car......hmmm. I think I've paid 35k total for both of my Maxes. These days, that buys one car that I would consider expensive. But I guess our definitions of expensive are different. Plus, I wouldn't care

Chintzin out on oil? Que? WTF? Uhhh, Amsoil is a buck or two a quart MORE than Mobile 1. How is that being cheap on oil? Extended drain intervals can save money, but its the extra additive protection of being able to go 25k between changes that piques my interest. It doesn't have anything to do with saving money, I just want the best oil out there in my car.

Sorry, this is all I can say without pulling my hair out.

 

No intent to offend,but if given the number of miles you drive a week prompts you to buy a supposed longer life oil, then I suspect your partly concerned about the cost of frequent oil changes . And rightly so. so why would you be driving around a car that requires premium fuel then??I dont think that the Maxima is necessarily the greatest vehicle for every day commuting from a cost efficiency point of view. Plus depreciating the @#$%# out of it.
You must go through a lot of tires at a thousand miles a week. What sort of rubber are you runnning on?
I really dont know if I have more money than you or not to blow. All I know is that my new Max cost me close to $36,000 in Canadian currency, and thats a LOT of money for me. I could pick up a brand new CIVIC for $20,000.oo For those kind of bucks, i really dont care to stretch the oil as far as it'll go. I really dont care about mfg. claims on oil life. I like my peace of mind I guess,and there are some things that for sure, buying some peace of mind for, are well worth. Ditto on my factory Toyo tires. Even though I only have 4,000 miles on them, they are coming off and being replaced with real tires.. More peace of mind stuff

 

My comment about Chintzin out refers only to the fact that so many people seem to be concerned about stretching oil intervals as long as possible. I really dont get that mind set at all. Leaving oil in your car for 1 year and or 20 thousand miles. No offense, but that sounds like something my father--in-law would go for!!!!!!!!! and regardless of what a manufacture might lay claim to..it just doesnt make good common sense to me at all, especially when I am running my car through extreme climate variances, from Xtreme cold to XTREME hot.

 

So by what you are saying just b/c I drive 1000 miles a week, I could never buy a Lexus? Taht's some strange logic. Depreciation is not a factor in a maxima. Even if you only drove 10 miles a year your maximas resale value still sucks. that's just the fact of the car.

Maybe your piece of mind can be purchased(in the way of changing oil often). My piece of mind is to send the oil to a lab and test it. I've done so and I know that I do not have to change my oil at 3000,4000,5000, or even 7500 miles. I have proof that after 7500 miles my oil was still in VERY good shape.

If changing your oil at 4,000 miles will buy you a piece of mind, more power to you. But the fact of these posts are very simple: 1) to prove that Amsoil is a great oil and 2) that changin oil at 3,000 miles is a waste of money. There's no reason to say that anyone changing oil is being cheap. Fact is the oil will last 7500-10000 miles... do you change your TV every year b/c there is a chance it may short circuit? Do you build a new house every 5 years b/c oil houses may have leaks? Sure those are on a larger scale but the concept is the same. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". if the oil does not need to be changed why do it?

-Shing

 

No offense, but you have been brain washed by the commericals. We have provided endless proof that you don't have to change oil every 3 or 4000 miles. We've also proved as well as countless other's that synthetics is far suprerior and your driving temp range does not effect the oil. I think the fact that you change your tires with 4000 miles shows that you "style". I do'nt chnage tires until I have it. Before the wear bar, there is NO reason for me to change it so I don't. EXACTLY the same concept applies here.. I DO NOT have to change my oil so I am not going to. What's the point of changing the oil if I had to? I don't understand that mind set. It's like if I told you I changed my oil ever 1000 miles, you would say, "why are you doing that? You don't need to do it till 4000 miles". I mean yeah it may be a piece of mind to you, which is cool, but I think all Bill, Jeff, and myself are trying to do is extend your piece of mind by offering hard evidence/proof.

Please take the time to look at the oil report in my sig. The proof's in the pudding as they say.

-Shing

[Edited by Shingles on 10-27-2000 at 03:36 PM]

 

Must not be concentrating enough today.....


Anyway, Leo, that's fine if you want to change your oil every month or so. I would prefer not to, especially if the oil in the motor is still perfectly fine. Lab tests back it up.....

Still wondering why you're so hung up on having to put premium in your car and why didn't you go buy a Civic if it was that much of a better deal......I can't tell if we're discussing oil intervals, maintenance in general, why the Max is relatively expensive (I guess compared to a Civic) and depreciates, or why premium gas has to be used......

Still lost,

 

I think he was referrring to why I would drive an relatively expensive car to upkeep if I drive 1000 miles a week. But just b/c I drive 1000 miles a week shoudln't keep me from buying a percieved "better more luxorious" car. That was my point...

-Shing

 

What do you do to it?

A tune-up involves changing plugs.....

VQ motors don't really require much maintenance....hell, you stick gas in it and change the oil and filters.

Do you not do these same things in a Civic?

I guess technically a Civic gets better gas mileage, but I can't imagine a BIG difference between the two. But I'm comparing apples and oranges anyway.

To me, if I drove 1000 miles a week, I would much prefer a Max to a Civic for overall comfort....

 

bmws with synthetic have 15k change intervals from factory
they "expensive"

 

Does that mean your gonna change your tires every 10,000 miles even though they are a 20,000 mile tire?? That's the only comparision I can give that would make you understand. If you change your oil every 4,000 miles because you want to treat your car right, you had better change your tires at about 1/2 tread depth also.

 

being relatively open minded, for sure I'll read more about the Amsoil product, but if I were to use it, I'd still change it sooner than 20,000 or and/or 12 months.
I guess if I needed a car for work purposes, or commuting, (which I do both of), I wouldnt go out and put down 36,000 dollars,which I did, and then run the car into the ground at a thousand miles a week. That to me seems like a bit of a luxury. Most people in my situation who do many many miles getting to work as well as on the job driving, drive old second hand beaters or the cheapest new econo car they can. I cant afford to drive my MAX to and from work every day. I wouldnt want to! So really..you likely have more money to burn than you figure!! The Toyos have to go in a few weeks because they suck in comparison to any tire I have ever had on any car, other than a Michelin X One. The Max I bought for long distance pleasure touring and family hauling, plus some sporty type cruisin, and the Toyo's dont meet my specs.

My inboard boat has a 4.3 litre V6 in it. I only put about 25 hours on the engine each summer. But it gets a full oil change/filter/plugs, the works every spring.Its the only decent thing to do for something you really take pride in owning.

I figure that I'll pamper the car because i'd like to keep it at least 7 to ten years. I guess if I plan to change the oil every 4000 miles, any oil will really do fro what your saying. For now I'll stick to Mobil 1 however, and do some reading up on what is obviously a thread heavily weighted to Amsoil. Interestingly enough, neither of these products are advertized on Canadian TV..Never heard of 'em until I started tuning in to this website

[Edited by LeoB on 10-27-2000 at 05:39 PM]

 

I hate motor oil posts LOL they just keep going and going and going..

Look at it this way, Leo. I work for a trucking company doing their accounting work (part time). We go 20k to 22k miles on Amsoil motor oil, tranny oil, and diffy oil. With regular dino oil, the fluids were changed every 6k-8k miles. Considering that a trip to CA and back to PA puts 5.6K miles, the truck is in the shop getting a motor oil change. That's A LOT of downtime! By switching to Amsoil, we have lessoned the amount of time the trucks are on our lot, allowing for more shipments to be made. Plus, it frees up the mechanic to do other work, rather then spending time under it and changing the oil.

If you want proof for yourself, I recommend that you get your dino oil tested twice, make the switch to synthetic (two oil changes), then test it. Compare and you'll be amazed at the amount of viscosity that dino oil loses, along with the lessor amount of magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and other additives that prolong the life of the moving internal components (bearings, crank, pistons, etc)

 

well, I wouldnt change the tires that often, but I certainly wouldnt go to what the manufactureers claims are for the tire, nor to the wear bar. I do a lot of highway miles, and usually cruise around 80 m.ph and up. safety being an issue, I usually dump them before they are half worn. I dont mess with the only thing between me and the asphalt, especially when adverse climate conditions come into play.

 

Now that I can understand Leo. Actually if your gonna change your oil that frequently, even a good quality regular oil would probably work. But Mobil 1 is quality stuff no doubt.

for the boat, hell yeah I would do the works once a year also. Cheap insurance not to get stranded in the water somewhere.

 

...for one thumbs up Jeff.
Quite honestly, if I could get 20,000 miles out of one batch of oil, why wouldnt I go for it..it's a giant psychic leap I guess...too many years of conditioning to believe otherwise

 

Your assumption is I don't take care of my cars. Anyone that knows me well know the length I go through to take care of my cars. You also assume that changing the oil at 7500 miles is harming it. You are incorrect on both accounts. You like to change your oil at 4000 miles, fine... but to me its a waste of money. Driving a 1000 miles a week you think is a waste. No it's not. Cars are built for driving. If I was going to collect cars, that would be stupid. I buy cars for driving and drive it I will do. I get more enjoyment out of my car by driving it then it sitting in my garage. I have two cars... about to get a third. They are all for driving, but for different moods. To me, buying a car and not driving it is a waste of money.

-Shing

 

As an additional thought to this...


I currently have two cars in my garage... a 1991 CRX Si with a JDM B16 engine swap and the 98 Maxima. The CRX has 77,000 nmiles while the maxima has 56,000 miles. To be completely frank with you, I treasure the CRX a lot more than the maxima. I can not find another crx in the condition it's in, with the care and "love" I've put into it. The maxima is a dime a dozen - well let me clarify, cars in the maxima's class are a dime a dozen. These cars are meant to be driven. I have never understood nor ever will understand why people don't drive cars. They are build as a tool to be driven. Why shouldn't I drive a car like the maxima 1000 miles a week? Think about it, if I was to spend 17-20 hours a week driving in a car, why would I not want it to be comfortable? I don't want to offend anyone here, but really the Maxima is not THAT special. It's a nice comfortable car. And because of that I drive it 1000 miles a week. To me that makes a lot of sense. Now you may wonder then why would I care about the "few" dollars that I save by changing the oil at 8000 miles instead of 3000.... will that's simple. See the fact is, the oil does not need to be changed. So why would I change it when it doesn't need to be? About the tire deal... there is zero proof taht driving the tires till they are close to the wear bar makes them dangerous. Believe me, they've got plenty of marge built in... they surely odn't wanna get sued. A few millons here and a few million thre will put even the largest of company out of business. Certainly if it makes you feel better by all means do it. But I think it's incorrect to shoot down people who "bend the rules", people that change the oil at 8000 miles, people that use their tires even past wear bar etc.

Anyways, please don't take offense to any of this... it's purely a discussion. If changing your oil at 3000 miles make you happy, then do so. All I'm saying is, I've got proof that you don't need to.

-Shing

 

.... i realize this is a discussion..no offence taken...likewise I hope. Actually..my wife is agreeing with you,saying that the only reason oil changes are recommended every so often is to make more money for the oil companies.
cant say I disagree with that..and on my older cars, I have often gone way beyond the recommended intervals. It's just that with this Max being brand new..one feels the need to want to baby it to death!!! thats all..and I have honestly never heard of any oil that can go 20,000 miles. but we do have some local guy advertising AMSOIL products. I have already bought the Mobil 1 following review of some other comments picked up here. I never realized however, that it's good for extended intervals
guess thats why I'm here...liven and learnin!
I think both my wife and teen kids agree that the MAX is nothing special. they said that the day I brought it home,and they still say it today. Personally, I love the purr of it's engine..and the car has a very nice feel to it. Really happpy i didnt go for an Accord, Camry or a second Outback
and i really had no interest in going more upscale than that
cya

 

No, none taken.

I understand that feeling you have about the new max. I was even more protective of my car then I am now the first year I had it. The good thing is you are on a 4000 mile change and not 3000. =P To tell you the truth, 20,000 mile is scary. 10,000-15,000 I have no problems, 20,000 is damn a long time! hehe

Oh, but stay tuned, I will be sending in my oil for the second test. This time it will be closer to 8000 miles.

-Shing