With the 09s out for over a month now, I just wanted to let everyone know that Nissan specifies a unique oil for the new Maxima. They call it "5W30 Ester Oil". I'm sure everyone has their own opinions on oil, but I'm sure some of the new owners are approaching the 1st oil change. Make sure the folks changing your oil know about it!

 

That's basically the Redline 5W30 then, I think. However, I'm sure Mobil One 5W30 will work as well (Even though it's not ester based). I thought the ester based oils were only really necessary on a hot track...

 

that is interesting i will have to read up on that oil.

 

I hope you people do the first oil change under 1500 miles.

 

With the higher compression ratio of the revised engine I am surprised the '09 Maxima doesn't come with synthetic oil straight from the factory. I wish Nissan would retire the old DE suffix VQs and start using the smoother HR VQ motors no matter if they have to detune them.

 

that's a good one

this is Nissan we're talking about.....

 

This seems to be pretty common on new cars. I've heard that it improves emissions somehow. My wife's '04 Mazda3 also "required" 5W30 IIRC...

 

For a while now cars have been requiring 5w30, my 96 Pathfinder had 5w30 on the oil cap, my brothers 08 300C and many others are going 5w20 or 0w20, why not Nissan

 

That is funny because our mazda 3 sport requires 5w20. Right on the oil cap. &^$% expensive for synthetic grade. It must be for the colder climate in Canada. (2.3l engine)

 

well if I bought an 09 I would use halvoline 5w30 and I know I would be just fine.

 

Mine 09 (due in very soon now) will get Castrol 5W30. I've used it for the last 20 years in every vehicle I have owned. I think it is as important to make sure you use the same brand every oil change as much as it is what brand you select.

 

I think im going to stick with what I use in my 08 Silverado, Mobile One 5w30. I love it, especially compared to the regular dino.

 

Sarge - Although this subject will get an argument every time, Nissan techs have always recommended dino oil only until the engine is broken in, (10K should be sufficient). This is because synthetic oil protects the parts so well they can't get the very slight wear needed early-on that enables all moving parts to fit together perfectly, which will enable the engine to run more efficiently throughout its life.

Synthetic from the start won't hurt anything; it just means the engine will take much longer to truly break in, and will not be running at full efficiency until then.

Hang tough, good friend.

 

Thats a good point, I never thought of it like that. Thanks man

 

Yea I was told the same thing when I asked about my first oil changes and what oil I should use from the techs, seems logical

 

I changed mine at 1250, put in Mobile 1 5W30 Syn. when i got the new oil filter from the dealer he gave me 15208-65F0C, the one that came off the car was 65F0D, i took the measurements on the thread pitch, filter hight and o-ring size, all were the same, the D sat about 1/32" higher then the C but when i called the dealer the Parts supervisor assured me that they were the same filter, just nissan changed the letter codes on them. so for you guys changing the oil for the first time, dont worry if the filter they gave you was C and not D.

 

i work at a nissan dealer. the car does require Estor oil.

 

So what oils are we limited to? only reason i ask is due to the owners manual section 9 page 2 states that Nissan recommends genuine Nissan Ester engine oil avail. at the dealer. however as long as the oil has a API cert. mark and the viscosity of SAE 5W-30 it should meet and or exceed the manufacturers recommendation. here is one company you can get synthetic ester oil from: http://www.jbchemical.com/pds/seo/812.html. and here is one other thing i found while looking this up:

Quote:
The Nissan Ester oil is NOT ester based synthetic, but is 5W-30 conventional with an ester additive


Quote:
We found out it is a 5W-30 conventional oil with an ester additive. The ester additive is not available separately, as, most likely, Nissan buys the private label oil with the ester already added to the oil. The ester additive is supposed to help quiet engine ticking or VVEL knocking. The one person reporting who tried it said it worked at first. Then, after six days his ticking returned. The retail price is $12/quart.

So, whether the ester additive does anything beneficial, we do not know. Like you, I have no ticking or knocking (the TSB has cured my knock for about two months now). If everything is fine without the Nissan Ester oil, then it makes sense to keep using what I have been using. Unless, of course, we learn later on that this Nissan Ester oil works like magic in our cars.


LOL. $12qt, what a scam!

This was pulled off of : http://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...Number=1236517

which got there info off the MYG37.com web site forums. funny how they recommend not using any oil additives in the owners manual and yet add there own additive into a quart of oil that will cost you $12 a quart..... rip off. ill stick with Mobile 1 synthetic, its been in that vette down there since Mobile 1 was available and in all my other cars that have gone well past 300,000 miles in them.

 

Wow, thanks bro for the info, I haven't even looked at the Service manual to see what all fluids are required.

I guess I'll be looking a little harder but I'll stick with the advice of Silversurfer and use Mobil 1 Synthetic.
Thanks

 

yea I got my first oil change the other week, they tried to tell me it was $90 for the new Maximas oil change. Luckily I have 2 year maintanance package and I get free oil change and tire rotation for 2 years.

 

$90 BUCKS! Wow! Are they lubricating this '09 with Chanel #5, or caviar oil? $90 BUCKS? I'll buy my own oil-change rack and build my own auto work shop. Wow!

 

You're joking right? The oil change costs more than my M35x, and I get a free loaner vehicle.

Can anyone else confirm the price of an oil change at the dealer?

 

With your maintenance package you get an oil change every 3750 miles

 

Checked Today with my Nissan dealer.

The current word from Nissan Engineering in an email to my service writer is that the Nissan Ester oil is not required for the 09 Maxima.

My dealer is not even carrying the Ester Oil.

 

i got it changed at approx. 3k. and they didn't tell me it had to be a certain range. Ill check up on that.

 

was just asking cause some dealers go by what Nissan recommends, which is 3750 and then sometimes they just do it every 3000

With any make their are 3 things to take into consideration:
-manufacture recommended
-dealer recommended
-old school method (3k oil changes no matter what)

 

If I bought a 09 Maxima, I would only run it on premium gas with synthetic oil, and for those who don't want to spend extra for synthetic, since synthetic is usually twice the price of dino oil, run it twice as long, in the long run you have way better protection with synthetic, even at twice the mileage

 

Yes, $91.65 for oil change is correct. 5W3-EP

 

I just got back from the dealer, he said the estor oil change is not required, as long as it's 5W-30 then that is fine, yay!

 

A colleague of mine talked to a salesman last week and asked him about needing special oil. The salesman says it is not needed and the dealership doesn't even stock the ester oil. So it maybe recommended but not required.

 

I would most definitely use a high grade synthetic though, should improve mpg's and horsepower a little anyway.

 

Don't forget that, for over a decade, Nissan techs have recommended dino oil until the engine is properly broken in. Synthetic oil lubricates too well. and greatly slows the very important meshing and fitting together of engine parts. Until the engine is properly broken in, it will not be running at optimum efficiency, hence not reaching peak horsepower.

I realize some new vehicles come with synthetic oil to start with, but I play it safe and go with Nissan's recomendation: I use dino oil the first 20K. Of course switching to synthetic around 10K would also be OK. But Nissan says to start out with dino.

 

I just got my first oil change here in CA.
It cost me $34.99 (regular dino oil), and it included a free car wash.

I may do the synthetic oil, when my MAX hits around 10,000 miles...

Thanks for all of the good info!

e.

 

so what is the general consensus on the 1st oil change??? the range is too broad (1000 to 3750 miles). i was thinking maybe 1700~2000.

 

Wise choice. I have put over 200,000 miles on a few Maximas using only dino oil, and the engines still purred like a cat when I let them go. I sometimes still see one of my old 1985 200K Maximas tooling around town and looking good (makes my heart miss a beat). But there is no question that synthetic oil has superior lubricating qualities, and is a great way to baby a Maxima once the engine has been properly broken in.

 

This has been debated for years, with no 'one answer fits all' answer. I think the Nissan Maintenance Schedule calls for each oil change (including the first) to come at 3750 mile intervals.

But back in the 1950s and 1960s, it was general practice to change oil the first time after around 1,000 miles in order to get the inevitable tiny metal shavings or other junk that may have been left in the engine from when it was manufactured (or that may have come off during intiial breakin) out as soon as practical. With the way Detroit engines were put together in those days, I feel this was a good habit to follow.

This practice of an early first oil change has endured to this very day. There are those who say manufacturers control engine debris much better these days, and there is no need to make that first change early. Then there are those who say it is still a good practice. I don't know which side is correct.

Of course the easy way out is to make that early change, because it certainly won't hurt the car, and, according to some folks, might even help. The only consideration would be the money and time involved. If I made this change, I would probably make it around 1000 miles, as I would still be getting the 3750 change so as to stay on schedule for warranty and scheduled maintenance work.

Of course every poster here will have a slightly different view of this.

 

how much are the dealers charging for a simple oil change for the new maxima? or is it even worth it to goto the dealer for a simple oil change???

 

$35 for me last week

 

$35 for just the oil change...i guess thats not that bad for the dealership.

 

This is what I found on the oil grade issue:
5W30 versus 10W30
Virtually all new passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. use either 5W30 or 10W30 oil. The difference between the two is that the 5W30 flows better when cold, so if you live in a cold climate or operate your vehicle in a cold climate during the winter months, you should use 5W30 if it is the preferred oil for your vehicle. If you live in a sub-tropical climate and don't operate your vehicle in cold climates, then 10W30 is acceptable as long as the manufacturer specifies that it is permissible to use it.

As far as first oil change, on a new car I have always changed the oil at the 1,000 mile mark and then every 3,000.