 paintrefLook, I see stars
join:2003-02-21
Houston, TX |
[Help] Oil Change Advice Needed for 2006 Nissan AltimaJust bought a 2006 Nissan Altima last week (Love it, the 4 cylinder engine is very fuel effiicient compared to my last vehicle, but that's a story for another time  ). Car had about 132K miles on it. Oil was changed at the dealer before I took delivery of the car. I do not do a lot of highway driving, mostly city (I live in an suburban/urban area of Houston). I am trying to decide which interval I should go with. The maintenance manual recommends 7500 miles between oil changes in "normal" driving conditions and 3750 in "heavy" conditions. |
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Use a synthetic or semi synthetic (i use mobile 1) and change oil at 5 - 6k |
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paintrefLook, I see stars
join:2003-02-21
Houston, TX |
said by CylonRed:Use a synthetic or semi synthetic (i use mobile 1) and change oil at 5 - 6k I have read that, synthetics may cause oil leaks in high mileage vehicles, is this true or a misconception? |
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I am currently and have used Mobile 1 in cars that have 200K+ miles with no issues. |
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 XR999See ya Rogers.
join:2010-05-24
Ottawa, ON
1 recommendation |
to paintref
It's a misunderstanding, synthetic oil does NOT cause leaks but it can reveal leaks that already existed but weren't a problem before. This is due to the fact most synthetic oil is able to get through smaller spaces than conventional oil. Obviously a nice thing for that newer engine you want to keep happy and healthy but for older engines with old gaskets, it might reveal leaks that you would have otherwise not noticed.
So considering you just bought the car, I wouldn't say jump to synthetic off the bat. I would start off with a higher mileage semi-synthetic (Castrol GTX, Penzoil High Mileage or whatever is on sale at your local auto parts store) and watch the engine. If you don't see any leaks, then consider the swap to full synthetic (such as Amsoil, Royal Purple or Mobil 1). There's no harm to doing a gradual swap, the oils are fully compatible with each other.
Also, even if you don't switch to synthetic right away, you can certainly switch to a better filter (Purolator PureOne, Mobil 1, Wix, etc) at your next oil change as a great filter will keep your oil in much better shape for longer. Case in point, my co-workers 2012 Hyundai Tucson always gets an oil change every 5000km with the standard bulk oil at my garage. At 5000km on the standard orange Fram or store brand that oil is brown-black. Same interval on a Mobil 1 and the oil is just slightly darker than the day we put it in. |
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paintrefLook, I see stars
join:2003-02-21
Houston, TX |
said by XR999:So considering you just bought the car, I wouldn't say jump to synthetic off the bat. I would start off with a higher mileage semi-synthetic (Castrol GTX, Penzoil High Mileage or whatever is on sale at your local auto parts store) and watch the engine. If you don't see any leaks, then consider the swap to full synthetic (such as Amsoil, Royal Purple or Mobil 1). There's no harm to doing a gradual swap, the oils are fully compatible with each other. I was using castrol GTX in my previous vehicle (95 Nissan Pathfinder which had 150K miles on it). Didn't see any leaks or have any engine problems, but never made the jump to full synthetic. said by XR999:Also, even if you don't switch to synthetic right away, you can certainly switch to a better filter (Purolator PureOne, Mobil 1, Wix, etc) at your next oil change as a great filter will keep your oil in much better shape for longer. Case in point, my co-workers 2012 Hyundai Tucson always gets an oil change every 5000km with the standard bulk oil at my garage. At 5000km on the standard orange Fram or store brand that oil is brown-black. Same interval on a Mobil 1 and the oil is just slightly darker than the day we put it in. I will keep this in mind for my next oil change. |
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tcope
Premium Member
join:2003-05-07
Sandy, UT |
to paintref
According to the people who made the engine, change at 7500 miles. Changing it sooner may make you feel better (which is important) but it's not needed and should not make a difference. Using a synthetic oil and a good filter means you could change it at _greater_ intervals. |
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 ·Metronet
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There is a reason not to believe the numbers all of the time.... for those companies that offer 'free' service for x years, they will be more inclined to.stretch the time. This is a major reason why bmw has "lifetime" fluids. They dont want to change the fluids on their dime.
Their oil changes are now at 15k miles which is a joke. I.dont believe Nissan has the same service offer but I dontske the numbers with a grain of salt. They want to also try and make the maintenance costs as low as possible and oil changes are a cheap and quick way to do it.
Since he does little highway.driving (the reason for the 7500 mile chamge) and more city, probably not as much as the severe milage, I think the 5k is a good compromise. |
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 SundogI'm an analog man in a digital world
Premium Member
join:2003-12-12
Tucson, AZ
1 edit |
to paintref
Using my odometer (5,10, 15, 20 etc), my change interval is every 5K. I change my oil and rotate my tires at the same time. Works for me. Using odometer makes it easy to remember.  I've talked to service advisers about change intervals and oil. Most if not all vehicle manufacturers have changed to synthetic oils. One of the reasons 7500 miles is chosen to change the oil is because the filter gets too dirty. There's a lot of good info on "bob is the oil guy" website. |
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tcope
Premium Member
join:2003-05-07
Sandy, UT |
to CylonRed
said by CylonRed:There is a reason not to believe the numbers all of the time.... for those companies that offer 'free' service for x years, they will be more inclined to.stretch the time. This deals come from the dealerships, not the manufacture of the engine or vehicle. Reason they are offered is so the dealer can check the car for other problems and make money off those repairs. So it has nothing to do with when oil _should_ be changed. The numbers I'm talking about are in the owners manual, from the vehicle manufacture. They offer the warranty on the vehicle and would rather see the oil changed more often. But we see them recommending higher numbers then most people use. The vehicle manufacture does not make money off repairs to vehicles due to oil not being changed often enough... they would actually loose money as people would not buy a line of cars that failed often. said by CylonRed:Since he does little highway.driving (the reason for the 7500 mile chamge) and more city, probably not as much as the severe milage, I think the 5k is a good compromise. The 7500 is for non-extreme conditions. I've not looked at a lot of manuals but I'd say mostly driving in the city is not one of those. You certainly make a good point in that short city driving is a little harder on oil.. but not much. It may not allow moisture to be removed from the oil. But once the vehicle is up to operating temps and driving for just a few minutes longer should take care of that. I'd still say 7500 (if that is what the owners manual states) would be fine for city driven vehicles. But would it hurt to change at 5000? I'd say certainly not. As I mentioned before, it comes down to what makes the person feel good. But another way to look at this is if a person changes it twice as often they might be spending what amounts to $100 instead of $50 to get the same benefit. Would a person pay $100 for an oil change every 7500? Or would a person pay $65 to change the oil themselves every 7500? |
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·Metronet
2 recommendations |
No, the bmw instance the miles and lifetime fluids are from the manufacturer, not the dealership. Bmw has tried to defend the practice but anyone wanting to keep their newer bmw for longer than 5 years ignores the milages given by bmw for all fluid changes.
I believe the bmw dealers are reimbursed for the services they perform as part of the sevice and bmw will not reimburse dealers if mileages are not met, except for maybe an occasional extreme circumstance.
The harm of city driving will completely depend on how far the person drives and temps. Low miles and cold for 4 months will be a lot harder on the oill vs medium miles and warmer year round temps. The amount of oil in the engine will also play a part, though a altima wont have as much oil as my car (my car takes 7 quarts). |
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 Jim Gurd
Premium Member
join:2000-07-08
Livonia, MI |
to CylonRed
said by CylonRed:Use a synthetic or semi synthetic (i use mobile 1) and change oil at 5 - 6k I wouldn't waste my money on synthetic oil on a vehicle with 132K miles on it. Just use regular oil and change it regularly. You could probably go more than 3750 miles, but I wouldn't let it go all the way to 7500. About 5000 would probably be OK, unless you do a lot of idling. |
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·Metronet
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Not sure why there is anything special about 123K miles and not wanting the better lubrication - especially if the car will be kept for a long time.
I would not go more than 5000 miles on conventional oil but that would mean I would be changing my oil every 9-10 weeks, instead of every 14-15 weeks. On an aging body (mine) - the longer the interval the better for me. |
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fartness (banned)Donald Trump 2016
join:2003-03-25
Look Outside |
to paintref
I'm at 53k miles on my 2012 Subaru Legacy. Been running Royal Purple synthetic since 7500 miles (first change of regular oil was at 3750). I'm not down even a drop when I get to my 7500 mile interval as recommended by the manufacturer. Oil looks just as new as when it was added (when the purple wears off). At 60k miles when the warranty expires, I will probably go to a 10k interval. I could do a UOA but it seems like a bit of a waste in this example. Might do a UOA in my 2001 Ford Ranger with 193k running 6k mile OCIs with Penzoil Platinum full synthetic. |
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paintrefLook, I see stars
join:2003-02-21
Houston, TX |
Thanks for all the responses. After reading through the thread I have decided to do the following:
1. Change the oil at 5000 miles (Sooner if I check it and it's dark)
2. Going to use semi synthetic oil at my next change and see how things go |
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SundogI'm an analog man in a digital world
Premium Member
join:2003-12-12
Tucson, AZ |
Sundog
Premium Member
2014-Oct-10 8:54 am
said by paintref:Thanks for all the responses. After reading through the thread I have decided to do the following:
1. Change the oil at 5000 miles (Sooner if I check it and it's dark)
2. Going to use semi synthetic oil at my next change and see how things go I wouldn't even mess with the semi-synthetic. A full synthetic is superior even with what it costs. |
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paintrefLook, I see stars
join:2003-02-21
Houston, TX |
said by Sundog:I wouldn't even mess with the semi-synthetic. A full synthetic is superior even with what it costs. The car has been using conventional oil, so I do not want to go to full synthetic. I want to do a gradual change (As mentioned in a previous post), as I do not know if this car has ever used synthetic. What if there was a leak that I didn't know about. If I go to full synthetic and there is a leak, it would be a waste of money. |
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wuttz
Anon
2014-Oct-10 10:52 am
does not work like that... semi aint gona be a "tiny" leak vs full being a major leak.
Point of syn is that you can go longer between oil changes...
Answer is "heavy" because you do city driving... |
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 hortnutHuh?
join:2005-09-25
PDX Metro |
to paintref
said by paintref:The car has been using conventional oil, so I do not want to go to full synthetic. I want to do a gradual change (As mentioned in a previous post), as I do not know if this car has ever used synthetic.
What if there was a leak that I didn't know about. If I go to full synthetic and there is a leak, it would be a waste of money. Although a different make and model, bought a 2002 F150 with the 5.4l in '08 with 100, 000 miles on it. Have no idea what was used it it before. Went with full synthetic 1st change and no problems since. Since mileage is low per year and trips are short, change every 4 to 6 months. Used recommended viscosity and such. Odometer is now at 148,000. There is a 96 GM vehicle here and it gets driven less than 1000 miles per year. Full synthetic once a year. It is sitting at 150,000 with a V6. No leaks on either, since we purchased. Reading in other forums, biggest mistake is not popping the hood every month or so and checking all fluid levels and inspecting all under the hood and looking at chassis from below. And to add - tire pressures. And finding a good mechanic is on par with having a good Doctor. In last 35 years I have only had 3 mechanics, 2 retired. |
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paintrefLook, I see stars
join:2003-02-21
Houston, TX |
said by hortnut:Reading in other forums, biggest mistake is not popping the hood every month or so and checking all fluid levels and inspecting all under the hood and looking at chassis from below. And to add - tire pressures. And finding a good mechanic is on par with having a good Doctor. In last 35 years I have only had 3 mechanics, 2 retired. So true. I used to do that once every 2 weeks (Or try to) on my other vehicle and will continue to do so. Also, already have a mechanic that we have been using for over 10 years, who happens to specialize in Japanese vehicles. |
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 WK2
Premium Member
join:2006-12-28
united state |
to paintref
Like other posters said, use the semi-syn or full syn.
I wouldn't even mess with conventional. I know the conventional oil has come a long way however the syn oils are far better.
Also, with you being in Houston, Syn oil is much better for higher temperatures. |
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 Doctor OldsI Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30 |
to tcope
said by tcope:According to the people who made the engine, change at 7500 miles. Actually the maintenance schedule from the OEM is below: said by paintref: The maintenance manual recommends 7500 miles between oil changes in "normal" driving conditions and 3750 in "heavy" conditions. Stop n Go aka city driving is defined as being a "heavy" use driving condition versus highway driving which is defined as a "normal" use driving condition. Therefore he should go with the shorter change interval of 3750 per the manufacturers maintenance schedule. |
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tcope
Premium Member
join:2003-05-07
Sandy, UT |
tcope
Premium Member
2014-Oct-12 1:33 am
said by Doctor Olds:Stop n Go aka city driving is defined as being a "heavy" use driving condition versus highway driving which is defined as a "normal" use driving condition. Therefore he should go with the shorter change interval of 3750 per the manufacturers maintenance schedule. Probably different based on the manufacture and certainly does not apply to "OEM" in general. The owners manual on my 2006 F150 states 3000 oil change under Special Operating Conditions as; towing, excessive idling, commercial use, low speed driving for long distances and dusty conditions. Nothing about normal city driving. Even in city driving I can easily get to 50mph speeds. |
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paintrefLook, I see stars
join:2003-02-21
Houston, TX |
I have come to the decision that going to synthetic oil (As much as I want to more so for the lubrication properties rather than the OIC) is cost prohibitive for me.
In addition, since I do not know if synthetic has been used in my vehicle, I feel uneasy about switching. My motto is "If it ain't broke, why fix it?".
I will continue to do basic maintenance (IE checking engine oil/fluids etc) and change the oil when necessary. |
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Doctor OldsI Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30 |
to tcope
said by tcope:Probably different based on the manufacture and certainly does not apply to "OEM" in general. The owners manual on my 2006 F150 states 3000 oil change under Special Operating Conditions Stop and go aka city driving is excessive idling as many lights have long cycle times. City driving fits your Ford's owners manual specification for Special Operating Conditions of excessive idling, and low speed driving for long distances, since all those go cycles between the stop cycles add up quickly. City driving has always been considered severe use/duty/driving condition. |
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fixrmanFrom a broken heart to a hole in the sky
Premium Member
join:2003-02-10
Hatboro, PA ·Verizon FiOS
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to paintref
There will be no issue with switching, but if you want to go synthetic blend and a 5,000 mile interval, go for it - you will do no harm. You could use the appropriate dino oil as well and likely get satisfactory results.
When I commuted 59 miles one way to work, I changed the oil in my '87 Escort Pony every 5,000 miles or if a lifter started tapping, whichever came first. the 1.9L was known for that lifter tap and as soon as the oil was changed it was gone. I would carry the oil and filter with me starting at around 4,000 miles just in case and usually closer to 5,000 the lifter would start to tap and then I'd change oil and filter.
I was changing oil about every 7-8 weeks depending on additional driving. There were 136,000 + miles on the engine when the rear shock towers rusted out, so off to donation land it went. I think a tech school ended up with it.
I used the most inexpensive dinosaur squeezin's I could find and unsually used Purolator or Lee filters or whatever the store deal was. Probably $1.59/qt and $3.29 for a filter; I made sure that it had a check valve as the Escort was supposed to have (if that was the right car I am thinking of). [GRIN} |
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tcope
Premium Member
join:2003-05-07
Sandy, UT
1 recommendation |
to Doctor Olds
Most lights are under 3 minutes. I'd not agree that normal city driving is considered "excessive idling". If it were, they would list "city driving" as you mention. Excessive is just that... longer than normal/average. |
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WK2
Premium Member
join:2006-12-28
united state |
to paintref
If you aren't going full syn, at least go with a blend. |
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paintrefLook, I see stars
join:2003-02-21
Houston, TX |
said by WK2:If you aren't going full syn, at least go with a blend. That's what I was thinking actually  |
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