Hello everyone, I pretty much know nothing so you don't have to state the obvious when you flame me for posting this... ...anyway I'm going for my first oil change this weekend.. i have a 2004 touring auto with 26.5k miles on it.. (I'm second owner/well really leasing)...question is what's the best oil brand/type to use?

P.S. still have decent weather in NYC for this of the year! woot!

 

Q: What kind of oil should I use? What brand of oil and filter is recommended?

A: The owner's manual suggests using "dino oil", that is, non-synthetic. Your engine takes 5 quarts of oil when you change the filter (and you should always change the filter with the oil). Recommended oil change intervals are 3750 miles. Try to stick to this, or keep it under 4k miles at least. There is not much benefit to changing your oil more often, unless you track your car or put it under extreme conditions frequently.

Some owners have reported excess loss of oil using synthetic such as mobil1. If you are not sure what to use, stick with regular old dino oil.

There is more misinformation about motor oil floating around than just about any other topic. For excellent and honest oil information, search these forums: http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi

[A short anecdote]
For example, some people STILL seem to think Pennzoil is a known "sludge maker" due to its paraffin (wax) content. Similar comments have been construed about Quaker State. Some people claim you could not PAY them to put pennzoil in their engine. Some even have called Pennzoil "Pennzsludge Beeswax" or some other clever variation. In reality, IIRC, all motor oils (at least dino oil?) are paraffin based. Paraffin, when warm, is a liquid. You couldn't get wax to form sludge in your engine if you tried. Sludge does not come from wax. Sludge does not come from pennzoil. Period.
[/A short anecdote]

From my experience in reading up on the above mentioned forums, here is the general consensus on motor oil:

Almost any dino oil is about the same. (Anyone who disputes this fact has clearly not read up enough to know what they are talking about.) Motor oil undergoes rigorous testing and quality control. Make sure it is API "SM" and GF-4 rated for top quality. You will find almost all brands of oil are SM/GF-4 rated... Pennzoil, Havoline, Valvoline, Quaker State, Castrol GTX. If you are going with dino oil, you should feel free to buy the cheapest SM & GF-4 oil you can find. There is no benefit to being loyal to a brand (many brands are manufactured by the same parent company). There is also no harm in switching between brands. The only advantage to picking one brand over the other is their slightly different "additive packages" in their oil. For example Havoline has a higher molybdenum content, which is due to MoS2 (molybdenum sulfide) which is a good high-temperature lubricant. This makes Havoline a popular dino oil brand for those "in the know," but in reality, any SM/GF-4 dino oil will be fine to keep your engine running smooth. Me? I used Pennzoil 5W-30 on my last oil change. Who knows about the next one?

As far as filters go, mobil1, K&N, Wix, Napa Brand, Nissan OEM, Purolator should all be fine. Stay away from FRAM. There is sufficient data to support that FRAM sucks. I personally use the K&N HP-1008 filter, available from performance nissan. Don't forget to change that copper crush washer on the drain plug!

If you are going with synthetic, I have not used synthetic yet myself, so I can't speak volumes about it. I can, however, tell you that AMSOIL comes more highly recommended than just about any other brand. There is such a thing as synthetic BLEND (part synthetic, not fully synthetic). You might consider using a synthetic blend instead of full synthetic, if you're concerned that full synthetic may burn or go missing.

Also the general consensus is that if you want to switch to synthetic, do so well after break-in, or when at least XXXXX miles are on your car.
Edit: I just got my oil analyzed at the 10k mile marker. It turns out at 10k miles my engine is still breaking in. I now recommend you wait until at least about 15-20k miles before attempting synthetic, but that's just my opinion...

Remember, oil related failures are VERY rare. So, go with what you like! But please stick to the manufacturer's recommended viscosities: 5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40.


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Editorial Note
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My last oil change was done at a 5k mile interval, and everything looks fine. 5K is a little too much though, and the viscosity started to breakdown (10W-30 pennzoil). Next time I'm going to change the oil at about 4k miles.

Information can be found here about my used oil analysis.
https://my350z.com/forum/maintenance-and-repair/215900-a-5000-mile-oil-change-interval.html

Amsoil synthetic every 6,000 miles but is supposed to last until 7,500 with amsoil filter.

 

Id go with Mobil 1 Syn or just bout any Synthetic, since i do a lot of spirited driving.

 

The kind in the blue and red can. I forgot the name.

 

for the same price you can run castrol 0-w30 syntec euro forumula

 

I use synethic (I have 26k miles on my 03). I switch between Mobil 1 or Royal Purple depending on what the lube shop has. I use to change my oil every 3k miles. Now that I have nitrous, it gets changed every 2k.

 

I was always told consistentcy is most important, so whatever brand you go with, stick with it and follow regular intervals, or just do a search.

I use Mobil 1

 

Mobil 1 .............0 w 40

 

i always use SE-A-RCH

works everytime

 

amsoil 10w 30 pro2000. best oil on the market, 75% of nascar and some of F1 uses this oil. I know there's a huge name behind mobil one, but this stuff is just good if not better. I'm a dealer if anyone is interested, i can get it for 6.50 or 7 a quart.

 

 

Mobil 1 synthetic 5W-30, and I change every 3,750 miles.

 

Royal Purple everytime.

 

+1

 

After quite a bit of oil analysis between some fellow car buffs.

We came up with synthetic oils:

1) Redline Oil - Great but expensive

2) Mobil 1 Oil - Great, not quite and good as Redline but a lot less money.
Can be bought at Costco for under $25 a six pack.

3) Royal Purple - Equals Mobil 1 However this was based on the old Mobil 1
formula. The new Mobil 1 shows improvement across the
board. Might even rival Redline.

When you go to syn the breakdown doesn't really show until 10-12K. This is continual run. However, what is important is to get the contaminates out from blow-by and such. So, I change my oil @ 4K when I can and let it go no longer than 5K or six months. Generally, I do not put on 5K in six months for my Zcar so the oil changes have been happening at like 3000 miles just to make me happy.

Yes, you can use dino oil and it will work just fine and syn is not required.
Yes, I have seen cars that use syn burn a little more if the car wasn't broken in on dino first. (rings don't seal as well using syn - and the problem won't go away after the rings are washed out) So, I always have waited until 10K until I change to syn. Matter of fact I'm breaking in a V10 right now on dino. I have 6K more to go before I can switch over. Of course switching the oil out at 3300 then 6600 and finally the syn fill at 10K. I would have switched the oil out at 1000 miles as well but received the Vehicle at 2884 miles.

I see about 1/2 mpg improvement on my big blocks when the rings are sealed and I go to syn.
That actually means a lot when you get 10.5 mpg to see 11 mpg and have a 75 gal tank to fill. Saves about 4 gals of gas per tank. Motorhomes SUCK gas - but, they are cheaper than hotel rooms and most of those aren't on the shore of the ocean or lake. Not to mention the $ you save in meals out. Well, that's another topic, enough about me justifying my MH purchase.

Back to the topic - an oil change is cheap - unless you get taken.
It is less than a tank of gas (1/2 a tank if you use dino) and will keep my engine nice and clean. Rarely does the oil get to a light brown color. It usually is a golden brown when I change it.

Remember it's the acid that breaks down the oil for the majority of us unless you drive 10K in six months. The oil would handle that but, I would still change it at 5K miles if it was me.

And don't forget to recycle that oil please ....

 

Fram sucks, huh? 445,000 miles on the original motor with Fram filters and Castrol GTX dino-oil says that's a bunch of internet BS.

 

Actually - The Fram filter have cardboard end caps that swell and then the filter material has been found in oil passages causing many rebuilds. At least as of a couple years ago. Many be the newer HD versions are better now. See the below link .... worth the read:

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Filters.html

This site gives an even better breakdown for those interested:

http://www.corolland.com/oil-filters.html

My cousin, who is a NISSAN Master Mechanic, said they see a couple of engine rebuilds a year due to the FRAM filters at his dealership. NISSAN will not cover the rebuild if you do not use NISSAN filters. However, he says the WIX, K & N and Mobil 1 filters are of really good quality and would recommend those if your car is out of warantee to save a couple of bucks.

I have a warantee on my Pathfinder and 350Z so I use the NISSAN filters. They are only a buck or so more and if anything happens .... I'll be covered.

Just another consideration.

On my Firebird I use K & N. On my V10 Motorhome I use Mobil 1. On my Sable I use Mobil 1. Those vehicles are out of warantee and I haven't had any issues.

I had used Fram filter for years until I heard this information and saw a Fram filter cut open. If you really want to know cut open a Fram filter and a WIX, NISSAN, Mobil 1, or K & N filter. You'll see the difference. Then you also see it's probably worth the extra $1 and a trip to the dealership.

I order mine online in the two pack and it cost about the same as going to the dealer due to shipping charges.

 

I know about all of the "studies" that show how awful Fram filters are. I've been using them for 18 years and have almost 2 million miles on cars with Fram filters. I've never had an oil related issue on any of my cars.

 

Royal Purple FTMFW.

 

Absolutely agree.

I have been using Fram filters and Penzzoil dyno oil in all my cars for the past 20+ years, and never had any problems.

Bottom line: using specific filter and oil brand is a matter of personal preference. As long as the filter and oil are made by a reputable brand, I think that reasonable and consistent maintenance intervals (I do mine every 5K) are much more important than the specific filter and/or oil brand used.