We have a BMW as well as the Nissan. IMO BMW extends their change intervals much too long, and Nissan has them too short. I've never gone longer than 5000 miles without changing a filter, and never over 10,000 miles between changes of synthetic oil. In cars where I changed filter at 5K and oil at 10K I changed both more often when I thought the driving was severe.

At present, I find it convenient to synchronize tire rotation and oil/filter changes at 5,000 mile intervals. I can easily set the maintenance reminders in the car's computer to those intervals.

My advice, based on 47 years of driving and working on cars, and having used synthetic oil for 36 years......

1) If it's a new car, do not exceed the recommended intervals for oil changes (Not what you're told by a dealer employee, do what it says in the owner's manual.) Do this to protect your warranty coverage. It's cheap insurance.

2) Keep records of every oil change (Every car requires an auto record book) and remember you don't have to have a dealer do the oil changes. For that matter, keep a record of every single item of maintenance or repair in that record book, down to tire rotations and wiper blade replacements.

3) When your engine warranty expires, change oil and filter at mileage intervals as you see fit.

I have learned over the years that nothing is cheaper, more effective preventive maintenance than taking care of oil, filter and lubrication at regular intervals. Those prevent all kinds of problems.

 

7500 miles for the MO under normal driving conditions, which would be about 12,500kms. The dealer is always going to want you to change at the "severe" schedule which is 3750 miles here in the states. How do you think they pay for all those "service technicians"?

I drive between 7000 and 8000 miles a year, and have for the last 40 years. I change my oil and filter 2X a year.

 

1. flush engine by ATF.
2. Use one step higher viscosity oil

 

Illuminate us, por favor...why?

Not looking to start an argument, just wondering what the reasoning is.

Running a quart of ATF through the engine just before an oil change was popular in the 60's and 70's as a way to clean up lifters, as ATF was much more detergent than the motor oil at that time. I doubt that ATF is any more detergent than modern synthetic oil.

Higher viscosity oil might be well justified in much higher temps (if you live in Saudi Arabia and it's 120 degrees in the summer) but oil viscosity is recommended by the manufacturer for normal use based on lubrication and mileage. One can depart from those recommendations provided there are logical reasons. Just wondering what they are.

Running higher viscosity oil definitely won't hurt anything, but slightly higher resistance to pumping and throughout the lubrication system may create a small reduction in gas mileage...although you'd probably have to run oil that's significantly higher in viscosity to see that effect. If a car is burning oil, it's often helpful to run a higher viscosity oil just to reduce the tendency of the oil to get past the rings into the combustion chamber.

 

The BMW must be using a synthetic oil with the LL-01 standard (Long Life).
The Nissan only requires conventional SAE 5w30.

If you need to utilize your engine warranty coverage than you need to stick with the OEM minimum requirements. In Canada that means severe service intervals. In other areas check with the dealer what the minimum requirement is.

If you choose to use semi or full synthetic oil it doesn't mean you can always extend you interval. If your dealer says it is ok MAKE SURE you have it in writing.

I'm well out of warranty (purchased a used 2004 with 200k km on it in November). I'm looking at every 6-7000km with synthetic using a Purolator filter.

 

On my 07 murano it gets 5w30 synthetic oil and Puralator synthetic oil filter along with a can of BG MOA to keep things extra clean and start up wear to a minimum. I change oil&filter at around 5,600kms (In Canada) although I can go a little Longer I don't, its not about how long You can go on synthetic oil its how affective it is. I don't believe in extended oil change

intervals because really all Your doing is waiting for more wear and tear to happen in an engine from doing extended oil changes. that's my opinion and besides Puralotor doesn't make an extended oil filter to go beyond
16,000kms guys so whats the point of doing extended oil changes.?

 

Winter conditions in Canada would be considered "severe service" so oil should be changed accordingly. Also depends on driving conditions in the winter, short trips vs longer trips.


We put lots of KMs on our SUV like 40K a year. Winter months I try and do it between 5K to 6K. Summer months I go longer like 8K. GM had issues with their engine in their Suv's finding that the oil changer intervals were too long! Causing premature wear on the time chains.

 

What is the general consensus on oil filter brand here?

Are you folks experiencing 5 quarts or 4.5 quarts?

Thanks.

 

There are a number of discussions about this (hint.)

Personally, I change oil/filter and rotate tires every 5K miles. It is probably a bit early, but you never hurt an engine by being slightly early.

Don't worry about the half-quarts. Pour the sucker in. Always hits the line for me, anyway.

 

Just FYI Nissan has changed the oil change intervals to 5k miles and rotations to 10k on 2014+ vehicles instead of the usual 3,750/7,500

 

I always appreciate it when a company changes their guidelines to approve what I already do.



And I think that 10K between tire rotations is much too long. It may be OK with a new car in absolutely perfect condition, but after the first pothole that is often not the case.

 

Regular conventional.

 

I have been using Mobil 1 Extended Performance at 15,000 mile intervals - 4.5 Qts. But then again, I am out of warranty and if you are still in warranty, you should follow the manufactured recommended.

 

I have used synthetic motor oil since 1977 - either Amsoil or Mobil 1. On one car I extended oil changes to 10K miles with a filter change at 5K intervals. But I've decided to stick with 5K changes for oil and filter, along with tire rotations at the same intervals. If I wanted to extend, I'd go back to the 10K changes with filters every 5K. The filter picks up stuff that you don't need in your oil.

I actually do have faith in the ability of synthetics to go longer mileages between changes, provided I can avoid dust storms, stop and go driving, and other severe service events...but that's seldom the case. I can afford to be early on the changes.

In turbocharged cars, you couldn't pay me to run anything except synthetic oil. Its superior resistance to breakdown and caking under extreme temperatures (among many other characteristics) is something I consider a mandatory condition for use with turbos.