Thinking about switching to synthetic oil but I have a few questions. Should you stick with it once you start using it? I have about 11000 miles on my 06' CC, does the engine need to be flushed out before using synthetic? I talked to an Amsoil rep. and he told me that it did, he also said that he keeps his Amsoil in his truck for a year at a time. Synthetic or not, I don't think that is a very good idea. About how many miles should you put on synthetic before changing it? I do about 70%city and 30%hwy driving.
Thinking about switching to synthetic oil but I have a few questions. Should you stick with it once you start using it? I have about 11000 miles on my 06' CC, does the engine need to be flushed out before using synthetic? I talked to an Amsoil rep. and he told me that it did, he also said that he keeps his Amsoil in his truck for a year at a time. Synthetic or not, I don't think that is a very good idea. About how many miles should you put on synthetic before changing it? I do about 70%city and 30%hwy driving.
Here's a link to some of my thoughts on synthetics. I don't know many that have flushed their crankcase, transfer case, transmission, or differentials when making the switch; I didn't. He could be absolutely correct, but I wouldn't take the word of one "tech" for anything these days; I'd check with some others. I don't think it'd hurt switching back to dino oil, but if you don't think you're gonna stick to synthetic, then I wouldn't bother trying it. Regular oil changes (dino or synthentic) are the best thing for your engine. Like my page says, I go 5k between oil & filter change. Some people swear you can go for 10k or more (and they do), but I just don't see the point; an oil change isn't that big a deal in comparison to an engine rebuild or replacement. To me, it's cheap insurance.
Just my $0.02
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Jerry
2004 Frontier, King Cab, XE, 4x1, 4-cyl, 5-spd My Frontier Page
i agree with jerryp58... you shouldn't leave the oil longer than the recommended interval by Nissan. Especially since your vehicle is still under warranty.
As for talking to this Amsoil guy who claims to leave his oil for a year... he's either just trying to brag about his oil is or he's a bonehead.
It doesn't matter as to what brand or whether it's synthetic or dino the oil suspends things like dirt , carbon , metal , particles ... this is one reason you change the oil and filter.
As for flushing first it shouldn't matter the two types are compatible as a matter of fact you can get 50 /50 blend of motor oil.
Btw... lots of " synthetic " are actually dino oil base stock.
Personally ... I tried using " synthetic " for one year and ( other than higher price for synthetic ) found no difference in performance and switched back to quality dino.
For example this morning the temp. is -40 ( without windchill ) and my vehicle runs perfectly fine with 5W30 dino.
I usually don't reply to these types of threads, but one thing I never see mentioned is how much better it can be if you are checking things out more often rather than waiting seven or 10 thousand miles between maintenance intervals. Proper maintenance is a lifestyle.
For the questions, I have heard both that you can and can't go back. I have heard that if you have a leak it could become more prevalent after switching to synthetics. I never heard a need for a flush when switching. As for how many miles? The previous posts about service intervals and warranty issues are things to really consider, more so for DIY records (dated receipts and logs).
Sorry no real answers, just commenting. Z
Last edited by Z_Rated : Feb 5th, 2007 at 08:27 AM.
I usually don't reply to these types of threads, but one thing I never see mentioned is how much better it can be if you are checking things out more often rather than waiting seven or 10 thousand miles between maintenance intervals. Proper maintenance is a lifestyle.
For the questions, I have heard both that you can and can't go back. I have heard that if you have a leak it could become more prevalent after switching to synthetics. I never heard a need for a flush when switching. As for how many miles? The previous posts about service intervals and warranty issues are things to really consider, more so for DIY records (dated receipts and logs).
Sorry no real answers, just commenting. Z
Has anyone (tech rep, Click and Clack, Nissan) ever offered a technical explanation why you cannot go back and forth, or for that matter, why you cannot mix the oils? While mixing dino oil with synthetic negates the advantages of the synthetic there are no consequences that I am aware of. My opinions: You can switch back and forth as you wish and the necessity to flush the engine betwen switches is nonsence.
Steve,
Not sure if or what you are asking me, maybe you are in agreement? L0L I guess my reply was a little confusing? Independent lab techs, yes. Nissan techs, sort of. Both related to pre-existing leakage and or premature leakage. Yet another reason why I tend not to reply to these sorts of questions. My reason to comment had more to do with the overall intervals in relation to when an issue is found. Z
The main advantage to synthetic oil is it's resistence to viscostiy breakdown. That's what turns regular oil into sludge in your crankcase. So if you drive the interstates a lot at a brisk pace (particularly in the summer) synthetic might be worth it for you. However, no matter what oil you use, the important thing is regular changes with a quality filter.
The other reason to use synthetic is because you want to. I use it in my 01 Sentra because I'm a little nervous about the aluminum motor and I like to pamper it. I've used synthetic-blend as a compromise in my youngest daughter's CR-V since it was new because I want to give it a good chance to last her through college.
If you have the time and want to find out about long term oil wear test, try this one for size (and I work for ExxonMobil!) The surprising truth about motor oils
Somehow, though, I cannot bring myself to go more than about 5K miles on a change (road miles, not city miles) and putting on a GOOD filter, after reading this. Best of luck...Littlefish
That's great littlefish, however I would have some reservations on the Amsoil article. The one thing not discussed so far is time. How long do you go between changes if you don't put on many miles? I sometimes go 6 - 9 months on my 01 Sentra before I get 3,000 miles and most owners manuals give a duration or a mileage, whichever comes first. Any info on that?
I have run both Mobil 1 synthetic and cheaper standard oils in my Frontier since it was new, depending on my finances.I have switched back and forth several times and did not percieve any increase in leakage, but did have to replace both front and rear crank seals at 220-235k miles.The valve cover, oil pan and timing cover have never been off the engine, so the gaskets and silicone are original. I didn't start using synthetic until the truck had 60k miles ( when it was about a year and a half old). While I cannot document this, I have to wonder if the reason my truck is in as good a condition as it is could be a result of more than half it's life being on synthetic. My longest interval was 15,000 miles ( about 3-4 months) -all of it pizza delivery mileage. I did this maybe 3-4 times during the truck's life. The truck still has excellent compression, but the lifters tick and could use adjustment. Then again, it is a solid lifter engine and the valves have never been adjusted, so I guess it's normal.
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1998 Nissan Frontier XE/2wd/5spd 1 owner, 264k miles
1985 Olds Cutlass, 350 Chevy, owned for 14 years
WANTED: 1968-1973 Datsun 510 or 1991-1994 Sentra SE-R http://www.myspace.com/junkyardengineer
Oldnissanguy, I would think that you could go 6 to 9 months as long as the trips were long enough to get the oil hot enough to boil out the moisture. My grandmother had a 57 Belair that only had 34K miles on it at 31 years old. We pulled the valve covers on the 283 and found the top all plugged up with gunk. Had to scrape them off as well and the top of the heads and punch wires down the drain holes from the head into the block. After that we man some diesel mix in the oil to cut some of the sludge and let the car idle for about an hour. It worked great. The problem was she never drove it long enough to get the oil hot and the parafin would stick to the block. I received the car when she quit driving. After regular driving and making 25 miles one way trips, there was never any wax deposit on the heads at all. My opinion is you need to take the car and warm everything up real good every once in a while. Even sitting in a drive and letting it idle for 2 1/2 hours with the AC on full will clear up moisture that causes a milky looking oil. Moisture is one of the benefits of living on the Gulf Coast. Best of Luck...Littlefish
Oldnissanguy, I would think that you could go 6 to 9 months as long as the trips were long enough to get the oil hot enough to boil out the moisture. My grandmother had a 57 Belair that only had 34K miles on it at 31 years old. We pulled the valve covers on the 283 and found the top all plugged up with gunk. Had to scrape them off as well and the top of the heads and punch wires down the drain holes from the head into the block. After that we man some diesel mix in the oil to cut some of the sludge and let the car idle for about an hour. It worked great. The problem was she never drove it long enough to get the oil hot and the parafin would stick to the block. I received the car when she quit driving. After regular driving and making 25 miles one way trips, there was never any wax deposit on the heads at all. My opinion is you need to take the car and warm everything up real good every once in a while. Even sitting in a drive and letting it idle for 2 1/2 hours with the AC on full will clear up moisture that causes a milky looking oil. Moisture is one of the benefits of living on the Gulf Coast. Best of Luck...Littlefish
Excellent call, People who don't drive high mileage for any length of time need to have thier oil and filter changes more frequently. This is due to gum and varnishes and sludge being allowed to formulate to lack of enough heat to burn off impurities, like moisture etc... Synthetics are good due to extended oil change intervals. But you have to drive the miles. Myself, I prefer mineral based oil. I'd rather look over the truck at 3,000 mile intervals than 6,000 miles, simply because I'd prefer to catch a problem sooner than later. My 2 cents.
Last edited by nissanmadness : Feb 7th, 2007 at 05:19 AM.
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