Last August, I purchased an '02 Pathfinder SE equipped with 5 speed manual and 4x4. With already a little over 12,000 miles on the odo (only 3 miles brand new), you can see that I really love driving it!
About a week ago, I took brought it in to the dealership for a service & oil change. Much to my surprise, I found out that they had used Chevron oil. Now I know that their 'techron' blended gas does wonders for your vehicle, but I have no experience with their motor oil whatsoever.
After doing some research (http://www.vtr.org/maintain/oil-overview.html), it seems that Chevron is actually one of the best motor oil available. And if I read the charts right, it's right up there with Mobil 1.
Would any kind souls out there be able to tell me their experience and preference when it comes to engine oil? I love this truck and I plan to keep it for the long haul. Unfortunately, Nissan does not make 5-speed manual Pathys anymore.
Sorry for the long posting. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Those are just some oil specs. There was no actual oil testing. Doen't mean that any oil is better than any other. Don't confuse actually engine performance and life with manufacturer data!
Simple rule of thumb: if you change your oil & filter every 3k and match the viscosity to the weather, you CAN'T go wrong with almost ANY oil and ANY brand of filter.
Now, if you plan on keeping your vehicle for a long time and appreciate your vehicle, use one of the quality synthetics.
Mobil1 from walmart/sams/costco is $18 for a 5 quart jug.
STP/Purolator oil filters were $3. With a change interval of 5-7.5k miles, it isn't even any more expensive than normal oil at 3k intervals.
I prefer synthetics because of the extreme cold weather and temperature swings that we experience. Synthetics flow cold extremely well and won't break down in hot weather. Plus, it reduces engine wear and increases MPG/performance.......
Yep, Pathfinder is automatic only now. This sucks. I really like the Pathfinder compared to the X and Mur. I guess with the Pathy being upscale compared to the X, a 5 speed isn't needed. Plus, the 5 speed isn't known as the strongest tranny out(lower towing rating and engine torque rating for long life).
I use synthetics on most everything I can. For engine oil I use Castrol GTX. Why? Cause it is the lightest color (almost clear) oil I have found. 2000SE is correct. As long as you change oil and filter at least every 3,000 miles you can't go wrong. Even if you use the cheapo k-mart stuff for .79 cents with a 1.50 rebate per quart. Use the best you can find that you like that you can afford.
__________________
91 Maxima
94 SE-V6 4x4 truck
92 Vert project Mustang
Fixer of all things broken,
Breaker of all things fixed.
Somewhere along the way they usually end up twice as fast.
I will definitely keep the oil advice in mind when that 15k mile mark comes.
As for the tranny situation, Nissan had to lower the torque rating on manual equipped Pathys due to durability issues. Also, they had to lower the towing capacity to 3500 because any more would introduce overheating concerns. Still, I'm very satisfied with the power and when I make enough money to buy a boat, I'll worry about the towing. *hehehe*
Nissan also pulled the plug on 5-speed equipped V6 & S/C Xterra's for 2003. Does that mean that "row-yourself" SUV's are a thing of the past?!? And I don't think I'm ready to sell my liver for a BMW X5 3.0i just yet.
Aside from initial cost, are there any other disadvantages to using synthetic oil?
I used to drive a 91 Honda with 230k+ miles, and oil changes were religiously performed every 3k miles since new. So I completely agree with you and 2000SE that changing your oil regularly is very crucial to your vehicle's life span. Unfortuntely, not once have I tried synthetic on my Honda and now my Pathy. It's defintely something that I'm willing to consider next time.
There are two possible disadvantages that I can think of.
1) Cost. Synthetic oil gets just as dirty as regular oil and needs changing in similar intervals. If Nissan says you need to change the oil every 3000, I would NOT double that interval simply because you're using synthetic oil. If you really need it (like if you routinely start your engine in -20F weather), then it has obvious functional advantages, but for most of us, there's really no reason for it.
2) Sometimes, the gaskets and seals are not validated for synthetic oil. My other car is a Cadillac Seville with the Northstar engine. A Northstar engineer frequents one of the Caddy boards and gives the same response to folks who use synthetic and all of a sudden, a leak springs up. "The seals were not validated for synthetic oil because you don't need to use synthetic oil. Synthetic is not needed nor recommended. Use conventional oil only and follow the change intervals. Expect at least a quarter million miles out of your Northstar."
I don't know about Nissan engines. A lot of the import guys like to use synthetic oil, so they may have designed the engine for that. I used to be a member of the car club at Virginia Tech Univ. and I swear that half the guys that use synthetic oil did so just so they could say they used synthetic oil. They still changed it every 2500-3000 miles and had no idea of the extra money they were spending that could have gone elsewhere.
Having said all that, I put synthetic oil in my differentials and plan to use it in the tranny because this oil rarely gets changed and flushed out. The engine oil does get changed every few months, so you really don't see the advantages of the longevity of synthetic oil in that case. However, in the case of the differentials and tranny, you may only change it every 50,000 miles, so the longevity issue all of a sudden does come into play. Even though the oil doesn't get as dirty in a diff or tranny (as it does in an engine), the synthetic oil probably will withstand more abuse and heat over the period of YEARS than conventional oil would. But in an engine, we're usually talking a period of a few MONTHS, and that's not the longevity that synthetics are known for.
I didn't know Nissan yanked the 5-speed from the X. That sucks.
Most engineers(especially domestic) will try to say that what they make is perfect. Too bad that the engineers are under the control of cost accountants and stockholders. Visit www.alldata.com and compare the TSBs and other issues for this family of oldsmobile/cadillac engines.
Seals leak because they crack. Too bad that the Northstar engine has cheap seals. This was common/documented with earlier Northstars and has been addressed with the newer motors.
I haven't seen a Northstar with 250k miles that didn't have issues. This is sad when you consider the market segment that the engine caters too. Older less abusive people can make almost any engine last forever. Lets see what happens to the Northstar when a 16 year old gets the keys.
The spreadsheet clearly shows that certain dino oils perform extremely well and certain synthetics do too. It also shows that certain dino/blended/synth oils should be avoided. 5-7.5k is no big deal with Mobil1 or Amsoil. Even cheaper Castrol GTX dino is an excellent oil and better(opinion?) then the more expensive Castrol Syntec.
I guess that the important thing to do is to get your oil analyzed at least once, after an oil change, and then create your own maintenance schedule for your driving style, mileage interval, and your choice of oil.
I'd prefer to use as little oil as possible and will probably push to 10k intervals with remote filtration(if I ever get around to it).
Concerning xcase, front/rearends, PS, ATF, and gearboxes, using a synthetic will just about eliminate maintenance for those components. Front/rearends/manual trans/transfercases will rarely need to be changed after switching to a synth(other than for other maintenance like clutches/bearings/seals....). ATF/PS should have regular maintenance regardless of fluid choice since there is no thorough filtration.
Personally I don’t use synthetics in my engines because I regularly change my oil/filter at roughly 3-4k so I wouldn’t see the benefits of synthetics. However I do use synthetics gear oil in manual transmissions and differentials.
Regarding Chevron oil, been using it for years. Got a 91 Maxima with 160k in it now and has been getting nothing but Chevron Supreme or Delo. The engine still runs well and no leaks or burns any oil.
Regardless of what oil type you use, the key is to change the oil and filter regularly.
Originally posted by 2000SE I haven't seen a Northstar with 250k miles that didn't have issues. This is sad when you consider the market segment that the engine caters too. Older less abusive people can make almost any engine last forever. Lets see what happens to the Northstar when a 16 year old gets the keys.
You obviously haven't seen too many Northstars. People have supercharged and nitroused the Northstar with much success. My own vehicle has 112k fairly hard miles and is leak-free. Northstars are used in taxis in Detriot as test mules and many of them have over 250,000 miles on them.
The seals will last if used the way they were designed. The early Northstar blocks used an actual gasket between the case halves that tended to leak after many miles. The newer engines, starting in 1996 or 1997, used an anerobic sealer that will expand and contract with the heat expansion of the engine. It is leak-free and very reliable. The Northstar is a very revolutionary all-aluminum engine that really set the stage for performance engines today. But it takes some learning to get it done. I can count on one hand the manufacturers who had 300 hp DOHC V8s in the early 1990s. Today, everyone has them. The cutting edge is sometimes the bleeding edge. The Nissan KA motor is bullet-proof because it's a simple design that's been around for decades (in one form or another). Any engine will build that reliability record after tweaks and upgrades. The Northstar is doing that today. Unfortunately, they all have bad reps because of the learning curve that the early engines required, and because of folks who don't know how or don't like to work on them. Water pump change on a KA24E, about 2 hours probably, and lots of sockets to find and at least three belts to remove. Water pump change on a NS, about 30 minutes, including draining the coolant. One special tool required. No sockets, only one belt to remove. It's remarkably easy to work on.
Back to the discussion, I agree with the maintenance advantages of synthetic oils in the diffs and tranny. Does the transfer case have some sort of filter, similar to automatic trannies? I assume not, since there's no pump. Why do they specify ATF for the t-case rather than some weight of gear lube?
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