We just added this Pro-X to the family. My wife’s new truck. Coming up on the first break-in oil change. I’m going to go with 5w-30. I tried hard to find some kind of reference to approved viscosities in the US service manual, but nothing. Even a Nissan tech could not find anything other than 0w-20. **** CAFE BS. The best I could find is the oil chart from Mexico. Oh well, what Nissan doesn’t know won’t hurt them… lol. I was never a fan of Nissan, but the new Frontier changed our minds.
2024 Frontier 3.8 - New Addition
- Thread starter Truck-Guy
- Start date
nice blue 
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There is no break in oil. Nissan uses Exxon Mobil as their lubricants supplier.
Not break-in oil, my break-in oil change. I like the get the metal debris out at 500 miles.
Congrats. My wife and I just picked up a Pro X ourselves in the Baja Storm color. Bought it two weeks ago. I've been having the same thoughts as you concerning what oil to use. I've been following a recent thread about OW30 oils. Not sure yet which one I'll end going with. I'll be changing the factory fill at 1k miles as I do with any new vehicle we get. Just curious where you got the oil grade chart you used in your opening post? Is that Nissan/Frontier specific?
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
I've been running 5w30 in my 2022 Frontier since oil change #2 or 3. It makes me feel better, but I have no idea if it does anything better for the VQ38DD over using the recommended 0w20. Currently 41K miles on the truck and it's s been perfect. I'll be doing fluid changes on the front/rear diffs and transfer case within the next few months. I haven't decided if I want to do a pan and fluid change on the 9spd before 60K miles.
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Nice truck!! Had a first gen Xterra that I miss dearly. How’s the turning radius? I hear these have issues there but not sure if they’re overblown.
Interesting that the low of -22F for 5w-30 is well within range of many winter nighttime lows in North America. Some people poo poo 0w-30 but I run it year round.
Interesting that the low of -22F for 5w-30 is well within range of many winter nighttime lows in North America. Some people poo poo 0w-30 but I run it year round.
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This is a perfect opportunity to do a cut and paste of the factory installed filter after a 500 mile run. I'd love to see what paint chips, wear metals and sealant debris accumulate in the filter after the initial fill.
Very nice truck!! I’ve considered one myself and might just be my next vehicle. You’ve done everything I would from the early change to using a 5w-30.
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
Congrats
LIke you, I was never a big Nissan fan, but with a NA 3.8 V6 and good styling, I believe if I were in the mid-sized truck market it would be my first choice now. Very nice truck. Congratulations!
I like the color, hopefully it takes care of use for a long time and congrats.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
The 2022+ are exactly like the 2nd gens in this regard. Turning radius isn't horrible until you get to the crew cab, long bed/wheel based models. With those, it's comically horrendous. Crew cab, long beds are very rare. Most are short beds.
Steering is a bit stiff on the 2022+ and they still use old school hydraulic rack/pinion which is nice.
My only complaint with my 2022 is the harsh ride. They are very stiff and will jolt and jostle your body over bumps. Loaded up, they smooth right out. My later model Ram 1500s spoiled me with respect to ride. Those rode like a big old Buick.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
Sounds like the Mexican citizens are fine starting / using gas DOHC / TGDI / GDI engines with 5w40 at 30 below zero?
I would not be using 5w40 at that temperature, nor 20 below.
Beautiful truck. I'd love to own that one.
If anyone here can tell me how to either reply or quote a prior post with a photo inside and produce that photo in my reply, instead of a link, please either reply here or PM me please...... thanks.
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Nissan motors like 30 weights. At the Nissan dealership I worked at and still have ties too, they don’t use 0w20 at all in any Nissan. They it 5w30 in everything else except the GTR. When I worked there in 2016-2018 Nissan was starting to recommend of coarse 0w20 but we here in the south always used 5W30 and the car enthusiasts requested Mobil 1 0w40 in their Z and even maximas. The service manager is a friend of mine and he says they don’t use the 0w20 and still sticker for 5,000 mile OCI. So point is use the 5W30.
Hey guys,
For your viewing pleasure. Some sparkles but not bad. Nothing notable in the can that I could see. Honestly, it’s what you can’t see that I am more concerned about. I went with the Puralator Boss filter. The inside of the media was clean. OEM filter seems OK, but not great. I wonder what the efficiency rating is.
This is why I do my first OCI very early, actually only 336 miles. I usually wait until 500 or so but I was bored today. Next one will be at 1500 miles, then every 5k after that. She also got a magnetic drain plug.
For your viewing pleasure. Some sparkles but not bad. Nothing notable in the can that I could see. Honestly, it’s what you can’t see that I am more concerned about. I went with the Puralator Boss filter. The inside of the media was clean. OEM filter seems OK, but not great. I wonder what the efficiency rating is.
This is why I do my first OCI very early, actually only 336 miles. I usually wait until 500 or so but I was bored today. Next one will be at 1500 miles, then every 5k after that. She also got a magnetic drain plug.
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