Amsoil 0w30, 6006 miles, 02 Maxima SE

[pruizgarcia]

First run with Amsoil 0w30. Vehicle mileage 40,440 miles. Mileage on oil 6006 miles, from April till now. Used about 7 oz of LC total and 3oz of Lucas UCL on every fill up. Very spirited driving, 60% highway, 40% city. Averaging 50-60 miles per day. Gain about 1 mpg with the Amsoil. Mobil 1 5w30 with some Mobil 1 15w50 was used before the Amsoil. This used oil analysis helped pinpoint a dirt intake from a faulty air filter install which started at the beginning of this run. Leak corrected now.

Al 1
Ca 2158
Cr 0
Cu 4
Fe 5
Pb 13 (dirt)
Mg 548
Mo 35
P 917
K 0
Si 17 (dirt)
Na 4
Sn 3
Zn 1098
St 0
Ox 117
Nit 94
W N
A N
F N
Cst 100 - 11.7, TBN 8.5

I want to thank Terry for his analysis and discovering this dirt intake. His services are well worth it. Will be changing out the Amsoil because of the dirt intake and going to try the Mobil 1R 0W30 next. Will do a used oil analysis at the 6K mile mark which should be in about 4 months.

Pedro

[ September 21, 2004, 07:37 PM: Message edited by: pruizgarcia ]

 

[Jay]

Since the dirt didn't hurt Fe, Al, or Cr, I'm surprised the dirt ingestion was through the intake. I would have guessed the dirt found it's way in through the pcv or some other way besides the intake.

 

[pruizgarcia]

It was also mentioned as a source, but I haven't had time to check the PCV; but will be checking and replacing it this weekend.

Pedro

 

[Al]

I'm not sure it is dirt based on the other metals. Maximas have high lead values.

 

[dropitby]

A shame you had to change it I have it in my Nissan now and wondered how long it will go.Lots of TBN I think a year is possible.

 

[dagmando]

Do not put that Lube Control stuff in your Maxima, the VQ35DE engine(and previous versions of the 3.5) is one of the most awarded engine ever for efficiency and technological advancements and DOES NOT NEED additives. Change your oil regularly and you will have no problems anything else is asking for trouble, regardless of what the "experts" here say.

 

[pruizgarcia]

Thanks for the comments. This weekend I am going to see where the dirt is getting in from. Since I purchased this Max used at 27k miles, I will also change the plugs and put some M1R 0w30 and see how it does. Why the M1R 0w30? I am curious about this oil and haven't seen any used oil analysis for it so I am going to run it for 6k miles and get a used oil analysis to see what it is all about. Will give my wife's Eclipse Spyder the remaining Amsoil 0w30 I have.

Pedro

 

[John in the ATL]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Al:
I'm not sure it is dirt based on the other metals. Maximas have high lead values.

---

Al is correct about the high lead. I ran the Amsoil ASL 5w30 for 9 months/6,400 miles and the lead was 13 ppm. This run was with a regular Purolator paper filter.

 

[John in the ATL]

quote:

---

Originally posted by dagmando:
Do not put that Lube Control stuff in your Maxima, the VQ35DE engine(and previous versions of the 3.5) is one of the most awarded engine ever for efficiency and technological advancements and DOES NOT NEED additives. Change your oil regularly and you will have no problems anything else is asking for trouble, regardless of what the "experts" here say.

---

What if Terry Dyson advised him to use lube control? What if he wants to extend his drain intervals? I agree that this is the finest V6 engine made period but it comes at the price of abusing oil with high lead and iron. The engine spits out high insolubles and other gunk as well. With lube control, the Maxima's OCI can be extended with the Amsoil S2K 0w30 or Mobil 1 0w-30R. These are both expensive oils versus the Schaeffer's Blend that will work in this vehicle.

The only way to control the oxidation and thickening is to implement the lube control/fuel power combo. By using fuel power, the Maxima can use 89 octane without loss of power or fuel economy and saving 10 cents a gallon every fillup.

 

[Pablo]

I don't think LC would hurt a thing here.

 

[haley10]

quote:

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Originally posted by Pablo:
I don't think LC would hurt a thing here.

---

In fact it probably is the reason the oil is a nice 30wt, otherwise it would likely be a full 40. Amsoil seems to do this even in engines that are very easy on oil.

 

[LCD]

quote:

---

Originally posted by dagmando:
Do not put that Lube Control stuff in your Maxima, the VQ35DE engine(and previous versions of the 3.5) is one of the most awarded engine ever for efficiency and technological advancements and DOES NOT NEED additives. Change your oil regularly and you will have no problems anything else is asking for trouble, regardless of what the "experts" here say.

---

dagmando, it does not matter that it is a great engine. It's the oil added that needs help, no matter what type of oil you use it will oxidize and produce harmful varnish. This is why you use LC, to prevent oxidation and allow the oil to be run longer.

Even if you change oil at 3000 miles you are still building up varnish and deposits that are harmful to any engine no matter how advanced.

Go out and rub your finger inside your tail pipe. If you get any black soot on your finger you need LC/FP. On Odis' truck you can rub forever and nothing will get on your finger, and I mean nothing.

I will not argue that that engine does not need additives, but the oil used most certainly does.

 

[snoboy]

lcd... Amen. You could'nt have said it better.

 

[John in the ATL]

lcd,

A great explanation. It took me a while to become a believer, but after looking at used oil analysis with reduced iron and lead is proof that lc/fp works.

 

[buster]

quote:

---

Amsoil seems to do this even in engines that are very easy on oil.

---

They need to work on that. You'll loose power and efficiency once the oil thickens to far out of grade. Mobil 1 is the viscosity/TBN king right now, other then RL. One thing I wish Mobil would do is to bump their 30wt oils to A3.

 

[pruizgarcia]

Well, I think I have found where the dirt ingestion was coming from after spending a lot of time checking everywhere on the Max. Changed my spark plugs and one of the plugs on the back side (have to take the intake manifold off to reach the back plugs--a real pain)was real loose. It just popped right off by hand. It even had some oil in the chamber. Spark plug looked ok (no oil on it). Cleaned the chamber, put the new plug in and torque it to spec. Will see how it does on the next UOA. Right now the Max has come alive again...

Pedro

[ October 21, 2004, 08:16 AM: Message edited by: pruizgarcia ]

 

[LubeOiler]

Originally posted by dagmando:
Do not put that Lube Control stuff in your Maxima, the VQ35DE engine(and previous versions of the 3.5) is one of the most awarded engine ever for efficiency and technological advancements and DOES NOT NEED additives. Change your oil regularly and you will have no problems anything else is asking for trouble, regardless of what the "experts" here say.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

dagmando, it does not matter that it is a great engine. It's the oil added that needs help, no matter what type of oil you use it will oxidize and produce harmful varnish. This is why you use LC, to prevent oxidation and allow the oil to be run longer.

Even if you change oil at 3000 miles you are still building up varnish and deposits that are harmful to any engine no matter how advanced.

Go out and rub your finger inside your tail pipe. If you get any black soot on your finger you need LC/FP. On Odis' truck you can rub forever and nothing will get on your finger, and I mean nothing.

I will not argue that that engine does not need additives, but the oil used most certainly does. ICD: Are you saying if your oil report is fine without LC it will only stay that way if you use it. I am not questioning how clean my exhaust pipe is,I am wondering if I shouldn't wait for a sign like high insoluables before adding additives to a fairly new engine.Not knowing when is better but it just seems to me after some of the additives of new oil have depleated that then might be a better time to use additives. This is just my way of thinking and is due to recent oil reports.

 

[TooSlick]

Was there any nickel in this sample? I also think this looks like a direct leak into the crankcase.

I don't think you need LC20 in newer engines either w/ a high TBN synthetic - but in this case it didn't seem to hurt anything and the oil could have gone much longer.

Tooslick

 

[TECH]

Every car out there will have some sort of soot in the tailpipe.
How is an oil additive going to eliminate a byproduct of combustion?

 

[Bryanccfshr]

quote:

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Originally posted by TECH:
Every car out there will have some sort of soot in the tailpipe.
How is an oil additive going to eliminate a byproduct of combustion?

---

In this case the refernece is to the fuel additive.