Missed an oil change - corrective action?

[Paul_1970]

Originally Posted By: NissanMaxima
Hi gang: Due to issues that unfortunately got in the way of life last year, I missed doing my regular oil change on 95 Nissan Maxima. I did an oil change today and saw that the last time I did the filter/oil change was Jan 2016. The car is garaged and only had 3k miles since the last change. I have used Mobil 1 regular synthetic (not the extended interval one) 5W-30 since 1995. I always use Nissan OEM filters. The oil was dark, but not black, and flowed out of the drain OK. My manual specifies 3750 miles/3 months for severe service and 7500 miles/6 months for non-severe service. In general, I have done the changes at about 5-6 months regardless of mileage. Should I run the car another 1k miles now or so and change it out again or let it go my usual full 5-6 months and get back on schedule.


No problem at all. Your car's maker based the servicing interval upon oil available in 1995. Things have changed massively in two decades. You can go 7500 easily on one oil fill.

 

[Buhwheat]

Originally Posted By: NissanMaxima
Hi gang: Due to issues that unfortunately got in the way of life last year, I missed doing my regular oil change on 95 Nissan Maxima. I did an oil change today and saw that the last time I did the filter/oil change was Jan 2016. The car is garaged and only had 3k miles since the last change. I have used Mobil 1 regular synthetic (not the extended interval one) 5W-30 since 1995. I always use Nissan OEM filters. The oil was dark, but not black, and flowed out of the drain OK. My manual specifies 3750 miles/3 months for severe service and 7500 miles/6 months for non-severe service. In general, I have done the changes at about 5-6 months regardless of mileage. Should I run the car another 1k miles now or so and change it out again or let it go my usual full 5-6 months and get back on schedule.


Life issues? They happen. You're fine

Go ahead and go your usual 5-6 months and get back on schedule with confidence.

 

[Paul_1970]

Originally Posted By: robertcope
Better tear it down and rebuild it. It's the only way to be sure.

Waste of time. It's gonna be completely knackered now.

 

[Hyrde]

Originally Posted By: Paul_1970

No problem at all. Your car's maker based the servicing interval upon oil available in 1995. Things have changed massively in two decades. You can go 7500 easily on one oil fill.

7500 miles still sounds extremely conservative to me, my 1999 Toyota owners manual specifies 1yr/10 000 miles on API SJ. It's probably been treated even worse by past owners and still doesn't use a drop of oil between oil changes. But I understand fuel quality is a problem in some parts of the USA, which reduces intervals by quite a bit?

 

[PimTac]

It appears the OP barely runs this car at 3k a year. I would go to yearly oil changes and perhaps think of a cheaper alternative like a syn blend. He is probably putting on 1800 miles on a change of Mobil1 which is hardly using that oil at all. Even a conventional oil would work here.

 

[andyd]

Mobil 1 is bragging that a year is the OCI

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: Paul_1970
Originally Posted By: robertcope
Better tear it down and rebuild it. It's the only way to be sure.

Waste of time. It's gonna be completely knackered now.

Poor NM, bruv will be completely gutted...

 

[CELICA_XX]

I have a Land Cruiser that sees similar yearly mileage with M1. You can stretch that OCI to 18-24 months with no problem.

I use a Fram Ultra with no short trips.

 

[surfstar]

I'd up your OCI to 2 years. You've been changing it too often!

 

[NissanMaxima]

Thanks all for the numerous and helpful information. I will stick with Mobil 1 regular and see about that BITOG donation as one member suggested to soothe my misplaced "remorse"!

Originally Posted By: Paul_1970
No problem at all. Your car's maker based the servicing interval upon oil available in 1995. Things have changed massively in two decades. You can go 7500 easily on one oil fill.


So can I really dismiss the owner's manual recommendation in this regard? I always thought the owner's manual was the ultimate word in OCI recommendations and in addition following the severe service recommendation (3750 miles/ 3mo) was always prudent (especially for the short trips I tend to put on this car). I also thought Mobil 1 synthetic and other synthetics existed in 1995 - although maybe not because I recall using Castrol GTX 5w-30 for the first year or two. Or perhaps they did and what Paul_1970 meant is the synthetics that existed then have massively improved too.

Thanks again gang!

 

[SR5]

The owners manual would be based on the assumption that the minimum oil stipulated was used, in your case API SH mineral oil. They couldn't assume that every owner was going to use a name brand synthetic oil.

You are using full synthetic M1 5W30 that is API SN and Dexos rated, far better than Nissan could have hoped for.