New Truck, Short Trips, GDI, Need Advice

S

Swiftks

Joined
Jul 1, 2024
Messages
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Details:
New 2024 Nissan Titan XD Pro-4X (5.6L V8 GDI - VK56VD F)
Location: Houston, TX
Current Miles: 450
Driving: Average less than 5 miles a day during week, maybe some highway miles on the weekend (30 minutes or less). Once a month I may take a trip, couple hours each way. Some short trip towing (less than 20 miles)... not to often.
Gas: Run Premium 93 octane only
Catch Can already installed


So I got a new truck, and have been doing a lot of online research to try and pick a optimal oil, oil change interval, etc. to keep it running as long as possible. That being said, I am going to be doing a 1K mile oil change, and then probably every 3K - 5K from then on. Plan on using a premium oil; Pennzoil Ultra Platinum, Amsoile Signature, Redline, etc.... I don't care if you think it's a waste of $ due to whatever, I'm not asking you for financial advice. Also, I have 0... wait that's wrong.... I don't care about fuel economy.

I have been reading numerous threads, and am getting bombarded with to much info., scenarios, etc. For instance:
- Run 5w30... but running short trips most days (under 5 miles), so oil doesn't get up to temp most of the time... so run the manufacture suggested 0w-20.
- GDI has dilution effects on thinner oils, and I live in Houston (i.e. hotter than the surface of sun, with about 5 days of freezing temps in the winter).... so run 5w30 (see above).
- What about 0w30, that's interesting; like say Amsoil Signature 0w-30... sounds good in my mind, but the NOACK rating seems a little high, which I understand to be a little detrimental to GDI engines. That true? Does it even matter with my very short drive times?
- What about something like Redline with a high HTHS? Downsides?

Please embew me with your collective oil geniuses, and show me the light, for you all are truly the Oil Gods of the internet.... honestly though, I would really appreciate your advice and suggestions. Mainly trying to narrow down what weight to use, given all the above, and then which brand (which I understand is subjective). Thank you in advance for your help.
 
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You're WAY overthinking this. My GDI truck has had almost 120k miles of some short and some long trips, some towing, the sump has always been filled with whatever 5w30 Dexos1 I found on clearance at 7500 mile intervals. She still runs just like she did on day 1, and never burns a drop between changes.
 
I think Redline 5w30 would be fine in Houston. I have used it what seems like forever in the liquid cooled MPFI N/A gas rigs. NOACK 6%, HTHS of 3.7 and high ester content. I will continue to use it as long as they keep making an incredibly stout oil with those specs. Stick to 5,000 miles oil changes with a high quality filter. That truck fine will run until you are tired of it and It gets sold.
I'd also run Redline gear oil in the differentials (I do) and whatever Redline/P66 recommends for the transfer case and transmission. I've got a rig with 415k miles on it running fine, Redline since 42k when I bought it.
If you plan to keep it until the wheels fall off, a high quality catch can would not be a bad thing at all. I have one on my 3.5 Tacoma.
A bottle of Techron or SI-1 500 miles before every oil change and that is a solid plan for long life
 
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Sounds like you already have a good plan so stick with it. Good you already have the catch can. I agree with the 5w/30 and using a top line full synthetic that meets Dexos will assure you are doing the best you can to deal with LSPI and NOAK. I also agree 5k miles changes are going to do you fine. You may want to add a can of GDI intake valve cleaner service just before each oil change or every other as well to keep the deposits at a minimum but with the catch can you are already ahead of the game as well. Just for the record, my 2008 CTS is over 200k miles with 5k mile Mobil 1 changes and a GDI cleaner treatment at every other oil change - absolutely runs perfect.

note - I am referring to the spray can thru the intake GDI cleaner like what CRC makes
 
Ya you are WAY overthinking it. Does the truck require 93? if not waste of money and potentially harmful. You don't need a catch can, but using good oil definitely is the way to go. You bought a new truck, under warranty and unless you get a blessing from Nissan of America to run 5w30 do not give them a reason to deny a warranty claim. Use a well off 0w20 and drive happy and forgo the 1k miles oil change UNLESS you have their or the dealers blessing. You do not want any reason for them to deny a warranty claim. That being said hopefully you never have one.
 
Thermo1223 said:
Ya you are WAY overthinking it. Does the truck require 93? if not waste of money and potentially harmful. You don't need a catch can, but using good oil definitely is the way to go. You bought a new truck, under warranty and unless you get a blessing from Nissan of America to run 5w30 do not give them a reason to deny a warranty claim. Use a well off 0w20 and drive happy and forgo the 1k miles oil change UNLESS you have their or the dealers blessing. You do not want any reason for them to deny a warranty claim. That being said hopefully you never have one.
Click to expand...
Does not "require" 93 but the manual "suggest" you use premium gas.... which is fine by me. I don't care about costs, as I fill up maybe once every 3 weeks or so, give or take a few days.
 
What does the manual say about oil viscosity? My Tacoma says 0w20 recommended for optimal fuel efficiency but trailer towing, or high speed driving a higher viscosity may be used. That's all I needed to put 5w30 in it. I drove it from Round Rock to Waco, changed the oil with 135 miles on the truck.
Oh, downsides to running Redline 5w30 with a low NOACK and higher hths. You will wear many driver's seats out before you will wear the motor out, same if you use RL in the axles, Tcase and transmission.
I think you have a fairly good drive train in that truck.
I am not affiliated nor do I sell Redline. I am just a believer in their high quality products that I've used for many years and many miles and have never had had any failures of any kind and dry seals and gaskets underneath
 
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21_6.7f450 said:
What does the manual say about oil viscosity? My Tacoma says 0w20 recommended for optimal fuel efficiency but trailer towing, or high speed driving a higher viscosity may be used. That's all I needed to put 5w30 in it. I drove it from Round Rock to Waco, changed the oil with 135 miles on the truck.
Click to expand...
Manual calls for 0w20.... however the same manual in Mexico shows this:

1.webp


Texas is pretty much like Mexico... :sneaky:
 
Edit: if it were mine, it'd get 5w30. I understand if you want to follow the manual for warranty purposes. You may just take 5 minutes and call Redline and ask them. If you get their blessing, good. If they recommend against, atleast you will know. Very knowledgeable technical folks.
 
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The thicker grade is less ideal during engine warm up, but more ideal when the oil is very hot. Pick your poison. Between your warm climate, towing, fuel dilution from short trips, and disregard for fuel economy, I'd go with the 5W-30, especially during the summer months.

All else being equal, a 0W-30 will effectively be thinner than a 5W-30 at operating temperature due to shear thinning. More VII can also contribute to more valve deposits. There's really no reason to use a 0W-30 in your climate if you don't care about fuel economy.

Swiftks said:
- What about 0w30, that's interesting; like say Amsoil Signature 0w-30... sounds good in my mind, but the NOACK rating seems a little high, which I understand to be a little detrimental to GDI engines. That true? Does it even matter with my very short drive times?
Click to expand...
Noack relates to how readily the oil will vaporize at the top piston ring and slip into the combustion chamber and get burned off. It doesn't really relate to GDI valve deposit issues, as this is caused by oil in the form of unvaporized droplets/mist going through the PCV system. The difference in oil consumption between higher and lower Noack oils should be very minor when it's <10% for both oils.
 
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Sounds like a good plan. Nissan trucks have very expensive engines and transmissions in them. The latest generation GDI Nissan 5.6 is a pretty complicated looking beast if you've ever seen one apart.

I put a catch can on my 2022 Frontier mostly as a curiosity thing, but also because there is tons of room for an easy install.
 
My Silverado (2030-5.3) has the same duty cycle until I tow with it.

I have had four of these trucks. I follow the OLM. Two have used 0W/20. I tow up 7,000 foot mountain passes regularly . The stuff is too thin-should have blown up all the motors.

Going through in a week (towing 5,000 pound travel trailer) The 1.7 mile-long Eisenhower/Johnson tunnels are located approximately 60 miles west of Denver. They are the highest vehicular tunnels in the world, with an average elevation of 11,112 feet, also making them the highest point in the Interstate Highway System.
You should have no issues in Houston.

Will see if it blows up.
 
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Pick one, run it and test it.
Main thing that's going to kill your oil is fuel dilution and short trips, just a question of how long the oil will last short tripping a gdi. Could be as little as 3,000 miles, hopefully it's over 5000.
 
Swiftks said:
Does not "require" 93 but the manual "suggest" you use premium gas.... which is fine by me. I don't care about costs, as I fill up maybe once every 3 weeks or so, give or take a few days.
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Wow, first truck I heard that was like that especially DI. Probably in response that most premiums are closer to top tier standards than regular.
 
CKN said:
And mess with his warranty on a $50,000.00plus truck-Not run what the manufacturer specs? (In this country?)
You are kidding right?

Have you ever PERSONALLY done such a thing?
Click to expand...
i do it on brand new vehicles that spec 0w-20. dealer will not take a UOA.
21_6.7f450 said:
CKN, he probably has done it. Right or wrong. I mean I wouldn't put a Fram on it either. ;)
Click to expand...
fram has the highest efficiency filter out at the moment so i don’t quite get what you’re talking about.
 
BrendanC said:
i do it on brand new vehicles that spec 0w-20. dealer will not take a UOA.

fram has the highest efficiency filter out at the moment so i don’t quite get what you’re talking about.
Click to expand...
The (U.S.) manual calls for 0W/20.
 
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