Regardless of what oil brand and flavor you choose, I'd be going with a 5W-30 to combat fuel dilution and shearing. For a 3500 to 5000 oil change it should do the job better than a xW-20. Since you're in Dallas TX, a 5W should be OK for cold start winter use.
Short oil change interval oil recommendation
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Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
I agree. I think with a good 5w30 and a pair of Filtermag SS on a premium oil filter, 5K OCI makes sense. No need for shorter OCI (even during breakin).
Same applies with a good 0w30, except it'd more more expensive than a good affordable 5w30.
I'd go with a premium 5w30 and a pair of Filtermag SS on a premium oil filter with 5K OCI.
The premium oil I'd choose is Chrevron Havoline Lifelong Full Synthetic because it's better (G3+) than the Quaker State Full Synthetic (G3) that he was considering and Lifelong is the same or lower price (per quart). G3+ is equivalent to GTL in performance.
5w30 Havoline Lifelong is regular price $28 for 6 quarts at Walmart or Amazon Prime.
5w30 NAPA Full Synthetic is my other choice if it's on sale in a package deal with a NAPA Gold filter. When on sale it's $25 for 5 quarts.
There are several other excellent oils sold at Walmart, but they cost more.
In the video below, NAPA Full Synthetic is wear tested and compared to Supertech Full Synthetic, Royal Purple Full Synthetic, and Amsoil OE Full Synthetjc oil. As you will see in the video test results, NAPA Full Synthetic (made by Valvoline) is good.
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What's Normal/Regular oil change interval as per Owner's Manual, and what's the Severe one? Imho, Severe one is the one to take as baseline anyway; hwy driving, idling, low ambient temps, driver having more than two beers a month, a smoker or 'intimately active' one - will get you into Severe sched anyway.
Check for required oil specs first, know you can do better. Most if not all Mobil 1 ESP oils of same as 'required' viscosity are much better than others just meeting the Owner's Manual specs. Going one 'viscosity level' up is normally a good thing, e.g. going with 0W-30 over recommended 0W-20. I'm not saying to use Mobil 1 only, it's just an example. Get proper good oil filters too, at least as good as or OEM.
so, guys which is the winner here for fuel dilution? 5w40 or 5w30 ? its not just PCV fro some DI engines, its the use of these engines, short trips is a serious factor for fuel dilution and i think Mobil 1 esp 0w30 with better base suits more ,has something from both the 2 worlds.
Running a good oil (Mobil 1 ESP 0W20) with a lower NOAK for DI engines and many approvals for the severe service OCI listed in your Nissan owners manual can’t be a bad thing. Do this for two OCI’s then get a used oil analysis done with a TBN report added to see how your oil is doing with the 0W20 ESP to determine if you can go longer on the oil . Don’t worry about wear metals at this point in time as your engine is still in the break in phase - you just really want to focus on the oil life left. With a DI engine hard on oil in normal mixed driving conditions I found with my Hyundai DI engine after a used oil analysis that the oil was pretty well shot at 4K miles (owners manual severe service is 3,750 miles) dark with abrasive DI engine soot and viscosity had dropped, so you may find similar. My DI engine is approved for 30W oil as well, so I bumped it up to Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 for 4,000 OCI’s max which it does well with . At 200K miles you will be happy with your decision to keep lower OCI’s (below 5K miles) .
Although I'm a thicky and love Mobil 1 Euro 0w-40, for your application I would lean towards an ACEA C3 oil. Mobil 1 ESP 0w-30 would be my first choice doing 5k OCI's
Nothing against NAPA full synthetic (currently in both my kids cars) or Lake but this video doesn’t prove much other than it’s a good choice with this particular race engine (heavily modified GM small block V8) under lab testing conditions. Unless you are driving a vehicle with a similar engine and similar modifications under similar conditions it’s not really applicable. You cannot take something so niche and extrapolate it across the board to the masses like this.
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
What's an oil extractor, and why? Oh wait a minute. Are you talking about one of those things that sucks the oil out through the dipstick?
Yes , its a pump like deal that sucks the oil out of the dip-stick hole, works good ,just slow but gets all out but a short of a cup out in my 2024 Subaru cross trek. Beats going under the car, filter is on top.
It depends on what you consider to be the minimum acceptable KV100 and how long your OCI is planned. The higher the min KV100 you will accept and the longer and more diluted your TGDI engine is, the more you will want to lean toward 40 grade.
True, but the ash content of oil can also contribute to piston top deposits if there’s some oil consumption.
I agree. But I’m talking about piston ring deposits left from oil, leading to oil consumption. An oil like Valvoline Restore and Protect can clean these deposits and/or keep pistons clean.
I don’t know what VQ engine you have. I have the VQ38DD in a 2025 frontier . I short trip it predominantly. I live to close to town. 2-3 miles. I’m aiming for 3000-4000 OCI. I’m running Havoline pro DS 0W20 with car quest premium or a factory ome filter. I got both. I also run Top Tier fuel. $28 for 6 quarts
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Using the oil drain plug is free and good enough for me. By good enough for me, I mean good enough for my cousin.
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Good oil choice!
Though I'd use it in 5w30.That pick is boxes of Havoline Lifelong Pro DS, which is similar to Havoline Pro DS, but not same.
According to Havoline webpages and datasheets, Havoline Lifelong Pro DS has slightly higher viscosity
more seal conditioners than Pro DS.I think Havoline Lifelong Pro DS is better (for high mileage engines) than Havoline Pro DS. Also Havoline Lifelong Pro DS is a much better price at Walmart and Amazon than Havoline Pro DS is at autostores.
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i like this conversation.it combines fuel dilution and oil consumption from dirty piston rings, 2 major problems for DI engines.
i guess you mean not any 40 grade.the castrol you posted above ,from base oil side, doent have to do anything with the other 2 you mentioned . not all 5w40 or 0w40 are so good to hold visc100 at a good level. castrol 0w40 a3/b4 would be a better choice i think.
thats if you have clean fuels.where i live in europe quality of fuels are on the bottom side,even 100 octane.northern countries like germany-austria heve better quality or US.
then this contradicts what you are suggesting, we want to combine an oil that has a good and stable viscosity but also low ash.40 oils are mainly high saps oils producing more ash which contributes to more deposits.
maybe the C3 40 grade is are the best combination regarding these 2 problems
i wish we had this oil here in Europe.
until then ,for fuel dilution run hard every weekend with the car at highways and for fuel consumption better synthetic base oils.
i dont know if an additive will work,so far i haven't tried.
friend of mine swears at the method with 50% acetone and 50% dot 4 at the place of spark plugs .says lowers the consumption a lot.
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