Switch to synthetic after AutoRX

[bobo]

I have just started my cleaning phase on my initial use of AutoRX. I changed the oil filter and am using 5W30 oil that the dealership put in some time back. I have 59K mostly highway miles on my 95 Nissan Maxima. I usually run Castrol GTX 5W30 which is what I will be using in the rinse phase. Frank said it was OK to extend the rinse phase to 2,500 miles as I don't feel my engine is particularly dirty or sludged up.

I am picking up a case (12 litres) of Esso XD-3, 0W30, PAO full synthetic, tomorrow and intend to switch to it following the rinse phase. My Maxima is only driven about 5 or 6K a year now and I hope to go with a 12 month OCI on the synthetic.

I was planning on having an initial 3K OCI on synthetic after the AutoRX rinse phase. Is this overkill or should I just go into my extended OCI of say 6K? I use Nissan OEM oil filters.

 

[Vspec]

I would go with the 3k OCI get a oil analysis, then go to your 6k OCI, then to the 12, get oil analysis's done at each one and see whats doing the best.

 

[Schmoe]

Mostly highway miles? you can safely go past 3K, easily. I'd probably run it out to 4 to 4.5K.

 

[bobo]

So Schmoe, then extend the OCI up to 5 or 6K after the initial synthetic oil change of 4K to 4.5K you recommend, which is what my goal is?

 

[LubeOiler]

Low miles for a 95 did ya buy it from a little old lady.

 

[bobo]

I bought the car new through an autobroker and took delivery on October 1, 1994. It is a 1995 Nissan Maxima Se, 5-speed, loaded, with 95,249 kilometres on it (59,187 miles) and has scarcely seen ice and snow. And I thought I was anal until I joined this website, lol!

 

[bobo]

I have now decided to go back to the 2,000 mile rinse phase after liaising with Frank about my concern of the rinse phase oil being in the crankcase for 5 or 6 months if I extended the rinse phase to 2,500 miles.

I think my engine will be fairly clean after than and will likely go beyond a 3K initial OCI on the Esso XD-3, 0W-30. Does that seem reasonable for a low mileage 95 Maxima, mostly highway driven?