Valvoline MaxLife Full Synthetic

[Tyler99]

Hey Everyone...

I have a 1999 Nissan Maxima SE with 203,000 miles. The car is in fine shape and runs very well. I recently switched from German Castrol 0W30 with a Nissan oil filter to Valvoline Maxlife Synthetic Blend 5w30 with Bosch Distance filter several months ago. My mech recommended the 5w30 due to high mileage on my car. It is now time for an OC. I wanted to try the Maxlife Full Synthetic with PureOne filter, but, can't find this oil anywhere here in NJ. Must be some kind of conspiracy. I have checked several Walmarts, Advance Auto, Autozone, Sears Automotive etc etc. O'Reilly carries the oil, but, there are no O'Reilly's in the North East. Anyone know where I can buy this oil here in NJ or border towns in PA such as Philadelphia etc etc.

 

[tig1]

What's wrong with GC? Most mechanics don't know a thing about engine oil.

 

[Tyler99]

Originally Posted By: tig1
What's wrong with GC? Most mechanics don't know a thing about engine oil.

I really don't know. He mentioned that due to the additives in Valvoline, it is better to use the high mileage oil for better seals etc etc. I may have to settle for the Valvoline Blend if I can't find the Max Full Synthetic. My mechanic wrong about the GC for high mileage cars or does it not matter which oil I use?

 

[rclint]

In the end high mileage oils are all a marketing ploy !! People see the high mileage sticker on the oil with low and behold a 75,000 mile stamp odometer taking up a good amount of space with it... then average consumers who are shopping for oil think hey my car does have that many miles or more so I should be using this oil...


Now that said Valvoline Maxlife is a fine oil, the full synthetic or the blend both are outstanding oils, and the other makes from reading are as well... they do have some unique qualities for engines that consume oil, or leak oil etc... however if your engine is currently not suffering from consumption, or usage then choose whatever oil you like, and like I said maxlife is a fine oil which I have run many times, however I chose to run the oil on it's quality as an oil, not because I needed a high mileage oil deemed on an odometer reading.

Remember oil makers are oil marketers...they want to find a way to sell you their oil no matter who they are Mobil, Castrol, Shell/Pennzoil etc whoever I left out... If you have no problems choose oil based on what you want, and the oils you were running are some of the best GC 0w-30 for sure, but Valvoline Maxlife is as well...

 

[Ibrahim]

Bosch DP is an excellent filter actually a notch above P1, contact Ashland, maybe they can help you get your hands on this oil via one of their distributors!

I would not personally be inclined to use High Mileage Engine Oils, unless I have leak problems or have a neglected car....

GC is a good choice!
Although I would recommend M1 EP or Edge or PU 10W30!

 

[mechtech2]

You can save money and get a fine and appropriate oil in a high mileage version.
That GC 0-30 is very good but kinda expensive. And it is about as thick as you can get for a 30, and still call it a 30.

 

[HK_Ace]

I seriously doubt Valvoline Maxlife Syntheic blend is better in any way. GC has a really low pour point but is also a pretty thick oil at operating temps (which I like). Your mechanic probably just thinks that a 0W-30 will be too thin- not true at all in this case.

 

[sangyup81]

What's your OCI?

Napa has the Valvoline MaxLife Full Synthetic but at a high cost. Your best high mileage full synthetic option is Mobil 1 High Mileage available at Walmart

 

[blue94]

It makes no sense to switch to a "High Mileage" oil just for the sake of switching or because your car passed some arbitrary mileage threshold. If that's why your mechanic told you to switch, stay with the GC that you were happy with and consider finding a new mechanic. Now, if there's a reason he suggested switching (other than arbitrary mileage) such as leaking seals, burning oil etc etc, let's talk about that.

 

[HangerHarley]

Originally Posted By: Tyler99
Hey Everyone...

I have a 1999 Nissan Maxima SE with 203,000 miles. The car is in fine shape and runs very well. I recently switched from German Castrol 0W30 with a Nissan oil filter to Valvoline Maxlife Synthetic Blend 5w30 with Bosch Distance filter several months ago. My mech recommended the 5w30 due to high mileage on my car. It is now time for an OC. I wanted to try the Maxlife Full Synthetic with PureOne filter, but, can't find this oil anywhere here in NJ. Must be some kind of conspiracy. I have checked several Walmarts, Advance Auto, Autozone, Sears Automotive etc etc. O'Reilly carries the oil, but, there are no O'Reilly's in the North East. Anyone know where I can buy this oil here in NJ or border towns in PA such as Philadelphia etc etc.


NJ, eh. I am very familiar.

Where at North NJ - (Bayonne, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson) ... Central NJ (Edison, Rahway, Union Co, Middlesex County, Plainfield,) or Southern NJ (Atlantic City, Toms River, Cape May?)

If i wanted some MaxLife id just go straight over to WalMart in Morristown and it should be there.

How far to Route 24, not too far from Route 280/287, kinda sorta? Or Orange?

Ill help ya find the Maxlife. Its $25, and you cant go wrong. GC should be ok, but yeah.. Maxlife has more conditioners, so id use it is it were me. Thats likely what your mechanic saw saying! Now if it was an Audi A4 or something, hed say "Find some of this stuff they call German Castrol" ...

 

[hypervish]

I haven't been able to find Valvoline MaxLife Full Synthetic either, only the synthetic blend. I'm in Central NJ, Edison to be more exact.

 

[Tyler99]

Originally Posted By: HangerHarley
Originally Posted By: Tyler99
Hey Everyone...

I have a 1999 Nissan Maxima SE with 203,000 miles. The car is in fine shape and runs very well. I recently switched from German Castrol 0W30 with a Nissan oil filter to Valvoline Maxlife Synthetic Blend 5w30 with Bosch Distance filter several months ago. My mech recommended the 5w30 due to high mileage on my car. It is now time for an OC. I wanted to try the Maxlife Full Synthetic with PureOne filter, but, can't find this oil anywhere here in NJ. Must be some kind of conspiracy. I have checked several Walmarts, Advance Auto, Autozone, Sears Automotive etc etc. O'Reilly carries the oil, but, there are no O'Reilly's in the North East. Anyone know where I can buy this oil here in NJ or border towns in PA such as Philadelphia etc etc.


NJ, eh. I am very familiar.

Where at North NJ - (Bayonne, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson) ... Central NJ (Edison, Rahway, Union Co, Middlesex County, Plainfield,) or Southern NJ (Atlantic City, Toms River, Cape May?)

If i wanted some MaxLife id just go straight over to WalMart in Morristown and it should be there.

How far to Route 24, not too far from Route 280/287, kinda sorta? Or Orange?

Ill help ya find the Maxlife. Its $25, and you cant go wrong. GC should be ok, but yeah.. Maxlife has more conditioners, so id use it is it were me. Thats likely what your mechanic saw saying! Now if it was an Audi A4 or something, hed say "Find some of this stuff they call German Castrol" ...

HangerHarley....Thank you sir. If you can hook me up with a store, I Would definitely appreciate it. I used to live in Morristown and I know exactly which Walmart you are talking about in the Morris County Mall with Super Foodtown, Sears Hardware etc etc. I was just in that area today and didn't think to try that Walmart. I checked so many Walmarts in this town area, I just assumed they did not have it either. I live near Hamilton, NJ now in the burbs. If Morristown is indeed the closest, I will travel there to get it.

For others posting in this thread, thank you for the feedback. I read the UOA forum regarding the Max Life Full Synthetic until my eyes started to bleed. Overall with a minor few exceptions, they were all beyond excellent results. I have taken great care of this car obviously for it to reach 203K with no engine problems. Would like to continue to.

Thanks again.

 

[aquariuscsm]

My friend has a 1998 Altima which is very close to the 300,000 mile mark,has used Pennzoil yb 10W30 since birth,and doesn`t use or leak a drop of oil. Top end of the engine is clean as new. Guess my point being there`s no need for a high mileage oil. If I were you,I`d just stick with the GC. It`s been good to you this long,stick with it.

Some engines do seem to "like" certain oils for some reason. I`ve tried several(both dino and synth),with RP and M1 being a tie. I alternate between these two to keep from getting bored :^P

 

[Tyler99]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
My friend has a 1998 Altima which is very close to the 300,000 mile mark,has used Pennzoil yb 10W30 since birth,and doesn`t use or leak a drop of oil. Top end of the engine is clean as new. Guess my point being there`s no need for a high mileage oil. If I were you,I`d just stick with the GC. It`s been good to you this long,stick with it.

Some engines do seem to "like" certain oils for some reason. I`ve tried several(both dino and synth),with RP and M1 being a tie. I alternate between these two to keep from getting bored :^P


Aquari...Thanks for the feedback. I know this sounds strange, but my car seems to love the Valvoline more than the GC. Runs smoother w/o rough idle. I figure the Max Life Full Synthetic would even be better than the blend. Just want to make sure I put the right oil in car moving forward. Would like to get another 100K miles. Car payments are just not my deal.
Yea, the GC seemed to serve me well. My mech did mention something about the 0W30 being to thin for my car and he likes the additives in Valv. Plus, the positive UOA's on Valv Max Synth can't be ignored. I do plan to have an UOA done by Blackstone. Thanks!!

I recently made the following changes/upgrades to my car months ago:

1. 4 New Monroe Sensatrac Struts
2. Moog Mounts;
3. Moog Front Inner/Outer Tie Rods (Front L&R)
4. Front Sway Bar Energy Bushings;
5. 4 Brembo Rotors;
6. Akebono Front Pads/Wagner Rear Pads;
7. Front Control Arm Kits (Front L&R) with new bushings and bearings;
8. Moog Sway Bar Links;
9. Nissan OEM Air Filter;
10. L/R Rear Calipers;
11. E-break;
12. NGK Platinum-G Spark Plugs;
13. Bosch Distance Plus High-Performance Oil Filter;
14. Valvoline Max Life 5w-30 Synthetic Blend
15. Gold Duralest Battery
16. Fuel Filter

 

[blue94]

Originally Posted By: Tyler99
My mech did mention something about the 0W30 being to thin for my car and he likes the additives in Valv.


and right there it's clear that your mechanic doesn't know what he's talking about. Which is not to say that Valv Maxlife Syn isn't a great oil - it certainly is a great oil. It's just that your mechanic doesn't know about GC or how good it is. It's also great. However, if your car is running better on the Maxlife, that's a perfectly reasonable reason to switch.

 

[blue94]

the irony is that you've actually gone to a thinner oil but it sounds like your car is liking the thinner oil and there's nothing wrong with making your car happy. =)

 

[JGmazda]

Anyone notice the Maxlife Full Syn is harder to find? It's a very nice A3 rated oil... If they'd offer a rebate once in awhile or actually have in available... I think it's a great choice.

 

[Tyler99]

Originally Posted By: blue94
Originally Posted By: Tyler99
My mech did mention something about the 0W30 being to thin for my car and he likes the additives in Valv.


and right there it's clear that your mechanic doesn't know what he's talking about. Which is not to say that Valv Maxlife Syn isn't a great oil - it certainly is a great oil. It's just that your mechanic doesn't know about GC or how good it is. It's also great. However, if your car is running better on the Maxlife, that's a perfectly reasonable reason to switch.


Ha ha...I am more confused than ever now. I did mention to him about the GC and he playfully scoffed and snickered with a marketing [censored] comment months ago. I really can't complain. He gave me the oil change for free after I provided him with the Bosch Filter. He also installed all the stuff I listed above except the rotors and struts and did an excellent job. He said if you don't like the way your car runs with it, come back with my German Castrol and he will change it for free. The car runs very very well. I was shocked. Maybe he saw something while he worked on the car. I originally picked German Castrol after reading comments from members on this thread. I know it is an awesome oil.

 

[blue94]

It sounds like your mechanic is a good guy and it's nice to have a good relationship with a good mechanic. My point was simply that he's wrong about GC. It's thick - not thin. Also, with the exception of GC which is thicker than most, at operating temps, there's no more difference in viscosity from a 0w-30 to a 5w-30 than there is from one oil to the next (there's always a little variation). So, in telling you to try a thicker oil, he actually switched you to a thinner one. That shows that he's not up to speed on these oils. Also, in snickering at Castrol's marketing, it sounds like he's fallen for Valvoline's.

The bottom line is that all three are quite good oils and it seems like your car likes the Maxlife. My only reservation would be using oils that have seal swellers in a car that doesn't have seal problems (at least none that you've reported). If the car's seals are doing well, it's best to leave well enough alone. Just for kicks, you might want to try some other regular (not high mileage) 5w-30 oils. They'll probably be a litter thinner still (check the production data sheets). Your car may run just as well and you wouldn't be messing with the seals. Obviously, if you are having seal issues, high mileage oils may help delay the inevitable and there's probably no better HM oil than Maxlife full syn - if you can find it.

 

[Tyler99]

Originally Posted By: blue94
It sounds like your mechanic is a good guy and it's nice to have a good relationship with a good mechanic. My point was simply that he's wrong about GC. It's thick - not thin. Also, with the exception of GC which is thicker than most, at operating temps, there's no more difference in viscosity from a 0w-30 to a 5w-30 than there is from one oil to the next (there's always a little variation). So, in telling you to try a thicker oil, he actually switched you to a thinner one. That shows that he's not up to speed on these oils. Also, in snickering at Castrol's marketing, it sounds like he's fallen for Valvoline's.

The bottom line is that all three are quite good oils and it seems like your car likes the Maxlife. My only reservation would be using oils that have seal swellers in a car that doesn't have seal problems (at least none that you've reported). If the car's seals are doing well, it's best to leave well enough alone. Just for kicks, you might want to try some other regular (not high mileage) 5w-30 oils. They'll probably be a litter thinner still (check the production data sheets). Your car may run just as well and you wouldn't be messing with the seals. Obviously, if you are having seal issues, high mileage oils may help delay the inevitable and there's probably no better HM oil than Maxlife full syn - if you can find it.



Blue94...Thanks for the education. Very interesting. My mech did not inform me of any issues with seals. I assume you have oil leaks associated with seal problems? My car does not leak oil at all. Nothing wrong with my car. Purrs like a kitten. Maybe I will just pick up a jug of Synpower 5w30 at Wally World for a paltry $22 and call it a day. GC is just too expensive now. My OCI is around 3-4K miles anyway.

What can happen to car seals if you use HM oil when you have no problems? I thought you can use it for preventative measures in addition to treatment?

Thanks