Fluids and LubricantsMotor oil, transmission oil, radiator fluid, power steering fluid, blinker fluid... wait, there is no blinker fluid. Technical discussion and analysis of the different lubricants we use in our cars.
Right now, I have castrol GTX in my engine. I have a 5.5 gen with 50,000 miles, and no oil burning as of yet. I would like to switch to synthetic oil for the added protection since I like to drive in high RPMs, but I am afraid a synthetic may cause an oil burning issue. I am considering switching to the amisol signature series oil, which is supposed to have superior burnoff protection compared to other synthetics. Has anybody had this oil with an oil burning issue in their 3.5? If so, how does it stand up?
I have a 5.5 gen with 50,000 miles, and no oil burning as of yet. I would like to switch to synthetic oil for the added protection since I like to drive in high RPMs, but I am afraid it may cause an oil burning issue. This oil is supposed to have superior burnoff protection compared to other synthetics. Has anybody had this oil with an oil burning issue in their 3.5? If so, how does it stand up?
wrong forum......
mods need to move this
and yes.. there are lots of us with burning oil... install a catch can.. it will help a little...
I have a 5.5 gen with 50,000 miles, and no oil burning as of yet. I would like to switch to synthetic oil for the added protection since I like to drive in high RPMs, but I am afraid it may cause an oil burning issue. This oil is supposed to have superior burnoff protection compared to other synthetics. Has anybody had this oil with an oil burning issue in their 3.5? If so, how does it stand up?
Why would switching to synthetic cause oil burning?
Most good synthetics will actually reduce or eliminate oil consumption because they resist burn-off better. Amsoil is top-of-the-class in this department.
Amsoil's Signature Series oil is definitely going to be one of your best choices (if not the best choice) in every way. If I still had a Maxima, I'd be all over it.
I owned a 1987 Celica that I bought used. The oil consumption in that car went up when I switched to synthetic (an oil brand no longer available). So I went back to dino and the consumption decreased -- but the engine still burned oil. I believe the engine had been abused by the previous owner, which is why it burned oil at all.
I think you will be fine switching to synthetic at your mileage.
I'm trying to install the amsoil transmission oil. I'm wondering where the oil needs to be drained and what kind of funnel to get to funnel down into the right area. Any pictures would be great. Thanks
Check out the Sticky on this site on Changing Manual Transmission Oil. There is a post there on the 6-speed trannie with a link to pictures (I believe of an 03). This was a great help when I changed my fluid in June of 06.
I bought a funnel and a long extension for that funnel at an auto supply store.
Just realized today that i'm already burning oil at 50k miles! wtf? i just did a change with castrol GTX less than 1,000 miles ago, and i'm already 3/4 quart down... something is wrong
First, check for leaks. Check everywhere. It might be something as silly as a washer you forgot to put back in or the oil filter not being tightened down properly.
Second, monitor it for at least another 2,000 miles. Oil consumption doesn't always appear linearly: sometimes it fluctuates, and you can't be sure what you see on the dipstick one day is real because there's no guarantee that the circumstances are exactly the same every time you check your oil (how hot is the engine? how long did you wait before stopping? etc.). Just keep checking it for a while and see what the pattern is.
Oil consumption is unfortunately a fact of life with a low-friction engine design like yours. The piston rings have to fit a little more loosely in the cylinders, so they're not going to seal as well. The low internal friction is a big part of what makes the VQ smooth and powerful, but of course there's no free lunch. The good news is that switching to a better oil will probably help things tremendously. High quality synthetics tend to have high flash points and low volatility, which means they won't cook off as easily. Also, don't forget that higher quality oil will be able to run longer between changes, so "having" to switch isn't too bad when all is said and done.
Hell, even if you can't get rid of your oil consumption, it's not as bad as it seems. Oil consumption is a little unsettling at first, but don't forget that you're partially replenishing the oil every time you top off, which will help keep your MPG up and let you run longer between changes.
I definitely think Amsoil SSO would be a great idea in your engine. If that doesn't work, or if you just want alternatives, here are some others:
- Redline 5w-30
- German Castrol 0w-30
- Any Motul xw-30
- Any RLI BioSyn xw-30
RLI would probably be the best option. Those oils have incredibly high flash points and apparently do some really funky stuff to help seal piston rings better. I'm actually trying to get a group deal together on that, so let me know if you're interested.
Oddly enough, concerning oil consumption with synthetics, I used to use Royal Purple in my 626 (for the first two years) and at 1500 miles, it would be down close to a quart. Switched to Mobil1 and it was 2000-2500 miles before I had similar consumption. With either oil though, oil consumption never increased.
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2002 Maxima SE, OSCAI, GAB, K&N panel filter, Vibrant FSTB, grounding kit.
You can also search on that site for more used oil analyses with RLI.
As for price, IIRC it's $30-$40 per gallon depending on the grade; if you need quart bottles, it's like $9-$10 per quart. Considering it's made from renewable resources on a farm in Ohio, that's pretty damn good IMO. It's more expensive than the off-the-shelf stuff, similar to Amsoil SSO, and cheaper than most Motul oils.
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