How much is enough? What’s good enough?

[Rogueman2016s]

So, I have been on this website for over a year now and I must say I have learned a ton and it has been a pleasure to learn from some of the oil greats on this forum. There are definitely people with vast amounts of knowledge and it is easy to spot them in various threads on here. I cringe at some of the comments I made when I first joined lol, but you live and learn and this is an awesome forum for doing so.

However, on to the actual point of this thread. I’m sure someone will come on here and bash me claiming I’m “starting another XYZ thread” but this question has been burning a lot in the back of my head for a few months now. We praise Euro oils for their high HTHS and approvals/specifications they carry, but are they necessary for 90% of us? My wife’s car is a Nissan Rogue, which I’d never think to run a Euro oil in. Me myself, I have a 2021 Mustang GT that I daily drive, but it sees no track time, only spirited street driving on occasion with 7k RPM shifts, hard downshifts, and some engine braking. Does this warrant the need for a Euro oil with a higher HTHS of >3.5? I know there are more to Euro oils stoutness other than HTHS such as deposit control, ability to stay in grade, oxidation resistance etc. The owners manual for my Mustang recommends 5W-30 which has an HTHS of around 2.9-3.2 in most API/ILSAC oils we have here in the states from what I’ve gathered here on this site and various PDS’s. But am I gaining anything using an xW-30/40 Euro oil over an API/ILSAC oil? API/ILSAC standards seemed to be talked down upon, which I know have began to lean towards fuel economy improvements which I could care less about. I didn’t buy a V8 mustang to save gas money. My OCI is every 3-5K religiously. Daily driven with 60/40 split highway to city driving.

If you’ll sleep more sound go euro otherwise sticking 5w30 full synthetic in non euro is fine also. 3,000 miles you’re most likely wasting good oil, super tech or NAPA house brew in full synthetic could visit 5,000 mile oci’s. If you ran pennzoil ultra platinum no reason you can’t go 6-7,500 miles. You could also send for an oil analysis for better confirmation.

 

[The Critic]

If you’ll sleep more sound go euro otherwise sticking 5w30 full synthetic in non euro is fine also. 3,000 miles you’re most likely wasting good oil, super tech or NAPA house brew in full synthetic could visit 5,000 mile oci’s. If you ran pennzoil ultra platinum no reason you can’t go 6-7,500 miles. You could also send for an oil analysis for better confirmation.

I thought Nissan shortened the service interval to 5K?

 

[Rogueman2016s]

Mobil-1 EP and change every 4k..... especially if that Rogue has that hard working three cylinder engine.
My daughter has the 2022 Rogue. She gets the oil changed at the dealer every 5k and 5k, the oil I see on the dipstick tube looks nasty & worn out.

This is her 4th Nissan three year lease in a row. Never any trouble or breakdowns.

My Corolla’s were always easy on oil. The wife’s Sentra “non turbo” seems to really eat up even good synthetic like castrol edge or Mobil 1 AFE in 5-6k miles. I could never see running out to Nissan’s recommended 10k oci. Worst car on oil was my scion ia which was direct injection. My rogue seems ok it’s a 2016 but new to my ownership the pennzoil platinum still looks honey golden 3 months in but I’m concerned because of my short commute oils not getting hot enough.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

I thought Nissan shortened the service interval to 5K?

The 2016 rogue calls for 5k or 6 months my wife’s 2020 Sentra has a 10k oil change interval

 

[The Critic]

The 2016 rogue calls for 5k or 6 months my wife’s 2020 Sentra has a 10k oil change interval

https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/servicemanuals/nissan/2020-sentra.pdf

9-8 and 9-10 show 6mo/7500 for normal service and 6mo/5000 for severe service.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Read the wording regarding Nissan's Severe Service. If it's similar to HyunKias, most of us in USA would fall under Nissan's Severe Service Decree(5k).

Dealers only seem to revert to it, when a unresolved crisis with vehicle occurs and they get backed into a corner.
HyunKia dealerships do a-lot of backing up, regarding their suspect-failure Theta 2 engines.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/servicemanuals/nissan/2020-sentra.pdf

9-8 and 9-10 show 6mo/7500 for normal service and 6mo/5000 for severe service.

That’s interesting in the vehicle maintenance dashboard I could set my oil change reminder to whatever I’d like in I believe 500 mile intervals but the car has a preset oil change setting at 10k which is not adjustable.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

500 mile intervals

Rogue does 250 mile increments so the sentra may be the same situation.

 

[Bill_W]

IMO HTHS is a thick or thin conversation in disguise. Throw a dart at the board with the OM in mind with new quality oils. Always choose the severe service OCI from the OM and keep in mind oil experts are not experts in the requirements of your car. My best guess is a modern car has the viscosity dialed in. My 2019 Miata has recommendations going from 0w20 to 10w50 around the world. Since I do not know why I am not going to overthink it. The oil pump is controlled by the ECM on the Skyactiv engine and at start it is pulsed to clear air in the system. How does your oil system work on your car? I would never offer oil suggestions without knowing your engine.
But I understand European oils are designed for European cars with longer OCI periods.

 

[TheRuley]

Just grab whatever is on sale and don't worry about it.

Virtually all brand name oils all have the same approvals and ratings throughout their weight ranges that will make any one of them fine to use for most passenger car applications.