2012 Altima oil and filter recommendation.

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4 cylinder engine, bought it used 4 months ago, has 53k miles on it. manual says every 3750 miles or 3 month.
I am in NYC drives about 5 miles everyday city driving, stop and go. Coming up on my first oil change.
What are my options for my oil change? Thanks
 
Originally Posted By: Swift101
I would suggest any brand name 5W-30 conventional oil since your OCI is short.


+1
 
I would go with Pennzoil yellow bottle/Mobil standard,Castrol GTX or Quaker State. Synthetic is not called for. I like OEM or Fram Tough Guard Or WIX/NAPA Gold. filters for this short OCIs. Ed
 
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Pennzoil Yellow Bottle (PYB) if your car takes 5w30, if it takes 0w20 then an OTC synthetic such as M1 0w20 or PP 0w20 would suit it well. Use either an OEM filter or Fram TG, whichever you can get for a better price. If warranty allows you to use 1 filter for 2 oil change intervals I would personally spring for a Fram Ultra.
 
Should I follow the mileage or the time after my oil change? Since I only drive 5 miles each day.
 
Originally Posted By: claudiuslu
Should I follow the mileage or the time after my oil change? Since I only drive 5 miles each day.


If I were in your place I'd change it every 6 months since you don't drive much. Fuel dilution may be a problem in the winter. 5 miles isn't enough to get the oil up to full temperate.
 
Originally Posted By: claudiuslu
4 cylinder engine, bought it used 4 months ago, has 53k miles on it. manual says every 3750 miles or 3 month.
I am in NYC drives about 5 miles everyday city driving, stop and go. Coming up on my first oil change.
What are my options for my oil change? Thanks


Rather absurd that Nissan wants the owner to change the oil every 3750 miles, but I guess they know that people do:

1. Use junk oil
2. Don't change their oil often enough

I guess Nissan wants their little engines to last forever.

As for the OP, if you are going to actually change the oil every 3750 miles. I would use Mobil Super 5000 and a Fram orange can as neither will be in there very long.

Since Nissan uses either an aluminum or copper crush washer, get some from the local auto parts store.

The oil and filter can be had at Walmart for cheap.
 
Originally Posted By: stchman
Originally Posted By: claudiuslu
4 cylinder engine, bought it used 4 months ago, has 53k miles on it. manual says every 3750 miles or 3 month.
I am in NYC drives about 5 miles everyday city driving, stop and go. Coming up on my first oil change.
What are my options for my oil change? Thanks


Rather absurd that Nissan wants the owner to change the oil every 3750 miles, but I guess they know that people do:

1. Use junk oil
2. Don't change their oil often enough

I guess Nissan wants their little engines to last forever.

As for the OP, if you are going to actually change the oil every 3750 miles. I would use Mobil Super 5000 and a Fram orange can as neither will be in there very long.

Since Nissan uses either an aluminum or copper crush washer, get some from the local auto parts store.

The oil and filter can be had at Walmart for cheap.


Unless a large percentage of owners are using City Star oil, I'm not sure qualifies as junk oil these days. Even the cheapest stuff you can find at Walmart, Autozone, etc meets/exceeds the requirements as outlined in the manual.

2015 models now call for a 5k OCI. Not sure about pre-2015 models though.
 
Originally Posted By: claudiuslu
4 cylinder engine, bought it used 4 months ago, has 53k miles on it. manual says every 3750 miles or 3 month.
I am in NYC drives about 5 miles everyday city driving, stop and go. Coming up on my first oil change.
What are my options for my oil change? Thanks


Car specs 5W30. Any conventional will do the job for a 3750 OCI.

If your plan is to change the oil filter at each change, I'd grab the cheapest one off the shelf. Your OCIs are relatively short so no need for anything special.
 
I would rather not do it every three months. Can I put in synthetic and change once year?
 
+1 ^^^^^This^^^^^

Use a mid-tier synthetic, like QSUD,with a yearly OCI (prior to the harsh weather in winter (October would be good). Do an OCI every October.

Filter, Motorcraft
 
+1 ^^^^^This^^^^^

Use a mid-tier synthetic, like QSUD,with a yearly OCI (prior to the harsh weather in winter....October would be good). Do an OCI every October. NOTE: QSUD has a $7 rebate going now. Buy at WM for $22....and with rebate total cost is only $15 (cheaper than most Dino's)

Filter, Motorcraft
 
I change the oil approximately every 7500-8000 miles in my brother's '02 Altima 2.5 with full synthetic & (lately) a Fram Ultra XG7317, he's up to 135K now, still virtually no consumption & clean in the oil fill hole-3750 is a bit ridiculous, any cheap syn (such as Super Tech, QSUD, PP) should be able to go 7500 as long as the engine is warmed up fully on a regular basis.
 
Originally Posted By: claudiuslu
I would rather not do it every three months. Can I put in synthetic and change once year?

You can, and Mobil and other companies will back you up on that. But, if the vehicle is still under warranty, Nissan may grumble. A 10,000 mile OCI on an appropriate synthetic is readily attainable. On the other hand, if you do choose to change by the severe service intervals, buy a sensible conventional and stick a Fumoto valve on there, and you'll avoid a lot of grief.
 
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
I change the oil approximately every 7500-8000 miles in my brother's '02 Altima 2.5 with full synthetic & (lately) a Fram Ultra XG7317, he's up to 135K now, still virtually no consumption & clean in the oil fill hole-3750 is a bit ridiculous, any cheap syn (such as Super Tech, QSUD, PP) should be able to go 7500 as long as the engine is warmed up fully on a regular basis.

My worry is I only do short trips everyday, is it okay to do oil change once a year?
 
Originally Posted By: claudiuslu
4 cylinder engine, bought it used 4 months ago, has 53k miles on it. manual says every 3750 miles or 3 month.
I am in NYC drives about 5 miles everyday city driving, stop and go. Coming up on my first oil change.
What are my options for my oil change? Thanks


Hello claudiuslu – If you’re considering synthetics for your next oil change, we recommend Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 for your Altima. Specifically, your vehicle OEM recommends an API SM 5W-30 motor oil, so this oil would fit the bill. With regard to your filter question, we recommend a standard OEM oil filter or one of the same quality. We also strongly suggest that you follow the oil change interval recommended by your OEM. Hope this info helps! – The Pennzoil Team
 
If there's a Kmart nearby, pick up some Smitty's for only $7.99 a jug. Buying more than one jug may be a good idea, especially with short OCI'a. You can also pick up a Purolator Synthetic, or P1 while you're there. The textured grip is awesome.

If you prefer something else, Napa Silver/Proselect is also a good option. Another option would be to buy a few RockAuto clearance filters, as long as you avoid the ones marked "private label package".
 
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