Castrol Edge 5w-30; 5k mi; Nissan 5.6L 20k mi

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Good Morning everyone,

Just got back my UOA for my wifes 2015 Nissan Titan SV 4x4. History of the truck.

We purchased the truck used at a Nissan Dealership in AZ. Truck had like 10k miles on it when we bought it.

Once I bought the truck, I changed the oil with 7qts Castrol Edge 5w30 and an OEM Nissan Filter. Changed it again at 15k same oil, OEM filter. At 20k miles I decided to do a sample out of curiosity to see how well the Castrol holds up after 5k miles to see if I can extend the mileage on the oil.

I was surprised to get this report back and what Blackstone said. Nothing catastrophic but I am curious. Also the TBN being down to 3.2 after 5k miles? I may be able to push a little more, but how is this oil supposed to hold up for 15k miles? I dont think it would in this application. I will stick with 5k intervals.

Anyway, Your thoughts are appreciated. I plan on re testing at 25k miles and hope the Aluminum goes down if it doesn't? Should I be concerned?



Jeff
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This is a great report for a young engine with regards to Aluminum. Breathe easy. It's fine.

I would also consider a different oil which might have a higher TBN over the long term than this one. Just as a trial.
 
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It is only 20K miles on the truck? If so, the elevated aluminum (not that it is all that much) could be break-in metals still washing out. I would not be too concerned at this point. Edge has a fairly high starting TBN (10 or more if memory serves) so I am equally surprised that it fell to 3.x in only 5K miles. You may want to try two things--different oil and different lab just to be sure there is actually anything happening of note.
 
It's not high, that's in PPM. Almost in the noise.

I don't like the Nissan filters, I would run a M1 m110A champ or a toughguard FRAM.

5k intervals NO! Easy 7-8K for you.

Synthetic oil doesn't require high starting TBN due to its purity and stability.


How many MONTHS in service to get to the 5000 miles? Short trips?

Forget the UOA they don't tell you much of anything about wear. The wear particle are in the FILTER. waste of time an money and misinterpretation
 
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Could be from the oil pump wearing, too. Or anything.

I don't think it's anything to worry about - check it again at 40,000 miles.
 
Thank You all for your replies, and I will do my best to answer some questions that were asked. Service interval was 5k miles, or about 5 months of service. This consists of mixed driving. My wife usually drives about 15 miles each way on the freeway to work, and does city for errands and such, so it does both. No towing at this point either or anything "Heavy".

I chose to run the Castrol Edge 5w30 because 1. Nissan states 5w30 is recommended. 2. I run Castrol 0w40 in my VW, and Castrol 5w20 in my Hyundais with good luck.

I believe the TBN of Castrol Edge 5w30 is around 12. To see it drop to 3.2 in a relatively short period of time just kinds surprised me. In my VW after the same amount of miles with the 0w40 my TBN is 7-8 in the same type of driving the truck gets. I find that odd. The VW is turbo and DI too.

The Nissan Oil Filters I will not use them anymore. They are kinda expensive for what they are. The filter is TINY for a decent sized V8 and is very light. The OEM filter looks cheap. I was thinking of going with the K&N White filter so I can use the 1" nut on it to make it easier to get on and off. I was also considering WIX or a Napa Gold Filter. I am still on the fence on which to use.

As for Oil, I am not sure what to switch to? Was thinking Redline 5w30, but its pretty pricey, could try M1 5w30 Gold Cap if they stil make that. I am not sure I have always liked Castrol. So I may just stick with it. How is the Royal Purple 5w30? Any good?

The Local WallyWorld by my house usually stocks the Castrol, Valvoline, Penzoil Plat and M1 in the 5w30. I believe they have Royal Purple as well.

Appreciate all the replies. The Truck runs strong, its actually very fast dang surprises me for how big this truck is and it MOVES I think it would give my GTI a run for its money.


Jeff
 
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Nissan OEM filters may be warranty-approved, but the big unknown is its efficiency.

Maybe consider using a higher efficiency filter if you are concerned, but at this point, you've only got 20k miles so I wouldn't sound the alarm bells just yet.
 
I had better UOA's with Amsoil versus Redline using Amsoil EAO filters with both oils. In case you are interested. Off the shelf I would use M1, Valvoline Synpower and a warranty approved filter. Wix is a good brand or Fram Ultra seems to be popular here.
 
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX


The Nissan Oil Filters I will not use them anymore. They are kinda expensive for what they are. The filter is TINY for a decent sized V8 and is very light. The OEM filter looks cheap. I was thinking of going with the K&N White filter so I can use the 1" nut on it to make it easier to get on and off. I was also considering WIX or a Napa Gold Filter. I am still on the fence on which to use.


The build quality of the Nissan OEM is good, but the biggest unknown is its efficiency. K&N wouldn't be a good substitute because the nut has been known to leak. If you apply a little oil on the gasket of any filter and only tighten it hand tight, you won't have any problems removing it.

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As for Oil, I am not sure what to switch to? Was thinking Redline 5w30, but its pretty pricey, could try M1 5w30 Gold Cap if they stil make that. I am not sure I have always liked Castrol. So I may just stick with it. How is the Royal Purple 5w30? Any good?

The Local WallyWorld by my house usually stocks the Castrol, Valvoline, Penzoil Plat and M1 in the 5w30. I believe they have Royal Purple as well.

Appreciate all the replies. The Truck runs strong, its actually very fast dang surprises me for how big this truck is and it MOVES I think it would give my GTI a run for its money.

Jeff


I'm in the "whatever you can find on sale at Walmart" camp, especially when we are talking about an OCI of 5k.
 
I have never heard of a K&N Filter leaking. My Dad has been using them in my Mom's Lexus IS300 for 10 yrs or so. The IS300 is such a bear to change the filter that my Dad found these K&N's years ago in a local race shop and loved them. Much easier for him to get the open end wrench in the tight spot to spin the filter on and off. Never has my Dad had one fail. Not saying they couldn't, just never have seen them fail.

Though the OEM filters may be made well? I am not sure. Sure they are made to spec, but they are made in Mexico, and feel EXTREMELY light in construction compared to the VW OEM filters and the Hyundai OEM filters that I use. In Contrast about 8 OEM Nissan Titan filters weigh about 1 of my VW OEM filters.

Not saying weight has anything to do with anything, its just a cheap feeling filter.

I like Redline Oil, they are local here in California and before they got bought out made some of the best oils out there. I used Redline over the years with great success, but I used the oil to help keep oil temps down in my Lancer Evo's. Switching from M1 to Redline netted about a 20C drop in oil temps on the tracks as noted from my gauge while on track. So the oil served a purpose, plus it kept my engines VERY clean.

For this truck though? Over the counter synthetics should be more than adequate, I may just stick with the Castrol and see what happens.

As for the filter, I would really like something more robust. The OEM NISSAN filter seriously must be made out of some lightweight material because it doesn't weigh hardly anything.


Jeff
 
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
Though the OEM filters may be made well? I am not sure. Sure they are made to spec, but they are made in Mexico, and feel EXTREMELY light in construction compared to the VW OEM filters and the Hyundai OEM filters that I use. In Contrast about 8 OEM Nissan Titan filters weigh about 1 of my VW OEM filters.

Google search for K&N Nut Leak

I have several of the short OEMs in my stash and the can is built like a tank. The current OEMs are made by Gohner in Mexico. Last time I checked out a K&N, I didn't notice any real difference in the weight between it and the OEM. K&N is also made in Mexico.

Quote:
Not saying weight has anything to do with anything, its just a cheap feeling filter.


You will not find any filter spec'd for your truck that is at or near the weight of a Hyundai OEM. Hyundai OEM is a bigger filter to begin with. Whatever "feels" decent is not a reflection of how well the filter performs. Performance (filtration) is key.

If size matters, you can try the slightly longer filter if there is room for it. I am currently using the slightly longer OEM in my Q50. As long as the thread size and bypass are the same, you shouldn't have any problems. I use an oversized filter if I am dumping a 5.28 qt jug of oil into the sump, short filter if 5 qts. Oil jugs come in 5 and 5.28 quart jugs up here (in addition to the 1 quart bottle).

Quote:
I like Redline Oil, they are local here in California and before they got bought out made some of the best oils out there. I used Redline over the years with great success, but I used the oil to help keep oil temps down in my Lancer Evo's. Switching from M1 to Redline netted about a 20C drop in oil temps on the tracks as noted from my gauge while on track. So the oil served a purpose, plus it kept my engines VERY clean.

For this truck though? Over the counter synthetics should be more than adequate, I may just stick with the Castrol and see what happens.


Castrol is decent stuff. The nice thing about these engines is it needs nothing special. As long as it meets API-SN, you are good to go.

Quote:
As for the filter, I would really like something more robust. The OEM NISSAN filter seriously must be made out of some lightweight material because it doesn't weigh hardly anything.


Jeff


The guts inside the filter is far more important than the weight.

FRAM Ultra is a thicker can. Best bang for your buck, but overkill if you are only going to use it for 5k. It also doesn't weigh anywhere near a Hyundai OEM.
 
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Same motor, I posted a Castrol GTX vs. Royal Purple HPS 5/30 a couple of months ago. My AL is also "higher than average" but it is half what the ford ecoboost AL numbers are for the same intervals.Seems like I could got 6K on GTX or 10K on RP.
 
Here ya go

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4567039/Re:_Nissan_5.6_Castrol_GTX_vs_#Post4567039
 
Originally Posted By: sir1900
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
Though the OEM filters may be made well? I am not sure. Sure they are made to spec, but they are made in Mexico, and feel EXTREMELY light in construction compared to the VW OEM filters and the Hyundai OEM filters that I use. In Contrast about 8 OEM Nissan Titan filters weigh about 1 of my VW OEM filters.

Google search for K&N Nut Leak

I have several of the short OEMs in my stash and the can is built like a tank. The current OEMs are made by Gohner in Mexico. Last time I checked out a K&N, I didn't notice any real difference in the weight between it and the OEM. K&N is also made in Mexico.

Quote:
Not saying weight has anything to do with anything, its just a cheap feeling filter.


You will not find any filter spec'd for your truck that is at or near the weight of a Hyundai OEM. Hyundai OEM is a bigger filter to begin with. Whatever "feels" decent is not a reflection of how well the filter performs. Performance (filtration) is key.

If size matters, you can try the slightly longer filter if there is room for it. I am currently using the slightly longer OEM in my Q50. As long as the thread size and bypass are the same, you shouldn't have any problems. I use an oversized filter if I am dumping a 5.28 qt jug of oil into the sump, short filter if 5 qts. Oil jugs come in 5 and 5.28 quart jugs up here (in addition to the 1 quart bottle).

Quote:
I like Redline Oil, they are local here in California and before they got bought out made some of the best oils out there. I used Redline over the years with great success, but I used the oil to help keep oil temps down in my Lancer Evo's. Switching from M1 to Redline netted about a 20C drop in oil temps on the tracks as noted from my gauge while on track. So the oil served a purpose, plus it kept my engines VERY clean.

For this truck though? Over the counter synthetics should be more than adequate, I may just stick with the Castrol and see what happens.


Castrol is decent stuff. The nice thing about these engines is it needs nothing special. As long as it meets API-SN, you are good to go.

Quote:
As for the filter, I would really like something more robust. The OEM NISSAN filter seriously must be made out of some lightweight material because it doesn't weigh hardly anything.


Jeff


The guts inside the filter is far more important than the weight.

FRAM Ultra is a thicker can. Best bang for your buck, but overkill if you are only going to use it for 5k. It also doesn't weigh anywhere near a Hyundai OEM.


I understand all what your saying, but maybe your taking it too much to heart, or out of context when I say the OEM filter is "Light". You come back with efficiency this and that, I get that, and appreciate how you try to explain it.

For me though, I am driving a 4x4 truck that at times goes off road. This OEM filter does not look like it will take a beating. I can squeeze it with my hand and it kinks. This filter may be good for a Sentra, but not for an Off Road Vehicle. Now if you have standard skid plates and all that will give you some protection, but if your lifted, and have those plates off? The OEM filter is totally exposed and its so easy to ding. Thus, having a filer that can actually take a hit and not leak is key.

Now my wifes truck is not some off road beast or anything. It is a stock 4x4, but we may do mods to it later at some time. All of that is irrelevant and is why I didn't go into it earlier.

If you take lets say an OEM Toyota Filter which is about the same size as the NISSAN OEM the Toyota filter weighs more. I do not have a digital scale, but maybe next time I am at Harbor Freight or something I will pick one up and actually get an actual weight comparo. The Nissan Filter is Light.

Now to say "weight" means nothing? I would disagree. Yes of course we want the best filtration, that is a given, but it leads me to believe that the materials used inside are of thin material. I may have to cut one of these open and look, but I am getting a feeling there are no metal end caps, or any reinforcement in there and efficiency aside, just may not be that great of a filter.

As for the filter, all I am saying is this. Size aside, The Nissan Filter Feels and looks cheap in comparison to other OEM filters of same size. I am pushing 7 qts of oil through this dinky filter that is also used on a 1.8 liter 4 banger Sentra. I think Nissan is just being cheap and not having a separate filter for the trucks. Its easier to just have one filter across the board, but man, make a decent sized filter for all, rather than some small lightweight dinky thing.

I will look and see if there are some Vidoes out there of a Nissan filter cut open and lets see if they look good inside or not.

At least for the 5.6 V8 I dont think it would be wise to go for extended drain intervals with the OEM filter. I have no evidence to it being bad, but when your pushing 7qts of oil through this dinky thing for 10k miles? That cant be good. I will definitely stick with 5k intervals if using this OEM filter.


Jeff
 
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Originally Posted By: thastinger
Here ya go

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4567039/Re:_Nissan_5.6_Castrol_GTX_vs_#Post4567039


Thank You for sharing this.

Seems your Aluminum levels are very close to mine here. So maybe this is just a trait of these 5.6 V8's? How many miles were on your Armada when the sample was taken? Our Truck has 20k on it.

Maybe takes a while to break in.

Which oil do you use now? I think I will stick with the Castrol Edge 5w30. I can get it pretty cheap and its available everywhere. Plus I use Castrol in everything else minus the Dodge Caravan that uses M1 HM 5w30.


Jeff
 
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
Originally Posted By: thastinger
Here ya go

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4567039/Re:_Nissan_5.6_Castrol_GTX_vs_#Post4567039


Thank You for sharing this.

Seems your Aluminum levels are very close to mine here. So maybe this is just a trait of these 5.6 V8's? How many miles were on your Armada when the sample was taken? Our Truck has 20k on it.

Maybe takes a while to break in.

Which oil do you use now? I think I will stick with the Castrol Edge 5w30. I can get it pretty cheap and its available everywhere. Plus I use Castrol in everything else minus the Dodge Caravan that uses M1 HM 5w30.


Jeff


22K on the GTX sample where AL was 6ppm and 50K on the RPS sample where it was 7ppm, but the RP sample was over nearly twice as many miles as the GTX sample. Logic would tell me that if it has 7ppm AL on an 8600 mile OCI, if I change it at 4K it would have been "normal". I think it is certainly worth considering that people who are sending in 5.6 engine oil samples to blackstone may change their oil at shorter intervals, thus less metal.
It has RP HPS 5/30 back in it now, may try a 0-40 at the next OCI as was suggested.

What blackstone doesn't tell you is how many 5.6 samples they have done and what the average miles per sample were. If you search for 5.6 samples on here I think you'll find the majority close to where your AL numbers are. Don't know how blackstones "universal average" AL doesn't go up when yours and mine are "high"...unless there are just thousands of 5.6 samples being sent in, which I doubt is the case.
 
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Originally Posted By: thastinger
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
Originally Posted By: thastinger
Here ya go

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4567039/Re:_Nissan_5.6_Castrol_GTX_vs_#Post4567039


Thank You for sharing this.

Seems your Aluminum levels are very close to mine here. So maybe this is just a trait of these 5.6 V8's? How many miles were on your Armada when the sample was taken? Our Truck has 20k on it.

Maybe takes a while to break in.


Which oil do you use now? I think I will stick with the Castrol Edge 5w30. I can get it pretty cheap and its available everywhere. Plus I use Castrol in everything else minus the Dodge Caravan that uses M1 HM 5w30.


Jeff


22K on the GTX sample where AL was 6ppm and 50K on the RPS sample where it was 7ppm, but the RP sample was over nearly twice as many miles as the GTX sample. Logic would tell me that if it has 7ppm AL on an 8600 mile OCI, if I change it at 4K it would have been "normal". I think it is certainly worth considering that people who are sending in 5.6 engine oil samples to blackstone may change their oil at shorter intervals, thus less metal.
It has RP HPS 5/30 back in it now, may try a 0-40 at the next OCI as was suggested.

What blackstone doesn't tell you is how many 5.6 samples they have done and what the average miles per sample were. If you search for 5.6 samples on here I think you'll find the majority close to where your AL numbers are. Don't know how blackstones "universal average" AL doesn't go up when yours and mine are "high"...unless there are just thousands of 5.6 samples being sent in, which I doubt is the case.


Why would you want to run a 0w40? I use that in my VW. I mean its a light 40w but still. What would be the purpose in doing so? Just curious.


Jeff
 
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
Originally Posted By: thastinger
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
Originally Posted By: thastinger
Here ya go

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4567039/Re:_Nissan_5.6_Castrol_GTX_vs_#Post4567039


Thank You for sharing this.

Seems your Aluminum levels are very close to mine here. So maybe this is just a trait of these 5.6 V8's? How many miles were on your Armada when the sample was taken? Our Truck has 20k on it.

Maybe takes a while to break in.


Which oil do you use now? I think I will stick with the Castrol Edge 5w30. I can get it pretty cheap and its available everywhere. Plus I use Castrol in everything else minus the Dodge Caravan that uses M1 HM 5w30.


Jeff


22K on the GTX sample where AL was 6ppm and 50K on the RPS sample where it was 7ppm, but the RP sample was over nearly twice as many miles as the GTX sample. Logic would tell me that if it has 7ppm AL on an 8600 mile OCI, if I change it at 4K it would have been "normal". I think it is certainly worth considering that people who are sending in 5.6 engine oil samples to blackstone may change their oil at shorter intervals, thus less metal.
It has RP HPS 5/30 back in it now, may try a 0-40 at the next OCI as was suggested.

What blackstone doesn't tell you is how many 5.6 samples they have done and what the average miles per sample were. If you search for 5.6 samples on here I think you'll find the majority close to where your AL numbers are. Don't know how blackstones "universal average" AL doesn't go up when yours and mine are "high"...unless there are just thousands of 5.6 samples being sent in, which I doubt is the case.


Why would you want to run a 0w40? I use that in my VW. I mean its a light 40w but still. What would be the purpose in doing so? Just curious.


Jeff


Just that it was recommended on here, these engines seem to be hard on oil where it sheers down pretty quickly and most of the 0-40s are "thin" 40s, since the engine specs 5-30 maybe the 40 will sheer to a 30 by the end of 10K. The RP didn't really sheer but the GTX did do it in the samples.
 
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