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Are 6 month or 5000 mile interval oil changes okay for our engine?

Tiny
ALEXSTATHAS
  • MEMBER
  • 2014 NISSAN VERSA
  • 1.6L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 92,000 MILES
Hello mechanics, soon we will be switching to the thicker 10W-40 viscosity or weight Mobil 1 High Mileage Synthetic oil from the thinner 5W-30 oil we currently have so we can cushion the excess clearance between the high mileage parts (bearings. Crankshaft journals, timing chain and variable valve timing sprockets, oil pump chain, oil pump, camshaft bearings and journals, camshaft lobes, valve tappets, valve springs, valve guides), but only the Nissan car dealer would accept the thicker 10W-40 weight cushioning oil in their acceptance of customer-supplied oil and Walmart only accepts 5W-30 oil, we have this Nissan Versa since it was 3 years old and 7000 miles on it and since the beginning we have been doing 3 month or 3000 mile oil changes at Walmart, our current engine is still running but if I open the hood and stick my ear to the oil filler cap, two ignition coils that are not covered by the intake manifold, intake manifold, variable valve timing solenoids and variable valve timing sprockets, then the engine idles with a kind of growling grumbling noise and also shakes at idle or idles rough and that's why I want to cushion the worn parts with 10W-40 synthetic oil so they can smooth out and quiet down, but the Nissan dealer wants 5000 miles or 6 months between oil changes instead of 3000 miles or 3 months that Walmart used to do, my question is that is it okay to do the oil changes at 6 months or 5000 miles? Anyway I know that Toyota dealers are even worse than Nissan and they want 10000 miles or 12 month oil changes and so that's why I don't see any Toyotas on the road because their engines seize up, I will also be changing the PCV valve for the first time along with the oil change because I have heard that a clogged PCV valve dilutes the oil and so it won't last 6 months or 5000 miles that the Nissan dealer wants, thank you in advance for informing me or enlightening me about the validity of the longer 6 month or 5000 miles oil change intervals, Alex Stathas
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Monday, August 7th, 2023 AT 1:12 AM

6 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
The first thing to remember is this. Oil doesn't wear out. It gets dirty and contaminated. If you change the oil with the manufacturer's recommended oil weight within 5K miles or a year, you are certainly going to be fine.

The reason it is recommended within a year if the mileage isn't reached, (not 6 months) is simple. Engine oil can absorb moisture from the atmosphere, especially in humid environments. This can lead to the formation of acids within the oil, which can corrode engine components and cause additional wear.

So, if you are changing it every 5K miles or up to 1 year, you are fine. However, a heavier-weight oil is questionable. Remember, the heavier the weight, the longer it takes to move it. Most engine wear happens when it is first started and oil is starting to pump. The manufacturer recommends 5w30 (see pic 1) for this vehicle, so although heavier-weight oil shouldn't hurt (especially if you are in a hot environment) it really isn't needed.

Also, you mentioned the PCV. If it is plugged, it will increase crankcase pressure and moisture to develop in the engine and oil. So, make sure it is in good condition and there are no leaks. See pics 2 and 3 below for testing and location.
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Monday, August 7th, 2023 AT 3:29 PM
Tiny
ALEXSTATHAS
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Thank you JakobAndNickolas, I forgot to mention that I live in Central Florida and the temperature there never drops below 25 Fahrenheit or -4 Celsius and I have heard that 10W oil is good for temperatures as low as 0 Fahrenheit or -18 Celsius while the 40 weight oil cushions the engine better than 30 weight oil when the engine is hot, and Florida's lowest temperature ever is -2 Fahrenheit or -19 Celsius which happened in Tallahassee in far North Florida in 1899, and I heard that 5W oil is only needed when the ambient temperature is below 0 Fahrenheit or -18 Celsius, I have a question about the PCV valve diagram or graph or composite sketch, it shows the valve cover is being removed, do I need to remove the valve cover to access the PCV valve? Because when I looked at it in the engine compartment I saw that the PCV valve is external and externally attached to the valve cover and all I might ever need to do is pull the PCV hose clamp, PCV hose, and unbolt the threaded PCV valve and PCV valve O-ring style gasket, thank you in advance for enlightening me and informing me JakobAndNickolas, Alexander Stathas
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Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 AT 1:53 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
Hi Alexander, the PCV is external. The pic I have is an exploded view that takes everything apart. LOL And I'm a little (lot) north of you in PA.

You shouldn't have any issues with replacing it. Also, since you are in FL, check to make sure the rubber hose is in good condition and still flexible. Extreme heat can cause them to get brittle and crack over time, especially when working on it. It could cause an engine vacuum leak.

Let me know how things turn out for you.

Take care,

Joe
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Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 AT 8:29 PM
Tiny
ALEXSTATHAS
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Thank you Joe, I don't know if Florida has any extreme heat, down here the maximum temperature we ever get is the 90s Fahrenheit or 30s Celsius, while Phoenix, Arizona kept having high temperatures over 111 Fahrenheit or 44 Celsius for over a month and in Arizona it was the morning lows that were in the 90s Fahrenheit or 30s Celsius, but here in Florida we have a heat index or feels like temperature in the 100s Fahrenheit or 40s Celsius but I don't know if the heat index affects the PCV hose or just the actual temperature, I don't know if the PCV hose is available but I don't think that a vacuum leak would cause the engine to seize up as it is just a performance problem causing rough idling and loss of power while a plugged or clogged PCV valve dilutes the oil and causes the engine to seize up or fail to turn, thank you for letting me know about the PCV hose though, Alexander Stathas
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Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 AT 9:35 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
Hi,

The PCV won't cause engine failure, but it will cause a rough idle if there is a vacuum leak. As far as the heat is concerned, keep in mind, the under-hood temperature is much higher. With the vehicle being 9 years old, it could have dried up or cracked, so take your time and inspect it.

If you want to check for vacuum leaks, here is a link that explains how it's done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-an-engine-vacuum-gauge

Let me know.

Joe
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Wednesday, August 9th, 2023 AT 8:37 PM
Tiny
ALEXSTATHAS
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Thank you Joe for informing me about the underwood temperature, I thought only the combustion chamber got hotter than the ambient temperature and the Auto Engines book by James Duffy told me that it gets as high as 1500 Fahrenheit in the combustion chamber before the electric cooling fan and fan shroud cool down the coolant which gets the engine temperature down to 250 Fahrenheit, I read the link on how to check engine vacuum and I hadn't realized that a fuel injected engine can have so many vacuum hoses or vacuum lines as I thought only the complex carburetor was strewn and riddled with a lot of vacuum hoses and I don't notice too many vacuum hoses on the engine of the 2014 Nissan Versa SV just a couple of PCV hoses and the bare intake manifold plenum with very long intake manifold runners, thank you again Joe for informing me and enlightening me, Alexander Stathas.
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Wednesday, August 9th, 2023 AT 10:46 PM

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