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Oil changes : Frequency


jwblue
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The owner's manual for the 1994 Pathfinder says for heavy duty use of the vehicle to change the oil every 3 months.

 

Did anyone do this at any time for their WD21? Was there any benefit for doing this?

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In my opinion, it's based on how you drive.

 

My dad drove it like a hot rod and changed it every 10k miles.

 

When he passed it onto me, I changed the oil and it smelled burnt, and looked putrid.

 

Started changed ever 6k, that worked pretty well.

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I don't put 5k a year on mine but I change my oil every 6 moths just for consistency and habit. Grew up/raised 'old school' though and everything else is 3k on the button if not sooner (and I use standard dino oil)

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I doing 5k currently with mobile 1. I may go longer depending on how the oil looks at 5k. I had a leak before so I was adding before the oil change so this will be my first full 5k without a leak.

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The color of oil means little, if anything. Engine oil is exposed to the combustion process and its byproducts, as well as blow-by gases, moisture, fuel, anything that happens to bypass your air filter... that combined with a specific oil's additive package can result in an oil turning black very quickly, or remaining a nice amber color throughout an oil change. Some oils even turn a funky shade of green after a thousand miles or so in some engines (Valvoline MaxLife IIRC).

 

The only way to gauge an oil's condition in use is to get a used oil analysis, but unless you are trying to extend your oil change interval to maximize use of your oil this is not necessary. It is easier and not much more wasteful to just change around 5000 miles instead.

 

Also, conventional oils today are excellent. See this used oil analysis of 10.2k miles on SuperTech 5W-30 in a VG30E in a '95 Villager with 230k. The oil's condition is stupendous for the high miles on the "lowly" store-brand oil.

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