Hey there,

04G35X with 115K on the odo.

Had a quick question regarding oil consumption. Currently consuming around 1QT every 1K miles. Current oil of use is Castrol GTX 5w30.

My oil change interval is coming up in the next few hundred miles.

Which grade of oil would better aid me with consumption?
Currently on the fence with Mobile1 0w40 Euro Formula or Castrol 0w30 Euro or Castrol 0w40 Euro?

I'm open to all suggestions as well.

Based from my understanding, GC is a big favorite with a lot of G drivers. Any information regarding this would aid me greatly! Thanks!

 

actually, in my experience, regular oil burns off less than synthetic. In my bmw, I used shop bulk oil which was suppose to be 5w-30. It never burned a drop. I switched to 0-40 mobil 1 and it started using 1qt between oil change intervals.

From what I heard, based on oil analysis, 0-40 mobil1 is one of the best oils you can use for just about any engine. If you are just concerned about consumption, get the cheapest oil you can get at walmart or you local parts store.

 

I use 2 quarts of Castol GTX 5W-30 each oil change.

Honestly, it's $4 a quart. I'll just keep buying it until I get rid of the car.

 

im glad im not the only castrol 5w30 fan here lol

 

I use Castrol 10W-30 and a larger oil filter. I've experimented with various combinations of 5w30, 10w30, stock, and oversized oil filter and the 10w30 + larger filter burns off slowest. For example 5w30 + stock oil filter burned off a full quart in just 1K miles. Using 10w30 + larger filter lets me get to about 2,500 before burning the whole quart. Without actual analysis, my hunch is that the slightly thicker oil and more efficient filter slows down burning.


For the oil filter, stock is 65F00 and larger is 9E000. If you don't use Nissan filters, just use one off an Armada. It's the exact same diameter, only about 3/4" longer.



My next experiment will be using an Amsoil engine flush and using their 10w30 synthetic oil. The rep has mentioned that conventional can leave deposits on the piston rings and a good flush and quality synthetic will help.

 

Might also have to due with reduced oil pressure. I've commented on the larger filters used before, but installing a larger filter with less differential pressure would result in slightly lower oil pressure in the system. Of course, never hooked up a gauge to verify this.

But, if true, that could also be a reason. However way too lazy to put together a DOE to prove this out

 

Comment #2 is correct that conventional oil burns more slowly than synthetic. Not to mention our owners manual recommends mineral based oil, not synthetic. Remember, they put these motors in altimas. We aren't driving Ferraris. Using synthetic in general is overkill, but it does have better cooling properties, so I am not telling you it's got no purpose. I actually use synthetic blend with the idea that I'm getting "the best of both worlds". Whether this means anything or not, I couldn't tell you.

Now, I've changed oils in many cars with everything from 0-20 full syn to 20-50 conventional (which I ran in the G for about 2 years), and I'm gonna catch flaq for this cuz a lot of people just don't know, but if your climate is permitting (over 60 degrees regularly), try using 20w50 conventional. It has significantly more "cushion for the pushin" and more than just burning slower, it actually protects engine parts really well. I highly doubt you'll take this advice, but it is an option.

Jersey, I have been a Castrol dude for years. Right now I'm using their new magnatec 10-30 syn blend. Supposed to be 4x slicker than their normal formula.

 

Thanks for the help!

Ill look into a thicker conventional based oil such as a 40W.

Should aid with my consumption hopefully by a decent amount.