What fluids and filters do you use? *Maintenance*

Post by **Empty V** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 1:18 pm

I figured I'd start a thread surveying who uses what kind of fluids and filters for their vehicle. I need to perform some fluid changes and need help with which ones to use. In the FSM all they say is genuine nissan so equivalent suggestions would be appreciated. If I've forgot any fluids or filter please let me know.

FiltersFuel Filter - Paraut Fuel Filter (partsgeek.com W0133-1634922)Oil Filter - Need RecommendationAir Filter - Factory Nissan Filter but might be changing to an AEM IntakeIn-Cabin Air Filter - NPN Air Filter (partsgeek.com 6799-01052070)ATF Fluid Filter - Need Recommendation

FluidsEngine Oil - Need RecommendationCoolant - Need RecommendationATF Fluid- Royal Purple Max ATFBrake Fluid- Need RecommendationPower Steering Fluid- Need RecommendationFront Diff - N/A 2WDRear Diff - Royal Purple 75w-90 3qtTransfer Case - N/A 2WD
Modified by Empty V at 12:47 PM 1/7/2010

Post by **Mikey178** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:51 pm

Heres what I use, never had any issues so far with anything. For things that get changed once in a while *every year or two), I use the Genuine Nissan/Infiniti parts.

Filters:Fuel Filter - Nissan fuel filterOil Filter - Fram synthetic filterAir Filter - Fram Platinum - Premium air filter

Fluids:Engine Oil - Pennzoil Full Synthetic 5w-30Coolant - PrestoneATF Fluid - Motormaster ATF (Change every other oil change)Brake Fluid - Pennzoil Dot 3 (When needed to top up)

Post by **Chuck Tribolet** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:06 pm

FiltersFuel Filter - Nissan Genuine, changed once at about 110K milesOil Filter - Wix. There are a number of "cut every brand of oll filter open"web sites, and Wix always does well, Fram always does poorly. Changedwith the oil every 3333 miles.Air Filter - Factory Nissan Filter every 10K miles.In-Cabin Air Filter - I've never changed it.ATF Fluid Filter - N/A, I've got a stick.

FluidsEngine Oil - Castrol 10W40 every 3330 miles.Coolant - Genuine Nissan 50:50 with distilled water. Done once at about 150K milesATF Fluid- I've got a stick. It's still got the original fluid at 180Kmiles.Brake Fluid- Castrol, once, I think.Power Steering Fluid- Nevery changed itFront Diff - Never changed it.Rear Diff - Never changed itTransfer Case - Never changed it.

I'd probably go with Castrol lubricants.

Post by **larryt** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:30 pm

FiltersFuel Filter - Napa brand, "heavy duty" type, whatever that meansOil Filter - Napa Gold (I think Wix re-branded). Changed every 3k at and between oil changes.Air Filter - K&N FIPK (cone). Cleaned every so often. Use a pre-filter when traveling off road. In-Cabin Air Filter - Nissan, changed every 30-40k.ATF Fluid Filter - Never changed the filterFluidsEngine Oil - Mobil 1, 10W30 in summer, 5W30 in winter. Changed every 6k.Coolant - Nissan 50:50 with distilled water. Done every 50k.ATF Fluid- Valvoline high mileage Dex/Merc. Drain and fill 3.5Q every oil change.Power Steering Fluid- Can't remember, whatever (type, not brand) the manual or FSM called for.Front Diff - Can't remember, whatever (type, not brand) the manual or FSM called for.Rear Diff - Can't Remember, whatever (type, not brand) the manual or FSM called for.Transfer Case - Same as ATF.
Modified by larryt at 8:59 AM 10/25/2009

Post by **Pwnin O'Brien** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:44 pm

FiltersFuel Filter - Fram (Next time I'm goin with Nissan Genuine)Oil Filter - K&N - or - Mobil1Air Filter - K&N FIPKIn-Cabin Air Filter - Don't have oneATF Fluid Filter - Nissan Genuine

FluidsEngine Oil - Royal Purple - or - Mobil1 5W-30Coolant - The premixed stuff, not sure of brandATF Fluid- Royal Purple Max ATFBrake Fluid- Haven't changed yetPower Steering Fluid- Haven't changed yetFront Diff - N/A 2WDRear Diff - Royal Purple 75w-90 3qt (Great choice)Transfer Case - N/A 2WD

Post by **02pathy** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:33 pm

FiltersFuel Filter - wixOil Filter - wix or amsoilAir Filter - amsoilATF Fluid Filter - stock n/c

FluidsEngine Oil - amsoil 5-30ATF Fluid- amsoil universalBrake Fluid- amsoilPower Steering Fluid- same as transtransfer case - amsoil atfdiff front and rear- amsoil 80w-90 with slip lock in the rear for lsd

Post by **Densetsu** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:35 pm

FiltersFuel Filter - NAPA Gold (Wix)Oil Filter - Quaker State or NAPA goldAir Filter - FRAM Platinum PremiumIn-Cabin Air Filter - Not doneATF Fluid Filter - Can't remember (Whatever NAPA gave me)

FluidsEngine Oil - Quaker State or Castrol GTX, 5W30 (Dino oil)Coolant - Prestone Extended LifeATF Fluid - Castrol DEXRON-VIBrake Fluid - Not donePower Steering Fluid - Not doneFront Diff - Castrol HYPOY C 80W90Rear Diff - Castrol HYPOY C 80W90Transfer Case - Castrol DEXRON-VI

In general, I stick with Castrol and Quaker State for fluids, though I'm not opposed to other brands if there's a good sale on and they're decently reputable. For example, I bought a case of Shell 5W30 at Costco when it was on sale, used it for two oil changes.

I did use FRAM oil filters for a while, but after hearing so many horror stories about them switched to Quaker State and NAPA filters. To be fair, the FRAM filters never failed on me. I would prefer K&N air and oil filters, but I've never seen them available in the places I shop.
Modified by Densetsu at 11:02 AM 11/3/2009

Post by **KyooX4** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 2:50 am

Fuel filter- haven't changed (probably need to)Oil filter- Purolator Pure ONE (I've used them since I got the Q and they're great)Air filter- K&N drop-in. I'd like to eventually get the K&N FIPKIn-cabin filter- Genuine Nissan

Engine Oil- had been using motorcraft (cheap stuff) but switched to valvoline synthetic blend because they were on sale. I saw a noticeable improvement. I'd like to start using Mobil1 or Royal Purple next round.

Post by **Kompresshun** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 3:28 am

FiltersFuel Filter - StockOil Filter - Purolator Pure One or Wix(The Pure One filter is the best i've ever used, they definitely are one of the best out there.)Air Filter - Purolator Pure OneIn-Cabin Air Filter - StockATF Fluid Filter - Stock

FluidsEngine Oil - Valvoline(First car i've used standard oil in for a while, first 2 oil changes I ran Valvoline Synpower and it burned about 1-1.5qts in between changes, since changing back over to standard oil it runs better and doesn't use a drop of oil, I still cringe at the thought of standard oil but even the Infiniti dealer recommended the conventional oil)Coolant - StockATF Fluid- Stock but plan on changing it out soon with Mobil 1 or Royal PurpleBrake Fluid- StockPower Steering Fluid- StockFront Diff - Stock but plan on changing it out soon with Mobil 1 or Royal PurpleRear Diff - Stock but plan on changing it out soon with Mobil 1 or Royal PurpleTransfer Case - Stock but plan on changing it out soon with Mobil 1 or Royal Purple

Post by **Densetsu** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 7:16 am

Just a reminder, in the owners manual of the '03 and '04 Pathfinder, it specifically says:

NISSAN does not recommend synthetic type oils but recommends mineral based oils. These oils must however, meet the API quality and SAE viscosity ratings specified for your vehicle.

Compare this to the '02 manual, which says:

Mineral based or synthetic type oils may be used in your NISSAN vehicle. These oils must however, meet the API quality and SAE viscosity ratings specified for your vehicle. Do not mix mineral based and synthetic type oils in the engine at the same time.

In all three manuals (02, 03, 04) this is on page 9-6. Haven't checked other years of Pathys, but your mileage may vary. Links to manual here: http://www.courtesyparts.com/owners-manuals.php

Because of this, I've never used synthetic. Some hardcore guys think I'm an idiot for not using synthetic, but they don't realize it says NOT to use it in the manual. Why, I'm not sure (I've heard theories about synthetic drying out the seals and gaskets in these two years of Pathys), but I'll believe the Nissan engineers.

Edit: Just reviewed this thread, the formatting of my quotes changed (maybe with the migration a few months ago?) and messed up the rest of the thread below me, I reverted it back to my original [ quote ] blocks. No text changed.

Post by **Pwnin O'Brien** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:54 am

Densetsu wrote:Just a reminder, in the owners manual of the '03 and '04 Pathfinder, it specifically says:

Compare this to the '02 manual, which says:

In all three manuals (02, 03, 04) this is on page 9-6. Haven't checked other years of Pathys, but your mileage may vary. Links to manual here: http://www.courtesyparts.com/owners-manuals.php

Because of this, I've never used synthetic. Some hardcore guys think I'm an idiot for not using synthetic, but they don't realize it says NOT to use it in the manual. Why, I'm not sure (I've heard theories about synthetic drying out the seals and gaskets in these two years of Pathys), but I'll believe the Nissan engineers.

I remember reading somewhere that it has something to do with the IVT.
Modified by Pwnin O'Brien at 9:40 PM 2/17/2010

Post by **sicwitit** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:01 am

FiltersFuel Filter - wixOil Filter - wix or amsoilAir Filter - amsoilATF Fluid Filter - stock

FluidsCoolent - it depends on weather conditions. usually just waterEngine Oil - amsoil , Redline, or Royal PurpleATF Fluid- same as aboveBrake Fluid- ATE super blue fluid in all my vehiclesPower Steering Fluid- same as transtransfer case - amsoil or Royal Purplediff front and rear- amsoil or Royal Purple

Post by **GRNMACHINE** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 1:29 pm

FILTERS:

Air: Lifetime Jim Wolf Pop ChargerFuel: Genuine NissanOil: Genuine Nissan or Mobil 1Cabin: manual claims no in cabin filter on 1999.5

OILS:

Engine: Mobil 1 Synthetic Extended Performance 5W-30Front Diff: Mobil 1 Synthetic 75W-90Rear Diff: Mobil 1 Synthetic 75W-90Transfer Case: Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF

Post by **Empty V** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:50 pm

This is some great info guys! I think I'll be going with Prestone coolant and Royal Purple ATF. This has been a big help.

Post by **sicwitit** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:50 pm

dude, you live in socal! theres no need to run anti-freeze/coolent? If your concerned about high temps, drop in a 170 or 160deg thermostat, and run some water weter from redline. anything lower then that and your ECU will think its way to cold outside and make you run rich (that is if our ECU's have a cold start/warm up function). as long as your not crazy like me and run without a thermostat for a couple years then your pathy should run just fine on that mix, or until you get into freezing weather. Just a thought

Post by **Empty V** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:48 am

Just updated a little. Anyone else got recommendations on what they use?

Billy

Post by **Chuck Tribolet** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:11 am

sicwitit wrote:dude, you live in socal! theres no need to run anti-freeze/coolent? If your concerned about high temps, drop in a 170 or 160deg thermostat, and run some water weter from redline. anything lower then that and your ECU will think its way to cold outside and make you run rich (that is if our ECU's have a cold start/warm up function). as long as your not crazy like me and run without a thermostat for a couple years then your pathy should run just fine on that mix, or until you get into freezing weather. Just a thought

Coolant does more than just prevent freezing. It also:Raises the boiling point (important on a hot SoCal day).Lubricates the water pump.Helps prevent disimilar metals problems in the cooling system.

It's a bad idea to run plain water.

Post by **fueler** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:24 am

oil mobil1atf mobil1transfer case mobil1 atf

both diffs - pennzoil

fuel filter - some cheap one from the auto parts store

air filter - jim wolf technologies "pop charger"

cabin filter - nissan (dont get ebay ones - they are too thin)

Post by **SprintCar** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 4:36 pm

Mobil 1 is s***. The best oil is either Pennzoil or QuakerState. Both oils are pretty much identical, Pennzoil is a littler better. I like Fran oil filters, and I also use QuakerState transmission fluid. The best Air Filter is K&N, the Factory paper filters do s***. Put put an outerwear over the K&N, makes a huge difference in keeping the filter clean, and most people mess up a good filter by over oiling it, choking the motor.

Post by **Pwnin O'Brien** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 4:46 pm

SprintCar wrote:Mobil 1 is s***.

Why is that?

Post by **SprintCar** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 4:55 pm

Its not a good oil. just because in a commercial it say its the best, doesn't mean its true. And sicwitit, are you stupid? You have to run at least 25% antifreeze. Antifreeze not only doesnt freeze it also helps regulate temperature. water alone can not cool fast enough, with antifreeze it cools much faster and stays cooler, so during those hot SoCal days, your motor will run cooler. and what does plain water do to metal? it corrodes aluminum and turns iron to rust, but that doesnt take a genius to figure out. Water and antifreeze dont corrode metal it protects it from that kind of damage.

Post by **fueler** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:01 pm

mobil 1 is factory fill for cadillac XLR, chevy corvette, all mercedes AMG models, porsche cayenne, bentley continental....

yeah im sure it must be "s***"

SprintCar wrote:Mobil 1 is s***. The best oil is either Pennzoil or QuakerState.

pennzoil is factory fill for kia quaker state is factory fill for hyundai

yeah im sure they must be better than mobil one hahahahhahahha

Post by **Empty V** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:16 pm

SprintCar wrote:Its not a good oil. just because in a commercial it say its the best, doesn't mean its true. And sicwitit, are you stupid? You have to run at least 25% antifreeze. Antifreeze not only doesnt freeze it also helps regulate temperature. water alone can not cool fast enough, with antifreeze it cools much faster and stays cooler, so during those hot SoCal days, your motor will run cooler. and what does plain water do to metal? it corrodes aluminum and turns iron to rust, but that doesnt take a genius to figure out. Water and antifreeze dont corrode metal it protects it from that kind of damage.

You're calling the wrong dude stupid. He asked why is it not good oil and your response is "Its not a good oil," great response. Thanks for reposting what chuck said. And BTW usually people who don't have to deal with constant heat don't know about the benefits of antifreeze. Nice first posts buddy, learn some punctuation and manners. Welcome to NICO!

Post by **SprintCar** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:25 pm

whoever runs straight water is stupid. im stating facts considering i race sprint cars and i know how this stuff works. mobil 1 isnt good oil, it deteriorates more rapidly, and what kind of oil does f1 use? Pennzoil... The reason why these comanies use it is cause they get benefits. and what i said about antifreeze is exactly true. the boiling point for water is 100 and for 25/75 it is 145. spray 120 degree celcius water on you, then do it with antifreeze mix. see which burns and doesn't. but i'll you in advance that the mix wont burn you cause it cools before you it has the chance to burn.

Post by **SprintCar** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:35 pm

and btw i own a 10' benz e 550 and they dont put in mobil 1. the thing most people dont understand is that every product out there is the same, some better than others but it comes from the same place. one company manufactures everything, and then companies put there names on it. and pennzoil is wayyyyyy better than mobil 1. umm that motor blew up a brand new 900 hp 410. mobil 1 doesnt like to flow under extreme conditions. and do i really care about punctuation?

Post by **Empty V** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 7:45 pm

You're right dude. You're 18, race sprint cars, own an e class, and everyone (including myself) that doesn't know the thermal properties of antifreeze is stupid. This thread is about what fluids and filters you use in your Pathy/QX4, if you don't have any data to add then please stay out of it.

Billy

Post by **longhornsqx4** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:23 am

Funny that he just claimed to own an E series

I honestly laughed

Post by **alexf20c** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:12 am

lmfao @ this SprintCar guy.

back on topic, i just use whatever filters are available at wal-mart or autozone. i don't use any synthetic fluids in the pathfinder.

Post by **Densetsu** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 8:47 am

Sprint, Arguing whether Mobil 1 or Pennzoil is better is stupid. They're both way above any standards that you and I are going to require. If I take my Pathy and race it at 160km/h with O/D off for hours and hours on end in a 60°C desert... maybe I will see a slight difference between oils. For 99.9 percent of the population, all the major oil brands are the same. You just have to use the appropriate weight and change them on time and you'll be fine.

The only thing I agree with is that antifreeze should be used -- if not for it's thermal properties, then at least for it's anti-corrosive properties. You just sounded like a d!ck saying it.

Post by **SprintCar** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 12:10 pm

profile pic of my babe, well my second one. i took it sitting in my driveway about 10 minutes ago in the miserable winter.

What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance

What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Pwnin O'Brien)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Densetsu)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Pwnin

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Densetsu)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (GRNMACHINE)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (sicwitit)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (sicwitit)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (SprintCar)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Pwnin O'Brien)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (SprintCar)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (SprintCar)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (SprintCar)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (SprintCar)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (Empty V)

Re: What fluids and filters do you use? Maintenance (longhornsqx4)

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