1990 Pathfinder oil change question.

[Lugnuts]

Hi, and thanks for having me!
I took possession of a 1990 Pathfinder last May, and it's been a semi-daily driver(3-5 miles a day, sometime a little more) since then. Before, it sat and was driven maybe once or twice a month for a couple of miles. I reckon I've put maybe 2200 on it since then, maybe less.

The previous owner can't swear to when they last had the oil changed but they think it may have been a year ago. So far the oil light hasn't come on and I am aware of the 3000 mile recommendation. The crankcase was making a ticking noise a few days ago and I checked the oil. It was in the acceptable range and not dark at all. I added half a quart to it and the ticking stopped.

Should I just add a little more oil for now and wait to change it when alerted or play it safe and take it the mechanic? My last vehicle seized up due to insufficient amount of oil and didnt warn me at all. It wasn't leaking and was probably 100 miles shy of it's next change so I want to be careful.

Thanks for any help. I'm not a total idiot when it comes to cars but close enough to ask obvious questions.

[mdmellott]

The hydraulic valve lifters in my old '91 Pathfinder XE would start causing my rockers to make a ticking noise when the lifters got a bit sticky. This would happen every year or two and last for several weeks until the oil detergent additive (CD-2) I would add worked the lifters free and clear of the varnish build up that would occur over the year or two. Since I burned about three-fourths of a quart of oil every 3K miles, I changed the oil every 3K miles. On my '02, I also change it every 3K miles even though it doesn't burn much oil at all. I change it mainly because of the recommended maintenance schedule but also because the short drives I also have everyday are not enough to get the engine hot enough and work long enough to eliminate moisture condensation out of the block, which occurs every time all engines cool down. My '02 doesn't have hydraulic lifters like my old '91 but this minute amount of moisture is one of the biggest causes of sludge and varnish build up in older engine designs and still an issue with some of today's poorly designed engines. (fyi: never buy a '14 Pathfinder) Basically, these engines don't appreciate being driven for just 3-5 miles at a time. CD-2 Oil Detergent is no longer on the market but I have read good reviews about Liqui Moly Hydraulic Lifter Additive to clean up and eliminate that ticking noise. https://www.amazon.com/Liqui-Moly-20004 ... PC/ref=asc Additionally, don't let that old timer sit for weeks on end without giving it a good workout drive. It's either because of Newton's first law of motion or else because old mechanisms need to move frequently enough to keep from becoming a body that won't move at all when you want it to.

[AlanAZ]

It's not just miles for an oil change, but time also. Six months max on conventional and a year on full synthetic.