Hybrid Oil Change DIY?

[bostoncarrera4s]

Has anyone done an oil change on a hybrid? Just looking for tips and what is needed. A write up on this would be helpful.

[victore1123]

It's relatively straight forward. The oil filter and drain nut are pretty easy to access. I changed mine after about 1500 miles with Synthetic Penzoil 0w20 (the only 0w20 I could get my hands on at the time) and a Mobil 1 oil filter. My next oil change will be with a case of Mobil 1 0w20 I bought off of Amazon.com.

[MinisterofDOOM]

No different than with a "normal" car. Your Hybrid Altima has the same 2.5 liter 4 as the base Altima does. Drain old oil, remove old filter, replace drain plug, install new filter, fill with new oil, you're done.

[bostoncarrera4s]

Thanks.

[banshee08]

It's relatively straight forward. The oil filter and drain nut are pretty easy to access. I changed mine after about 1500 miles with Synthetic Penzoil 0w20 (the only 0w20 I could get my hands on at the time) and a Mobil 1 oil filter. My next oil change will be with a case of Mobil 1 0w20 I bought off of Amazon.com.

Which Mobil 1 filter did you use? Was it the M1-110 Filter? Also would anyone know if Mobil 1 0w30 be okay for the car. I found it at Wal-Mart for $22 a 5 quart jug?

Thanks,

Chan

[brother_vlad]

why are you putting 0W30 ??? Are you on alaska? 5w30 or 10w30 would be fine.In MA state winter wont start till november. Dont mess with the engine. Also dont put any additive. All you have to do is change your oil in-time and make sure it's not a crappy oil.

[splash1]

brother_vlad, I noticed that you're driving a standard 2.5S. For the 2.5L in that vehicle, the standard weight oils are fine, as the oil heats up and the oil pump is constantly circulating the oil. Due to the constant starting and stopping of the very similar (but slightly derated) 2.5L in the hybrid, Nissan specifies a lighter weight oil to allow for quicker lubrication after each start. They officially specify 0w-20 for the hybrid.

banshee 08, I'm not sure if the 0w-30 would be acceptable. I checked the factory maintenance manual (bought it on CD from eBay), and it lists 0w-20 as the recommended viscosity, but has a footnote indicating that in warm and hot climates, 5w-20 would also be acceptable. Unfortunately, no mention of 0w-30!

[banshee08]

Thanks Splash1. I guest 0W20 it is but any one know which Mobil 1 oil filter? Is it the M1-110 like the rest of the nissan line????

[shift_240]

how many miles/months do you usually change the oil? is it the standard 3000/3month thing? would you guys recommend synthetic i just bought my 08 hybrid im about to hit 2000miles its all stock i was going to change the oil myself but i do got all the discounts from where i got the car.

[splash1]

Because of the "abuse" of multiple starts and stops, Nissan recommends that the hybrid oil be changed every 3750 miles, even though it is synthetic. I took a look at mine just before the first change at 3750, and it still looked really clean. I'll probably do a few changes at the recommended interval, inspecting before the change, and if it continues to look good, I might stretch it a bit.

[ZeroBS]

Well after looking through many websites, I finally found a thread that talks about a hybrid oil change. Reason why I was curious about this is because I saw in some websites that some hybrids get oil changes every 5,000 or twice a year changes. It makes sense, since the Altima Hybrid has a regular 4 cylinder/16 valve engine, these engines require a normal oil change. But what gets me is the oil changes in these hybrids cost WAY more than a normal oil change, I've changed my oil about 5-6 times now within an 11 month time frame, (i'm due for one now) and each change costs about $70-$100, this is expensive!

But tell ya the truth, since we drive hybrids, the hybrid works a portion of that 3,750 miles as someone mentioned. So the engine is actually doing about 2,500 miles or so give or take you take the freeway often. I say within a 3 months the Electric motor drives close to 1,000 miles.

Expensive non-hybrid luxury cars get oil changes every 6 months, but costs $200-$400 each time. I guess this evens it out....