long term maint

[markb65]

I have a 2008 Rogue SL with 81000 miles. I am not used to hanging on to cars for so long but I still love this thing. I have changed brakes, serpintine belt, flushed radiator, brake fluid and cvt. Oil changes are regular and other then a set of tires, two batteries and wiper blades, I have not had to do anything else to this car and it runs and drives as well as if it was new. What other maintenence should I be looking at. If I ask the dealer or mechanic, they will just want to sell me their services needed or not. Havent switched to synthetic oil or the oil marketed for higher mileage engines. Worth it? I want to see how long this car lasts me.

[darylzero]

Have you looked at the Service & Maintenance schedule?

https://owners.nissanusa.com/content/te ... -guide.pdf

https://owners.nissanusa.com/nowners/na ... nualsGuide

[takeshi]

Maintenance schedule just repeats. As for the worth of synthetic and/or high mileage oil it's a subjective matter just as worth is on any topic. The added peace of mind is worth it to some. For others it's not worth it and they're doing just fine with conventional oil. Best way to get your answer is to try and compare UOA's.

[TrevorK]

Havent switched to synthetic oil or the oil marketed for higher mileage engines. Worth it? I want to see how long this car lasts me.

I personally do not think after this much time you are going to get any more actual life out of your vehicle by switching to synthetic oil versus conventional oil. I would save your money and put it towards other regular maintenance, like your fluid flushes you have been doing.

Over the life of your vehicle you may replace many parts that have a life - ball joints, bushings, struts, etc... but most people advise not replacing these until they need it rather than replacing them ahead of time. While some people do replace them before they are worn out I find these people are more of the DIY'ers and often drive high performance vehicles (which the Rogue obviously is not). I think keeping your fluids fresh and maintained as per the recommendations is the best preventative maintenance you can perform. Many failures (ECM, solenoids, etc..) are not predictable, but changing your fluids/belts/chain at the proper intervals can at least provide peace of mind that your drivetrain will last as long as it possibly can (within your control).

[kerrton]

The Rogue has very few maintenance items, especially if you have FWD, you've listed all of the major items other than perhaps spark plugs - if you haven't already new spark plugs can make a big difference although you may still have some life remaining. If you have AWD then you'll want to change your transfer case and rear differential oil, there is a DIY article for you to follow on this forum as it is a fairly simple process.

If its still running well and getting consistent gas mileage I think that's it, you're good to go. After you get to higher mileage and you start to notice reduced performance you can consider cleaning the intake include MAF sensor, and some will recommend a fuel system flush which cleans your injectors and intake manifold, restoring power, efficiency and performance. Some even claim that these products will clean out your upper catalytic converter but I'm not so sure I'd believe that, although it probably can't hurt. If your state or province offers "smog/emissions tests", this is a good way to know how your engine and exhaust system are functioning - just one more piece of information to judge how things are holding up.

Regarding synthetic, there is a ton of reading you can do on the internet and on this forum. Basically it can help in extreme conditions such as hot dessert driving or very cold winter starts, and the oil is designed to last longer with more cleaner additives. But if you run conventional oil it too has lots of cleaners and conditions, it just won't last as long and you'll need to change it more often. Follow the maintenance schedule and you'll be good to go. I switched to synthetic because I don't have to change the oil quite as often and instead of sending 4 oil filters to the landfill and 4 jugs of oil to the recycler I only send 2 - less impacts on the environment, may not seem like a big impact but if you look at the millions of cars on the road it makes a difference!

[ImStricken06]

sometimes using synth oil after high miles will cause it to be burned off. it will sneak past older seals, past worn rings, and cause it to foul things up