oil changes

[MSCOFF]

Hi gang; I bought my wife a 2010HB auto about a month ago. One of the dealer perks is "$10.99 oil change at the suggested 3750 miles or 3 months as long as you own the car". Valvoine 5/30 and a Nissan filter. Not synthetic. With my other cars/trucks. I usually go to Walmart and get 5qts. Mobil 1 5/30 synthetic for $22 and a bunch of Toyota filters from the dealer for $4 each. And do the changes at 5000 miles. But $10.99 is a really good price. What do you think? Mark S.

[norton3]

for $10.99 why bother getting your hands dirty?

[iluvmyVersa08]

$10.99 ???? WOW! Lucky deal you got.

Our Nissan's here charge $50 for a regular oil change.

That's why my dad changes them for me now, only costs me $20. I buy the filter from the dealer for $7, and then get the oil at Canadian Tire.

[aidan80]

$10.99 ???? WOW! Lucky deal you got.

Our Nissan's here charge $50 for a regular oil change.

That's why my dad changes them for me now, only costs me $20. I buy the filter from the dealer for $7, and then get the oil at Canadian Tire.

Good god, $50! Do they also want the shirt off your back? That's madness.. absolute lunacy! I think at $25 or so per oil change I'll stick with going back to my local dealer. Although $10.99 would be a nice deal to get!

[PinayVersa]

NO, No, No!!!!

Convential oil is not a deal. No matter how cheap. If you love your new car and want to keep it running it's best go with full synthetic, but don't buy the Super Tech Wal-Mart brand synthetic oil unless you want sludge. I reccomend Castrol Syntec, Mobil 1, Eneos or Royal Purple. Nothing else ever.

[iluvmyVersa08]

$10.99 ???? WOW! Lucky deal you got.

Our Nissan's here charge $50 for a regular oil change.

That's why my dad changes them for me now, only costs me $20. I buy the filter from the dealer for $7, and then get the oil at Canadian Tire.

Good god, $50! Do they also want the shirt off your back? That's madness.. absolute lunacy! I think at $25 or so per oil change I'll stick with going back to my local dealer. Although $10.99 would be a nice deal to get!

No, I'm not joking, lol ... $50 is what they charge at NIssan here to get an oil change. Only one Nissan in Hamilton, and the one in Burlington (next city over) charges the same thing. That's why once my free oil change coupons were done from Nissan, my dad started changing them at home.

If our dealerships charged $20-$25 I'd for sure get them done there, but not for $50. That's just pure craziness !

[robaustin]

My dealer, as part of my deal, gives me free lifetime oil changes.

So - I went in for the first oil change this weekend at 7100 miles. The manual recommends every 7500 miles if you are doing mostly highway driving - which I am - 550 miles a week, 546 of which is highway.

So the service advisor started to say "well, um...you really should get the oil changed sooner." I was like "well, the manual says otherwise.

The way I figure it - these deals - like $10.99 oil changes or free like I got - are ways to get you in the dealership, to get them to look at your car and find potential problems that they need to fix. Not that it matters to me - I have the extended 5 year, 100K warranty and the CVT has the 120K warranty. But these kinds of deals are just ploys to get you in frequently. They don't cost the dealership much in materials and very little in time too.

--*Rob

[iluvmyVersa08]

Yes, I had 5 free oil changes with the dealership for extending my warranty to 7 years, 120K (and the CVT warranty as well). When I did go in they would tell me that I should "rotate my tires" or "change the in cabin filter" or "engine filter". I never did any of that. I'm perfectly capable of learning how to do it on my own. My dad has helped me do whatever required maintenance is needed on the car. Our dealerships here charge too much $ for everything, even accessories are way overpriced. I picked up most of my accessories in Myrtle Beach last summer, and if I'm in the US with my Versa when she needs an oil change, I'll stop by a dealership and have them change it down there.

[totsubo]

Nissan charges $180 to change the oil on some of their other models.

I agree though. Do it yourself using synthetic on the Versa. I use Mobil1 0w40 with the same filter I use on the R35. Why? Because the last time I kept Mobil1 5W30, I accidentally put a bottle in the R35.

However, on the 370z, they require non-synthetic only, using their own oil.

[Cash_22]

NO, No, No!!!!

Convential oil is not a deal. No matter how cheap. If you love your new car and want to keep it running it's best go with full synthetic, but don't buy the Super Tech Wal-Mart brand synthetic oil unless you want sludge. I reccomend Castrol Syntec, Mobil 1, Eneos or Royal Purple. Nothing else ever.

I wouldn't waste money on synthetics unless you're driving your Versa 100k miles per year, which would make it more economical to lengthen the oil change schedule from 3,750 to 10,000 miles. Ask your dealer if they'd recommend it. Chances are they'd say no if you drive normally - at least mine did.

[iluvmyVersa08]

Cash_22: My dealership too said regular oil is all that is needed along with the oil filter. That's all they do for their $50 oil changes here. Regular oil and new filter! Unless I'm driving a BMW, she's getting regular oil.

[Shad0wXCalibur]

Under normal conditions on an econobox low-powered engine, it's a myth that synthetic does so much better than conventional oil. There's all kinds of tests you can find on the internet that debunk this and if it was true that conventional would burn up your motor in the long run, I wouldn't see so many high mileage cars pushing 300,000 miles that had nothing but conventional oil changes done to them. There's also the TRUE synthetic which most are not. I use SuperTech synthetic and have absolutely no problem with it. I'm not sure I would recommend in it in a high powered/turboed engine though. It's actually a group 3 synthetic which is hydrocracked conventional oil with a few more detergents in it. Better than conventional? Yea. Better than the expensive group 4 synthetic from a company like Amsoil? No. A fun way to tell if you have a true synthetic is stick a quart in your freezer. Group 3 still gets a little thick in there but the $9 per quart stuff I got from Amsoil once was still sloshing around like it was in 90F heat. Another fun fact, I'm not sure if this still applies to the Castrol Syntec line, but most of that stuff was group 3 too but the 0w-30 was group 4 and said made in Germany (i think?) instead of USA like the rest of the line. Mobil 1 is getting a little questionable also as I think some of their oils have been switched to group 3 also.

[iluvmyVersa08]

I wouldn't see so many high mileage cars pushing 300,000 miles that had nothing but conventional oil changes done to them.

Well, my dad has an 02 Sunfire (that he purchased new) with over 200,000 kms on it, and he barely has time to change it's oil ... when he does have the time to change it, he puts the cheapest stuff into it. It's just his commuter car so he doesn't really care. AND the car has not had one issue. It's the base of the base, with no options (no A/C, no power anything, and manual transmission), so for just driving it, and filling it up with fuel, it's doing perfectly fine.

[MSCOFF]

I've always maintained my vehicles and enjoy it. But the Valvoline 5/30 plus filter that the dealer uses can't be beat for the $10.99. When they start telling me about all the extra stuff I have to do, it's easy enough to decline and do it myself. I've had a bunch of older VWs. Really fun doing all the stuff on them. But with the electronics now, there isn't really much to do.

[nifares240]

there's nothing wrong with using regular oil just as long as you don't leave it for months and not changing the oil on the clock. I use it in my 240.

[versatil]

Now, my dealer really sucks. I take it there for the first oil change, they use 10w30 oil (should be 5w30) and a no-name oil filter, not a Nissan filter. From now on I'll do it myself.

[nifares240]

don't believe on those marketing hype. just keep your motor healthy.

[08versailles]

313000km on 01 sentra.
Cheap synthetic every 10000km, from Canadian Tire or other, DIY.
Starts and runs like top, even at-20C.
Just passed Etest 2months ago, better than previous test!
08Versa i picked up this morning will get same treatment after PT warranty expires at 100000km.
I drive about 40000km per annum.

[iluvmyVersa08]

313000km on 01 sentra.
Cheap synthetic every 10000km, from Canadian Tire or other, DIY.
Starts and runs like top, even at-20C.
Just passed Etest 2months ago, better than previous test!
08Versa i picked up this morning will get same treatment after PT warranty expires at 100000km.
I drive about 40000km per annum.

Where did you get your Versa from?
Plaza Nissan in Hamilton is where I bought my Versa and my brother bought his SE-R. I only went there for the 5 free oil changes they gave me with my extended warranty purchase (I have a 7 year warranty). However, the last oil change my dad did for me at home. The dealership wants $50 to change it with regular 5W-30 oil ... such a rip off. CT has MotoMaster oil on sale for $9.99 right now, and a scratch card for $5.00 off. I'm going to get some this morning before work for the next oil change. That will mean for $5.00 and the $8.00 filter from the dealer my oil change will only cost me $13.00

[08versailles]

From Haldimand Motors, Cayuga, not far from me.
Includes oil change.
has 79000km, SL pkg, but not sport or tech pkgs.
Is light metallic grey, but not quite silver.
Took ol Sentra to dealeronUJames [no names mentioned] at 153000km, was told my MAF sensor was punched cuz I used an aftermarket [fram] air filter!
Need origianl mfr MAF sensor, $600 plus taxes and labour, and original mfr air filter, $25++, Right Away.
Pd my $90 diagnosis charge and ...
That was my first and last business transaction with said dealership.
hope I didn't tread on your toes there!

Took to my regular, independent mechanic who searched for new aftermarket MAF [rare item at the time] and found one for $375 plus 1 hour labour. YESSSSSSS!
That MAFsensor has now outlasted original one.
Hooray for the Little Guy mechanic and DIYers!

[iluvmyVersa08]

No worries. That is the dealership closest to me, I've only gone there for stuff under warranty. The Nissan dealerships here in Ontario charge too much for labour.