oil change tips for my '03 FX45

C

crayonz

Member
Location
Bay Area
hey guys. so i'm planning a DIY oil change this weekend for my '03 FX45. i've got a few questions i'm hoping some of you can answer:

- how many quarts does and '03 FX45 take? i've read around the forum that its about 7. just wanna make sure.

- whats the best brand of oil to use?

- whats the best filter to use?

- is it as easy as i think it is? :shy:

any advice you guys could give would be great. as a girl, you can imagine my expertise in automotives isn't all that advance. :wub:
 
thanks guys. i checked the manual and it says that i should use 5w-30. Dr.2K: you use 10w-30 on your FX45? would I be able to use the same for mine even though it says 5w-30 on the manual?

---------- Post added at 12:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:25 PM ----------

AND am i going to need any special tools to change the oil?
 
Yes, since you are here in Cali it is not necessary to really use 5w30. But you can if it makes you feel more at ease. I have been using 10w30 since the I bought my FX and have no issues.
 
As mentioned at the org and confirmed with a tech at the dealer the 45 takes 6.5 quarts. I supplied the dealer with seven quarts of Mobil 1 and they returned the half quart left over when I picked up the car.
 
I'm sorta bringing this thread back for general discussion on synthetic oil and filters.

Through some other posts here on IS, I found my way to an Oil Forum. Yeah - I was surprised it existed too!

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

I joined because I figured now that I have a Forced Induction VQ, I'd like to pick an appropriate synthetic to protect the engine long term. All the discussion here on IS about oil is pretty non-technical and there is a lot of opinion for which I can't find justification. On the oil forums, there is a lot of technical data, some of which I'd need to educate myself about further before I understand totally.

I got a synthetic oil recommendation from the site that I'm going to use, based on my FX engine application.

Shell Rotella T5 10W-40 full synthetic. It's formulated for diesel engines, which have fewer restrictions on oil additives. Gasoline formulated oils have been restricted for environmental reasons while the diesel oils have not caught up to the same standard. As a result, almost all the synthetic diesel formulated engine oils perform better than than the gasoline formulations and there is absolutely no reason not to use the diesel formulation oils in the FX. They are better in every way for the protection of our VQ engines - boosted or not, no matter where you live.

Equally as important, the filter. Almost every filter out there on the market has a bypass feature, meaning that when the bypass is active, none of your oil is being filtered. This usually happens at higher engine rpm because oil pressure generally increases about 10psi for every 1000rpm. At higher pressures (higher rpms) the bypass feature shunts the oil without passing it through the filter element. For this reason, it was recommended to me that I go with a non-bypass filter. This requires a larger filter element to keep up with the volume of oil passing through the filter at higher pressures, but filters all of your oil, all of the time. There was a thread about this I found, but people being generally uneducated about this stuff called it "snakeoil" incorrectly, IMO.

http://www.gopurepower.com/

I actually did purchase one of these types of filters from a different company. My oil filter has replaceable cartridges instead of replacing the whole element.

http://www.cantonracingproducts.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=25-482
 
I've tried a lot of oils and weights with over 100k miles on my 2003 FX45.

Hands down, Valvoline 5W-40 full synthetic, popular among European cars. If you do go with more typical weights like 5W-30 or 10W-30, go with the recommended 5W-30. It won't make a huge difference, but it is lighter and provides maximum fuel economy. You could even go lighter with 0W-30.
 
Chedman13 said:
I've tried a lot of oils and weights with over 100k miles on my 2003 FX45.

Hands down, Valvoline 5W-40 full synthetic, popular among European cars. If you do go with more typical weights like 5W-30 or 10W-30, go with the recommended 5W-30. It won't make a huge difference, but it is lighter and provides maximum fuel economy. You could even go lighter with 0W-30.
Click to expand...

THanks for the suggestions but if you read up on the BITOG forum, they are not the best choice for the VQ. Mobil1, Valvoline & Royal purple are all overrated if you look at oil analysis numbers. The only way to know for sure is to send a sample of your used oil for analysis. How long the detergents & additives last, the trace metal composition (wear metals) and viscosity longevity (represented by HTHS number in an analysis).

From an expert when I asked him about the VQ35DE engine, with my particular modifications:

"This engine in its stock form as proven year after year, used oil analysis (UOA) after UOA that it does better on thicker oils than GF-4 30 weights. This one is heavily modified to put out what, nearly twice factory HP on its petite Nissan bearings?

I wouldn't use anything in that engine that did not have a HTHS greater than 3.5. That would be oils that meet or exceed ACEA A3.

Shell Rotella T5 recommendation is good, T5 10W-40 would be better.

http://www.shell.com/home/Framework...rotella-en/html/iwgen/products/t5_detail.html

Look at the Euro formulated 5W-40s or Rotella T6 as well".
 
jumbosrule said:
... diesel engines, which have fewer restrictions on oil additives. Gasoline formulated oils have been restricted for environmental reasons while the diesel oils have not caught up to the same standard. As a result, almost all the synthetic diesel formulated engine oils perform better than than the gasoline formulations and there is absolutely no reason not to use the diesel formulation oils in the FX.
...http://www.cantonracingproducts.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=25-482
Click to expand...

One reason would be to preserve the environment... What are the specifics of the restrictions?

What about the rpm range differences between diesel and gasoline engines? I'm pretty uneducated on the subject, but it makes sense to me that the diesel oils would perform better given the same set of engine conditions (temperature, rpm, mechanical tolerances, etc...). That said, what happens as piston speeds increase? Why do high revving, gasoline powered motorcycles use lighter weight oils than low revving, gasoline powered muscle cars?
 
jumbosrule said:
THanks for the suggestions but if you read up on the BITOG forum, they are not the best choice for the VQ. Mobil1, Valvoline & Royal purple are all overrated if you look at oil analysis numbers. The only way to know for sure is to send a sample of your used oil for analysis. How long the detergents & additives last, the trace metal composition (wear metals) and viscosity longevity (represented by HTHS number in an analysis).

From an expert when I asked him about the VQ35DE engine, with my particular modifications:

"This engine in its stock form as proven year after year, used oil analysis (UOA) after UOA that it does better on thicker oils than GF-4 30 weights. This one is heavily modified to put out what, nearly twice factory HP on its petite Nissan bearings?

I wouldn't use anything in that engine that did not have a HTHS greater than 3.5. That would be oils that meet or exceed ACEA A3.

Shell Rotella T5 recommendation is good, T5 10W-40 would be better.

http://www.shell.com/home/Framework...rotella-en/html/iwgen/products/t5_detail.html

Look at the Euro formulated 5W-40s or Rotella T6 as well".
Click to expand...

I'm sure you're right, I'm not doubting you. I just had the best experience in terms of no noticeable oil burn off, i.e. no topping off the oil between oil changes. So absolutely no scientific analysis has been done on my part =)

I haven't used T5 10W-40 either, so I will definitely try it out.

This thread is an interesting read too, but T5 10W-40 isn't one of what he tried:
///9903

I wonder if what's good for the VQ35DE is best for the VK45DE too? I personally haven't put that much thought into it because I'm a N/A engine. I actually use O'Reilly's Full Synthetic oil 5W-30 that I picked up for under a dollar a quart and Mobil 1 filter right now.
 
I know that T5 recommendation is based on the fact that I am heavily modified, but would be good for any NA application on the VQ. I would absolutely think that the VK has a different use profile and would have a different recommendation. You might have already found the best oil out there for your VK motor.

But simple changes in the oil you use can actually impact MPGs - I have found a couple of threads on the BITOG site where simply switching from OEM to a synthetic based on the driving habbits increased fuel efficiency by 3-5 MPGs. Pretty amazing. Of course this example wasn't on the VQ, but my point is that oil selection should be based first on your motor and second on your location & driving habbits.

If you have a short drive every day, your oil never gets up to operating temperature and you are causing wear on components because the viscosity of the oil doesn't allow proper lubrication. Oils like a 5w or 0w are less viscous at startup and therefore provide better protection, especially in colder climates. But in warmer climates with drivers that have longer drives the 10w or even 15w could be a better choice.

Without exception the only way to know if you have made the right choice is to send the used oil for analysis. Here is an excerpt I cut and pasted from the BITOG site.

"Oil analysis involves sampling and analyzing oil for various properties and materials to monitor wear and contamination in an engine, transmission or hydraulic system. Sampling and analyzing on a regular basis establishes a baseline of normal wear and can help indicate when abnormal wear or contamination is occurring. Oil analysis works like this. Oil that has been inside any moving mechanical apparatus for a period of time reflects the exact condition of that assembly. Oil is in contact with engine or mechanical components as wear metallic trace particles enter the oil. These particles are so small they remain in suspension. Many products of the combustion process also will become trapped in the circulating oil. The oil becomes a working history of the machine. Particles caused by normal wear and operation will mix with the oil. Any externally caused contamination also enters the oil. By identifying and measuring these impurities, you get an indication of the rate of wear and of any excessive contamination. An oil analysis also will suggest methods to reduce accelerated wear and contamination. The typical oil analysis tests for the presence of a number of different materials to determine sources of wear, find dirt and other contamination, and even check for the use of appropriate lubricants.

Most maintenance experts realize the oil change intervals for both engines and transmissions are decided by the "average need." No two pieces of equipment have the same preventive maintenance needs. Each machine has different imperfections and is used under different conditions. Operators doing smaller or lighter jobs can cause different conditions on engines and transmission wear than those that occur during more extended use. When using oil analysis to determine maintenance intervals, there is little guesswork. Records show that some equipment can safely run two or three times longer than recommended intervals. The oil analysis may show that you are changing the oil more often than necessary — or not often enough. By eliminating too frequent oil changes, you reduce the cost for oil and servicing and also reduce the amount of used oil to deal with. This is an important pollution prevention method — reducing the source! "

Several of the most popular test labs in the country you can send used oils samples to:

http://www.dysonanalysis.com/servicelist.html

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

http://www.oaitesting.com/

http://www.wearcheck.com/

Prices range from $20-100 and the general consensus is that two Oil Change Interval (OCI) analysis tests help you establish a wear trend to determine if a different oil would be more beneficial.
 
really???

jumbosrule said:
THanks for the suggestions but if you read up on the BITOG forum, they are not the best choice for the VQ. Mobil1, Valvoline & Royal purple are all overrated if you look at oil analysis numbers. The only way to know for sure is to send a sample of your used oil for analysis. How long the detergents & additives last, the trace metal composition (wear metals) and viscosity longevity (represented by HTHS number in an analysis).
Click to expand...

M1 typically does an excellent job on almost any application. the 0w40 is probably the single most recommended oil on the planet.

Valvoline isn't one of my favorite brands (mostly because of advertising) but the 5w40 euro oil is the one used in several of the most impressive UOAs i have seen in the last 5 years.

RP is overpriced for the performance in my opinion. it is no better than a second tier oil.

T5 would not be my recommendation, the T6 5w40 should give you both better startup and better running wear. HDEO (Heavy Duty Engine Oils) oils can be used safely in automobiles (or at least most can, by definition these are technically known as "mixed fleet HDEO). the single reason most high performance folks go with HDEO oils is the higher levels of ZDDP, which is a mistake. ZDDP is an old school anti wear additive, it used to be the main one in the 60s through the 80s. it was cut back in the API SM spec, in order help preserve catalyst life. Mixed Fleet HDEO (CJ-4/SM)oils can use a higher level of ZDDP than just SM oils, but that misses the point. the Zinc compounds are not the only heavy anti wear compounds, they are just the cheapest. current high end oils use complex Boron compounds in combination with small amounts of ZDDP to get a better result than either alone. this is true both for PCMO (Passenger Car Motor Oils) and MF HDEO oils.

the VK and VQ series engines both tend to throw dirty UOAs. i have several UOAs up on this forum (and many more on BITOG), and am currently using Delvac1 in my FX45 (although it is going away this weekend at 15k). will go back to the M1 TDT for the next oil change, although i would really like to try the Pennzoil Ultra 5w40.

the current best UOA i have seen on the VQ came out of Pennzoil Ultra 5w30. Ultra is supposed to meet the new API SN spec (out toward the end of the year now i think). API SN is going to change the world just as much as API SL did.

---------- Post added at 07:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:46 AM ----------
Chedman13 said:
I've tried a lot of oils and weights with over 100k miles on my 2003 FX45.

Hands down, Valvoline 5W-40 full synthetic, popular among European cars. If you do go with more typical weights like 5W-30 or 10W-30, go with the recommended 5W-30. It won't make a huge difference, but it is lighter and provides maximum fuel economy. You could even go lighter with 0W-30.
Click to expand...

the 5w40 Valvoline has thrown some of the most impressive UOAs i have seen in the last 5 years, i would not change a thing. it would, however, be nice if we could persuade you to do a UOA on it. Blackstone is about 25 bucks for a UOA (i think they just went up).

how long do you run it for?
 
me too...

i would like to know as well, i have never actually SEEN the Valvoline 5w40 euro in the bottle (flesh?). note that there are TWO different Valvoline 5w40 oils. one is the euro one (the one you want) and one is a HDEO (not as good from what i can see).
 
My 03 FX45 has just under 70k miles and the previous two owners apparently only ran non-synthetic oil. Are there any concerns with the FX with changing to synthetic with my current mileage? Our local Nissan dealer did not have an answer.
 
trogdor said:
My 03 FX45 has just under 70k miles and the previous two owners apparently only ran non-synthetic oil. Are there any concerns with the FX with changing to synthetic with my current mileage? Our local Nissan dealer did not have an answer.
Click to expand...

No .

With today's oils unlike many of the parifin (sp)based oils years back, you shouldn't have any problems switching from one oil to another, especially if you have a good schedule that you follow regarding oil changes i.e. 3k, 5k etc.

The problem years ago was that non-synthetic oils had a tendacy to create build up over time and when you switched oils, either by brand, or to synthetic. The crud would soften and break loose thereby clogging up things like the oil pick up etc. But today's oil technology and the additives used don't lend themselves to build up as they used to.
Click to expand...
 
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