Your new or used Nissan comes with a recommended service schedule devised by Nissan to ensure optimal performance as the years go by. Oil changes are included at every routine maintenance visit, and for good reason: this quick and simple service keeps your engine clean, prevents overheating, and maintains performance and efficiency.
Your Nissan vehicle will likely need an oil change about every 10,000 miles, but this frequency can differ based on the age of your vehicle and the type of oil you’re using. If you’re wondering what oil a Nissan takes for the best performance, read on! We’ll be covering what you need to know about Nissan oil types in the guide below so you can learn which oil is best for your car and more.
There are two main oil types available for your Nissan: conventional motor oil and synthetic oil. We’ll discuss the differences between them in the following section, but for now, let’s look at oil viscosity. Whether you buy conventional or synthetic oil, it should be one of the following two grades:
5W-20 or 5W-30 grades offer the proper viscosity for your engine, enabling it to flow and coat all engine parts, protecting them from friction and overheating. Our team can answer questions about which oil is best for your car when you visit the Newton Nissan South service center or order oil change supplies online.
An important question to consider is what oil does my car take—conventional or synthetic? And what about synthetic blends? At the end of the day, it’s up to you. Your vehicle’s internal combustion engine will run well on conventional oil if you follow the recommended oil change intervals. However, keep in mind that age can impact what kind of oil is best for your car. Generally, high-mileage motor oil is recommended for older vehicles.
Does synthetic oil improve gas mileage? Not directly. Instead, synthetic oil is better than conventional oil at keeping your engine clean—and a clean engine operates efficiently and with minimal friction. If you’re using conventional oil and miss some of your vehicle’s recommended oil changes, sludge will build up in your engine, causing it to run hotter. This can reduce fuel efficiency and eventually damage your engine if you don’t get an oil change.
In other words, using synthetic oil enables you to change your car’s oil less often without sacrificing fuel economy. However, due to the increased cost of fully synthetic oils, some drivers balance performance and cost by choosing a synthetic-conventional blend.
If you’re still stressing over the question “What oil does my car take,” the bottom line is that while conventional oil will work great for your vehicle, synthetic oil offers benefits that some Columbia and Manchester-area drivers will appreciate. It costs more, but you might choose synthetic oil over conventional because it:
If your Nissan is just about due for an oil change, be sure to check out our current service specials to see how much you could save at your next appointment! We’re also happy to help if you have questions about what oil your car takes or how to change motor oil yourself. Reach out to our service center to speak with a technician today.
