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2018 Rogue Oil Change
I went to two different places today to try and get an oil change and both of them said that I have to use either full synthetic oil or synthetic blend for my car. I didn't believe them so then I went home and looked at the manual and it says that "genuine nissan oil 0W-20 SN is recommended" but if that is unavailable to "use an equivalent motor oil that matches the above grade and viscosity". I mean I am not a mechanic but I find that hard to believe. I read online that the reason nissan wants you to use that is to improve fuel consumption, but that it does not make a big difference and that you can use 5W30. One of the guys where I asked to change my oil said if its 5W30 then it has to be full synthetic. I don't know it just seems like a scam to me so they can get us to keep going to the dealership for oil changes. I HATE going to the dealership not because of the price but because I have to wait like weeks before I can get an appointment with them and then when I actually show up for the appointment it takes them like 2 hours to change the damn oil. I remember reading online posts like years ago and they said that there is nothing wrong with using conventional oil and that it can even be better for new cars. What are your thoughts?
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There is no component of your vehicle that is more expensive to fix than the engine, and to use the wrong oil would be a good way to void the warranty.
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The two shops you visited tried to advise you to the best of their ability. They likely suggested the synthetic blend because of your push back, however you are supposed to use a full synthetic, not a blend. The problem is you cannot tell by the wording on the front of the label just what exactly is inside a bottle of oil, unless you really know what to look for. The word "synthetic" isn't restricted to man made products in North America. Products that are in the Group III plus (conventional oil with additional processing) can be labeled synthetics. A true synthetic is a Group IV or Group V base stock.
This chart shows Nissans information about their 0W20 http://www4.total.fr/asia-oceania/australia/Technical Data Sheets/TOTAL/TOTAL Automotive/11 - Partner Products/Nissan Genuine Oil 0W20 SN GF5 TDS 20161110 v1-0.pdf
There was a lot of noise in the past when GM brought out their dexos1 specification about the "or equivalent" part or the reccomendation. Let's just cut to the chase and say that figuring out what exactly is an equivalent isn't easy and the majority of the products in a parts store are not equivalent to Nissans actual specification. But there is one way to know if you are choosing the correct product. GM's dexos1 Gen2 is a full synthetic that exceeds Nissan's requirements for your Rogue. GM made it easy for a lot of vehicle owners to choose the right oil for their cars and the dexos1 Gen2 label on the front of the bottle is all you have to look for.
The Nissan page above states that Nissan Genuine motor oil is designed by Total as in they are the O. E. supplier. Here is a sample of their oil, notice that the GM dexos1 Gen 2 label is on the front of the bottle.
https://www.ipdusa.com/products/20972/139705-quartz-future-fgc-0w20-full-synthetic-engine-oil?_vsrefdom=adwords&gclid=CjwKCAjwkYDbBRB6EiwAR0T_-gGxGKadh2NDI0CthIF_MmYcZE5EUIAs1ci9hyXVpeHudIqqOCAEohoCm4YQAvD_BwE
Lastly, the bearing clearances on many of today's engines are so small that heavier oil than it is designed to run will be damaged on start-up. GM's dexos1 specification for a 5W30 made it as thin as a 5W20, non approved product and now GM has discontinued it's 5W20 approval and revised all of the specs to 0W20. Similarly a 5W30 is too thick for your Rogue. Using a 5W30 can lead to piston ring deposits, cylinder scoring, and oil consumption issues. The engine oil also has to protect the emissions system, not just the engine.