5w30 in a newer engine in extreme cold wouldn't be great. Now 5w30 used in extreme heat areas should be fine. Just use the 0w20 synthetic.
Sludged engine 2018 Pathfinder**** Please comment if you have experienced this w/ 2017-2021 **** Building a case to bring to the MN Attorney General
Grab a cup of coffee, this is going to be a longish read, but if you have had engine sludge please read to the end 
I am like many others that have experienced issues with engine sludge. I own a 2018 Platinum edition that I bought new directly for the dealer. Last march, around 58K miles, and less than 1 month after I had my car in for my 60K maintenance and oil change, my car started to blow whitish/blue smoke upon start up. It wasn't consistently doing it at first, but after about 4 starts like that I called the Nissan Service department to explain what was happening and my concern. I know nothing about cars and I trusted Nissan with the maintenance and service of my vehicle because they are the pros and I planned to drive that car for as long as I could. The person I spoke with said the 2018 PF is known for condensation in the tailpipe and it can produce what looks like smoke on start up. I told him it smelled a bit like a 2 cycle engine which had me concerned about burning oil. He asked if I had a check engine light on and I said no. He then told me it would be a waste of time and money to bring my car in because there was no codes to run. I called again 2 weeks later because the smoke upon start up was becoming more frequent. I was given the same line about condensation in the tailpipe. Still no check engine light illuminated. Same story, no light- no diagnostics. I continued to experience the smoke on a more frequent basis, but still intermittent basis. It did seem to be worse on days with higher humidity so while I was still very uncomfortable with the answer, I went with it. I know how stupid that is now. Fast forward to July 2022,and just a couple thousand miles later, while driving the check engine turns on along with the low oil pressure light. I immediately pulled over to a gas station. I tried to get the cap off so I could add a quart or 2 of oil, but couldn't. I started the car back up to drive the 15 miles home and the low oil pressure light was off, but check engine was still illuminated. I immediately called Nissan and brought my car in even though they didn't have time to service it. I knew I had a problem.
Long story short, they said due to lack of maintenance I needed an engine replacement due to sludge build up. Of course, Nissan USA declined to cover me while under warranty citing lack of maintenance as the cause of the engine sludge. I pushed back and said I had called multiple times with concern only to be brushed off by the maintenance department. I had my oil changed about every 7500 miles at the dealership. Never once did my paperwork indicate low levels of oil or excessively dirty oil upon arrival. We did one home oil change in 2021 because we were taking a road trip and the dealership couldn't get us in before we left. Other than that, the dealer did oil changes and ALL scheduled mileage maintenance. The service manager argued that by the time I was seeing the smoke, the damage to the engine was already done due to lack of proper maintenance, and despite their service department dismissing my calls with concerns, they had no culpability. I argued that if it was a long outstanding issue the excessively dark oil should have been noted on my service notes and that my service records actually prove that I was trying to properly maintain my car by doing all scheduled maintenance. I tried to fight it with Nissan USA and they said their decision had already been rendered based on information the dealer had already submitted. The records they submitted had a gap because of the oil change we did at home because I didn't have the receipt (from July 2021, which I eventually tracked down). I told the Nissan USA warranty rep that they had incomplete information and I could now submit the receipt. She said it didn't matter because a decision had already been rendered.
I acknowledge that I went longer than the maintenance schedule indicates, but I also don't think this damage should have occurred at the interval schedule I was on. I also think that if Nissan knew this to be an issue, which I think they do, they should have recommended more frequent oil changes on my service notes.
Luckily, I made a few FB videos about the problem I had when the smoke first started and asked for opinions so I do have proof that I was concerned and I cited in the video that the dealership blew me off. I plan to take this up with the attorney general in MN to see if I can fight it and even if I don't win, I hope to make it VERY uncomfortable for that Nissan service department manager. This is where you come in. Please comment if you have had the same issues. I have read so many posts on this forum about people with the 2017-2021 models experiencing this exact same issue. I think this will go a long way toward forcing Nissan's hand to replace my engine and if there are enough documented problems, it may force Nissan to start fixing the issue on a broader scale. I think they know they have a problem, and are using the 5K hard stopping point of oil changes as a technicality to void the powertrain warranty because the issue is so widespread and it would be a huge loss to either the dealerships or Nissan USA to actually fix on a broad scale.
If you are still reading this, you have probably experienced this same issue with your pathfinder and I am so sorry for that. Please take the time to comment the following:
Pathfinder year, make, model
If you bought it new or used
Your real name( if comfortable doing that)
Where you bought your Pathfinder
Whether you brought the issue up with dealership and the outcome.
An engine replacement or purchasing a new car is an expense that many cannot afford. The dealership and service departments are very quick to take our money and in doing so, they should be accountable to do the RIGHT thing. In doing so, they might cement a customer for life. The condescending dismissal of the issue I was having and the lack of accountability have ensured I will never buy another Nissan (we bought 2 new from the same dealer and would have bought a 3rd) and have fueled my desire to hold their feet to the fire. Sorry for the novel.
Sincerely,
DupedbyNissan- Roseville, MN
I am like many others that have experienced issues with engine sludge. I own a 2018 Platinum edition that I bought new directly for the dealer. Last march, around 58K miles, and less than 1 month after I had my car in for my 60K maintenance and oil change, my car started to blow whitish/blue smoke upon start up. It wasn't consistently doing it at first, but after about 4 starts like that I called the Nissan Service department to explain what was happening and my concern. I know nothing about cars and I trusted Nissan with the maintenance and service of my vehicle because they are the pros and I planned to drive that car for as long as I could. The person I spoke with said the 2018 PF is known for condensation in the tailpipe and it can produce what looks like smoke on start up. I told him it smelled a bit like a 2 cycle engine which had me concerned about burning oil. He asked if I had a check engine light on and I said no. He then told me it would be a waste of time and money to bring my car in because there was no codes to run. I called again 2 weeks later because the smoke upon start up was becoming more frequent. I was given the same line about condensation in the tailpipe. Still no check engine light illuminated. Same story, no light- no diagnostics. I continued to experience the smoke on a more frequent basis, but still intermittent basis. It did seem to be worse on days with higher humidity so while I was still very uncomfortable with the answer, I went with it. I know how stupid that is now. Fast forward to July 2022,and just a couple thousand miles later, while driving the check engine turns on along with the low oil pressure light. I immediately pulled over to a gas station. I tried to get the cap off so I could add a quart or 2 of oil, but couldn't. I started the car back up to drive the 15 miles home and the low oil pressure light was off, but check engine was still illuminated. I immediately called Nissan and brought my car in even though they didn't have time to service it. I knew I had a problem.
Long story short, they said due to lack of maintenance I needed an engine replacement due to sludge build up. Of course, Nissan USA declined to cover me while under warranty citing lack of maintenance as the cause of the engine sludge. I pushed back and said I had called multiple times with concern only to be brushed off by the maintenance department. I had my oil changed about every 7500 miles at the dealership. Never once did my paperwork indicate low levels of oil or excessively dirty oil upon arrival. We did one home oil change in 2021 because we were taking a road trip and the dealership couldn't get us in before we left. Other than that, the dealer did oil changes and ALL scheduled mileage maintenance. The service manager argued that by the time I was seeing the smoke, the damage to the engine was already done due to lack of proper maintenance, and despite their service department dismissing my calls with concerns, they had no culpability. I argued that if it was a long outstanding issue the excessively dark oil should have been noted on my service notes and that my service records actually prove that I was trying to properly maintain my car by doing all scheduled maintenance. I tried to fight it with Nissan USA and they said their decision had already been rendered based on information the dealer had already submitted. The records they submitted had a gap because of the oil change we did at home because I didn't have the receipt (from July 2021, which I eventually tracked down). I told the Nissan USA warranty rep that they had incomplete information and I could now submit the receipt. She said it didn't matter because a decision had already been rendered.
I acknowledge that I went longer than the maintenance schedule indicates, but I also don't think this damage should have occurred at the interval schedule I was on. I also think that if Nissan knew this to be an issue, which I think they do, they should have recommended more frequent oil changes on my service notes.
Luckily, I made a few FB videos about the problem I had when the smoke first started and asked for opinions so I do have proof that I was concerned and I cited in the video that the dealership blew me off. I plan to take this up with the attorney general in MN to see if I can fight it and even if I don't win, I hope to make it VERY uncomfortable for that Nissan service department manager. This is where you come in. Please comment if you have had the same issues. I have read so many posts on this forum about people with the 2017-2021 models experiencing this exact same issue. I think this will go a long way toward forcing Nissan's hand to replace my engine and if there are enough documented problems, it may force Nissan to start fixing the issue on a broader scale. I think they know they have a problem, and are using the 5K hard stopping point of oil changes as a technicality to void the powertrain warranty because the issue is so widespread and it would be a huge loss to either the dealerships or Nissan USA to actually fix on a broad scale.
If you are still reading this, you have probably experienced this same issue with your pathfinder and I am so sorry for that. Please take the time to comment the following:
Pathfinder year, make, model
If you bought it new or used
Your real name( if comfortable doing that)
Where you bought your Pathfinder
Whether you brought the issue up with dealership and the outcome.
An engine replacement or purchasing a new car is an expense that many cannot afford. The dealership and service departments are very quick to take our money and in doing so, they should be accountable to do the RIGHT thing. In doing so, they might cement a customer for life. The condescending dismissal of the issue I was having and the lack of accountability have ensured I will never buy another Nissan (we bought 2 new from the same dealer and would have bought a 3rd) and have fueled my desire to hold their feet to the fire. Sorry for the novel.
Sincerely,
DupedbyNissan- Roseville, MN
21 - 40 of 48 Posts
Hi I had the same problem sludges up bad was told possibly needed new engine or piston and rings at about 55,000 miles. We are the second owners of a well maintained 2017 path platinum. I could not believe that this was happening so I did a bunch of research and took a gamble and found a shop near me that did the BG Engine Restoration service and BG fuel induction service. They told me no guarantees but it could work. Well it did!!! It was around a 1000 dollars and totally worth it. It has been 15 months since I did it and I have continued with regular BG oil changes and have had my CVT, Rear diff, and AC all serviced with BG. Look up some videos online there are pathfinders on there with same problem that get this service and it takes of the problem. I believe the problem has to do with the GDI and it’s not just Nissan just about all manufacturers are having this problem. Hope this helps you…. Thanks Perkins family from OregonGrab a cup of coffee, this is going to be a longish read, but if you have had engine sludge please read to the end
Hate to come across as a random spam account due to low post history but I specifically made an account to reiterate this issue publicly. I have a 2018 QX60 FWD VQ35DD with 139,000 that has had the oil consumption issue since I bought the vehicle with 35,000 miles. I have used 0W-20 fully synthetic oil with every oil change at around 3500 miles per change.
Nothing has worked to resolve this issue, this engine BURNS oil. I have had sludge since the first oil change and have ran numerous engine flushes to help with the problem. Over time the problem has become significantly worse with the dread 'white smoke' on start up and hard braking appearing around the 90k mile mark and persisting since then. I use this vehicle for rideshare and as such have put in a substantial amount of mileage in a short period of time.
Over time the spark plugs will be so built up with carbon you will be forced to change them every 10,000 miles. The first thing you will notice aside from the sludge and significant oil consumption is random idle shakes and MISFIRES. These misfires will often occur in BANK 4, but can occur in other banks as well. This will lead to slippage with the timing chain and early failure of the timing components as the engine sludge and increased oil in the combustion chamber cause rapid degeneration of the hardware components.
You have to understand that this is not a failure of the PCV valve. I have replace this valve and the hose numerous times.
The problem here is that the piston rings wear prematurely, creating EXCESSIVE BLOWBY into the crankcase forcing oil out of the PCV Valve in excessive amounts into the intake manifold. Pair that with a direct injection engine and the combustion chamber is literally being flooded with oil on every stroke. As a last and final attempt I purchased and installed a PCV catch can to help with this issue. To my surprise, the catch can was flooded with oil within less than 100 miles. This is not normal. This is a major engine flaw that Nissan knows of and refuses to acknowledge for the 2017 and 2018 VQ35DD engine.
I have disassembled this engine to solve the timing chain failure that was causing loud rattling and multiple misfires. In this disassembly I documented sludge build up in every facet of the crankcase. The heads were removed to replace the headgaskets and significant carbon build up was documented. I have included pictures of these issues.
I cleaned and removed as much of this buildup as I could taking care not to damage the cylinder walls or remove any coating. Upon repair of the timing chain and reassembly, the oil burn has persisted and the catch can has persistently overfilled the intake manifold. A permanent P219F code has remained and the engine hard idles below 1000rpm.
I want people to be aware that even after a nearly full service engine overhaul, unless the piston rings are replaced, the problem will persist. I am currently in the process of doing an engine swap for this vehicle, however I am well aware of the piston ring issue and have only the expectations to achieve maybe another 50k miles of use from this vehicle.
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Nothing has worked to resolve this issue, this engine BURNS oil. I have had sludge since the first oil change and have ran numerous engine flushes to help with the problem. Over time the problem has become significantly worse with the dread 'white smoke' on start up and hard braking appearing around the 90k mile mark and persisting since then. I use this vehicle for rideshare and as such have put in a substantial amount of mileage in a short period of time.
Over time the spark plugs will be so built up with carbon you will be forced to change them every 10,000 miles. The first thing you will notice aside from the sludge and significant oil consumption is random idle shakes and MISFIRES. These misfires will often occur in BANK 4, but can occur in other banks as well. This will lead to slippage with the timing chain and early failure of the timing components as the engine sludge and increased oil in the combustion chamber cause rapid degeneration of the hardware components.
You have to understand that this is not a failure of the PCV valve. I have replace this valve and the hose numerous times.
The problem here is that the piston rings wear prematurely, creating EXCESSIVE BLOWBY into the crankcase forcing oil out of the PCV Valve in excessive amounts into the intake manifold. Pair that with a direct injection engine and the combustion chamber is literally being flooded with oil on every stroke. As a last and final attempt I purchased and installed a PCV catch can to help with this issue. To my surprise, the catch can was flooded with oil within less than 100 miles. This is not normal. This is a major engine flaw that Nissan knows of and refuses to acknowledge for the 2017 and 2018 VQ35DD engine.
I have disassembled this engine to solve the timing chain failure that was causing loud rattling and multiple misfires. In this disassembly I documented sludge build up in every facet of the crankcase. The heads were removed to replace the headgaskets and significant carbon build up was documented. I have included pictures of these issues.
I cleaned and removed as much of this buildup as I could taking care not to damage the cylinder walls or remove any coating. Upon repair of the timing chain and reassembly, the oil burn has persisted and the catch can has persistently overfilled the intake manifold. A permanent P219F code has remained and the engine hard idles below 1000rpm.
I want people to be aware that even after a nearly full service engine overhaul, unless the piston rings are replaced, the problem will persist. I am currently in the process of doing an engine swap for this vehicle, however I am well aware of the piston ring issue and have only the expectations to achieve maybe another 50k miles of use from this vehicle.
21 - 40 of 48 Posts
