Nissan Maxima Oil Change: The 3.5L V6, by the Manual

Nissan built the Maxima for decades and ended production after the 2023 model year, so every one we see now is a car its owner chose to keep. The eighth generation from 2016 on is a smooth, quick sedan with a V6 and a CVT, and it rewards owners who stay on top of the basics. Our Longley Lane service center sees a lot of them from south Reno and the Damonte Ranch area.

At a glance

• VQ35DE 3.5L V6: NISSAN 0W-20 SP or equivalent, 5-1/8 qt with filter
• 7,500 miles or 6 months normal; 5,000 miles or 6 months severe
• In-cabin microfilter at 15,000 miles in the 2023 manual
• Premium fuel, 91 AKI, recommended in the manual

Oil, fill and what the 2023 manual allows

The capacities table in the 2023 Maxima Owner's Manual recommends Genuine NISSAN Motor Oil 0W-20 SP, or a synthetic 0W-20 GF-6 SP if that is not available. It lists 5-1/8 quarts with a filter change and 4-3/4 quarts without. We fill to the listed amount and then confirm on the dipstick.

Earlier Maximas, including the seventh generation through 2014, used older versions of the same engine family and may list a different grade. On those cars the cap and the original manual decide.

Normal or severe in south Reno

The manual offers two schedules and lets the owner choose by how the car is driven. Severe conditions include repeated short trips under 5 miles, short trips under 10 miles in freezing weather, hot rush-hour stop-and-go, long idling, dusty conditions, rough or muddy roads and using a car-top carrier. A Maxima that runs the Meadowood and South Virginia corridor in July traffic, or makes short winter hops, belongs on the 5,000-mile column.

A Maxima that mostly cruises US-395 or I-80 at a steady speed is closer to normal use. You know how your car is driven better than we do, and we will tell you which column your history looks like.

Smoke season and the in-cabin microfilter

Most summers bring at least a few weeks when wildfire smoke from California or the Sierra settles over the Truckee Meadows. The cabin filter, which Nissan calls the in-cabin microfilter, is what stands between that air and the people inside, and the 2023 manual schedules its replacement at 15,000 miles. After a heavy smoke season it can be gray long before that.

We pull it and show it to you next to a new one. Our smoke season filter guide explains what to expect and when recirculate mode helps.

CVT fluid and coolant life

Every eighth-generation Maxima uses Nissan's Xtronic CVT. The manual schedules a CVT fluid inspection and says to replace it every 60,000 miles if you use a car-top carrier or drive on rough or muddy roads, or to have the dealer read the fluid deterioration data. We check for leaks and can quote a transmission fluid service with Nissan's specified CVT fluid.

The factory-fill coolant, Nissan's blue Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant, has a stated life of 105,000 miles or 7 years. A car at or past that point is a candidate for a coolant service, and we check the strength before recommending one.

Maxima service checklist

• 0W-20 to the 5-1/8 quart fill, a new filter and the maintenance reminder reset
• In-cabin microfilter and engine air filter shown
• Coolant level and strength, brake fluid level, belts and hoses
• Battery test at participating locations
• Tire pressure, headlights, tail lights and wipers