Cars LOL (little old lady) car questions...

Loretta Van Riet

Trying to hang out with the cool kids.
My 2008 Nissan Altima just turned 100,000 miles. So today I took it for its first full synthetic oil change. I barely drive 300 miles per month.
How often should I now change the oil?

What does a cabin filter do? What does replacing it improve?

How often should you change a serpentine belt?
How often should you change an engine air filter? Gas filter? Anything else I should consider for normal maintenance? Brakes are ok.

Tires are one year old. Battery is 2 years old.

No, I don't have an owner's manual.
Thank you!
 

Hfcomms

EN66iq
With 300 miles a month and synthetic oil an annual oil change should suffice. The cabin air filter does just that, filters the dust and molds etc, coming into your heating system. It cost about $5 and in most vehicles you can open the glove box and it's usually tucked back up behind that. If it's never been changed it's probably filthy and your blower will run better.

For the serpentine belt have a mechanic check it. Usually small cracks are o.k. but as they get older the cracks get deeper and the time may come when the belt fails and everything runs off that belt. If you take the car in for service when they do the oil change they can check the belt and replace the cabin air filter.

Your radiator coolant should also be checked. First that the radiator is full and if you live in a colder climate the freeze point of the anti-freeze can be checked to make sure the system is protected down to 25 or 30 below zero. If you live in a warmer climate the anti-freeze should still be changed every 5 years or so....some say 7.

You can find your owner's manual at this link and can download it to your computer.

 

West

Senior
With 300 miles a month and synthetic oil an annual oil change should suffice. The cabin air filter does just that, filters the dust and molds etc, coming into your heating system. It cost about $5 and in most vehicles you can open the glove box and it's usually tucked back up behind that. If it's never been changed it's probably filthy and your blower will run better.

For the serpentine belt have a mechanic check it. Usually small cracks are o.k. but as they get older the cracks get deeper and the time may come when the belt fails and everything runs off that belt. If you take the car in for service when they do the oil change they can check the belt and replace the cabin air filter.

Your radiator coolant should also be checked. First that the radiator is full and if you live in a colder climate the freeze point of the anti-freeze can be checked to make sure the system is protected down to 25 or 30 below zero. If you live in a warmer climate the anti-freeze should still be changed every 5 years or so....some say 7.

You can find your owner's manual at this link and can download it to your computer.


Good stuff^^^

Add... make dang sure to have the people changing your oil and filter use Nissan recommendations for brand of oil and filter. Even if it means buying the oil and oil filter some place else and just have your normal guy use what you provide.

My wife (little old Lady) drives a Grand Marquis. On the back trunk it said that in little indavidual crome letters.
I removed the r,u,i,and s. Now it says...

"Grand Ma q"

:D
 

Orion Commander

Veteran Member
When I hear little old lady I think you live in Pasadena and only drive to church on Sundays.

Dating my TV childhood.

I don't change oil by miles but by months. Three months or 3000 miles for good quality regular oil. Five months or 5000 miles for partial synthetic. Full synthetic longer.

Newer cars are a little better.
 

BornFree

Came This Far
Thank you! My serpentine belt is 3 years old, and my cabin filter is 4 1/2 years old.
It would not be uncommon for a serpentine belt to last 10 years if it was a quality belt.
Always change the oil filter with any oil change.
Air filters depend on how much dust they are exposed to(Do visual inspection).
Fuel filters last for many years unless you use some contaminated fuel.
 

Publius

TB Fanatic
At 100,000. miles all of the above plus a timing belt, this process gets a little involved and best left to the pros.
Trust me you don't want to have a timing belt let go as it will destroy/bend half the valves when it does go your looking at taking the head off and have it rebuilt.
 
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