Nissan 2018 NV3500. Oil pan full of sludge

See what happens when an engine doesn’t have the right oil change interval to match the drive cycle. It’s a recipe for disaster

[@slchambers1]

Oil is inexpensive, engines aren’t. Change your oil

[@andrewmunczenski3632]

so true

[@DavesAutoCenterCenterville]

Great point!

[@michealortiz3350]

I change my oil every 100k miles. Runs great

[@PRO4XKEV]

@@michealortiz3350 LOL, must be AMSOIL, Huh..

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@@michealortiz3350 you must be using bypass oil filters as well!

[@blademansw]

I really like the fact that it seems that every time you pull a motor, you clean the engine bay. I don't know why more places dont do this, it doesnt take long, its attention to detail and surely makes refitting a lot nicer when its all clean.

[@pablochavez9087]

Everyone is being paid flat rate. They aren't going to pressure wash an engine bay when they have other cars in the other bays waiting for work. They aren't getting paid to pressure wash an engine bay

[@bluekabaw4754]

Ideally, there should be a dedicated bay for engine bay wash because there is degreaser being used to clean that engine bay. That said, I'm sure Dave's Auto has a drain, catch basin system that catches not only engine bay wash fluid but also floor clean fluid, all of which has to be cleaned out on a regular basis. That's why most shops these days have an "environmental charge" to cover the very big expense of such waste water collection and treatment.

[@tumblevveed3586]

@@bluekabaw4754Right on. Some fleets I have worked for explicitly state NOT to wash out engine bays/under carriages. If you get a nasty one in the shop, you just have to deal with it. They simply do not have the proper setup for oil water separation. Some places the drains just go into the storm water. As a mechanic, I could see most mechanics utilize a wash bay providing one is available. I have worked at only 1 place that had a proper wash bay and you can tell simply by looking at the fleet in the vehicles engine bays.

[@guywhite1004]

I always try to clean all the pieces I take off a vehicle whether I’m doing an oil change or brakes or whatever. It’s much easier to clean them while they’re apart and a lot easier to put things back together when they’re not covered with grease and gunk. So cleaning the engine bay before re-installing the engine probably saves as much time with the re-assembly as the wash job took, maybe even more. I supervised a mobile equipment repair shop at a steel mill. Unless a quick turnaround was needed, every forklift, crane, or 200 ton scrap hauler was thoroughly steam cleaned before starting work on it. Made the diagnosis easier as well as faster teardowns and rebuilds.

[@rd4660]

Running a fleet without someone addressing maintenance intervals is a formula for disaster.

[@alexray7594]

Dave I am a diesel technician for FedEx and you are my learning I love learning new things from you and your boys I am 25years old and love watching your videos you are such an inspiration and such a wise mentor I wish I could come learn from you in person, I aspire to know as much as you some day cause I love these trucks, bought me an 02’ Cummins just to work on it hahaha anyways love your videos keep it up and never stop teaching please!!!

[@DavesAutoCenterCenterville]

Good to hear from you. Best of luck in your career 👍. Sounds like you have the right attitude to take you far

[@20tea]

Thanks for working on our trucks! We depend on you greatly because if our trucks aren't running right, we're not able to get the job done. Thanks for all your hard work and know that you are all appreciated. Wishing you a great future with your expertise and dedication. 🫡

[@chrisbarnes2823]

Part of the problem with fleet vehicles is finding someone who will diligently do the oil changes on time, the other problem is getting the vehicles to the maintenance crew.

[@pakviroti3616]

Then whomever is in charge of fleet maintenance needs to be fired. And someone capable of doing the job, hired.

[@isaachousley325]

​@pakviroti3616 sometimes its outside of the hands of the folks in charge of maintenance. At my job (fedex grouund contractor), we've had trucks have to go 2-3 weeks past needing an oil change because there weren't any trucks available to sub in on routes. But i concur that anyone in charge of fleet maintenance who doesn't do everything in there power to make sure maintenance is on time should be fired.

[@BeingInTheMessiah]

I just started somewhere and they have about a dozen f450s and 550s. They have a checklist card for the oil changes where they want you to lube hinges check fluids tires etc. Well they want you to check the rear diff level. The first 3 I did were all over a quart low and there was a ton of garbage on the plug. And this place never has anyone in a big hurry, it's really incredible that something which takes 1 minute to check gets ignored

[@chrisbarnes2823]

@@BeingInTheMessiah I can pretty well guess that the diff oils have never been changed plus the seals are leaking to be low like that.

[@BeingInTheMessiah]

@chrisbarnes2823 that's the thing everything was bone dry. Maybe someone pulled the axles and didn't check level afterwards? Either that or ford did what ford does and they've been running low since day 1

[@riliwi]

I've had 3 Nissan personal vehicles each one lasted over 300,000 kilometers without burning oil ( the body ate itself ) all three had regular oil changes. I feel $50 or more for oil and filter is cheap insurance against a $10,000 engine change is totally worth it.

[@EcSsAwS]

lol. Listen 186k miles is NOTHING My 2012 ford explorer has 267,000 miles 2012 Chrysler town and country 322,000 miles 2005 Silverado 288,000 My work vehicle 2013 town and country 331,000 miles

[@michealortiz3350]

​@EcSsAwS I'm surprised any Chrysler made vehicle could make it past 250k honestly lol ford and Gm all the way easily. I do agree 186k miles ain't shit to brag about.

[@user-vh7ki7xu7o]

They have their flaws. Timing chain driven water pump. Oil cooler adapter seems like a bad design to me

[@jeffrobodine8579]

I spray my used motor oil on the undercarriage and frame here in the rust belt to help maintain the body rigidity for a longer time frame.

[@TheBandit7613]

@@EcSsAwS I knw there's always someone to one-up you but... My crummy 2002 Hyundai Elantra GT has 435,000 miles, run hard, put away wet. I beat this car. I drive over a 5000' mountain pass 4 times a week some of it is when it's 115 degrees. It's just my drive to work car. I use whatever oil is on sale and a WIx filter every 3000. I am firm on the changes. 3000 miles, no more. I also do a trans oil change every 10,000. that's 4 quarts of ATF every 10,000 miles. Engine never opened up, auto trans never opened up. A couple fuel pumps, water pumps, radiators, and a pile of timing belts, brakes and tires. Change the oil and change the trans oil. It ain't rocket science.

[@tomthebattleaxe]

Finally a follow up! We need the follow ups dave!

[@hahhahahhahaah5200]

Nobody: Mr.Subaru: It doesn't need an engine, just change the windshield wipers

[@WiiZKiiD23]

Mrs. Subaru*

[@admranger]

Love that you clean things up. I hated working on dirty bicycles when I wrenched bikes to put myself through college. Cleaning takes just a few minutes but makes life so much nicer.

[@thewaywardgrape3838]

Much respect to Dave and his team for helping the customer with the used engine. With how the world's going atm, I'm sure the customer appreciated a bit a support.

[@georgiapatriot4575]

The sim test is cool--gives you a better chance of having a used motor swap turning out good w/o having to put the engine all the way back in the vehicle before confirming it is viable. Also good that you have an engine supplier that you have a good relationship with two-way trust.

[@fastinradfordable]

Just do a leak down I don’t let LKQ drop a motor off without checking leak down

[@georgiapatriot4575]

@@fastinradfordable the sim checks a LOT more than that... Guessing Dave knows a lot more about engines that either you or me and he bought it...

[@TraverseNowhere]

I absolutely love and respect the work and your shop life. Proper diagnosis, truth in cost and not shooting the parts cannon to fix it. If I lived in Utah this would be my go to place for maintenance and repairs

[@exploringsydneyandbeyond9059]

I used to service a perimeter vehicle in a jail in Sydney , although low temps wasn’t really a factor , it did alot of idle time and short trips , it was an old Toyota 1HZ NA engine , I would change the oil every 4 weeks , same day each month . Every 2nd oil change we did the oil filter aswell. It never had a problem in the years and years I worked on it.

[@jkramer4716]

Good job Dave and Dave's mechanics in the shop!

[@djwilliams4714]

found this channel on Instagram recently, love the shorts... now I see you have a KZbin channel, and I am binge-watching your YT videos!!!

[@fullpulse2000]

Great work Kyle, take care and you'll have a great weekend.

[@ianmcwilliam1753]

Maybe this customer would benefit from some type of oil pan heater ( if there is such a thing ) especially if he has a fleet of them… Dave’s work is beyond reproach and is steadily restoring passion and trust in his industry. I bet he’s got a long line of people who would love to be a part of his team. Love it.

[@El_Peto]

Oil pan heaters absolutely do exist

[@davew7250]

We bought a new Buick a few years ago and it came with two free oil changes. The salesman that sold us the vehicle didn’t want to see it until 5000 miles for the first oil change. I told him by then I would have 4000 miles on the first oil change and it would be ready for another oil change. Note here that we do not put a lot of miles on in a year’s time. Oil changes are very inexpensive compared to changing an engine.

[@markbell6864]

You have a top notch A+ operation over there. I which you were in my area. I wouldn't do anymore work myself on any of my vehicles. I would just bring them to you guys.

[@dickys92988]

I watch every single video this is the best channel on KZbin

[@derekenz2140]

Good videos Dave. I saw you were going to do a video responding to a critic. You're old enough to ignore the noise. Enjoy the weekend and God bless you.

[@chuckchambers9565]

I love this man's integrity.

[@MGB-learning]

Always an outstanding video.

[@xdjoshxd4222]

I watch almost all of your videos and love them! Do you work on transmissions to? Ive never heard you talk about it but you have a lot of videos. Love you Dave!

[@MathiasJarlson]

Daddy Dave back at it again!

[@ZMAN_420]

If your going to do it, do it correctly. IDK how many times it was "test drove" then it comes back an hour later leaking something was just repaired. On fleet maintenance then you have too repair it again. No one is perfect including myself but I do take longer on repairs and checking work after repair. Great Content! 👍🏻🇺🇲

[@randysatterfield7966]

Another great job and great video by Head Surgeon, Doctor Dave Sanders (aka "The Colonel".)

[@shaolinfist8323]

Nice to see a follow up video thanks!

[@ar15gator]

Excellent once Again! 👏🏻💯

[@Jonathan-hx6oy]

From 2016 to today I've driven 6 NV vans with a total of 800k+. Every oil change on time, never had an issue out of one. Current van has 187k and counting.

[@vdsgw52]

Dave, you have a lot of great information that gets out to guys like me. I have a 2023 Ford F250 diesel and because of you instead of the 10,000 mile oil changes Ford recommends I chose to change at 5,000 miles and will continue that. My question is, a friend of mines mechanic recommended a fuel additive "Hot Shot's Secret, Diesel Treatment", do you recommend any additive to the fuel and if so what?? Thanks

[@jlmullikin]

You are so good, it shames others…

[@Lero_Po]

Love watching these videos. Had to get the engine in my daily driver replaced. Timing chain skipped and I knew that it probably wasn't worth tearing apart to see what else was wrong with it. I suspect the previous owner didn't do proper maintenance, cause I didn't even have it for 10k miles before it died. Hell, the odometer hasn't even hit 100k miles yet. You just never know with used stuff, I guess.

[@labourlawact7826]

That's why you have a pre-purchase inspection done. The seller saw you coming and is probably laughing all the way to the bank 🤭

[@Lero_Po]

​@@labourlawact7826Gave it a chance cause it was a family member selling it. Guess I learned to not even trust family. 😂

[@labourlawact7826]

@@Lero_Po Yeah, I made that same mistake buying a car from my brother. Turned out to be an oil burner 😠 I'll never buy from family or friends again. I now only buy from older people, and only after checking everything out properly. 😁👍🏻🙋🏼‍♂️

[@AndyPat239]

good advice here for owners and othet shops

[@tperki2322]

I was hoping for a continuation of this...

[@benmahdjoubharoun1467]

The world needs more honest masters like Dave! I wonder how big the center is? And if you have a dyno? And also how did you all start with the mechanics?

[@fidelcatsro6948]

i think he has the biggest shop in Utah state

[@WRDC327]

I remember between jobs man and having a buddy of mine didn't want to put any money into a 302 cuz the crank was torn up piston was bad so he removed the Piston rod made it to 7 cylinder put it back together. Those were depressing times. I don't have any problems anymore now that I'm reduced to a bicycle. Happy retirement. I wish I squeeze my old boss Robin sharing that 401 was gone.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

Did he remove the lifters too so that the crankcase wasn't exposed to exhaust and engine vacuum? Did his fuel economy improve?

[@Glidedon]

I've got a 2013 NV2500 with the V6, regular oil changes , 100,000 miles and not one repair yet, except a new battery.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

V6 need more care..they much more bulkier and expensive engines!

[@Drew-wf7vw]

the VQ40DE will run forever if you change the oil like you do. Same engine that's in my Frontier

[@jcarry5214]

@@Drew-wf7vwmy xterra is at 270k and burns nothing but gasoline. Well, unless I’m wheeling it hard. But I beat it then take care of it. Damn good motor.

[@jcarry5214]

@@fidelcatsro6948not sure what you mean there, but that guy destroyed a great engine. All they need is the bare minimum but he didn’t even do that.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@@jcarry5214 just try changing plugs on a V6 instead of a straight 4 and see how cumbersome it is

[@jrock-xs9vp]

Great video

[@thomaslongshore1295]

Oil sampling is a great idea.

[@1999zrx1100]

I’m changing mine more often these days. 👊

[@sammorgan2390]

Thanks Dave

[@gronniergilles6458]

Good job Dave, like usual. I would like to learn to m'y student what i have call the 4c's dave's method. In France, all repair got 6 months of warranty, you must be carefull to what you do.

[@DavesAutoCenterCenterville]

Thanks for sharing!

[@gedavids84]

I have a question. I love your 4Cs method for fixing things, and it seems to work great when something is clearly wrong, but what do you do when your issue is intermittent and difficult to replicate?

[@WineScrounger]

I love how clean and organised your shop is. I look after three 850bhp V12 biogas generator engines that run 24/7 at full power, and the cost of letting oil changes go would be … life changing. We take weekly samples and check acidity, TBN, metals, water, silica etc and change the oil at given limits. It’s an excellent way of tracking changes within a high value engine.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

Wow V12 850hp.. 10,000cc?

[@gregorymalchuk272]

Do they run on landfill gas? Is the silicon from siloxane in the gas? Do engines that big have catalytic converters?

[@Ingveyisnthome]

Dave for president

[@DeltaH-9]

Hello Sir. I have a question. You guys seem to know your stuff. Some of the best mechanic work I've ever seen. My question is this. I have a 2010 Ram 1500, 5.7L. Intermittently, the truck has a pull to the right. It'll be fine one dayz and the next day, I'm fighting the steering wheel. It moves straight when i apply the brakes. Sticky caliper?

[@RideBikes_Walkplaces]

Do you guys use scopes for vehicle diagnosis? Ive been watching a guy called bernie from automotive test solutions and that guy is a bloody genius with scope diagnosis!

[@DavidMarcy-pp6jv]

Dave I called you today to ask you what I can do to get my Ford V10 running, and I'm in upstate NY, but I figured it out with a bad connection on the solenoid.

[@GridIndustries]

Man, a whole fleet of those? I think I'd be getting looking at something else. But also implementing a comprehensive maintenance program and making sure vehicles get up to operating temp as well.

[@larryc6384]

A fleet of Nissan vans with diesel engines. Customer didn't really think that through. Dave did a great job and didn't compromise his work ethics.

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

Sounds like the 5.6 to me.

[@r.weaver3769]

I wish there was way more people like Dave and his shop. Who's driving to... manufactures saying, 10k between changes, low oil pressure strategies design to appease government mandates, Stop/start operations during traffic stops to appease government mandates, and low viscosity oils that are simply not up to the task. Look what government mandates did in 2020. This engine should have gotten 2k oil changes as the oil is spent at 2k by only driving a mile at a time, sludge maker deluxe right there, see you in another 50k. To help any engine today, disable Stop/start and low oil pressure systems so oil pressure runs at normal pressure all the time, use higher viscosity oils, do oil analysis, never go over 5k on oil changes, if strictly city driving 3k oil changes. Drive on interstate for an hour once a week. Your engine will love you for it. There's a real good reason why a turbine can run forever on the original oil put in it...No fuel, moisture, or dirt to contaminate the oil. A slightly dirty fuel injector can trash your oil in no time and your never aware of it, no lights, no real change in fuel economy, no funny noises, till the wasted oil takes out a rod bearing at least.

[@meme8315]

Changed my 2011 5.7 tundra like clockwork, alot of times alot sooner than due ,and it still took out 2 crank bearings

[@donovanchilton5817]

Unlucky. 3UR FE is a good motor.

[@baubowers2529]

People say I’m crazy when I change my oil at 3k on all my vehicles but to me it’s a piece of mind

[@user-tt2lg5kg1t]

I hope your tech are making 100K+ a year

[@Petroeri]

Dave, I heard your mention about the valves on direct injected engines being coated in carbon and I feel like this is such a common thing with DI engines, and I've seen cases where it works loose and causes all sorts of damage to the engine over time. What sorts of things can an owner of a DI engine vehicle do to help prevent this? Additionally, are there any sorts of recommended services that one might do regularly to clean some of this buildup? Might be a great topic for a video!

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

Maybe you should start an oil change bay or separate location? An oil change place people can trust, not the cheapest -- just the best.

[@C.O.SBurpees]

The problem there is the people getting hired mostly is just people that are green to the industry

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

@@C.O.SBurpees That can be an opportuntiy -- no bad habits! There is a tire shop in northern NJ (Euro-Tire) who used to only hire people who hadn't done the work before so they could be trained to do it the right way.

[@kirtottosen5924]

Good stuff...

[@fidelcatsro6948]

Cause Condition Correct Confirm 😺👍

[@brian2359]

Dave, I have a question. I’ve got a 68 Firebird with a stock Pontiac 350. Cold start I’m getting 65 psi for my oil pressure. When she’s warmed up I’m getting 45psi off the throttle, and 49 psi on the throttle. And by “on the throttle”, I mean just enough throttle to take the slack out of the driveline. My uneducated guess is she’s just plumb worn out. Love the channel and the work you do!

[@jayres6372]

Sounds alright to me.

[@brian2359]

@@jayres6372 that’s because I’m an idiot! 49 off the throttle and 45 on the throttle! Some days I wonder how I function! And this is with a mechanic gauge.

[@terrimartin8630]

the oil in your motor is like the blood in your heart! it better be good, because when it isn't we all know what happens!

[@David-yy7lb]

I didn't know if the oil doesn't get hot enough to burn off any moisture over a period of time the oil will sludge up

[@pri0r_t0_a_weekago...fukwi48]

Yep aka also if the coolant doesn’t get up to temp as well

[@minnesotatomcat]

Short trips are terrible for motors especially diesels. They’re meant to get to running temp and stay there.

[@StrongerThanBigfoot]

@@minnesotatomcatDefinitely worth it to take a hour drive down the instate once a week if you only do short commutes

[@pakviroti3616]

Maintenance maintenance maintenance! It's cheap, cars are expensive.

[@johnyoung2494]

Keep calm and change your oil

[@SyNdicateZ81]

Any vehicle that comes in for repair due to the owners negligence of oil changes and causing sludge if they are the original owners of the vehicle should be charged a 10% markup (compared to others not at fault) in R & R costs automatically for their own stupidity

[@briannielsen7176]

I had a garage install a used engine in my 2002 f250 with only 75k 3 years ago. I only put 20k on it and the engine ended up with a bad head gasket. I just put a new jasper engine in it with a 3 year 100k warranty. The previous engine cost me 5k the new engine cost me 8500. I would have been more than happy to pay $3500 more if that engine was still running today. I changed the oil twice a year even though it didn't come up to the milage.

[@detroitbluesguy]

Class guy…

[@Rhett.Castillo]

Fresh oil will keep any engine happy for a LONG time.

[@markroadkillrecovery1168]

Work with this customer on his fleet maintenance 😉

[@joebaucom4537]

Great !

[@chrisroberts500]

Quality

[@peterbenson3776]

Some fleet vehicles are subject to bad operators and neglect.

[@ghostyates]

As someone who bought a vehicle new and lives in it full time I'm blown away ppl are not changing the oil.

[@logmruiz4803]

You should do one on a 3.7l v6 in a jeep

[@Spinnaker617]

'10 Corvette, '17 Tucson, '03 S-200, '03 GMC 5.3, '14 Ridgeline, All get changed at 4K. '03 Dodge Cummins....check the dipstick and change "when needed". The tiny little 1.6 turbo Tucson is an oil breakdown superstar and the 7 speed dry clutch tranny had to be replaced at 49K and both of the lift gate actuators have been replaced and one of the replacements has failed. 3 liftgate actuators failed and I don't use the lift gate much at all. Avoid Hyundai products if you can.

[@El_Peto]

S-200 Good air defence missile system

[@Eduardo-gk7yv]

Do you have videos on how to fix a diesel trucks with DEF on the diesel tank ?

[@piratestation69]

Blinker fluid is the most important aspect of the car. Oil is secondary...

[@stevebot]

They have a fleet of them? Better start looking for more replacements for them.

[@Thomas_jefferson69]

I run full synthetic on everything. Never had an issue.

[@RideOutside]

good example of why “fleet maintained” can be a red flag

[@TheGbeecher]

Fleet vehicles - always a crapshoot...either maintained properly or not...😅

[@joer6571]

2018-2019 Nissan had issues with the 5.6 due to improperly machined engines. Otherwise they just run. I have a 2019 that has a nice knock to it.

[@joe6096]

This whole “oil life monitor” invention is the culprit. Before OLM’s everyone knew “change your oil every 3,000 miles” and only very few engines got sludged up. Now you’re seeing it often because people live by that stupid monitor that can go up to 8,000-12,000 miles on some cars!!!!! Oye vay!! The manufacturers have put customers into a false sense of security. If I owned a car dealership and sold new cars I’d put a big red warning label on the drivers window to only be removed by the customer after they’ve signed for the car on every single car and truck I sold: “Caution: to protect your vehicle and increase reliability of your engine, DO NOT follow the on-board “oil life” monitor. Change your oil and filter every year or every 5,000 miles, whichever comes first. Not doing so will increase the risk of extensive engine damage and expensive repairs”

[@johnnyrouse2713]

Any more information on that Nissan truck with the transmission that needed a seal that you couldn't find

[@DavesAutoCenterCenterville]

Posted some shorts about it on Facebook Instagram and TikTok 👍

[@dalezalewski7759]

What many people fail to understand is that frequent oil and filter changes is the cheapest and most effective maintenance you can give to your car. The engine in my 1972 Chevy pickup lasted 300,000 miles because the oil and filter got changed on the 1st of every months whether it has gone 3000 miles or not.

[@Justvn4thGenTL]

people don’t understand the importance of low interval changes why push extra thousands of miles when you can simply change ur oil for cheap… I change my oil every 3k

[@Testpilottim]

Any updates on the Lamborghini engine.

[@leewalker3514]

OK Dave you said you read these I’m a member of the mafia and I’m telling you come to Newnan Georgia or you will be getting a visit. I’m just kidding. You guys are the best. I wish you had one down here but that’s what happens when you live so far away keep it coming, brother I know it’s a lot of work.

[@jojobobo6661]

how do nissan nv vans compare to ford e series

[@peanuts2105]

What kind of maniac doesn't do an oil change??

[@nickhildabridle1612]

The same one that cheaps out on the proper repair.

[@TheBadMadMan786]

It's not that, the customer was likely thinking "the miles are low, I gots a long way to go" with his oil, unknowing to him that start stop driving is the WORST for your engine. So without an oil sample test, you'd be guessing when to change the oil. I would say every 6 months is OK, BUT as a business, they need to balance need with expense. Hence why the oil sample test.

[@SVSky]

An unqualified fleet manager.

[@pri0r_t0_a_weekago...fukwi48]

Sone people don’t even kno, lol I see it all the time

[@fidelcatsro6948]

Garfield

[@jbauern57]

Whats the red light on the dashboard?

[@richardfulmer5279]

You might feel a little shutter at 6000 rpms. Most of us don't run it that way.

[@volk1485]

👍

[@kevinbarry71]

The customer can take solace in all the money he saved by not doing oil changes

[@Jayzilla-jr4fr]

The owner is at home watching this video thinking "I'm an idiot."

[@vica153]

Grumpy cat!

[@fidelcatsro6948]

meow meow

[@harrycee656]

So many people are wealthier than me. Throwing money away by not caring for their $30-50k cars.

[@slowride55]

What ever came of the 6.7 with the difficult customer?

[@songweaver6076]

$50 oil change??? nawwww 8k engine swap??? YES PLEASE!

[@haralamc]

These repeats?

[@brownwrench]

What oil change?