Nissan Repair: turbo engine and oil changes

Question
Hi Calvin,
You gave me some good advice a while back and suggested switching to synthetic oil in my Nissan Juke (it's a little over a year old now and I love it). You also said it's fine to change the oil every 9-12 months in my case, instead of every 6 months like it says in the manual, since I put on so few miles (only 3000 miles in the last six months). But since asking about that, I read somewhere that turbos require oil changes more often because they develop 'sludge' more often than regular engines. Is that true? If it is, do you think it's still ok to change it only every 9-12 months? Sorry to sort of ask the same question again, but because it's a turbo engine, I'm more concerned than if it weren't.   Thanks

Answer
Hi Lee -

Yes, I remember you. I am glad you are liking your vehicle.
The turbo engine causes the air intake and exhaust process to speed up, thereby allowing for higher rpms and power/speed as compared to normal engines. The only difference is the turbo, depending on the driving conditions may cause a little more wear and tear on the engine as the turbocharger demand causes it to work a little harder. However this is something that synthetic oil can handle easily, including sludge build up. Oil has 4 functions in the engine - Lubricant, coolant, cleaner, and sealant. As oil gets used over and over, it loses these properties slowly. Synthetic oil is way superior in the case that it will last more than 2 - 3 times as long as regular oil.

So the answer is you may keep to the schedule I recommend unless you increase the mileage during each interim.

Hope this helps -
aloha
Calvin