Infiniti G35 Care and Maintenance

kd6aw1kd6aw1 Member Posts: 116
edited August 2014 in INFINITI
We changed to mobil 1 5W30 at 1,000 miles on the car. It seemed to run smoother right away. Have used it in every vehicle for years and have had wonderful luck. Will change every 3,750 miles and I am sure that it will be well worth the slight extra cost as it has been in the past. After all this is our baby and nothing is too good for her. No I don't work for Mobil.

Paul and Joan
El Cajon, California
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Comments

  • mdurenmduren Member Posts: 5
    I plan to move at 1,000 miles as well. Did you change the filter at that point or just the oil?
  • kd6aw1kd6aw1 Member Posts: 116
    Had the filter and oil changed at the same time by Infiniti in San Diego. Bought the Mobil 1 5W30 at Walmart in a five quart container for $18.08.

    Paul
  • louish1louish1 Member Posts: 2
    I would like to replace the small oil filter with the largest spin on filter that matches the base of the original filter. Does anyone know if this is possible and is there a recommended substitute? It seems a shame to use Mobil 1 oil with a tiny filter.
  • faenorfaenor Member Posts: 99
    Are there any drawbacks to synthetic oils at all besides the higher price? (which is not really an issue for me if it is better for the engine)

    I don't have that much data on synthetics, but I do remember vaguely hearing that it did have certain drawbacks (I might be mistaken) If it is the general concensus and historical data shows it is better in all cases and better protection, then I will definitely go that route...

    I plan on keeping this car for a LONG time :)

    Faenor
  • kd6aw1kd6aw1 Member Posts: 116
    All pluses and no negatives, all jet engines use synthetics, if you wish to keep your car for a long time you should use Mobil 1 which unlike some of the others is 100% synthetic. Wouldn't use anything else in my car.

    Paul
  • faenorfaenor Member Posts: 99
    I guess the negatives I heard in the past must all have had to do with price or something, or perhaps avoiding lesser synthetic brands that were'nt as you say, 100% synth...

    Thanks again! I think I will do a little manual labor and put the Mobil 1 in myself after I get it back from the dealer where its getting its first scheduled maintenance/oil change/and eliminating a squeak in the rear deck...

    It sometimes baffles me how people can spend 10's of thousands of dollars on a car and then say "Look at that! that better oil is 1 dollar a quart more than the other brand! I'm getting the cheaper one!" *laughing*

    Thanks again!

    David
  • ggbogoggbogo Member Posts: 9
    I also prefer to change oil myself (this way you know what's going in). How are you doing re. warranty. Manual clearly indicate about maintenance and warranty. Are you keeping receipts for filter and oil? But that's does not really indicate time interval or oil was changed on this car. Just looking for yours suggestions.
    Thanks. Enjoy the ride!
  • faenorfaenor Member Posts: 99
    As for me, I plan on keeping all receipts and records for every single thing done on the car... It costs about 50 dollars to have Infiniti change the oil and since:

    1. its right on my way to work
    2. they are REALLY pleasant to deal with
    3. I get to drive another car around for a while :)

    I will just let Infiniti do the oil and all the maintenance... I believe they place entries into your maint log book too when they do anything, and if there was some warranty dispute somewhere down the line, I think it would be tremendous ammunition on your side if they had done everything on schedule and all the work was done there by Infiniti mechanics.

    This isn't to say that there aren't better mechanics to be had elsewhere, or that doing the job yourself would get the job done better, but it just might make them balk less if, heaven forbid, there was something really major (expensive) that had to be done to a warrantied car...

    Faenor
  • racerxxx1racerxxx1 Member Posts: 4
    To ALL INFINITI owners,

    I've owned 3 infiniti's, and my maintenance person actually recommends I do the simple stuff to save cash. I save all oil/filter receipts, and date them. Log my book, and always call her after I perform any scheduled maintenance. If I do a 15/30/45K mile service at a more economical service dept, I just fax her my receipt and she makes the computer entry for warranty purposes. I've never had a problem!

    Recommend if you enjoy saving more then a few bucks with simple maintenance...go for it, and talk w/ your service dept rep. Take care and enjoy your new G35! :-)
  • faenorfaenor Member Posts: 99
    As for me, I plan on keeping all receipts and records for every single thing done on the car... It costs about 50 dollars to have Infiniti change the oil and since:

    1. its right on my way to work
    2. they are REALLY pleasant to deal with
    3. I get to drive another car around for a while :)

    I will just let Infiniti do the oil and all the maintenance... I believe they place entries into your maint log book too when they do anything, and if there was some warranty dispute somewhere down the line, I think it would be tremendous ammunition on your side if they had done everything on schedule and all the work was done there by Infiniti mechanics.

    This isn't to say that there aren't better mechanics to be had elsewhere, or that doing the job yourself would get the job done better, but it just might make them balk less if, heaven forbid, there was something really major (expensive) that had to be done to a warrantied car...

    Faenor
  • dmmattixdmmattix Member Posts: 77
    Someone posted that they just fax the receipts to their service advisor and they enter the service into the computer so you are up to date with Infiniti. Otherwise they keep hounding you with letters about maintenance that is overdue. Plus it saves them the postage.

    I am going to check with my advisor about them doing the service with me providing the oil. I am getting lazy in my advancing years plus having to keep the old oil and then taking to recycle it. It is getting to be a pain.

    Mike
  • stsurbrookstsurbrook Member Posts: 285
    In another forum here in the Town Hall, I posted this link, but thought everyone might be interested in it:


    http://www.bobistheoilguy.com


    He has a lot of good information. Even some VERY interesting links with information about Mobil 1 (it actually ISN'T 100% synthetic as you or I would classify it).


    I sent him an e-mail tonight with some Infiniti-specific questions and I'm waiting for a reply.


    Scott


    Scott

  • bobistheoilguybobistheoilguy Member Posts: 270
    but i will check back here and see if i can help explain anything about oil that you may have a question on.


    bob


    ps, I have added a new page that I believe is very important about oil that most people are not aware of and encourage you to look at it. There is also some short video clips (IE browsers only) that helps explain some of the points explained.

    http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/oilshear.htm

  • stsurbrookstsurbrook Member Posts: 285
    I have read the oil shear page. I just checked my wife's e-mail and saw your reply. I will digest it and reply.

    Thanks for the quick response!

    Scott
  • purwinpurwin Member Posts: 18
    Has anybody changed there own oil yet? If so, how did you get to the oil filter?
  • purwinpurwin Member Posts: 18
    The owners manual recommends two different oil filters. A 15208 65F00 and a 15208 31U00. Does anyone know the differences?
  • gregj777gregj777 Member Posts: 67
    QUOTE:(from #9 above)"I believe they place entries into your maint log book too when they do anything..."

    It will probably vary from dealer to dealer, but my sales agent told me that their service department would not pull your log book out of the glove box and stamp it, that if you wanted to have that done you had to present it to them at the time you dropped off the vehicle. That's also the way my Volkswagen dealer was. I'm going to have them do it, better to have as many records as possible like faenor says.
  • dmmattixdmmattix Member Posts: 77
    they also put the entry in the Infiniti computer and therefore it is available even if you get you log book stolen/lost/etc. I can call my service department up and they can pull up when I was last in, for what, and therefore determine when I need to come in again. That is the reason you get the letters in the mail reminding you that you probably should be bringing your car in for service.

    One guy posted he just faxes his receipts to his service rep when he does his own oil change and the rep enters it into the computer so he won't get the mail reminders.
  • jvalentyjvalenty Member Posts: 41
    Anybody experiment with different octane ratings? I broke one of my two cardinal rules: Never buy a car that uses other than regular gas or gets less than 20 mpg. I am particularly interested to know if anyone has successfully tried mid grade octane in their G35. In San Diego, we get gouged for gas @ 1.55 for reg, 1.65 for mid and 1.75 for prem.
  • sjredsjred Member Posts: 18
    jvalenty - Yes, I have been testing mid-grade for the last couple of tanks (2500 total miles now) without any noticeable affects. I know some people swear by the highest octane available, but I drive 25k miles annually (mostly freeway here in Orange County, CA) and my 220k total miles in my 2 previous Maximas ('95 & '98) were all on regular unleaded without any adverse effects.

    Off course the 3.5L VQ in the G35 is much higher performance than the 3.0 VQ motors (which also recommended premium fuel) of the Maximas, so I'll switch back to premium at the first sign of pinging.

    Stacey
  • jvalentyjvalenty Member Posts: 41
    Thanks for the response. I'm not a pedal pusher. I typically milk my mileage and always use cruise control. I was beginning to think I was the only one interested in MPG or Octane. What kind of mileage are you getting?
  • cpranger22cpranger22 Member Posts: 21
    I too am interrested in fuel economy mostly because I don't like going to the gas station every 300 miles. I'm hoping fuel economy will improve once the engine is broken in and I get tired of showing off. ------
    I was told you shouldn't have a problem going to a lower octane as long as the G35 doesn't have a knocking sensor. Anybody know if the G35 has one?
  • clothcloth Member Posts: 52
    Most new cars have a knock sensor, G35 included, that will retard the timing if knocking is detected. So using a low octane gas is fine, but the trade off will be less performance, and lower gas mileage.
  • sjredsjred Member Posts: 18
    I've been averaging 20-21 mpg so far, with my wife driving easy and myself driving harder and making shorter trips (any excuse to take it out will do). The same driving in my 2 Maximas averaged 24 mpg over 220,000 miles. Nothing to brag about, but the engine is still young and the extra performance is worth the extra cost!

    Stacey
  • racingmaniacracingmaniac Member Posts: 11
    Being big powerful discs all 4 corners, the wheels tend to get dirty pretty quickly. Any effective wheel care product or brake dust repelling agent that anyone care to recommand?
  • gregj777gregj777 Member Posts: 67
    I have used the Porsche stuff and I just bought some Sonus. The ads say just spray it on blah blah blah and spray it off, all's done. No way. If you want to pay $7-$15 for something to make cleaning the wheels a LITTLE easier (it does loosen the stuff up some but you still have to get down and dirty) then go for it. Otherwise it's like throwing money out the window. Stick with muscle and sweat. Working hard to keep it clean is half the fun!
  • pcoatespcoates Member Posts: 15
    Like many of my fellow G35 owners I got tired of lacerating my fingers on the brake system clip.
    To save my hide I hot glued a couple of 3x5 kitchen sponges to the end of a paint stir stick. It works pretty good at getting the brake dust and road crud off the inside of the wheel when used with a "reasonably" priced wheel cleaner and doesn't damage the wheel.
  • zbest855zbest855 Member Posts: 13
    The lower trim under the doors is some sort of plastic.
    What kind of product would be good to put on there so wax doesn't
    turn it white over time?
  • hatemy300mhatemy300m Member Posts: 7
    Got a new G on order - Wondering how easy it is to change oil yourself on this car - Always have done it myself but with some of these new cars it is like trying to thread a needle with a truck
  • stsurbrookstsurbrook Member Posts: 285
    There was a recent post on the main G35 board in which someone commented that, after removing the "G35" cover under the hood, the oil filter was right there.

    However, I don't know about the oil drain. It might be under the car or be like a M-B and use a pump through the dip stick tube??

    Scott
  • cpranger22cpranger22 Member Posts: 21
    Just tried regular unleaded gas and experienced no performance degradation whatsoever.
  • dabush2dabush2 Member Posts: 9
    I am considering a G35 and was curious as to the maintenance schedule for this car-what is recommended, how often, how much, etc. Currently have a BMW which goes in about every 6 months (10-12K miles) based on my driving style (the computer tells you when it's time for service).

    Thanks.
  • cpranger22cpranger22 Member Posts: 21
    Here it is:
    http://photos.yahoo.com/cpranger22
  • steve_g35steve_g35 Member Posts: 5
    Once you remove the plastic cover, you can't miss it. It's basically adjacent to the oil filter. In fact, there is a cut out in the plastic cover that allows you to drain your oil without removing the cover. Why someone would want to change the oil, but not the filter is a mystery to me.
  • stsurbrookstsurbrook Member Posts: 285
    Then you need a pump attachment to get the oil out, correct?

    I agree that changing the oil without changing the filter doesn't make much sense, especially with the price of good filters today.

    Is anyone using the 7500 mile schedule for their oil changes? I'm going to get an oil analysis on my next oil change to see how well the Schaefer oil I'm using is holding up and see how far I SHOULD let it go.

    Scott
  • dabush2dabush2 Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the printout, Randy. Looks pretty cut and dry to me. I suppose that I can extend the oil change intervals since I'll be using Mobil-1 synthetic. Does K&N make an air filter for the G yet? I use one in my 540i and I feel they are worth the money.
  • brianlbaileybrianlbailey Member Posts: 22
    I've got just over 1200 miles on my G35. My earlier fill ups revealed that I was barely getting 19 mpg. This is with heavy AC use and mostly non-highway driving. So that is at the bottom of what they advertise (this was
    with premium fuel).

    I recently took a long trip and drove at excessive speeds with the AC in constant use and got 22 mpg (this was with regular unleaded 87).

    In reference to what octane should be used.....
    When in doubt, check the owner's manual:
    Page 208 -
    CAPACITIES AND RECOMMENDED FUEL/LUBRICANTS
    Unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91 AKI (RON 96)
    Page 208

    HOWEVER on Page 209 -
    FUEL RECOMMENDATION
    Use unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of at lease 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index) number (Research octane number 96).

    For improved vehicle performance, INFINITI recommends the use of unleaded premium gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91 AKI number (Research octane number 96).

    So it sounds to me that if you want all that the engine has to offer, go with 93. However, using 87 would be o/k (as long as you do not experience knocking, which I have not).
  • brianlbaileybrianlbailey Member Posts: 22
    I fall into the group that likes to change my own oil. By the time you get to a dealership and have them do it, it is quicker to change it yourself.

    The G35 sits so low to the ground, I'm wondering how this group is able to change their own oil? Car jack / stands / ramps?

    Does anyone have any lessons learned from this do it yourself activity? Perhaps it is better to let the dealer do this maintenance with the G35..

    Thanks for any information.
    blb
  • 4grandpa4grandpa Member Posts: 7
    I use ramps. But, I also had to get ramp extenders because of the car being so low. This allows very good access to the panel that is over the oil drain plug and the filter. Remove the panel the rest should be a piece of cake. The fliter is the same as for the Maxima.
  • brianlbaileybrianlbailey Member Posts: 22
    4grandpa (or anyone else) -
    Per message #39 / 40.
    I took a look (online) at the ramps with the extentions. This fit seems very tight. What is company / model of what is successfully being used?

    Also, is there a problem with all the oil draining out, since the of the car is higher than the rear?

    Thanks.
  • 4grandpa4grandpa Member Posts: 7
    Ultra ramps and extenions made by Tru-cut Automotive. Purchased mine at Ames about $50 for both. Just used them last night and they work fine. The 14 bolts on the shield are a pain but once the shield is removed plug and filter are easily reached. Yes the oil drains very well. For first time users have someone watch positioning and be sure not to run off the end of the ramps.
  • heelshouseheelshouse Member Posts: 1
    Brian,
    I got the opposite that you got. I started off by using Mid-octane gas and my milage was lower and my G35 had a short lag before kicking off (not much...but enough for me to tell the difference. my wife didn't notice a thing). However, I started using the Premium and my mpg went up and there was the absolute smooth take-off. This wasn't imagined since I was really looking for any reason to continue with the mid-level octane since it's better on my wallet.
  • hotwhackshotwhacks Member Posts: 1
    The grey plastic is painted and thus SHOULD be waxed. Your instincts were good but your concern only applies to unpainted rubber and vinyl. I used Klasse All-In-One on the trim and it looks great but any wax will do.
  • obladidaobladida Member Posts: 3
    Anyone know anything about the FuelMax products?

    http://www.increasemileage.com/fuelmax_how_it_works.html

    It sounds questionable to me but I'm curious if anyone's heard of it (or better yet, tried it) and if it works.

    The G35 is my dream car. After I pay off my wife's Accord early next year I hope to get myself one. However, the whole 19MPG/Premium Fuel thing is a major thorn in my eco-conscious side.

    On a side note: Has anyone considered getting your engine computer/timing recalibrated to run on regular fuel? I know it's sounds moronic to cripple such a wonderful piece of engineering, but hey, $ is $.

    Any fuel saving info is appreciated. Thanks!
  • clothcloth Member Posts: 52
    The problem is not the car, its the owners. If I concentrate on miles per gallon, I get 25-27. If I concentrate on smiles per mile I get 16-18mpg.
  • brianlbaileybrianlbailey Member Posts: 22
    I'm at 4000 miles now and have only run two tanks of premium and two tanks of mid grade through the engine. The rest has been 87 octane. The car still runs fine. However, I can agree with the above comment on slight performance degradation.

    The car still performs well on 87, but if you want all the engine has to offer, pay the extra cash for the good stuff.
  • brianlbaileybrianlbailey Member Posts: 22
    I just got my first, small chip on the hood. Courtesy of an 18 wheeler and what looked like bark.

    Beyond the preventative measures, what is the process to fix / cover the chip and what has been learned? (i.e. types of paint, steps involved, blending, is it noticeable)

    Any information is appreciated, my other cars have been older and I never worried about chips and dings.
  • neptungrllneptungrll Member Posts: 48
    I also have a small chip (pinhead size) I need to repair. The dealer is sending me touch up paint in the Twilight Blue.

    What wax are people using? I want the best for this rocket, and it looks soooooooo good all clean and polished. So far the dealer has done it but I want to wax it a home.

    Thanks!
  • willjamwilljam Member Posts: 22
    I using Mother's California Gold paste wax. It applies easily and buffs to a terrific shine. I use a polishing cloth to remove the wax and cheesecloth finish off the job. Both cloths are made by Turtle Wax.
  • ggbogoggbogo Member Posts: 9
    All the great info. about car detailing you can get at:

    http://autopia.ws/forums/index.php

    (use to be www.autopia-carport.com - still can use this URL)

    This is everything you need to know about car detailing (waxing, washing, etc...)
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