Bought my son his first car: 2006 G35X sedan. Questions...

[hardcore302]

Bought my son his first car. 2006 G35X sedan. 170K. Got it for 1800 from a good friend. It's in great shape. Which oil and filter would you suggest? Plugs? Anything else I should change out at this point? (definately gonna do air and cabin filters) Thanks!

 

[SC Maintenance]

Cool. Last year of that series. Very nice.

Fill and spill on the RE5R05.

Coolant drain and fill. Flush if it looks funky.

Suck the fluid out of the PS and refill. You can crack a bolt on the hose if your brave but honestly half new is probably fine.

Plugs if there due.

Nissan liked to use plastic T's and such on the coolant hoses. I don't know that series very well but if there are some I would replace those personally.

 

[Urshurak776]

@SC Maintenance covered it, but I would add a good underside check and brake check (since you're in a salt belt area.)

Does your friend have a maintenance log, recipts, etc. for the maintenance that was performed and when?

 

[SC Maintenance]

I forgot the diff(s) fluid. I am unsure what it has for a T-case if its AWD. That would likely need service as well.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Great car! You stole it...

 

[addyguy]

Oil: M1 0W-40. Nissan 3.5’s can be hard on oil and seem to produce better UOA’s on 40-weights.

 

[GR_CoB]

That's a great friend! I just got this 2008 Infiniti EX35, which is a mechanical twin of the G35X you got, just with a hatch for more cargo. I got for $3200, 150k miles. So yea - great $-score on yours!!!

Drain & Fill the automatic transmission, I do my cars every 20k miles.
Coolant notes above are great. Be aware of the "secret" coolant bleed valve. Without it you'll be air bleeding for days without success, just VQ things.
VQ engines are happiest on 40-grade oils. Lower grades shear extremely quickly in these engines, unless replaced every 3000 miles at most. M1 0W-40 is hard to go wrong with. I personally use M1 Delvac 5W-40 for both the VQ35 and VK56 in the stable. Keeps the timing chains and guides happy.
Hope your son enjoys the new-to-him ride! This thing can really move, very capable and can get drivers in trouble quick.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Oil: any 5w30 or 0w30. Rotella T6 seems to be popular in the Nissan community, but you don't have to use that. It's available in 5w30 and 5w40
Oil Filter: Any Fram 7317 (OE size is 6607, but it's easy to upgrade to teh 7317)
Air filter: Walmart brand ST or Denso or Fram Ultra or Autozone's STP Premium red filter
Cabin filter: Wix XP or Purolator Boss (or any other cabin filter with charcoal in it)
Spark plugs: Denso Iridium TT or Iridium LL or NGK Ruthenium
Coolant: Zerex Asian Blue
ATF: Maxlife or any other modern synthetic LV ATF

 

[The Critic]

Plan on replacing the Rear diff subframe bushing and front compression rod bushings.

 

[pbm]

I agree on the 40W oil from what I've seen of UOAs on that engine.....which is a great engine BTW.

 

[The Critic]

I agree on the 40W oil from what I've seen of UOAs on that engine.....which is a great engine BTW.

Most of them burn a ton of oil anyway.

 

[hardcore302]

@SC Maintenance covered it, but I would add a good underside check and brake check (since you're in a salt belt area.)

Does your friend have a maintenance log, recipts, etc. for the maintenance that was performed and when?

Hes the second owner, and his father owns a mechanics shop, so it was well maintained.

 

[hardcore302]

Thanks for all the replies! Much appreciated!

 

[Hall]

Nissan liked to use plastic T's and such on the coolant hoses. I don't know that series very well but if there are some I would replace those personally.

Pretty sure Nissan has used those stupid plastic couplers (or bleed valves) for many years and yes, definitely replace them proactively. At the age of this G though, I'd bet they've already been replaced.

I forgot the diff(s) fluid. I am unsure what it has for a T-case if its AWD. That would likely need service as well.

I have an '08 and presume it's the same. The transfer case uses the same ATF that the transmission uses. The front and rear differentials use regular 80W-90 gear oil.

Nissan 3.5’s can be hard on oil

Don't think that's accurate.... VQ engines are rock-solid if properly cared for, i.e. not running them out of oil.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Pretty sure Nissan has used those stupid plastic couplers (or bleed valves) for many years and yes, definitely replace them proactively. At the age of this G though, I'd bet they've already been replaced.

I have an '08 and presume it's the same. The transfer case uses the same ATF that the transmission uses. The front and rear differentials use regular 80W-90 gear oil.

Don't think that's accurate.... VQ engines are rock-solid if properly cared for, i.e. not running them out of oil.

There was a high performance variant of the VQ35 that didn't have a rev limiter and low tension piston rings, and it was a known oil user. I don't know which variants got it - but I am pretty sure it was only a couple years and was only in the GX 2 door and the Z cars - for a very short time.

All other VQ's I am aware of are not generally oil burners. Mine sure are not.

 

[Exhaustgases]

ATF: Maxlife or any other modern synthetic LV ATF

Don't all Nissans have a CVT? CVT's do not use dexron.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Don't all Nissans have a CVT? CVT's do not use dexron.

5 speed auto. Likely came with Matic J but check the manual.

You have been listening to the haters here I see.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Don't all Nissans have a CVT? CVT's do not use dexron.

No. The RWD Nissans don't have a CVT, only the FWD cars.

The G35x is RWD-based AWD. Th OP's car has a 5-speed automatic.

 

[Hall]

Don't all Nissans have a CVT?

Wow, that's an awfully blanket statement, not to mention the OP's vehicle is an '06.

There was a high performance variant of the VQ35 that didn't have a rev limiter and low tension piston rings, and it was a known oil user.

That's probably the RevUp. If so, that stupid engine has given Nissan/Infiniti and the VQ range an unfairly poor reputation, considering a) it was only offered for less than 2 years and b) was only in manual transmission models. Because of these though, so many people ignorantly repeat (not you) the "I heard...." stories about burning or leaking oil. My VQ35HR doesn't burn/leak any at all.

 

[GSCJR]

Plan on replacing the Rear diff subframe

+1, some rot in the rust belt.