I've read some previous posts but I was curious to see what kind of oil and OCI people were running on their G35s. (I understand that a lot of people favor the "thicker" oils on this engine). I thought it would nice to have just one post with a compilation of what people were using. I recently changed over from M1 5W30 w/PureOne at 6K OCI to SuperTech Syn 5W30 w/ST filter. This is the first time running ST on this car but I'm thinkin 4.5 (due to "spirited driving" and getting over the fact that I have a WM oil in the car) which seems to be favorable based on feedbacks I recieved from a previous post. Maybe after a few OCIs, I'll extend the OCIs on the ST if things look good. However, I'm itching to put some GC in the VQ based on all the hoorah on this site. I'll probably do so in the spring after I use up some of the 6 5-quarts jugs of the ST I have sittin around.
Infiniti G35 Owners
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NMD:
If you haven't yet, I'd recommend spending some time over in the UOA section, and running several of your own to see which works best under circumstances. Unlike, for example, Toyota's 2UZ V8, the VQ35 seems very responsive to variations in attention, good and bad. On one hand, check out my results on GC (count me as one of the ravers), which were great. Contrast that with the guy who went with M1 too early (for this engine). You need to see how your engine is doing.
Anyway, the routine I was using was 7500 miles on GC with a K&N "tall" filter (that standard "thimble" filter is probably fine, I just couldn't get used to it...). Don't be afraid of the K&N oil filter, as some are. Check out my last particle counts. I had planned to extend to 10k miles as my wty was about up, but since I don't own the car any more, I never got that far.
If you haven't yet, I'd recommend spending some time over in the UOA section, and running several of your own to see which works best under circumstances. Unlike, for example, Toyota's 2UZ V8, the VQ35 seems very responsive to variations in attention, good and bad. On one hand, check out my results on GC (count me as one of the ravers), which were great. Contrast that with the guy who went with M1 too early (for this engine). You need to see how your engine is doing.
Anyway, the routine I was using was 7500 miles on GC with a K&N "tall" filter (that standard "thimble" filter is probably fine, I just couldn't get used to it...). Don't be afraid of the K&N oil filter, as some are. Check out my last particle counts. I had planned to extend to 10k miles as my wty was about up, but since I don't own the car any more, I never got that far.
If that was my ride I would only use Mobil 1 or GC. Just because that's a 40K car and why put Supertech in it?
UOA's or not I wouldn't experiement with it.
and believe me, I wish it was my ride. I settled on a less expensive ride, a Volvo S60 which doesn't have nearly the power you have.
Next car is the G35 for sure.
UOA's or not I wouldn't experiement with it.
and believe me, I wish it was my ride. I settled on a less expensive ride, a Volvo S60 which doesn't have nearly the power you have.
Next car is the G35 for sure.
ekpolk, I did look over the UOAs along with posts from other Inifiniti forums and it seems most people run M1 for roughly 5K. This post was just an attempt to have a comprehensive list for this specific car on what people were using but from the responses (or lack there of) I don't think this is the place for it
BTW, what's a little fuzzy to me is...can I run GC 0w30 in the winter? It seems like people wait til the summer to use it...maybe because it runs more like a 40 weight at operating temp so it's not favorable, although it has a good enough rating for cold starts? Another question, can I use a syn 10W30 all year long in MD? I'm very new to the "world of motor oils" so your patience and any input is much appreciated.
fred0803, I know that M1 is a much better oil but I don't like leaving motor oil in for more than 6K in my car because I'm a tad OCD, so when I factor in the costs, etc... it's about the same cost to change three times with ST then twice with M1. I'd rather go the more frequent route than quality extended route because I DO like crawling underneath the car and changing the engine oil.
Yeah, the G35 is great handling car but think twice about getting the 19s...the tires are ridicouly expensive and on top of that you will need a winter set for the winter. This was all new to me, I've never owned a RWD nor summer tires before. I bought an 05 earlier in January of 06, 1K under dealer invoice...35K for a sticker of 39.4K. Always use the internet manager, they're all numbers, none of the salesmen hassle and nonsense. The S60 is a slick car and I really like the design but I wanted a coupe since I'm single and probably for a while don't have a wife breathing down my neck to trade it in for a Sienna.
BTW, what's a little fuzzy to me is...can I run GC 0w30 in the winter? It seems like people wait til the summer to use it...maybe because it runs more like a 40 weight at operating temp so it's not favorable, although it has a good enough rating for cold starts? Another question, can I use a syn 10W30 all year long in MD? I'm very new to the "world of motor oils" so your patience and any input is much appreciated.
fred0803, I know that M1 is a much better oil but I don't like leaving motor oil in for more than 6K in my car because I'm a tad OCD, so when I factor in the costs, etc... it's about the same cost to change three times with ST then twice with M1. I'd rather go the more frequent route than quality extended route because I DO like crawling underneath the car and changing the engine oil.
Yeah, the G35 is great handling car but think twice about getting the 19s...the tires are ridicouly expensive and on top of that you will need a winter set for the winter. This was all new to me, I've never owned a RWD nor summer tires before. I bought an 05 earlier in January of 06, 1K under dealer invoice...35K for a sticker of 39.4K. Always use the internet manager, they're all numbers, none of the salesmen hassle and nonsense. The S60 is a slick car and I really like the design but I wanted a coupe since I'm single and probably for a while don't have a wife breathing down my neck to trade it in for a Sienna.
NMD:
Part of the superiority of the GC is its wide range versatility. Member/mod Patman uses the stuff up in Canada, in a 'vette, year round with no issues. The "0w" part of the rating isn't window dressing. I, of course, live on the Gulf Coast, so I hardly give the 0w part of it a thought.
I also wouldn't sweat using a 10w-30 year round, but I don't think it's the optimal approach, at least not when compared with other choices, especially if you've got GC readily at hand.
As to the OCD thin, I'm right there with you! I started using M1 myself in the early-mid 80s, and didn't really get smart about it until I joined here 2.5 years ago. I had gone gradually from 3/3 to 5/6, and was mortified once when I let an OCI run out to 7k. IMO, the cure for OCD = UOA. Try a couple of them yourself, they're fun, and helpful with the VQ, as it can come in all over the map, and I think it's good to know where yours is and tune from there. And no, I'm not a shill, but I'd consider consulting with Terry Dyson. His interpretation is worth its weight in gold (look where his advice took my VQ!) and adds just a little to the cost of the UOA itself.
Let us know if we can give you any further help.
Part of the superiority of the GC is its wide range versatility. Member/mod Patman uses the stuff up in Canada, in a 'vette, year round with no issues. The "0w" part of the rating isn't window dressing. I, of course, live on the Gulf Coast, so I hardly give the 0w part of it a thought.
I also wouldn't sweat using a 10w-30 year round, but I don't think it's the optimal approach, at least not when compared with other choices, especially if you've got GC readily at hand.
As to the OCD thin, I'm right there with you! I started using M1 myself in the early-mid 80s, and didn't really get smart about it until I joined here 2.5 years ago. I had gone gradually from 3/3 to 5/6, and was mortified once when I let an OCI run out to 7k. IMO, the cure for OCD = UOA. Try a couple of them yourself, they're fun, and helpful with the VQ, as it can come in all over the map, and I think it's good to know where yours is and tune from there. And no, I'm not a shill, but I'd consider consulting with Terry Dyson. His interpretation is worth its weight in gold (look where his advice took my VQ!) and adds just a little to the cost of the UOA itself.
Let us know if we can give you any further help.
Hi all... As a relatively recent 04" G35 owner I have some questions. Is there a trick to getting the belly-pan off to do the oil/filter change?? It has a slew of bolts that looked way too much to do everytime on and off. I just took off the 4 or so around the drain plug and filter and held it out of the way. It was a bit awkward but it worked--there must be a better way?? And the filter, daaaaaaaa*n, the filter on my Kubuta lawn tractor is bigger. What is with that??? I used a M1 extended performance. I know there are some oversized options but I didn't want to get fancy with some warranty left. Any recommendations here? I was surprised, but the Nissan filter looked very will made. The oil looked pretty clean on the dip-stick and as it came out of the pan, but I didn't know what it was so I started out with a blend (MC 5w-30), silly I guess, but I think I will move to the full syn next change. I'm considering GC 0w-30, M1 0w-30, M1 EP 5/30, PP 5/30. What would you suggest? Thanks
Old:
They don't call the standard filter "the thimble" for nothing. Just use an M1-110 instead of the 108 (thimble sized one). It's got the same base, just half again taller. For some odd reason, the taller size was spec-ed on the I-35 (now defunct Maxima clone) until it went away (04 I think). I used this size for two years, no problems at all (see my near-perfect UOAs, posted). Note also that both the Nissan filters, tall and small, have now regressed (perhaps a loaded verb...) to Fram-style paper end cap construction. Your choice as to whether that's OK or not.
Fred:
I use it year 'round as well, except of course, I live on the hot Gulf Coast. Works great here too. V-6 Camry, Sequoia, G35, all work great on the stuff. Soon, I'll start trials on the new Prius, though I'll be looking to see if the 12-plus cSt thickness significantly impacts upon a machine designed to maximize fuel economy. We'll see.
They don't call the standard filter "the thimble" for nothing. Just use an M1-110 instead of the 108 (thimble sized one). It's got the same base, just half again taller. For some odd reason, the taller size was spec-ed on the I-35 (now defunct Maxima clone) until it went away (04 I think). I used this size for two years, no problems at all (see my near-perfect UOAs, posted). Note also that both the Nissan filters, tall and small, have now regressed (perhaps a loaded verb...) to Fram-style paper end cap construction. Your choice as to whether that's OK or not.
Fred:
I use it year 'round as well, except of course, I live on the hot Gulf Coast. Works great here too. V-6 Camry, Sequoia, G35, all work great on the stuff. Soon, I'll start trials on the new Prius, though I'll be looking to see if the 12-plus cSt thickness significantly impacts upon a machine designed to maximize fuel economy. We'll see.
OldSchool, changing the oil is a little more annoying on the G because you have take off that plastic cover on the bottom. At least on mine ('05cpe) I take off all the bolts including that plastic one in the center so I can flap it to the front of the car. Just use an electric drill, makes it ten times faster.
For the filter I don't use the oem size but ST7317 or PL14610. I think for top notch filters, M1 is up there with PL.
3K dumped factory fill and put in Castrol Blend
7.2 put in M1 5w-30 with PL14610
12.4 put in ST Syn 5W-30 with ST7317
I think it's expected that you burn some oil when changing to syn from dino. When I dumped the M1 after ~5K, it burned 0.8 quarts. I'm gonna take out the ST at 4K and hope that there is less burn off. All the oils you listed are fine products that will work well with PP being the best value, if money is a factor. The GC is one of the favorites for the G as you've probably read on this forum and I'll probably be putting it in the next oil change as it seems to be the panacea for the VQ engines...
For the filter I don't use the oem size but ST7317 or PL14610. I think for top notch filters, M1 is up there with PL.
3K dumped factory fill and put in Castrol Blend
7.2 put in M1 5w-30 with PL14610
12.4 put in ST Syn 5W-30 with ST7317
I think it's expected that you burn some oil when changing to syn from dino. When I dumped the M1 after ~5K, it burned 0.8 quarts. I'm gonna take out the ST at 4K and hope that there is less burn off. All the oils you listed are fine products that will work well with PP being the best value, if money is a factor. The GC is one of the favorites for the G as you've probably read on this forum and I'll probably be putting it in the next oil change as it seems to be the panacea for the VQ engines...
Oh there is more reading at freshalloy.com but I woudn't post this as they'll burn you at the stake for not searching...
NMD:
This will probably surprise you (it did me), but I got outstanding UOA with ultralow particle counts using the "tall" sized K&N filter. I know they have a rep as sacrificing fine filtration for flow, but my G35 UOA simply didn't bear this out. If you don't mind paying a tad over $10 for a filter, this is another that's worthy of consideration.
I gave up on freshalloy early in my G35 experience for that, and other similar reasons. Uptight.
This will probably surprise you (it did me), but I got outstanding UOA with ultralow particle counts using the "tall" sized K&N filter. I know they have a rep as sacrificing fine filtration for flow, but my G35 UOA simply didn't bear this out. If you don't mind paying a tad over $10 for a filter, this is another that's worthy of consideration.
I gave up on freshalloy early in my G35 experience for that, and other similar reasons. Uptight.
ekpolk, I looked at the UOA, very good results. I'll check out the KN filters when the times comes to switch over. Man, I hate waiting around for the next oil change but I guess there's no good reason for dumping good oil, especially when it's not detrimental to the engine.
Thanks for the input.... ekpolk, what is the K&N number or the "tall" filter you speak of??
NissanMD, I'm on the betway-695 up to exit 12 and 97 everyday maybe I'll see ya round. Im in a silver G35 with brembo's and rear spoiler. I always wear a baseball cap. In the AM you will know me by the annoyed look on my face as I go to work. In the evening you note the relieved smile on my face as I get the H out of there. However I don,t drive that car everyday--but thanks for the insights.
NissanMD, I'm on the betway-695 up to exit 12 and 97 everyday maybe I'll see ya round. Im in a silver G35 with brembo's and rear spoiler. I always wear a baseball cap. In the AM you will know me by the annoyed look on my face as I go to work. In the evening you note the relieved smile on my face as I get the H out of there. However I don,t drive that car everyday--but thanks for the insights.
ill probably get flamed for this. and i did try a search. but i was wondering...why does the manual say 10w40 is ok to use, but not 5w40? and for that matter, why not 0w30 or 0w40? i understand it would be ok to run those grades but why doesn't the g35/nissan manual specify them?
oldschool..i believe the k&n number on the "tall" filter is 1010 as i asked this same question to elkpolk. if you need the nissan "taller" filter...the part # ends in 9e000.
oldschool..i believe the k&n number on the "tall" filter is 1010 as i asked this same question to elkpolk. if you need the nissan "taller" filter...the part # ends in 9e000.
My guess...most (all?) 5W-40, 0W-30 & 0W-40 is synthetic oil, while 10W-40 is available in "conventional" oil. Nissan/Infiniti probably doesn't want to make a specific recommendation toward using a synthetic oil, especially given that they seem to "prefer" the use of conventional oil in their engines.
The filter you seek is the K&N Model HP-1010, which is also same-sized as the Mobil-1 M1-110. Both are Champ Labs products, differing only in filter element, paint job, ADBV material, and of course, the K&N has the famous nut on top.
EDIT: Brian, ooops, I didn't notice that you'd already responded.
If you want your oil changes to be a tad easier, get an amsoil filter for the G. It's specified for 1 yr or 25k miles.. so you'll only have to remove that cover once
If you stick with the stock tiny filter, you can remove and install it without having to remove the engine undercover... I believe that's the reason why they made the filter so small.. so maintenance wouldn't take as long. Do more reading on g35driver.com for info
Thanks for the additional comments. Bay, Have you actually removed and installed the filter without taking the belly-pan off?? I can't see how it is even possible to get your hand on it much less any kind of filter wrench. Also, the mess from the draining oil would be prohibitive even if there were substantial openings in the belly-pan below the filter and sump. I could be mistaken though because I haven't looked recently but when I did the change I remember assessing such possibilities as I did not want to remove all those bolts.
Also, I wanted to mention that I started out with MC semisyn 5/30 because as someone mentioned above Nissan does not "push" using syn oil, in fact they say specifically in the manual that they prefer mineral oil. I don't understand this! Subaru is the same. They say you "can" use syn oil but it must meet their specs, and this is with a turbo--I don't get it. Anyone have any info on the reasoning behind this reluctance?? Thanks
Also, I wanted to mention that I started out with MC semisyn 5/30 because as someone mentioned above Nissan does not "push" using syn oil, in fact they say specifically in the manual that they prefer mineral oil. I don't understand this! Subaru is the same. They say you "can" use syn oil but it must meet their specs, and this is with a turbo--I don't get it. Anyone have any info on the reasoning behind this reluctance?? Thanks
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