2016 Infiniti Q50 RS Transmission Oil Change

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So I was reviewing the owners manual to check what fluids I need for the vehicle as I'm getting closer towards changing out my transmission, differential, and brake fluids, and noticed warnings that I NEED to use the Nissan fluids or the vehicle won't run at optimum capacity. So I guess my question is this. Has anyone run aftermarket oils in Nissan/Infiniti vehicles? Notice and degraded performance?
 
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Why would you want to change out the fluids in a brand new car? Most of these cars come with lifetime fluids and I have seen many a Nissans
go on to 250,000+ miles with original fluids(except motor oil obviously)
 
Yes, why think about it now. Redial back once the vehicle hits 50K by then previous years Q50s would have attempted the change and would provide recommendations!!!
 
Originally Posted By: deven
Why would you want to change out the fluids in a brand new car? Most of these cars come with lifetime fluids and I have seen many a Nissans
go on to 250,000+ miles with original fluids(except motor oil obviously)
Define lifetime?
 
Wear metals and electric shift solenoids? The worst is the cost the best is clean oil. Clean oil happy components.
 
Originally Posted By: deven
Why would you want to change out the fluids in a brand new car? Most of these cars come with lifetime fluids and I have seen many a Nissans
go on to 250,000+ miles with original fluids(except motor oil obviously)


Much the same reason you change engine oil? You don't think there are any wear medals in transmission and differentials? That all needs to go somewhere and it's suspended in the oil. It's crazy to think that the oil won't break down either.

You're also just making assumptions that I drive like everyone else. I'm sure MOST won't even bother to consider swapping out the fluids but like many on here I'm not like most drivers.

Your post also didn't even address a single thing I asked...
 
What type of transmission do you have?? IF and I mean IF your manual states ONLY use Nissan transmission fluid then follow that. If the manual gives the option of "equal to or equivalent" of a Nissan fluid then go ahead and use an aftermarket fluid. Those phrases are the key to whether or not you can venture off range so to speak.
 
It doesn't state that S-Matic is REQUIRED but rather recommended. This usually means it's fine to swap but the whole disclaimer that followed stating the use of other fluids will essentially degrade the life of the transmission is what worries me.
 
I suspect they don't mention Matic J, though, so my concern would be if I were cross referencing a fluid, I'd want something that claims Matic S and that I trust. I'd probably trust the Castrol Import ATF for my G37, but that's assuming it would be at a significantly more attractive price (and/or better availability) than Matic J or S.
 
There is no such thing as lifetime fluid, do not believe that.

My recommendation would be to use the Nissan fluids under warranty and also under their intervals.

After that there are so many great options (Castrol, Mobil 1, Amsoil, Redline) and they will not degrade the performance just make sure to use the right viscosity and if there is any OEM SPEC to be met.

In case of ATF i would use the Nissan fluid even after warranty expires just to be safe and also that is more sensitive than engine oil.
 
Nissan transmissions are generally strong and reliable, I can vouch for that, and it can take any fluid you throw at it.
I don't believe they jumped into the LV bandwagon and still they provide good MPG.

Castrol Import MV ATF was the best sauce better than M1 that my Maxima liked
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
Originally Posted By: deven
Why would you want to change out the fluids in a brand new car? Most of these cars come with lifetime fluids and I have seen many a Nissans
go on to 250,000+ miles with original fluids(except motor oil obviously)
Define lifetime?


lifetime=until warranty expires..
 
First of all, congrats on the new car! The car is a beast!

I run Amsoil Signature Series Multi-Vehicle Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid for all my vehicles that meet the requirement (Honda CRV, Mazda CX5, Mazda 6, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry). Out of all the vehicles, Honda transmission is probably the most "picky" because Honda strictly states in its manual that owners should use ONLY Genuine Honda ATF-Z1 or DW-1 (whichever your vehicle calls for). Honda issued a major recall in 2004 for Honda Accord transmissions due to early and unexpected failure of the transmission. As luck would have it, I own a 2003 Honda Accord with 80k miles that did not fall under the recall. I had the transmission rebuild last month and I used Amsoil ATF along with an in-line transmission filter for peace of mind. I also run Amsoil ATF in my Honda CRV and I can tell you that both the Honda CRV and Honda Accord shifts smoother and engages faster compared to the Honda ATF-Z1.

I cross-referenced your vehicle on the Amsoil website and Amsoil Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid meets the requirement of Nissan Matic-S and Matic-W. Although I've never used Amsoil ATF in an Infiniti or Nissan, I'm sure it'll work just fine.

As far as the rear differential goes, I use Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-90 (GL-5) on my Mazdaspeed Miata. I can't say I noticed much difference after switching from factory diff oil to Amsoil but it gives me a peace of mind that the fluid can be in the differential for at least 50k miles under severe service. Your Q50 rear differential calls for 75W-90 (GL-5) weight.

If it was my car, I would flush out all the fluid and switch to Amsoil. It is a great product (expensive) but gives me a peace of mind!

I hope this helps.

-ttvr4
 
Originally Posted By: r34dy2fly
So I was reviewing the owners manual to check what fluids I need for the vehicle as I'm getting closer towards changing out my transmission, differential, and brake fluids, and noticed warnings that I NEED to use the Nissan fluids or the vehicle won't run at optimum capacity. So I guess my question is this. Has anyone run aftermarket oils in Nissan/Infiniti vehicles? Notice and degraded performance?


There is a group of us on myg37 forum that have done transmission service with aftermarket ATF fluids. For example, I used Amsoil. Someone else used Valvoline. Both are great ATF fluids. Check out this thread. No one has reported any issues. You'll also be able to see from the pics how much metal shavings can be expected.

http://www.myg37.com/forums/d-i-y-instal...drop-clean.html


Let me just mention why I think manufacturers are strict about using right spec fluid. They just don't want people to buy cheapest ATF of unknown brand and unknown quality because it can indeed cause problems. If you stick with known brands and right spec you'll be perfectly fine.
 
I changed my transmission fluid in my 2015 Xterra with Amsoil Signature Series Fuel Efficient Synthetic ATF which is what Amsoil recommended a couple months ago with NO problems. My owners manual stated: USE GENUINE NISSAN MATIC S TRANS FLUID ?
 
I really appreciate everyone's feedback. As someone else stated, I'll most likely just use OEM until my warranty expires. After that, I'll give Motul a try.
 
Originally Posted By: r34dy2fly
After that, I'll give Motul a try.


Really, I have seen Motul fluids sit on counters w/o buyers in these boutique fluid shops.
IMO, if you really want to experiment a superior fluids be safe and stick with Amspil or RL which do sell some volume.
 
eBay has OEM ATF ... not sure what options you are given for gear oil ... but I have seen break in metal in hypoid gear sets several times ...
 
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