A&Q about 350Z
Q:
The 350Z has two maintenance plans described in your Owners Manual, one at 3750 mile intervals and the other at 7500 mile intervals. It says you can run the 7500 mile interval if you do not drive on dusty roads, do not take lots of short trips (less than 5 miles or something like that), do not tow anything, etc... If you do any of those things, or if you want to make sure your Z is in perfect maintenance, then use the 3750 mile interval (this would be preferred).
However, that maintenance interval is based on dino oils. If you switch to synthetics later, you can run on longer oil change intervals, like Sloppy suggested of 5k miles.
So technically you could go 3750 miles before your first oil change. But doing it at 3k would be on the safe side. Typically a brand new engine will put small bits of metal in the oil as the engine seats in and everything gets used to being driven. So changing oil early can be helpful for a new car.
Also, everyone that I have spoken to (Nissan techs, online forums, and fellow local Z'ers) recommends at least three normal (dino) oil changes before switching to a synthetic. This could all be superstition, or beliefs founded on older technology, but why take the chance. But, to each his own...
'04 Daytona Blue 350Z Enthusiast - B-Stock #34
Tanabe Sustec 36mm chromoly front sway bar
K&N drop in air filter
Hawk HPS brake pads
Pioneer Premier CD/MP3 head unit
18% tint rear and sides
A:
I change oil every 3000 miles or less...never over!
My SB ZR still feels like HEAVEN....what a wild ride!
A:
at the dealership they told me to go every 4k but Im a 3k guy. I just got mine changed yesterday.
06 350Z 6spd
92 300z NA 2+2
A:
I just took mine in for its first oil change with 920mi. on it, which actually was a little more than I planned and the "service advisor" kind of suggested I didn't really need to 'dump' the break in oil, that I would have been fine waiting for the 3750 mileage. I wouldn't have been comfortable waiting that long.
'06 Silver Alloy 350Z Touring
A:
3k
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'05 350Z Chrome Silver Touring
'73 240Z
A:
I try to change my oil ever 3k, but I drive so often that I usually miss the 3k mark by a couple hundred miles.
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1985 300ZX n/a
A:
3K for me unless I go on a trip ... I may cut it down to 2K.
the Juiceman
- '05 Redline Enth.
- AEM Air Intake
- Injen SES TD Titanium Tips
A:
i use synthetic and i use whatever filter valvoline gives me, which i'm sure is the same filter they'd give me with regular oil.
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'05 350Z Chrome Silver Touring
'73 240Z
A:
Gang,
I have used Mobil 1 (10w30) since just under 500 miles and I am at 40,500+ now. I change the oil every 6,000 miles. Everytime it comes out it is still clean and looks and feels great. Mobil says it could go even further, but 6K is good enough for me.
Mspeasl
Central Illinois - Form member since 2/02
"Growing old may be mandatory, but growing up is optional"
03 Redline Touring 6sp "350Z" (Pre-Ordered 02/02) - Delivered 29 August 02
05 Satin Jade Pearl Chrysler 300C 6/04
A:
Change the oil every 3,750 miles more or less.
My navigation display will nag me if I wait longer.
-Zanioed '03 Le Mans Sunset Touring Coupe w/ Nav.
A:
zpoe.. you can turn that off or change the number of miles that it starts nagging you at.
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'05 350Z Chrome Silver Touring
'73 240Z
A:
Thanks Justin...
I leave that way because of all the short trips I take.
I drive 6 miles to work (no freeway miles) daily.
-Zanioed '03 Le Mans Sunset Touring Coupe w/ Nav.
A:
Eric_in_Tulsa,
Car gets put away in early November and only gets out if it's really nice until late April.
Mspeasl
Central Illinois - Form member since 2/02
"Growing old may be mandatory, but growing up is optional"
03 Redline Touring 6sp "350Z" (Pre-Ordered 02/02) - Delivered 29 August 02
05 Satin Jade Pearl Chrysler 300C 6/04
Post Edited (Sep 5, 6:36pm)
A:
i need to get my oil changed.
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'05 350Z Chrome Silver Touring
'73 240Z
A:
I guess I'm really in the minority here. I change my oil when the company that designed and built the car suggests it - every 7500 miles.
Think about this. There were about 130 million cars (not including trucks or buses) registered in the U.S. in 2000. Let's assume half of those owners bought into the 3000 mile oil change. If those owners changed oil at 6000 miles versus 3000 miles, the following would be the result, assuming the average car uses 5 quarts of oil: Since you're only changing your oil twice a year instead of 4 times per year, each car would use 10 less quarts of oil per year. That's 650 million less quarts of oil consumed or almost 4 million less barrels of oil consumed a year (42 gallons of oil in a barrel).
Who started the 3000 mile oil change anyway? It wasn't the Jiffy Lubes, it was new car dealerships. When manufacturers started building more reliable cars with diagnostic computers, solid-state ignition, and fuel injection, they then needed a hook to get owners in more frequently - hence the start of the 3000 mile oil change. Seeing a golden opportunity, an entreprenuer (probably frustrated after waiting 4 hours at the dealership to get his oil changed) started the first express oil change and the rest is history. The dealers did it to themselves and now the Jiffy Lubes own most of the oil change business.
Enough said.
A:
first oil change @ 800 miles. Synthetic put in at 3k and change every 3k.
A:
First Oil change at 1100 miles. I was planning on 800 but found out I couldnt get under the car to change it myself. Anyway, the dealer looked at me as if I was nuts. But, Nissan doesnt put break in oil in any of there vehicles so it is best to change out the oil at 800, then 1500, and 3000. After the first 3 you can continue on the standard cycle of 2000 for standard oil and 3000 for synthetic. (Shouldnt use sythetic until after 3000 miles, the engine still needs to break in.) Sounds excessive, but it all depends on how you drive. Check your oil level and the color. If it turns black (or dark brown) its time for a change. Also, all cars burn some oil, and high oil consumption indicates that the oil has broken down and needs to be changed.
I drive hard, and live on a dusty road in the middle of nowhere Illinois, so I change my oil and filter regularily at 3000 miles. Just my two pennies. Oil is cheap, piston rings not so cheap.
A:
350 TTZ,
Where are you at in Central Illinois?? I'm in Decatur
Mspeasl
Central Illinois - Form member since 2/02
"Growing old may be mandatory, but growing up is optional"
03 Redline Touring 6sp "350Z" (Pre-Ordered 02/02) - Delivered 29 August 02
05 Satin Jade Pearl Chrysler 300C 6/04
A:
Cowden
Im new to the Decatur Z club so If your a member, I prolly havent met you yet.
06 Lemanz Sunset Track 6sp Z
A:
i got my oil changed today and the guy actually told me i really didn't need to do it until 7500 and i was only at 2800.
needless to say i had it done anyway. :o maybe next time i'll let it slide a little more.
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'05 350Z Chrome Silver Touring
'73 240Z
A:
350 TTZ,
Go to my profile and Email me direct
Mspeasl
Central Illinois - Form member since 2/02
"Growing old may be mandatory, but growing up is optional"
03 Redline Touring 6sp "350Z" (Pre-Ordered 02/02) - Delivered 29 August 02
05 Satin Jade Pearl Chrysler 300C 6/04
A:
You can always outdo the next guy as to your maintenance schedule, but it is not neccessarily better or worse.
Maintenance costs money. If you think it is better to change your oil at 2 k miles, it is probably better to do it at 500 miles, but decisions like that cost money and time. Is the amount of time you spend on the maintenance saving you money and time from repair bills later?
I generally will stick to the manufacturers recommendations, and I have never had problems with my engines failing me, and every car I have owned, I have taken to over 100 k miles.
A:
ZDoug,
I would agree. Maintanance costs money and some how the mileage of when you change your oil (both little and high) can become a contest. Changing the oil every mile is most likely the best on the engine, but it definately isnt cost effective.
If the auto manufacturer states a 7500 mile oil change, and a warranty period of 100,000, you can garuntee thats whats been tested and 90% of the engines past that mark. (All about the statistics) After the warranty period all bets are off, which is why extended warrantys cost $. (How much depends on risk and length of extension.) So if you run your oil changes at the reccommended time, you will not destroy and engine before the warranty is up.
Without going into the statistics, risk factors, and other stuff, for me the cost of changing the oil at 2000 miles is less risky. (Not including the performance I get from not wearing out rings.) If you ask why 2000 and not 1000 or 500, well its not because of the money. As I work in the automotive industry I have access to oil sample results from different engines. (Unfortunatly not this one.) The majority show that after 2000 miles for regular oil and 3000 miles for synthetic oil, there is a steep increase in fuel dilution, carbon byproducts, metallic particles, and a drop in viscosity. The drop in viscosity means the oil is loosing its lubrication properties, and the rest of the stuff is just junk in the oil.
The addition of junk in the oil is from the filter getting plugged and bypassing oil. Most people dont know this, but your oil filter only really filters for about 2000 miles. (Again this depends on type, age of engine, frequency of oil changes etc.) To top this off, as your engine wears, more and more fuel is dumped into the oil. I have seen oil samples that were 20% gasoline and 20% water. (Winter driving) But enough with the science junk.
As I said before, I drive hard, live on a dusty road and therefore change my oil at 3000 miles for synthetic. If I go over by accident to 4000, Im not worried in the least. (I just start driving like Grandma) All I ask is that everyone uses common sense about oil changes and doesnt rely on the manual to tell them when to do it. Because I can garuntee the specification that determines that number cant account for everyone. (Ive written a few, not alot, but a few) If you drive nice, not necessarily like Grandma, 7500 is fine. But if you drive hard, (you bought a Z - dont tell me you dont drive hard) then consider changing the oil more frequent.
06 Lemanz Sunset Track Z
Best car I ever bought.
IHI Turbos comming soon.
A:
^ Well said.
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1990 300zx NA
- Custom Exhaust
- JWT Pop Charger