Ok for all you changing your own oil on the Coupe. Could you please advise a procedure for us non mechanical types?

I think i'm getting off the dealership's tit on these oil changes!

Please include the type of oil, filter your using.

I assume you all are using ramps to pull it up onto for the changes? Filter and drain plug easy to get to??

6MT coupe, red/willow, premium, aero

 

what do you mean your getting off the dealership's tit? [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img] have you been titty f'ing the dealership to get things for your coupe?

BS G35C 6spd navi/aero/prem

 

no, they have been a$$ f'kin me on the prices and service. Nearly $40 for an oil change. That has to end.

 

First off, the oil change on the coupe is unecessarily made more difficult by the undertray. But I digress....

You will need some basic tools like a socket wrench, sockets, and a filter wrench. You will need an oil pan big enough to hold 5 quarts of oil, a funnell, and some spare gallon jugs. If you happen to buy one of the new oil pans that doubles as a carry bottle, then you can skip the gallon jugs.

The other major thing you will need is a set of ramps. Not just any ramp will do, mind you. More than likely, you will need to find a ramp that offers an extension kit. This will allow you to get the ramp low enough to clear the front of the G.

Once you have the G on the ramps and parking brake applied, get under the car. You will see a black plastic cover covering the engine bottom. There are about 13 screws holding this in place. Remove them and remove the cover. Now you can see the oil filter which is closest to the passenger side of the car.

Find the oil drain plug on the engine. Careful not to confuse this for the transmission fluid plug! Remove the oil plug and let the old oil drain out of the engine. Once all is drained, replace the plug. Now, remove the old filter with the filter wrench. Take the new filter and use some of the old oil to moisten the rubber gasket on the new filter. Also, look on the old filter and check to make sure that it has its rubber gasket. It is rare, but sometimes these will be left on the engine, and when you screw on the new filter you will have a huge leak.

Screw on the new filter. Tighten 1/4 turn past hand tight with the filter wrench. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN.

Now, remove the oil filler cap on the top of the engine. Infiniti reccomends mineral based oils. I use Pennzoil 5W-30. Fill the engine with 5 quarts of whatever brand of quality oil you prefer. Pennzoil, Mobil, Havoline, Quaker State, etc.

Replace filler cap, remove oil drain pan, reattach engine bottom cover, close hood, and back off the ramps.

With engine running, check under car for any signs of leaks, etc.

Write down mileage in book. Your done. Take oil to recycling center and throw out old filter.

 

why not use a jack and stands? Where do you get the ramps with extensions and how much are they?

 

Quote "First off, the oil change on the coupe is unecessarily made more difficult by the undertray. But I digress....

You will need some basic tools like a socket wrench, sockets, and a filter wrench. You will need an oil pan big enough to hold 5 quarts of oil, a funnell, and some spare gallon jugs. If you happen to buy one of the new oil pans that doubles as a carry bottle, then you can skip the gallon jugs.

The other major thing you will need is a set of ramps. Not just any ramp will do, mind you. More than likely, you will need to find a ramp that offers an extension kit. This will allow you to get the ramp low enough to clear the front of the G.

Once you have the G on the ramps and parking brake applied, get under the car. You will see a black plastic cover covering the engine bottom. There are about 13 screws holding this in place. Remove them and remove the cover. Now you can see the oil filter which is closest to the passenger side of the car.

Find the oil drain plug on the engine. Careful not to confuse this for the transmission fluid plug! Remove the oil plug and let the old oil drain out of the engine. Once all is drained, replace the plug. Now, remove the old filter with the filter wrench. Take the new filter and use some of the old oil to moisten the rubber gasket on the new filter. Also, look on the old filter and check to make sure that it has its rubber gasket. It is rare, but sometimes these will be left on the engine, and when you screw on the new filter you will have a huge leak.

Screw on the new filter. Tighten 1/4 turn past hand tight with the filter wrench. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN.

Now, remove the oil filler cap on the top of the engine. Infiniti reccomends mineral based oils. I use Pennzoil 5W-30. Fill the engine with 5 quarts of whatever brand of quality oil you prefer. Pennzoil, Mobil, Havoline, Quaker State, etc.

Replace filler cap, remove oil drain pan, reattach engine bottom cover, close hood, and back off the ramps.

With engine running, check under car for any signs of leaks, etc.

Write down mileage in book. Your done. Take oil to recycling center and throw out old filter."



Rise your hand if you think is better and easier to spend the 40~50 bucks have dealer do it???...s.w.

limeg35-------->arm is up


03.5 coupe 5AT DG/G premium,performance

 

if you go to the dealership's parts dept, and buy 3 oil filters, you can get them for close to $5 each (ask for a discount)
regular price is $8
i buy my oil from walmart.....5qt jug of Mobile1 5w30=$19

<font color=green>-Rambo</font color=green>
G35c 6MT DG/Willow

 

Limeg35,

I do my own oil change not because of the $40 - $50, but simply to guarantee that it was done right. I've heard enough horror story about people driving away with no oil in the crankcase, loose oil filter, no oil cap, loose/stripped drain plugs, etc. to let someone else change my oil.

 

Sounds worse than it is. Definitely worth the money savings...and the pride of doing it yourself and knowing some punk isn't messing with your car...

I used standard car ramps with my own extenders - some old 2x6's laying around with extra wood supports under them...worked like a charm...

2003 G35 Coupe 6MT
Brilliant Silver \ Willow Leather
Premium
Aero
Navi

Lansdale, PA

 

Ditto on that bro. It's prolly one of the dirtiest jobs you'll do but one of the most important to be done right.(consistently)
I like knowing it's done to my standards, not some grease monkey/jockey.
Doesn't take a lot of tools , equipment , or know-how.

<font color=green>GSM</font color=green>

 

Lemme add something, SAVE all your dated receipts for oil and filters. Throw them with the book. If you ever have to prove you performed the scheduled maintanance, it will be life saver.

I also occasionally to a Blackstone test for $18. That also proves your engine has been properly maintained by you. Even with Mobil1 and blackstones every 10-15K, you'll still save money and you'll know it was done right.

At dealerships, the guy doing the oil changes is probably being punished for something. Not always the case, but this isnt the top of the food chain job. In some dealerships that equates to about a car a month being started without oil. Now, the scary part is that GMs that I know said they check the engine out but only had to repair 2 and replace 1. Ok, that freaks me out... you'd never know for 1000s of miles and never connect that service to your engine problem (like increased oil consumption)


----------------------------------------------------
bs g35c lth/prem - a poser with no lsd

 

you don't have to buy ramps with extensions. pepboys has a set of plastic ramps that are longer than the metal ones and they are especially made for low profile cars. someone earlier posted a good step by step process for doing the oil change but he forgot about the oil drain plug washer. when you purchase your filter from the nissan dealer (nissan is usually cheaper than infinity for the same exact filter) ask for a oil drain plug washer it is less than a dollar. you may also want to check your owners manual for the correct torque to tighten the drain plug, you do not want to overtighten it. 1 it can strip the threads and 2 will make the washer useless and leak.
good luck and have fun!

oh yeah you may want to use a drill driver with a socket head to remove the 6 million bolts that hold on the plastic undertray on, just be carefull putting the screws back in with the drill so you don't cross thread them.

 

Haven't done it yet, but another valid reason for doing oil changes yourself is because of distance from the dealer. My dealer is an hour away, and I don't feel like driving out there early to get oil changes. I'll still take it in for the larger services, but the standard oil changes I'll just do myself.

G35 Coupe, 6MT, DG, Prem.

 

for me this is far less about a $40 charge, and much more about not having to go to the dealer.

 

Jack stands are fine, but I feel ramps are easier to deal with because you don't have to jack both sides of the car and you need to be really careful about the jacking locations for this car.

I would never use wood as a cheap ramp extension... good way to have an accident. If Pep Boys makes those ramps, check them out. I tried some "low profile" ramps from Sears that didn't come close to clearing. I got my ramps from Griot's garage with a nice extension kit. Quality was important to me, because I AM under the car!

:-)