According to this article 3,000 mile oil changes are completely unecessary and leftover suggestion from a bygone era.

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...l-change-myth/

Since I never read the owners manual, I do not think the G35 manual suggests 3,000 mile oil changes, but I bet 5,000-7,500. So why should I continue to pad the dealer, and waste my time every 3 months?

And yes, the next oil change I will move onto synthetic and take it to 7,500 per change.

 

many used oil analysis's done on the VQ35 engine suggest that with many conventional oils and even some synthetics, that it is still optimal to change them at 3k, their total base number (TBN), which is an indicator of how much life is left in the oil is low at that point.

 

I don't believe it's a myth by any stretch. It all depends on your driving, you can't just assume that a yahoo article will answer your question about 3,000 miles oil change intervals.

I drive 40% on the highway and 60% in the city, so I probably have a lot of dirt getting into my oil. They use penzoil synthetic at the dealership and I still change my oil at the 3,750 interval. If you drive mainly highway, I wouldn't worry much about it and change it every 7,500.

Also...it's only 30-50 dollars more you will have to spend, quit being cheap. And it's quite ironic I say that to someone...because some of the members know me for being very frugal in terms of buying certain things for the car but I'm not going to cheap myself on premium gas and changing the oil on time. Sure, I don't use the most expensive wax or replace my air filters with K&N brand...but I definitely don't cheap out on taking care of the car.

 

I don't put a lot of miles on my cars (about 7k a year), but I do drive mostly in hot, dusty, stop and go conditions. So I rely on the calendar rather than the odometer to tell me when its time for a change (every 3 to 4 months).

As a result I'm sure I do change my oil more often than is really necessary, but if keeps my G running well for 10 years or more (like my last three cars) its an investment I am more than happy to make.

 

^ I thought DESERT PLATINUM was only made in 03-04, Is that color still an option?

 

DP made it's return on the G for '08, replacing Serengetti Sand.

 

I always do every 3,000 miles because not only are you changing the oil, you're also putting in a clean filter.

 

Autozone does oil change "specials" every once and a while. Around $20 for 5 quarts of full synthetic and a filter.

That said, it definitely depends on your driving style, but it's unlikely to harm your engine if you go to 5k or 7500 miles with full sythetic.


In the last 12 years of driving, I've only even HEARD on one person blowing up their motor from NOT changing the oil. He went 30k miles on a brand new car. Kabooom!

 

one of my friends had his parents buy him a brand new tacoma when we were 16 (seems like forever ago)...he didn't change his oil for about the same distance and his engine quit working. we had to use gunk remover to flush out all the gunk from his engine...took it back to the dealership and they replaced the whole motor! if we wouldn't have cleaned out the gunk, there would've been no way this kid would've gotten a brand new motor

 

my family and I have been leasing cars for many many years now, and none of the dealers tell us to bring the car any earlier than when the service is due 1 year later. But then again at the same time, they were doing the oil change services for free. But the car would generally run for about 10K miles with no problem.

My infiniti dealership gave me 5 free oil changes to use in 1 year...so ill just go every 2 months or so...i have an appointment for my first one this weekend, 2K miles

 

If you go to the bar. Do you drink from the well? Or hit the grey goose? Same for your ride. Premium gas, good synthetic oil(or conventional every 3K) and your ride will be feeling fine. No bad hangover from crappy stuff.

 

Good synthetic oil change every 5K to 7.5K is correct. Conventional oil every 3K is correct.

 

i'm hittin' the crown my friend and so is my car

 

I change my oil religiously.

Cheap insurance compared to a major repair IMO.

Hell, I change my diff fluid every other oil change

 

Another thing people should point out is that your oil could last for 7,000 miles depending on the type and your driving conditions...but what about your oil filter?