Hi guys, when doing an oil change, how do you guys get to the filter/drain plug. There is the plastic undershield, that is huge, and I am sure that the whole thing shouldn’t have to come off to do an oil change. I did see a “trap door” that hides the filter and that is what I lowered to get it out, but when I did my last change, I ended up getting a lot of oil up above that plastic undershield. Is there something I am doing wrong? If anyone can post pics it would be greatly appreciated.

Also, i have been using mobil 1 full synthetic and filter, but then read that people say its not that great. Is there a specific oil / filter that someone can recommend for this car along with oil weight? I am in North jersey, so i am expecting a cold winter, if that makes any difference. Thanks for the help.

 

I remove the whole plastic undertray when I change my oil, but I have access to a lift so its not that much of an issue. I could see where having the car on a jack and/or jack stands can be a pain. Plus I have a cordless drill/driver to remove all those bolts quickly. I hear that on the G35x there is a slightly different trapdoor that is much easier to deal with than with the non AWD G.

After doing plenty of research, I started to use Mobil 1 0W-40, the european car formula one. It is pretty much comparable to German Castrol 0W-30. Based on what I have read, Mobil 1 0W-40/ GC 0W-30 use the best base stocks and formulas out of their entire full synthetic line. I have used 0W-40 in the summer with no known issues, from my understanding, 0W-40 wouldn't work to well in a desert environment or somewhere where the ambient temp is 115+. I started to use 0W-40 after my second oil change, I'm up to my 4th right now.

Check these links out regarding to the VQ35HR motor oil analysis and VQ motors in general on how they handle different types of oils.

http://www.my350z.com/forum/vq35hr/3...-analysis.html

http://www.my350z.com/forum/engine-d...ysis-info.html

hope all this helps

 

I think the undershield differs between the X and non-X. There may be even more differences too.

On my 2008 G35 journey, I don't have a trap door, but I just need to remove 4 screws to fold half of the plastic undershield away to reveal the oil drain plug and filter. I then use 2 pieces of coat hanger to hold the flap open as I change the oil.

In terms of Mobil 1 synthetic, the current formula isn't as good as in the past, but if you go with the 15000 mile rated Mobil 1 synthetic, it's very similar to the original.

For oil filters, I would just stick w/ OEM Infiniti/Nissan filters. They may not be as good as some of the other ones, but if my engine ever suffers a failure, I don't want to hear any **** from Infiniti about me not using the proper oil filter.

 

X2, piece of cake, but like he mentioned some models seem to have a different undershield setup, good luck