2006 G35 Gas

[RyanOsh]

Hey all,

I am a new Infiniti G35 owner as of today!!!! I absolutely love the car, i got the 2006 coupe automatic Diamond Graphite with premium package and wheel package. I have been setting up everything today (bluetooth, memory seats, radio, etc..) I was wondering about the gas on the car. I have read through the entire forum and did not see anything. I have driven the car 50 miles and im already down to 3/4 tank left. It is a 20 gallon tank? average of 20 miles per gallon should be 400 to the full tank around that, i am getting 50 miles per quarter tank, and the car has not been over 4k RPMS. any help???

[GamingMom]

I'm about 2200 miles into my 06 Coupe (Automatic, Prem Package, Wheels, Rear-active steering) and am getting about 22-24 MPG right now. From what I've read it will take awhile (few thousand miles) to start getting a pretty consistent MPG - you're getting used to the car and the car is getting used to you.

Congrats on your purchase and welcome to the club - post pics!

[joe603]

Welcome to NICO! Make sure you use premium gas, the VQ will perform much better!

The tank itself is a 20 gal tank, but I've never drained it all the way down. In fact, the low fuel light comes on at around the 5 gal mark.

Do your MPG calculations with how much gas you put in/miles driven, not what the gauge indicates. If its still a problem, the dealer can look to make sure the PCM is working as it should.

[gjohnson66]

Welcome to the club! I have an '05 coupe (6MT) and get between 300-350 per tank. Keep in mind that I drive a little more aggresively than the normal everday driver and that could account for the somewhat lower MPG. Also, I didn't start getting consistent milage until after the engine break-in period.

[RyanOsh]

Thanks alot for your guys input, i will definately keep an eye on it. I will have pics up very soon!!!!

[telcoman]

I've had my G35 Manual 6sp for 6 months now with 6k milesI've used regular 87 octane from day one. Never heard a ping and it runs great. i get 20 to 27 MPH depending how much of the time I'm on cruise control. On a trip from NJ to Fla I got 24 to 27 MPG

Telcoman

[J-Owner]

I would strongly advise against using anything other than premium gas. Telcoman......I can assure you that if you are using 87 octane that WILL catch up with you in the future. I am on my third Infiniti and I learned my lesson on the first J30 I owned (I have owned a '93 J30, a '95 J30t and an '05 Gcoupe). but to each his own I suppose.

Living in Dallas and driving in stop and go traffic all day I get about 18 miles per gallon. I make about 5 trips a year to Fayetteville, Arkansas (Go Hogs!), which is 332 miles one way and the BEST gas mileage I have ever gotten in this car is 25 miles per gallon on the road. I personally have never gotten 27 miles to the gallon in the coupe since buying it in Feb. '05 and I currently have 18,430 miles on it.

Just remember, you didn't buy a prius. But seriously, use the premium gas and be kind to your car. With proper maintenance that thing will breeze to 200K miles. Besides, I figured it up and premium (even in Dallas with Dallas prices) only costs me about $20 extra a month. Big deal, that is one less trip to Awaji for Sushi

[robchris]

I just bought a G35 this weekend. It is a lakeshore color with the Premium package. I have only driven it for two days and I love it. I was also reading the owners manual and it does state that you can use 87. I am curious on what kind of damage can occur if I use the 87 over the 92? I am also getting poor gas milege right now but I already knew that was going to happen. I am kind of used to it owning a chevy pickup truck and a suburban. I have a feeling that it is going to be pretty tough keeping my foot off of it?

[gr8taste7]

I too, am getting an average of 350 miles to a full tank. I also use the premium gas. I was told you can use an 87 but it doesn't burn as clean as the 91/92. I guess, it all depends on how long you intent to keep the car. BTW, I am also fairly new to the forum.

[joe603]

...I was also reading the owners manual and it does state that you can use 87. I am curious on what kind of damage can occur if I use the 87 over the 92?...

The manual states that you can use regular, if nothing else is available; but to fill the tank as soon as possible with premium. The damage is from deposits on the valves and other internal components that can gum up the engine. Also, premium fuel burns longer with a higher flashpoint-meaning that it is much less prone to detonation (engine knock) than regular. To keep a high performance/high compression engine such as the VQ35, running without any issues, the use of premium is required.

[rydwhite]

I've been getting consistently for about the past 40k miles around 21 mpg city/mixed and 27-29 mpg highway. I just got back from a trip from Indy to Elkhart Lake Wisconsin and even with sitting in stop and go traffic in Chicago for nearly 2 hours I got 26.4 mpg round trip averaging about 80 mph when not in Chicago.

[BigWill]

Wow... all you guys talking about 17, 18, 20 + mpg makes me think that either there is a problem with my '04 coupe, or I am just abusive with my gas foot! My best mileage happened the first week, (18 mpg), when I made a couple of trips to the dealership, about 35 miles away. From that point on, I am getting 13.5 consistently. I live only about 5 miles from work, and I guess I take full advantage of the performance capabilities of the car!!

[C-Kwik]

When I had the G, it got close to 15 mpg when it was brand new. Got about 17 mpg when it sold. I do have a very heavy foot and CA traffic sucks.

As far as regular unleaded, yes, it will run and shouldn't cause any damage, but the engine is tuned for premium unleaded. Lower octane fuels tend to use less detergents from the same gas company so you may end up with more deposits. This could become a problem as the vehicle ages as carbon deposits build up and become a potential source of detonation.

On that note, the ECM will pull back timing if it senses detonation with low octane fuel, but the result is less power and lower gas mileage. Not by leaps and bounds by any means, but still a difference.

Personally, I would recommend premium fuel for all cars whether they require it or not. For a vehicle that fills up 15 gallons once a week, the difference in cost between premium and regular unleaded fuel would be about $150 for the year(based on a 20 cent difference per gallon). Not a lot of money to keep your fuel system, valves and combustion chamber clean. If you don't think so, check out the cost to have these things cleaned of carbon deposits, or an engine rebuild should the worst case scenario occur.

[redhed]

The manual states that you can use regular, if nothing else is available; but to fill the tank as soon as possible with premium. The damage is from deposits on the valves and other internal components that can gum up the engine. Also, premium fuel burns longer with a higher flashpoint-meaning that it is much less prone to detonation (engine knock) than regular. To keep a high performance/high compression engine such as the VQ35, running without any issues, the use of premium is required.

what i find interesting is that my owner's manual for my '06 automatic coupe says it's only okay to use 87 octane for a limited time. where as for the sedan automatic it just says use a fuel with at least 87 octane. don't the coupe and sedan automatic equipped cars use the same exact engine??

[telcoman]

I have copied a piece from the FTC web site on the subject of Octane in Gasoline. Similar advice is on the Car Talk web site. I am not into racing and I love my G35. It runs fine on 87 Octane gasoline. My Previous vehicle was a 1992 Lexus ES300 5 Speed manual. The owners manual also recomended premium gas. I never put a drop of premium in that vehicle either and after 14 years it was still running as smooth as it did when I first bought it in 1992.

Telcoman

Saving Money at the Gas Pump: A Bumper-to-Bumper Guide Whether driving cross-town or cross-country, everybody wants to save money at the pump. Regardless of the make and model, your car’s estimated gas mileage is just that — an estimate. An important variable is how you fuel, drive, and maintain your car. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, offers these bumper-to-bumper tips to help you drive down the cost of driving:

The Gas Tank Making the right choice at the gas pump is an important first step to keeping your car running efficiently — and economically.

Follow your owner’s manual recommendation for the right octane level for your car. For most cars, the recommended gas is regular octane. Using a higher octane gas than the manufacturer recommends offers no benefit — and costs you at the pump. Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gas is a waste of money. Looking for more information on selecting the right octane level for your car? See The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline. Gas savings gadgets? Steer clear. Be skeptical about any gizmo that promises to improve your gas mileage. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tested over 100 supposed gas-saving devices — including “mixture enhancers� and fuel line magnets — and found that very few provided any fuel economy benefits. Those devices that did work provided only a slight improvement in gas mileage. In fact, some products may even damage your car’s engine or cause a substantial increase in exhaust emissions. For a full list of tested products, visit http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer.htm. For more information, check out Gas Savings Products? Fact or Fuelishness.

[j1stande]

I got my 2006 mt coupe with 65 miles on it. I live in the detroit area (mixed highway/city) initially i got about 20mpg.... now i am frequently getting about 22mpg. which is fair... more than 400miles to a tank...i only wish the damn gauge didn't suck as much....ie the light comming on with 5 gallons left....and it looking like you have no gas on the gauge!!!

james

[joe603]

I got my 2006 mt coupe with 65 miles on it. I live in the detroit area (mixed highway/city) initially i got about 20mpg.... now i am frequently getting about 22mpg. which is fair... more than 400miles to a tank...i only wish the damn gauge didn't suck as much....ie the light comming on with 5 gallons left....and it looking like you have no gas on the gauge!!!

james

ya, I was surprised at that too...5 gal is another 100 miles!

[joeguy1590]

what i find interesting is that my owner's manual for my '06 automatic coupe says it's only okay to use 87 octane for a limited time. where as for the sedan automatic it just says use a fuel with at least 87 octane. don't the coupe and sedan automatic equipped cars use the same exact engine??

I thought the same thing when I read this in the owner's manual. Does anyone know why this is the case? For the 2006 Sedan automatic it says the recommended gas is 87 and for the coupe automatic it recommends 91 and higher. I thought they used the same engine and setup in both cars. anyone?

[joe603]

I don't think they're exactly the same... the Sedan has 280HP and the Coupe has 298HP...The block may be the same (as in all the other 3.5L Nissans) but the heads in the coupe may be slightly different. I know the intake and exhaust is different between the two. Lastly, the fuel curves and knock sensors on the Coupe are set to push the engine to its limits. All of this would require the fuel to contain more octane to stop detonation.

[redhed]

the '06 automatic equipped sedan and automatic coupe are both rated at 280 hp...thus i suspect those two are basically the same. the manual coupe is rated 298 and maybe it has a different ECU or something.

[joe603]

my bad...I thought that it was the coupe/sedan difference not the MT/auto.

[royster69]

The literature says that the 280 HP engines have variable intake valve timing, while the 298 HP engines have variable intake and exhaust valve timing. I haven't seen any other differences listed.

[szh]

I've used regular 87 octane from day one. Never heard a ping and it runs great.

You may not hear the ping in some cases, and in others, the engine will correct the deficiency. But they may be happening inaudibly. The day you end up with some bad gas (that is worse than 87), you will damage the engine a bit each time.

This is one of those penny-wise issues. Given the price difference between 87 and 91, you might be "saving" $10 or $20 a month at best. Do you consider it worth the risk? I most certainly would not, since it is a false economy ... I plan to keep my car for ten years and make sure it works fine during that time!

Z

[mikeatx]

My '03 Coupe 6MT says to use 87 or higher and recommends 91 or higher for additional performance.

The actual fuel door says Premium Fuel.

In Texas gas prices are currently like this:

87Octane = $2.9089 Octane = $3.0093 Octane = $3.10

The price difference isn't very big, but could I maybe fill up at half a tank everytime and alternate between 89 and 93. Its a small savings, but I have a heavy foot and probably won't be getting great millage. That should also keep me around 91 Octane.

[RED_DET]

Just recently took a long distance trip and pulled 28mpg all day long running almost 80mph.

[royster69]

My 2006 owners manual states:G35 Sedans - use regular gas, but premium will give you better performance.

G35 coupes - only use premium, but if not available you can mix in some regular until you can get premium. But don't accelerate hard.

The engines are the same except for the variable exhaust valve timing and 18 horsepower!

I would imagine that you can run regular or mid-grade if you are just highway cruising, and fill it with premium only when you are street racing.