Hi! I'm new to this forum and just registered 1,200 miles on my m45 that I purchased a month ago. My last car was an accord which lasted for 15 years. I'm 42 years old and I'm old school when it comes to car maintenance. Do we still change oil after breaking in the engine with these new cars? The manual doesn't seem to mention anything about this. I'll follow up pictures as soon as I figure out how I can download them for everyone to see.

ed

I got this m45 sport with journey, entertainment, navigation and aerodynamic package $4,500 less msrp (I am not joking) at South Bay Infinity in Torrance, California. Mr.Sanchez, the fleet manager, gave me a good deal, maybe because it was 2 days before the end of August, it was the last week of that "Infinity Summer Event Sale", or maybe they just need to catch up with their quota or volume sale for that month. Who knows? Unfortunately, it doesn't come with the speaker that pop out of the fronts seats, but that's okay. It's the subwoofer that really makes the difference in hi fidelity of any sound system.





Modified by Edong t5 at 1:56 PM 9/24/2005

Modified by Edong t5 at 2:01 PM 9/24/2005
Modified by Edong t5 at 8:28 PM 9/24/2005

Modified by Edong t5 at 1:44 PM 9/24/2005

Welcome to NICO!

Thanks for the wonderful pictures. That interior is just stunning.

I am also old school when it comes to oil and other fluid changes. In my experience, the result is a better running, longer lasting engine. I will look for my older post in this regard and link it in here.

Z

szhosain wrote:I will look for my older post in this regard and link it in here.

Third post in this thread: zerothread?id=125990 has the oil changes interval I mentioned earlier. Overkill, but worth it, imho.

Z

Really nice! And with the aero kit!

szhosain wrote:
Third post in this thread: zerothread?id=125990 has the oil changes interval I mentioned earlier. Overkill, but worth it, imho.

Z

I appreciate the thorough information that you gave. It's more than what I expected from a forum. I wasn't aware this engine uses a lot of oil. Anyway, I'm keeping a head's up regarding this engines previous problems. I guess it's not as reliable or prestigous as the m35's vq series engine. But I'm sure it's still one of the good engines out there. Some things we have to give in for that extra power.

ed

maxnix wrote:Really nice! And with the aero kit!

Thanks for noticing. In my opinion, the aero kit complements the m's design and 19 inch tires giving the car it's low stance and sporty muscular looks. Of course, it's subjective when it comes to our tastes whether they look nice (or not). Although, I have to admit they're low enough to be scraped if you're not careful in parking (check out the scratch I made on the right front bottom of the kit the first day I brought it to work.) I hear they're expensive to replace.

ed

Edong t5 wrote:I appreciate the thorough information that you gave. It's more than what I expected from a forum. I wasn't aware this engine uses a lot of oil. Anyway, I'm keeping a head's up regarding this engines previous problems. I guess it's not as reliable or prestigous as the m35's vq series engine. But I'm sure it's still one of the good engines out there. Some things we have to give in for that extra power.

ed

Your crazy! You think the M35 and the VQ is better than the VK45!!!! Just playin with you, but no way the VQ is better than the VK!!! (although the VH45 is still better )... Im sure they corrected it for the later VKs... notice they took the HPfrom 340HP to 335, they woudlnt do that by accident...! I bet they change the engine so it doesnt have the consumption issues.....

Either way, I dont see a quart every OCI as much of a big deal... Just because you buy a new car doesnt mean you get to skip checking the oil every gas stop!!!

I think most of the consumption related things could be traced down to improper break in procedures.. People sometimes dont drive the car HARD enough during the break in period... These engines are designed to be driven hard... That doesnt mean redlining the car after every stoplight, but at least let it see 5000 RPM every so often.....

Edong t5 wrote:I appreciate the thorough information that you gave. It's more than what I expected from a forum.

Thanks! We aim to please! Please let others know about this forum so that we can be even more successful!

Quote »I wasn't aware this engine uses a lot of oil. Anyway, I'm keeping a head's up regarding this engines previous problems. I guess it's not as reliable or prestigous as the m35's vq series engine. But I'm sure it's still one of the good engines out there. Some things we have to give in for that extra power. [/quote]One thing I should mention is that the engine that I talk about in the other post is the "older" one in the 2003/2004 M45. I believe that this was slightly modified in the 2006 M45, and, of course, as you noted, is not applicable to the M35 engine in any case.

So, it is entirely possible that you will not see this issue at all on your car - we simply do not have any reports yet. I'd say, just keep an eye on the oil and go for the gusto!

BTW, as is somewhat discussed in the Infiniti Technical forum here, achieving higher power sometimes requires a slightly looser fit of the pistons. hence, some oil blowby. And, like Wes also mentioned, I do not think that a quart of oil every oil change is a big deal, per se. What I do is add a half-quart at the middle of the interval (about 1800 miles) and then just change oil/filter at the 3750 mile interval. That way, I am effectively only using about half-quart "extra" or so. !

Z

The northstars on the cadillacs have very similar problems... And they get really bad since we have granny and gramps poopin those cars around and never seeing more than 3000 RPM.. What a travesty for an engine that is designed to live at high RPM...!

On the northstars they have a higher oil capacity than most engines of its size (7.5 quarts).. Remember that it does not have to be FULL ALL THE TIME. As long as it is in that hashed mark, your just perfect..... At any rate, a trick that some people have used is to keep it just above the bottom of the hashed area.. some people claim that as the engine oil gets lower it consumes less oil.. I dont recommend running your enigne low on oil but its an interesting thought to consider.....

The VK takes roughly 6 quarts (5 7/8 qt, id put in 6 to make it nice and even), so just buy an extra quart and have it handy... if you dont use it, then youll have it left over from your next case...

This may make little or no sense, but the bottom line is check your oil level often (i check mine al the time even though i know its going to be the same) and have an extra quart handy...

elwesso wrote:
Your crazy! You think the M35 and the VQ is better than the VK45!!!! Just playin with you, but no way the VQ is better than the VK!!! (although the VH45 is still better )...

Cheers bro'. Honestly, my first choice was a m35. I did my research and read so many positive things about the vq from other cars that harnessed this engine, and the vq was on my "top list" when buying a car. I was practical (i had my accord for 15 years, remember?) then. It only makes sense.1. Legendary engine 11 years on the Ward's list.2. one of the biggest v6 in the market with proven efficiency and (obviously) better gas milage compared to a v8.3. stood the test of time again and again from the z, altima, g35, maxima, fx 35, murano...what else could go wrong in this engine?Then, I test drove my friend's m35. The experience confirmed everything I read about the vq. What was once a "must have" became an obsession. I'm definitely decided to get an m35. But, by a stroke of intervention (to make this boring story short), I test drove a sport m45 in a dealer. The last time I felt "G" was in a rollercoaster rolling down the tracks in Six Flags. I can't believe I felt this in a m45. This car is like a rocket ship. And you know what? All that time (company time he,he,he), reading car magazines, surfing the web, and researching about the VQ engine went down the drain. As if I struck by lightning, I was immediately converted from a VQ engine to a VK. The funny thing is, I don't know a thing about the VK engine. All I know is that I can't be practical all my life. The rest is history.

szhosain wrote:
Thanks! We aim to please! Please let others know about this forum so that we can be even more successful!

One thing I should mention is that the engine that I talk about in the other post is the "older" one in the 2003/2004 M45. I believe that this was slightly modified in the 2006 M45, and, of course, as you noted, is not applicable to the M35 engine in any case.

So, it is entirely possible that you will not see this issue at all on your car - we simply do not have any reports yet. I'd say, just keep an eye on the oil and go for the gusto!

BTW, as is somewhat discussed in the Infiniti Technical forum here, achieving higher power sometimes requires a slightly looser fit of the pistons. hence, some oil blowby. And, like Wes also mentioned, I do not think that a quart of oil every oil change is a big deal, per se. What I do is add a half-quart at the middle of the interval (about 1800 miles) and then just change oil/filter at the 3750 mile interval. That way, I am effectively only using about half-quart "extra" or so. !

Z

Well said. Your explanation makes sense. I'm using my accord right now going to work until I change my oil on my day-off this Wednesday. Thanks again for the info.

Edong t5 wrote:But, by a stroke of intervention (to make this boring story short),

Nope! Not all boring! We all love hearing about the M45 and its owners and their experiences with acquiring and driving them!

Edong t5 wrote:I test drove a sport m45 in a dealer....As if I struck by lightning, I was immediately converted from a VQ engine to a VK.

Similar experience to mine! Back in 2003, my wife and I went to the dealer to get an Infiniti G35 (no M35 available then) to replace my 1995 Q45 and we test drove the M45 sitting there. Next thing I know, we had a 2003 M45 in the family!

Not as nice inside as the new 2006 M45, but we are still very pleased with it ... I still like the unique (albeit slightly dated) look of the older M45. You can never miss them on the highway!

Z

elwesso wrote:The VK takes roughly 6 quarts (5 7/8 qt, id put in 6 to make it nice and even)

Yes, that is what I do! Adding 6 quarts is easier than trying to figure out the "1/8th less oil"! It does not exceed the top mark when I do this, so I figure it is okay!

In my case, it is easy to have an extra quart or half-quart bottle around. My wife's Acura CL takes 4.5 quarts per oil-change, so with buying five bottles for her car, I usually have some oil around!

Z

Edong,

Just found your pics....AWESOME!! Holy crap, I love that color combo, and the aero kit....mmmmm.

Your explanation of the 35 and 45 cracked me up...cuz I had the same thing happen!

I was all dead set on the 35...and then asked the dealer to drive the 45. He actually said, "ahh, you wont be able to tell a difference, this one is all you need." HA!! Just coming out of the lot....I felt the mighty V8 surging thru me...Game Over....OH YEAAA!!

Turns out gas milage is just about the same anyway...

Congrats again!

Engines now-a-days are pre-broken in at the factory to ensure a more quality controlled product. However the first 500 - 1000 miles are when the engine is settling in it's wear patterns, and still breaking in the long term items (valvetrain, drivetrain, etc.). It is a good idea to follow religious OEM oil changes to insure you aren't allowing particulate matter to flow around and accelerate wear.

After about the 10,000 mark everything should be more than seated and I would consider a move to a synthetic oil, and 5000 - 7000 mile oil changes.

Nismo_Freak wrote:Engines now-a-days are pre-broken in at the factory to ensure a more quality controlled product. However the first 500 - 1000 miles are when the engine is settling in it's wear patterns, and still breaking in the long term items (valvetrain, drivetrain, etc.). It is a good idea to follow religious OEM oil changes to insure you aren't allowing particulate matter to flow around and accelerate wear.

After about the 10,000 mark everything should be more than seated and I would consider a move to a synthetic oil, and 5000 - 7000 mile oil changes.

Good advice. I'll take note of that when I get in that mileage. Thanks.