EX35: similarity to other models, and maintenance ?s

[NJGuy]

I’m a new owner of a pre-owned 2008 EX35 who is looking to start performing my own maintenance on my vehicle. My EX is approaching 30K miles, so it looks like it is due for a major service. I was looking for some information in the EX35 forum, but didn’t really get definitive answers when I started a similar thread a little while back.

It appears that the many model years of the EX, FX, G, and M have a longitudinally mounted VQ engine variant, 5spd A/T, standard RWD and optional AWD. And there are a good number of How-to procedures available for these cars. I'm interested to find out where all the similarities end. Since the EX is based on the G platform, I'd imagine that they are the probably closest to being the same. Would anyone happen to know how similar the EX, FX, M, and G series mechanicals are to each other, or what major assemblies are shared?

Looking at the NICOCLUB technical articles, it seems like most of the how-to procedures are geared to the G35/G37 and other models. Are the maintenance procedures the same for the EX and G (or another model)?

I’ve been pretty much a Honda owner until now, and I got to know them inside out when it came to maintenance. Also with the Hondas, it seemed like the recommended maintenance items were a bit more definitive when compared to the Infiniti ones. It looks like Infiniti has: 1. the "Premium Maintenance" a.k.a. money maker for the dealership service dept.; 2. "Schedule 1" maintenance, which most people probably fall under; and 3. "Schedule 2", for those who have ideal driving conditions. I think I'll be following schedule 2, but I might perform a few of the fluid changes a little bit early.

The Infiniti Premium service says to replace the ATF, differential, and transfer case oils at 30K intervals; Schedule 1 says to inspect at 15K intervals, and to replace at 30K intervals if towing a trailer, using a camper or car-top carrier, or driving on rough or muddy roads. Obviously towing is not recommended with the EX and campers do not apply here. I'm guessing most of us don't use a car-top carrier year-round. And rough and muddy roads, while open to interpretation, are what I'd think: unpaved surfaces. Otherwise, there is no change interval indicated for these fluids in Schedule 1 or 2 services. So unless you're following the Premium service schedule, there doesn't seem to be any mileage interval for changing those fluids. Does anyone have their own recommended schedule for ATF, transfer case, and rear diff fluid?

Is there anything special about Nissan ATF? I understand that it was specially formulated for use in our transmissions. I'll stick with the OEM recommendation while in the warranty period, but I might try something else afterward. With Hondas and Acuras, most owners were scared to stray from the 'special' Honda ATF; the vehicles use an unconventional transmission design which seemed very sensitive to fluid type. However, it turned out that there are other fluids available that appear to work just as well, if not better than the Honda juice. I was wondering whether or not the same applied to Nissan/Infiniti transmissions as well.

I know that my post is a bit long, so I figured I’d just repeat my questions again to make replying to this post a little easier.
1. Would anyone happen to know how similar the EX, FX, M, and G series mechanicals are to each other? What major mechanical assemblies/components are shared between the EX and other models?
2. Are maintenance procedures the same for the EX and another model?
3. Does anyone have their own recommended schedule for ATF, transfer case, and rear diff fluid?
4. Is there anything special about Nissan ATF?

Thanks.

[Q451990]

I'm pretty sure the mechanicals in terms of maintenance would be very similar, if not identical to the G.

Nissan ATF is specified, and I would absolutely use it - and only it - as long as you have a warranty in place. It would just be too easy for them to void your warranty if you have transmission issues if you don't. It has some sort of chemical marker in it, so they can tell...

After the warranty, there are some aftermarket ATF alternatives that claim to match Nissanmatic J's specifications.

I would change the rear differential fluid ASAP. I changed mine on the G at about 28K, and it was full of metal flakes. Sparkling in the sun while it drained metal flakes. I've seen others that changed theirs at much earlier mileages (7K or so) with similar stories - so apparently the break-in on these differentials causes this. I changed mine with every oil change four times in a row. After the third change, it looked pretty good coming out. If you follow my suggestion for getting the metal flakes out, I'd go with cheap gear oil (I used SuperTech from Walmart) for the "flush" changes, followed by a better brand oil for the third or 4th fill.

The FSM calls for new washers on the drain and fill bolts at every change - but from what I can tell they're not crush washers, and don't really need to be replaced.

Good luck!

Heath