M35x, hardest car to check oil on ever?

[Dave_N]

Hi,

Just got a 2007 M35x.

Is it just me, or is this the hardest car ever for checking the oil? The angle you have to reach to pull the dipstick and then the rotation to get it out is just strange. And with the visibility, forget about doing at night. I had to get a flashlight to do it in the daytime!

Other than that, no flaws so far.

[tigerclaws1318]

Hi,

Just got a 2007 M35x.

Is it just me, or is this the hardest car ever for checking the oil? The angle you have to reach to pull the dipstick and then the rotation to get it out is just strange. And with the visibility, forget about doing at night. I had to get a flashlight to do it in the daytime!

Other than that, no flaws so far.

Hardest car to check oil level? I never heard of that one before. lolWas the oil changed recently where its really clear that it blends in with the dipstick? Make sure you insert the dipstick in the right way where it slides in and out smoothly.Best time to check the oil level is after its been sitting overnight where all the oil has drained back into the oil pan.

[M35 Sport]

Hi,

Just got a 2007 M35x.

Is it just me, or is this the hardest car ever for checking the oil? The angle you have to reach to pull the dipstick and then the rotation to get it out is just strange. And with the visibility, forget about doing at night. I had to get a flashlight to do it in the daytime!

Other than that, no flaws so far.

I AGREE!! It really is hard to tell. I also need a flash light to check mine sometime. Yeah the oil seems to blend in with the dip stick.

[rural_m35x]

YES! Why couldn't an extra 2 or 3 inches have been added to the dipstick tube at the top of the engine? Maybe most people that drive a car of this quality don't ever check their own oil? From what I see on this forum though, there are a lot of handy M35 owners.

[Johntomferg]

I don't recall having a problem on my 2006 M45 checking the oil. Must be a *feature* of the M35.

[NotEnough]

Would have to agree....checked the oil for the first time this past Fri in preparation for a run to Lafayette, LA for a wedding on Sat. Getting it out isn't too bad, but almost impossible to NOT get a little bit of oil on everything around it. All of that black plastic required a flashlight to see the target.

Getting the dip stick back into the hole was an exercise in angling and rotating the stick. The little guide trough that they put there helps, but it isn't flush with the opening so the tip of the stick tends to find the crack btw the two.

With that said, you do need to let it sit for awhile due to the bend in the dip stick tube. There's a fair bit of residual oil in the tube and can lead to false readings. I wouldn't wait for the next morning as I thought the idea was to check it with the engine warmed up??

[Eyedea]

Getting it out isn't too bad, but almost impossible to NOT get a little bit of oil on everything around it.

required a flashlight to see the target.

Getting the dip stick back into the hole was an exercise in angling and rotating the stick.

tip of the stick tends to find the crack btw the two.

you do need to let it sit for awhile due to the bend in the dip stick tube.

I wouldn't wait for the next morning as I thought the idea was to check it with the engine warmed up??

[Leximum]

You're NOT alone. There must be numerous owners scratching their heads the first time the dipstick is pulled out. My recent acquisition is a 2006 M35X. I must admit, the design of the dipstick and the routing for it to return is genius. There is only one way to go in because of that little tilt at the blade tip, but it is a very difficult and dark way. My goodness, it is pitch dark under the sun. It is strange for someone to suggest we have to leave the car overnight to allow the oil to drain down to the pan in order to check the oil more accurately. Since when an automaker suggested this to their owners. I have owned Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Acura, GM, Chrysler & other Japanese econobox in my life time, but never have I come across a difficult path like this one for checking oil.
Infiniti or Nissan, listen up, that is unacceptable. All it needs is a metal guide tube attached to the engine block to house the dipstick. Other automakers have this design. That will ease the ingress & egress in the process.
At this point, I still cannot tell from reading the dipstick whether there is enough oil in the pan because the oil is all over the blade. In my case, the majority of the oil is coated on the reverse side of the markers. I cannot explain this, but that is what it is.
Yeah, I know, I have to push the stick all the way in until it goes no further. I did that 6 times, yes, 6 times. My neighbor says I am crazy to have to do that.

[Ilya]

I don't check my oil level. No, seriously, I don't. But I change my synthetic every 5k, so WAY too often.

[pedsemdoc]

I'm wondering if this particular to the M35 or the VQ?, do Nissan 350Z owners have problems checking their oil?

I haven't noticed this to be a problem with the M45. Which reminds me, I ought to check it at my next fill up.

[svard75]

This is a zombie thread! Resurrected from 09. Or perhaps it's a vampire thread?

In any case I agree it is difficult but he who has the time to come online to b**** about this small issue really needs to find a hobby

[Ilya]

This is a zombie thread! Resurrected from 09. Or perhaps it's a vampire thread?

In any case I agree it is difficult but he who has the time to come online to b**** about this small issue really needs to find a hobby

Good catch. Didn't even notice the date. I'll have to keep an eye on the guy that brought it back...just in case he's a one-timer.

[szh]

This is a zombie thread! Resurrected from 09. Or perhaps it's a vampire thread?

In any case I agree it is difficult but he who has the time to come online to b**** about this small issue really needs to find a hobby

Good catch. Didn't even notice the date. I'll have to keep an eye on the guy that brought it back...just in case he's a one-timer.

Well, he was probably encountering this issue recently and simply did a search ... that will bring up old threads.

Z