oil change and others 20k
 

ok guys so im a proud new owner of a 09 370z. i picked her up yesterday and i love it. just few questions how do i check when my next oil change should be? i know at 30k its oil filter trans fluid coolant and a few other things but im 200 miles away front 20k...i bought the car with 19802 on it...so when should i get my oil changed. i use to have a bmw that told me everything

There is a reminder that shows up on the multi-display (where outside temp, MPG, &c are displayed) and can be set from the same panel. Owner's Manual has more info. Download the manual (and FSM if you plan on doing any work on your Z) if you didn't get one.

Unless I know for sure that PO changed them recently, I replace the engine oil/filter on any used car that I buy. I had all the fluids changed in my '09 at ~23k miles but I tend to be overly cautious about such things.

I would have it changed at @20K if you do not know when the previous owner has the last oil change. Also unless they kept a record you do not know what type of oil they used (for all you know they threw in some cheap gas station oil)

Depending on your driving style and what type of oil you plan on using I would change every 3-5K miles. I would also recommend checking your oil every 1K to make sure you are not burning any oil.

I run Redline 5-30 and change every 5K

Congrats on the Z!

yah just change the oil and filter. also remove the steering lock fuse or cut brown wire. check DIY.

latter is wat you should be more concerned about.

so has anyone tried that new Pennzoil natural gas full synthetic yet? I use royal purple..... but have been itching to try this out if I could ever find a place that carries more than 3 quarts of 5W 30.

As far as I can tell (but I'm no expert), "natural gas full synthetic" is marketing hype. It's the same basic synthetic oil, just using a different feedstock to make it - no different than any other full-syn lube except for maybe the additives. Ie, probably a good synthetic oil but not any better than what is already available. YMMV

I don't disagree that it's probably prudent to change fluids on a used car. Might even consider sending the old fluids off to Blackstone Labs or similar to get an analysis done. Might give a little insight into how the engine and driveline has been wearing in the hands of the previous owner and give you the opportunity to correct little problems before they become big problems.

I've never had a UOA done; I just do frequent changes. But it does sound like an excellent idea if it can be done before you sign on the dotted line. I'm in the market for another car but not sure if getting a UOA would be practical. How much oil is required for a sample and how long does it take to get results? If the seller changed oil/filter the day before I get a sample, will there still be enough "junk" left to show up on the test?

An oil analysis takes anywhere from 7-14 days, usually closer to the 7 day mark. A brand-new oil change wouldn't give an accurate picture - IMHO you'd want about 3000 miles on the engine oil. Be careful about overinterpreting the results. Some of the stuff, like wear metals, combustion byproducts, and fuel or coolant contamination, is going to be more useful than the other information. A single report doesn't tell the whole engine story but will tell parts of it and might tell more about the oil being used than the condition of the engine. OTOH, it only costs $25.

The biggest value of UOA is for fleet owners. Might help the determine reasonable drain intervals and save money on oil changes on lots of vehicles.

Thanks for the great answer. :tiphat:

Just check your dipstick, if it's gold, purple, or whatever color they use, you are good. If it's brown, you need to change it, if it's black, you need to change it. And by brown, I mean Brown. If the oil looks milky, you have some problems. :ugh:

Steering Lock Fuse was already removed when I sold it. I told the purchaser that. Purchaser seems to have been a douche who flipped the car to the new owner, sadly.

Either way, he should be GTG there.

I religiously change my oil every 3k miles, but as of recently, the Z has been garaged more and driven mostly on weekends. I'm still about 700 miles til my next change, but it has been a few months. Should I change the oil early? Or if I check the oil what is it that I'm looking for? Too dark-change now? Mileage is 23,3xx Thanks guys

i change my oil once a year. probably put about 3-4k miles a year.

You should be changing it either on a time or mile basis, whichever comes first.

I don't remember the Z's mileage interval, but 6 months is considered the longest you'd want to go....