How many of you guys do (or plan to do if you're a new owner) your own fluid changes on the G37 sedan?

Looking at Schedule 1 Maintenance:

Oil and filter: every 3750 mi / 3 mo
(on a scale of 1 (big pain) to 5 (easiest oil change of any car you've owned) how would you rate it?

replace brake fluid: every 15k mi / 12 mo
(is brake fluid replacement a DIY job or does it require a sealed vacuum machine?)

I guess that's it? Coolant isn't replaced until 105k mi / 7 yr, which is amazingly long compared to some cars. No schedule for power steering fluid and automatic transmission fluid?

If you don't do yourself, might want to avoid Jiffy Lube: YouTube - Jiffy Lube Scam Caught on Tape! (though I'm sure this goes on at some dealerships too).

 

Oil change - 5
Brake fluid change - 4
Coolant - 3

 

I do my own changes and use my own tools. If you have the basics (low profile jack, jack stands, 14 mm wrench, impact and torque wrench, etc.) it's pretty easy. Almost all the changes are 4/5, if you have the basic mechanical skills, knowledge and tools.

PS and AT require specialized tools.

 

What's the story on the 7AT transmission fluid for a 2011? Nothing in the manual that I could find, other than an ambiguous mention on pg 8-12.

No recommended replacement interval?
Is there a dipstick to check the level/color/smell of the ATF?

 

Oil change would be rated at a 4 out of 5 for me. Having to remove the shield each time is the only reason it is not a 5 out of 5. My other cars dont have a shield. The shield is easy to remove, just takes a little extra time.

Other than that, the oil change is just as easy as any other car that I have owned. Finding the just the oil is another question...but there is a whole other thread on that.

 

You should only have to remove the back 4 bolts and then pull back the hinged flap (this gives access to the drain plug and filter), I hold that flap back w/ an extra hydraulic jack. Only adds about 2 minutes to the oil change if it didn't have a shield. My 07 G35 was the same.

 

I have only done one oil filter change. I would rate it a 5. Very good design within easy reach.
I was suprised to see the change in brake fluid at 15k. I have never changed that in other cars. Is it really necessary?

 

I dont know about you guys but i would rate coolant changes as the easiest out of the three. There is just 1 plug you open and just let it drain. You can rinse it out with some DI if you wanted to. Then refill with fluid. There is no filter to change.

 

I've never changed the brake fluid in any car I've owned, to include the G. and I have 32K miles on my G. no problems

 

Yep, it's odd. Other cars with comparable brakes can go much farther, so they definitely made a choice with this short interval. It didn't need to be this way.

It's not out of the question that it was done as a moneymaker for dealerships, and they don't actually have data to support that short interval. They will obviously never admit this though, and can just say it's a conservative safety-based interval.

The two accepted tests for brake fluid are for the presence of water and the presence of copper. Some people say the copper test alone is enough, and there are test strips for it. Depending how much the dealer charges, it might be worth buying some of these test strips, combined with whether you sense any change in brake effectiveness.

I guess you could buy one of the performance measuring systems and check your 60-0 brake distance/time periodically. That might be the most direct way to judge quantitatively.

 

Not sure if it's a sedan/coupe difference but I have looked all through my maintenance book and it doesn't ever say to change the brake fluid. Ive got a coupe, if that makes a difference

 

True, but it is very important to refill the car properly (bleed all the air out of the system when refilling) or the car can overheat. On the G37 coupe there are 2 separate air relief plugs. One is on the radiator requiring removal of one of the stock airboxes and the other is on the heater hose behind the driver side TB. I had a friend who didn't bleed the air properly in his first gen G sedan and refill very slowly and it caused overheating problems until he drained/refilled again properly. The biggest key is refilling the system very slowly.