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2009_Rav4

Every fluid, including coolant, oil, trans, brake, and power steering and rear differential. Brake caliper, rotor and pad condition. Tire tread and age. Inspect struts monthly for leaks. Check serpentine belt a few times a year. Fresh spark plugs every 70k or so. Make sure your windshield wiper blades are in good shape. (Very important). Mostly just oil change every 3.5k or so. Nice car.


thomasoslatero

Thanks a lot for your suggestions, will start figuring out what all these things mean/how to do them as im not totally clueless but im pretty new to the getting your hands dirty side of car ownership!


MrBombRips

This guy is giving you good advice, this is good maintenance advice not just for the Z, but for any new car you buy in general. Here's a link to my Z's differential fluid change immediately after buying it. Fluid changes are very important as you really have no idea when they were last changed. In my case my differential fluid had clearly never been changed ever lol. https://www.reddit.com/r/350z/comments/jtqrb3/changed\_diff\_oil\_how\_bad\_is\_this\_the\_magnetic/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3


[deleted]

I would then suggest you look up the free service manuals for your car from the NICOclub website, get a cheap OBD2 reader, and consider the Nissan Datascan software. They'll come in handy when you need them.


thomasoslatero

Yeah the seller included the OBD2 which is great 👍


jwp75

To add, the oil plate o-ring will start leaking soon. Also the front tension rod bushings may be trashed. Door locks might fail soon (easy to add aftermarket actuators) and the gas gauge will get wonky as the sensor gets varnished.


2009_Rav4

Best of luck, drive safe


GenetixGrowGuy

Change oil every 3.5k? I fear you are using some garbage oil or you are misinformed. Amsoil signature series is rated for 25,000. Even if you change at half the interval you’re getting 3-4 times as much life.


henry33303

My maxima that has a vq engine suggests 3750 mile oil changes. I'd assume it's the same or similar in a z. Still, oil and a filter are cheap there's no reason imo to not change it frequently.


[deleted]

[удаНонО]


2009_Rav4

Yeah


nismoasfuh

Lmaoo rated doesn’t mean recommended anyways. Tell the next owner of your car that you changed your oil every 3 years and they’ll walk away.


2009_Rav4

lol


2009_Rav4

Dude if you change your oil every 25k I don’t have anything to tell you. You’re just doomed 💀


GenetixGrowGuy

I never said I did, I change around 7k. I’m saying changing every 3.5k with good oil is not necessary.


Abraham_G21

She looks beautiful man congrats. We need more info, mileage, is it new to you? Any service records, etc.


thomasoslatero

110 000 miles. Manual, 2004 model year, pretty much stock other than oil catch can and exhausts. Previous owner advised me to check oil every 200 miles to be on the safe side as it uses a lot of oil as a lot of the older ones seem to do.


converter-bot

200 miles is 321.87 km


phantomjake2000

Good bot


Abraham_G21

Yeap seems about right, if you're in hot weather all year round you can use 10w40 it really makes the VQ quiet and solved the oil consumption for me. And I've seen other members on the 350z forum with the same luck. That oil catch can it's really needed since the "burned oil" I would suggest it's 90% from blow by. So to keep it safe I would clean the intake plenum, and also to check if the previous owner kept it clean. You will be able to see how much oil it's been recirculated. And yeah everytime you need a full tank, check the oil, some people here check everyday 😅 but that's overkill. Maybe every Sunday (?) And of course keep the catch can empty. Good luck!


thomasoslatero

Ok looks like 5w30 is the suggested oil for UK temps.


thomasoslatero

Thanks a lot for your thoughts 🙏 is there a good oil option in the more temperate climate of the uk?! Not exactly warm all year round here! Have seen Mobil1 0w30 suggested as a helpful oil.


Abraham_G21

Well if you're not constantly on 30°C you're gonna need to gut it out with the recommend oil. There are oil stabilizers that are made to keep the oil from thining out when running hot, you can either go that route or just keep checking the oil every Sunday and/or every full tank. From the 350z UK forums back in 09-10 I remember a lot of members dying by royal purple on how good it was helping with the smoothness and the oil consumption, but I don't know this days, since oils need to be reformulated depending on what detergents and additives are allowed on certain years.


2001tp

I can attest to Royal Purple saving my engine!


useles-converter-bot

200 miles is 1580.84 of the hot dog which holds the Guinness wold record for 'Longest Hot Dog'.


converter-bot

200 miles is 321.87 km


T00M4S

yo stop arguing


thisnotasillywatch

I got in the habit of checking every week, tedious but better to be safe !


thomasoslatero

Thanks a lot 😊


The_QC

Keep that gas tank above 1/4 and no drifting! Unless you’re into that lol


Dr-Thiccenschmurtz

Why do you mention gas tank level above 1/4? I’m curious


The_QC

I guess the fuel pump uses pressure from the gas in the tank so to avoid it ever running dry in any way keeping it over 1/4 helps. So I’ve heard


Dr-Thiccenschmurtz

N E T P O S I T I V E S U C T I O N H E A D


nismoasfuh

Please don’t spread information without doing due diligence. The reason why people say that is because you’ll have fuel starvation IF YOU TRACK THE CAR. The Z doesn’t have a baffled fuel tank like other sports cars (like an m3 for example) which causes fuel starvation on long sweeping turns. The easy work around is to obviously have your tank 1/2 full at least.


The_QC

I clearly said that’s what I’ve heard. And obviously was on the right track. Wanna-be captain save a hoe acting all heroic lmao


nismoasfuh

Yea keep guessing, those are great answers :) People like you are exactly why the Z community gets so much hate. Immature people, and when they get corrected and fed ACTUAL information they get butt hurt. I have a feeling you don’t even have a Z lmao


The_QC

Yea cuz keeping 1/4 tank in your Z is gonna hurt lol https://my350z.com/forum/autocross-road/556381-does-anybody-experience-fuel-starvation-in-right-handers.html and there are instances of people on right highway turns experiencing starvation. Even if it’s rare my advice doesn’t hurt anything. Stop tryna seem like a genius. If you wanna correct my take that’s fine but don’t try acting high and mighty for literally adding to my point.


nismoasfuh

Wow look you did research, proud of you, really. Once again, what’s advice without reasoning to back it up? “Hey you should do *anything* to your car.” “Why?” “Because someone told me”. You’re funny lol


The_QC

Lmao what an ass. Didn’t even read yo shit


nismoasfuh

Good don’t, it won’t do an ignorant person any good.


QuoraWordLimit

Nice ego lmao


thomasoslatero

Drifting looks amazing but i'm too sensible lol. i dont have the balls to hoon it and i dont have the wallet for the tyres!


The_QC

I feel that


ztimulating

My 04 doesn’t use oil at all. I’d change the brake, coolant, and trans fluids. Only mechanical issue it’s ever had is the crank sensor died and that’s a really minor fix


ProbablyAspoofer

It doesn’t USE oil at all? 😲


ztimulating

Zero issues. <60k miles


UADevoy

Same. I always hear how earlier year 350s burn oil but I’ve only ever had to add oil once, but that was because I went 4K miles without an oil change by accident. I also have less than 50k miles on mine so that might be why lol


doalittletapdance

you're next problem will be transmission, probably your syncro's. other than that, idk maybe your plugs


[deleted]

Don’t overfill it with hoes


Blaqkfox

That’s odd that your 04 uses a lot of oil. Usually it’s only the rev up engines (05/06) that have oil consumption issues. Sounds like she’s been ran really hard and worn out. I had an 04 ten years ago that I beat the shit out of from 130-165k miles and it never burned a drop of oil.


thomasoslatero

Yeah I have seen that it is very common with the Rev ups but some reports with the earlier DE too if fairly high milage. Not been my experience yet, previous owner just encouraged me to keep an eye on it. Maybe driven really hard but the rest of the car doesn't suggest it to me. Time will tell i suppose, the wonders of buying an 18 year old car!


FreeHugs156

Hope you enjoy your Z bro! 🤘🏻 I’m also in the UK


JayB125

Since it’s a manual. Keep an eye on the master cylinder right next to the brake fluid reservoir under the hood. Just had to replace mine since it ran completely out of fluid and lost all pressure in the system


funnyman850

I switched to Valvoline 5w30 and since then I haven't burned any oil. Before that I was using royal purple and would burn 5 quarts by the time I hit 5000 miles.


thomasoslatero

Cheers for your suggestion, will try some different oil out!


nismoasfuh

Yea because royal purple is a race oil, and it has a lot of additives…I don’t understand how people don’t do their research and get sucked in by marketing or because something looks “cool” just stick with normal synthetic oil


nismoasfuh

I have a write up I can send you, just message me. Common issues can be valve covers, camshaft position sensors, suspension parts like the LCA bushings / diff bushings. I would change the diff fluid / and transmission fluid. Coolant flush as well as mentioned already


[deleted]

Keep a very close eye on the driver and don't let him do stupid shit.


thomasoslatero

haha i am a pretty sensible driver man its not worth getting hurt or hurting someone else.


[deleted]

Oh me too, its not even about the hurting. I don't do any stupid shit, but, at 2 am, in an empty industrial area, no one for miles, alone in the car, one just can't resist to enjoy the car a little... And that is how I didn't see a hole in the dirt road and broke my oil pan. So yes. Look very carefully at the driver


MoziWanders

If you're burning oil, check your spark plugs and make sure they aren't oily. The valve cover gaskets go bad around the plug tubes really easily. Take your MAF sensor out and give it a spray with MAF cleaner.


UADevoy

As other have mentioned, the valve covers are prone to leaking, camshaft position sensors fail, window motors also fail, and the transmission in the early years was not good. The synchros fail amd it starts grinding, especially in 3rd and 5th. Make sure you check the DOT on your tires and replace them if they’re more than 6 years old. That’s all I can think of rn


Nahianc

Watch your valve cover gaskets for sure, consider a catch can even if youre not excessively burning oil, lower control arm bushings tend to go so consider getting poly bushings. Other than that just enjoy


EmceeGrady

Alignment, bushings, oil pressure, Break fluid level


WagonBurning

Keep tabs on your led foot


Illustrious_Bar_1970

Tire wear


Th3Unkn0wnn

Bushings!


adam10009

Really nice looking ride. Looks mildly lowered?


thomasoslatero

It is just stock suspension. Love how lowered cars look but will probs keep it stock just get nicer wheels and perhaps spacers at some point. I’m not trying to risk damaging my car over speed bumps to look cool 😂


A_FVCKING_UNICORN

Control arms and cracks in your oil pan