Since I do all of the routine maintenance myself, my fluid levels are not checked by Nissan mechs for topping-off, etc. I see that I need to top-off my coolant, so I consulted my manual just in case for any special instructions, etc. It says to use Genuine Nissan Anti-freeze or equivalent. (My old Hondas would get the Prestone, but I'm going to take EXTRA special care of this one ).

So DIY'ers, is the conventional stuff okay by you guys, or should I take a trip to the local Nissan dealership for the genuine? Is there a real difference? What do you guys use? Supposedly Nissan uses a special solution, blah, blah, blah.

(A search by thread titles yielded four results, one of which was only SEMI-helpful from April 2003).

Thanks for the help.

 

Good question, I would like to know the same thing.

I just finished doing my first oil change in my 04, car had 2200 miles on it, and I put in 5 qts Mobil1 5-30 synthetic.

I would like to meet the guy who designed that plastic engine cover on the bottom and the dipstick (and kick him in the head ) great design on the metal guides for the dipstick; lets the dirt and sand that have collected there go right in the hole...

 

Nissan (like most Japanese car manufacturer) use Silicate Free antifreeze. While German cars (MB, BMW, VW) use Phosphate Free antifreeze. To add to the confusion, in the US, General Motor uses DexCool antifreeze. I am not an antifreeze expert. But.. don't top off your Z's cooling system with other "green" antifreeze like Preston(which uses silicate as a cheap anticorrosive agent but binding aluminum). The story goes that silicate can destroy water pump on cars. Peak has a new antifreeze call 'Global' which they claim is compatible with all antifreeze formulations. I ended up paying a few bucks more and got a jug of Nissan OE antifreeze. That way, i can keep the green OEM color without having to put Preston in my Z. Hope this helps

 

I ended up doing that too, a day after I posted this thread. A little less than $20, and a lot of peace-of-mind.

 

Prestone just went in last night, you might wanna start the car then pop the cap off (on the radiator) to let any air bubbles get out of the system.

 

Your Z came filled with Nissan's Long-Life Antifreeze/Coolant...spend a little more and get your gallon (for topping off...and don't forget to make it a 50/50 distalled water and coolant mixture) from the dealer...mix anything else with the factory coolant and you could end up ruining it's longevity (which is about 4 yrs/50miles).

 

If you're just topping off (couldn't be adding more than a cup) and you're not ready for a full flush/refill of the radiator....just put in Distilled Water.