R35 GT-R Maintenance Logs Part 2 - Coolant and Diffs
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In my last Maintenance Log I talked
about the two services that people ask about the most when it comes
to the care and feeding of an R35 GT-R: oil changes and transmission
fluid swaps. This time I brought in my car for two less commonly done
but no less important services: changing the engine coolant and
swapping the differential fluid.
Now, since you're reading a car blog
like this most likely you're a die-hard gearhead who already knows
why all the regular maintenance items recommended by the manufacturer
are needed and you're not one of the millions of clueless commuters
who think their vehicle runs by the magic of irradiated gerbils and
unicorn dust and all those service jobs are just a scam by the big,
bad car company to take away your hard-earned ducats. However, this
being the interwebs and there's always a possibility you may have
wandered onto this site without the benefit of already being
omniscient like some internet commenters seem to act (heaven forbid
that you should ever show weakness by admitting to ignorance and
searching for answers to stuff you don't know) then I'll bid you a
hearty welcome and explain to you why a periodic coolant swap is a
good idea. Maybe it'll help you on the path to gearhead nirvana.
So, why do a coolant swap every few
years, or in the R35's case every 2 years or 24,000 miles? Does the
coolant go bad from absorbing too much testosterone or losing
vitamins or something? Is there an expiry date to coolant like that
three year-old Viagra you keep under your bed “just in case”?
Well, coolant does essentially “go
bad” after some time in an engine but not from losing vitamins,
instead it loses the beneficial properties of the additives that are
included in modern coolant solutions and over time it ends up
containing too many contaminants. Modern coolant additives help keep
your water pump lubricated and happy so like oil keeps your engine
spinning nicely, fresh coolant can help ensure your water pump does
the same. Additives also help prevent corrosion since most modern
coolants are still water based. Replacing the coolant periodically
not only refreshes that rust protection but also removes
contamination in the old fluid from whatever rust did develop. And
that's why you should swap your coolant in a timely fashion (and you
better get rid of that expired Viagra too before you end up in the
emergency room telling a very embarrassing story, just sayin').
So, how much does a coolant swap cost
at a mainline Nissan dealer? About 200 bucks, broken down into about
$170 in labor, and 30ish for the fluid. The GT-R just uses standard
Nissan coolant, nothing special and expensive. Again, like I talked
about in the oil change post, you can DIY these jobs to save you a
bundle on labor as long as you know what you're doing. Here's a guide
for you resourceful and awesome people who want to do so:
It's important to mention right now
that there's another alternative to standard water-based coolants –
the so-called waterless coolants like Evans NPG. I've never used them
myself but have talked to several people who swear by them. They have
several advantages over regular coolants – no need for periodic
flushes, less pressure in the system (in theory less stress on
hoses), no corrosion due to no water, etc. - in exchange for a higher
cost for the initial replacement. After that initial replacement
though you'll never have to swap fluids again so in theory it saves
in the long run. A lot of people don't keep their cars long enough to
make the higher cost of waterless coolant worth it but for gearheads
who hang on to their cars it's worth considering - which is
why I'm thinking of going with waterless coolant for my R32 once the
fluids are being put in. I skipped it for the R35 this time since I
hadn't done enough research yet to feel safe taking the plunge.
On to the differential fluid swap. With
all those gears whirling around inside and working hard to deliver
the power efficiently to all four wheels to give the GT-R its famed
explosive acceleration and faster-than-electricity cornering you'll
want to keep your front and rear diffs all nice and lubricated for
maximum fun-making.
The differential fluid change is
normally done at the same intervals as the trans fluid change. Mine
happened at different times because of the build my car went through
where the transmission was rebuilt and therefore had a fluid change
then. Having mentioned that they normally happen at the same time I'd
like to make a clarification on the transmission fluid intervals I
gave in my last Maintenance Log post. Back then I said the interval
was 18,000 miles by mileage and that's still correct but that's for
a CBA or 2009-2011 car like mine. The later generation DBA R35s
(2012-2016) - and presumably the 2017s as well, though I haven't seen
the manual for that yet to say for sure - extended the interval to
36,000 miles or 36 months which I didn't know at the time of that
post so I've since corrected my previous article to reflect this new
info. The diff change interval should therefore be done as well at
18,000 miles/18 months or 36,000 miles/36 months depending on your
car's model year. Of course, like any maintenance recommendation
these are only guidelines and heavy use, especially on track, will
need more frequent changes - so consult your dealer or a
knowledgeable expert if you use or abuse your car more than normal.
To do this at the dealer is pricey even
when you stick to Nissan's OEM oil – about $280 in labor plus about
$390 in fluids means you pay just under seven hundred dollars every
time you do this. If you're the DIY sort, here's a good guide to help
you out:
And that's it for this Maintenance Log.
Coming up in the next installment I'll talk about a very expensive
but extremely important service – a full brake job. Check back to
find out how many body parts I have to pawn for that service!
Cost summary for part 2:
Coolant swap - ~ $200 through a
dealer
~ $ 30+ if DIY
Transmission fluid change - ~$670
through a dealer
~$400 if DIY
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