# Oil change interval for little-driven 2003 Nissan 350Z

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** nissan, 350z\
**Created:** [March 14, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028 "2020-03-14T16:56:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JonathanBramhall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@JonathanBramhall](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JonathanBramhall)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028/1 "2020-03-14T16:56:22Z")

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I use synthetic oil and drive this car maybe 1000 miles/yr. How often should I change the oil?

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**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028/2 "2020-03-14T20:49:08Z")

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Your Owner’s Manual should say something like “every X,000 miles or X months, _whichever comes first._” I’d change it twice a year on principle.

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**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 5:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028/3 "2020-03-15T05:18:29Z")

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My owners manual/maintenance schedule states to change the oil every 3 months/3,000 miles, I change my oil once a year/5,000 miles with modern conventional oil. Your specific use will be a factor in your oil change interval, you may not need to adhere to the “every 6 months” in your case.

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028/4 "2020-03-15T19:53:08Z")

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I change once a year with synthetic oil. All 3 cars are driven about 3000 a year or less.

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028/5 "2020-03-15T21:52:22Z")

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I’d go once a year.

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**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028/6 "2020-03-15T21:56:53Z")

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Yes, once a year makes sense. Contamination will be slight with such low mileage. On old style cars you would do a grease job once a year as well.

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**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028/7 "2020-03-15T21:56:59Z")

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Is it stored in a controlled environment? If outdoors I would consider spring and fall.

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**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-interval-for-little-driven-2003-nissan-350z/161028/8 "2020-03-15T23:08:40Z")

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Depends on if you make a lot of short trips or a few longer ones.  
If you’re driving almost every day I’d say every 6 months.  
If it’s ten 50 mile trips a year I’d say every 2 years.