Infiniti G35 Maintenance and Repair

bocatrip · June 2006

Since I have made numerous complaints to Infiniti Consumer Affairs about my front tire feathering, and I am on my third set of tires, I have come to the end of the line for tolerating the lousey issues, with tires, brakes, and paint. The front suspension/alignment issue with the negative camber that can't be adjusted resulting with inner front feathering is the last straw for me. My car has been aligned constantly and is always withing the "manufacturer's specs". The 350Z has the same issues and a TSB was issued which did nothing to resolve the problem. For me, I am planning on dismounting, flipping, remounting, rebalancing, and switching my front tires from one side to the other. This will give me enough time to get some mileage out of my front tires before they are junked. By the way, I have 2,000 miles on my Avons, and the fronts are feathering badly. I am planning on making it through to December so that I might purchase an 07 Lexus GS350. I've tried Infiniti and for me have had enough. Don't get me wrong, I love the G35 Coupe if it were not for these issues and poor customer relations to fess up to problems instead of dismissing them as "car is functioning as designed". By the way, this is after 3 years of ownership and only 15,000 miles on my car. At least I will get a good trade in value for the low miles. In the meantime, I'll hang in and maybe there might be some resolve with the front suspension on these cars. Am I dreaming?

pearl · June 2006

If you have not already done so, hire a lawyer. The ONLY way that Nissan will get the message on something like this is to lose big bucks. This situation is not unique to you and is regularly reported on any number of message boards. Sue them. I hate litigation, but Corporations are given every break by this administration so let's make them be responsible. SUE THEM.

esimpson2 · June 2006

I have the same problem! Only hear the "wheel noise" when I am braking, never when I am accelerating. The dealership has been absolutely no help. I have heard every half backed excuse in the world from them. The service manager actually told me with a straight face that this was normal on a coupe. This was at 3500 miles and during my first check up. I asked why I didn't hear it on the loaner sedan I was driving and why I didn't hear the tire noise when I was accelerating, why do I only hear it between 20-40 mph? He stated the sedans were quieter than the coupes. He responded that it was probably because I over inflating the tires. What a LOAD OF CRAP! 32 lbs per sq in is recommended level. I love the way this car handled the first 7500 miles but this has been just one of multiple problems that the service dept at Infinity of Raleigh NC cannot get fixed. In fact most every thing they touch has gotten worse not better. I had an acceleration sensor on the transmission burn out and it left me on the side of the road. They replaced it with the new "improved" model and now my car runs like a Civic. Absolutely no acceleration like before. Every time you give it gas there is a perceptible hesitation. The car now tries to go into passing gear every time you give it any gas. I hate this company and what they have done to a great little coupe. I thought I was buying good service and knowledgeable techs, but the experience has not produced either. All I know is never again! THIS WILL BE MY LAST INFINITY.

njjuliano · June 2006

I have had similar creaking noises, that I kept hearing coming from the front dash, to roof area. Yes, water torture to say the least. It was driving me crazy, since I hear it coming from the same vicinity, but I cant pinpoint the exact location. Here's my eerie twist...

Long story short, ends up that the noise actually was coming from the leather on the stick shift. Was very surprised how the sound travels, but everytime I hear the sound, still seeming to come from the front dash/roof area, I move the leather casing around the stick, and surely enough, it goes away. After getting used to the aesthetics of the car, yes, of course, the noise certainly was coming from the middle console.

Certain of the source of noise? Can you definitely reproduce it? Couldnt hurt to see if it actually comes from another place.

mtech1 · June 2006

They have adjustable control arms in the aftermarket for these cars that will help one obtain a more tire wear friendly suspension adjustments and possibly promote better handling.

bocatrip · June 2006

I've heard of these camber kits (control arms) such as Kinetix and Cusco. Does anyone know how good they are and if they would allow me enough adjustment to back off on the negative camber?

rollbar · June 2006

Anyone know if this problem was solved in the 2006 model?

1600 miles now and tire wear seems to be even with no feathering. The tires still look new, no unusual wear I can see.

Roll

leisurepoint · June 2006

I have a 2003 G35 I noticed some spots of rust on the drivers door up by the window, I brought it in for an oil change today & the gentleman noticed the rust, he then opened the door & discovered the door frame around the window was rusting as well. If anyone knows or has experienced this problem and has any idea on how to help prevent this Please let me know.

Leisure Point :confuse:

rollbar · June 2006

Might be my imagination but now that I've run out the obligatory 1200 break-in mileage, it seems that the 2006 is just a tad slower off the line than the 2005 was. Same equipment, but the 2006 has some added weight according to the specs. I ran some 0 to 60 times in the 2005 I might want to dig out the numbers, run the 2006 and see how they compare.

Roll

eliot2 · July 2006

Hey Guys,
Unfortunately some piece of SH*% vandalized my car while downtown a couple months ago, this included kicking dents in my door. So I take it to one of the most respected and recommended by the dealer body shops in our city, and have nothing but problems so far. They made most of the repairs with good workmanship, althought i have a problem with the following.

1) The passenger door was repaired with Body Filler because ACUITY insurance company will NOT pay for a BRAND NEW one even though the car has 6000 miles on it and is BRAND NEW. So the body shop repairs the door, but looks horrible, they claim that when they BAKED the car in the BOOTH the intrusion beam glue melted in the door and LEFT MARKS and this is a problem they cant fix. I find it CRAZY that every infiniti G35 out there that gets hit, has this problem.

So NOW I get IRATE and demand a new door, The insurance company ACUITY REFUSES still, the body shop says they'll eat the cost and do it, BUT they ordered 2 separate doors from NISSAN 2 different times, and they showed me Both doors and they LOOK WORSE than my original door? THe bodyshop claims that sometimes parts come in so bad from the factory that they actually NEED to be REPAIRED? Is this TRUE or BS? I called a couple others to get opinions and havent got a straight answer.

I called Infiniti Consumer Affairs and talked to some guy named BRETT who was clueless and said someone will get back to me, still nothing! Now how can infiniti send crap parts and how is everyone getting the doors repaired/replaced?

All opinions are welcome, what should i do, Live with the BONDO? or get a new door that needs to get fixed?
I've heard keeping the car original is better and repairing the existing door cause new parts dont always fit perfectly? Then I've heard demand a NEW DOOR and no body filler should be in that new car?

Please HELP SOMEONE!

rollbar · July 2006

Sorry I dont have a good solution for you.

It's been a long time since I was involved in collision repair but I do recall new parts can come damaged and so need repair.

I'm not sure I buy that this is an Infiniti problem as much as a body shop problem. I am surprised the carrier insisted on a repair for such a new vehicle. You said 6000 miles but not how old the car was, (time since delivery). Once the decision was made to repair, (and agreed by the shop) the shop has a responsibility to make repairs in a professional and acceptable manner. If it's inevitable the glue in the doors will melt in the paint booth than repair may not be possible, or...the shop didn't follow mfg instructions for the repair. Which may be the reason the shop agreed to replace the door panel. Did you talk to the carrier directly during the process?

Why not ask the shop to return the doors for another set that is in better shape?

Good luck with this,

Roll

putter · July 2006

Dear Gabman I have a 2003 G35 that is having the same rust problems on all 4 of the door pillers as you did . Who did you contact from Infiniti Canada because it seems that I am getting the run around at the local Infiniti dealer.
thanks.

utter · July 2006

g35xman -- I also have a 2004 G35x and am experiencing the SAME creaking. It coming from the rear window on the passenger side...and potentially from a few other places as well. Its TORTURE to listen to, so I turn up my stereo so I cannot hear it.

Please let me know if you have gotten any sort of fix for that yet. Its driving me freaking nuts....

tprice · July 2006

I hope you have more success than I've had in getting this fixed. I have 05 G that has had this almost from the beginning - predominately from right front and left rear passenger windows. I've had it to the dealer 3 times without any long-term resolution. Seems like they lubricate the window channel, etc. and send me home again. Tired of running it in repeatedly only to have it returned without problem fixed. I think the issue is more with the chrome trim piece as I can replicate sound by pushing on it. I believe there has been a service bulletin for this. It really detracts from what I had hoped would be a good ownership experience. Lot's of Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus experience without the creaks and rattles. Would not be too smart for me to get out at 8500 miles but agree that it is torture! Kind of amazing to me given all of the R&D that goes into these cars!

vpking1 · July 2006

I just got the G35x and looked at the headlights at night and noticed that plastic headlamp covers were dirty, almost like a greasy susbstance. I tried to clean them when I realized it was on the inside. Seems odd for a brand new car that has never had the HID's replaced. Is there any chance that rain or moisture could have gotten inside the sealed system.

eliot2 · July 2006

The car is a 2004.5 that I bought in May 2005
been on the road barely a year.

Infiniti says someone will contact me with 24-48 hours,
this was last Thursday, Still NO ONE has called me.
I called yesterday morning at 8am, and there like someone will be in touch today, STILL NO ONE, can someone say the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE.

So in case I didnt clarify, when the Body shop baked the paint on the car, BOTH DOORS have glued in Intrusion Beams and BOTH DOORS THE GLUE MELTED, BEWARE if anyone ever needs any painting, u cannot bake this car even though that is the ONLY way paint will CURE. The problem is when the GLUE MELTS the body panels warp and the GLUE leaves MARKS and makes ur door WAVY. What a nightmare and NO ONE will call me back, if someone from infiniti is reading this WAKE UP your losing CUSTOMERS!

g35xman · July 2006

MAN ALIVE! I know! I am completely empathetic with you. I swear, the only thing comforting me right now is knowing that there are at least a few of you out there experiencing the same horrendous noises that I am. It's like a hangnail, always there, reminding you that you paid $36k for a freaking car that sounds like a baby rattle. Unbelievable.

I have tried using silicon spray and spraying it inside all the window casings and then rubbing it around with a cloth. It works for about 1 hour. Then the sounds return. I can also replicate it by pushing on the window or the door. Also, it creaks a little when I pull the door towards me while it's shut. But, as soon as I crack the windows a hair, the creaking stops. But, of course, with the wind rushing in, you cannot drive like that for long.

I took it to the dealer for that specific problem 3 times, also with them assuring me it was fixed. Nope. I think they actually made it worse - but maybe that's just because I am focusing on the noise like it's my job.

esfoad · July 2006

I believe you are experiencing the creak/rattle for which there is a TSB. It involves pulling out the window molding and inserting a felt strip in there. This makes the window seal tighter to the door frame and stops the noise. There was a rather complete writeup on this in an earlier post with pictures and directions. Good luck.

utter · July 2006

esfoad...is the write-up that you speak of posted in the same thread as this current conversation?

I tried looking at your previous posts (clicking on your name and couldn't find it)...any hints on where it might be exactly? (I don't want you to spend time looking for it, as you have-potentially- been very helpful already)..but a finger pointed in the right direciton would be an immense help.
Thanks!

esfoad · July 2006

It was posted on Infinitihelp.com. Here's the link:
http://www.infinitihelp.com/Ownership/Bulletins/Infiniti/2003/ITB03-071.htm
I hope this helps. Good Luck.

osumatt32 · July 2006

I recently purchase a 2003 G35 with 15k miles. Now at 18k miles, I heard a squealing from my rear brakes. I took the car in to get serviced and was told that my back brakes were shot and that front pad and rotors were gone also. I looked at the service records for the car and see that the front pads and rotor were already change at 11,700 miles.
After reading up a lot about this online, I've heard all about the brake problems, but 6300 miles for a set of pads and rotors is insane. I've called CustomerAffairs, but they blew me off. I'm now trying to find out if I can get the dealership to do anything about it.
Has anyone found a solution to this problem? Even now if the dealer fixes my problem, can I really keep this car if I'm going to have to change the pads and rotors every 6-10k miles?? I know a lot of you have this problem, so I'd like to hear what you've done about it. Thanks.

rollbar · July 2006

I think this is a common problem. I had it on two coupes. It can be cleaned (mine was on the outside) but I don't recall how I did it other than just being stubborn about it.

Roll (and....it comes back)

raycar · July 2006

Does anyone know if the early brake pad wear problem was fixed for 2006. I am going to buy a G35 tomorrow and would really appreciate any guidance on this.
THX

rollbar · July 2006

Sorry, only have 2500 miles on my 06 Coupe, too early to know if I'll have rapid brake wear. But I can say the tires look like they were just mounted.....so I am hopeful Infiniti made suspension changes to correct the excessive tire wear problems that plagued the earlier models.

Roll

esfoad · July 2006

All 2006 sedans now have the larger brakes that first appeared on the 2005 rear drive sedans. I understand that this has alleviated the early wear experienced by some (but not all) sedan drivers. For example my '05 G35X with the smaller brakes has gone over 30K miles on original brakes with a mix of city/highway driving.

rollbar · July 2006

I think that's an interesting comment. I drove an FX35 for two years before I took on the G35 Coupe. I always thought the brakes on the FX were undersized for the power and weight of the vehicle. Sure enough, I had the front rotors turned or replaced on the FX about every 8k to 9k miles. New front pads every other time. The rear brakes were never a problem. I put 40,000 miles on the FX.

Roll

mnrep2 · July 2006

I have 18K on a 2005 x and have had no brake problems. The brakes throw off some dust, but nothing like my 2000 Passat did. Love the car.

reviewer · July 2006

I disagree with you on that brake problem. Yours is the first I'm aware of on an 05 with this problem.

Are you sure that your 'X' isn't a factor? I just finished my 15k marker on an '05 non-X, sedan and I have absolutely no brake issues, even when factoring in my more aggressive driving style that most G sedan drivers I see. There's been no mention by any of the folks I know with '05's in the same range, as several of us discuss everything from prices charged by various dealers for the same service, etc, or by the dealers during preventive schedules.

rphwack · July 2006

I sympathize with you. The way I handled my brake issue was to trade my 2003 G35 for the new Lexus ES 350. I've had the car for a month and I like it a lot more than the G35. You can look up my former posts #'s 2090, 2092, 2115 and 2141 in the G35 problems and solutions as to the brake issues I've had . Also be prepared to replace your control arms. When you go over a Speed bump especially in the morning you'll hear a metal on metal sound. It's the control arms or the bushings. Before my warranty ran out I was able to get them to change them which corrected the problem. Had I kept the car for another 5 years I probably would have ended up having to replace them again. In the end I just didn't feel that the poor gas mileage, poor handling in the snow and the possible maintainence issues that would have eventually cropped up justified keeping this car. i don't think that they put a lot of thought into designing a car with good quality control that will be relatively maintainence-free . I'll be happier knowing that my lexus will be more reliable. I guess I'll find out. Good luck with your decision. Maybe the new 2007 G35's will be better. They can't be worse or can they?

romeyp · July 2006

I have searched through 28 pages of post to see if anyone else had this issue or if it was just the case with my just purchased off lease 2003 G35 Sedan.

It's good to know that it is a common "thing" and not a problem.

I love the car and just wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong with it that I may have missed at purchase.

Thank you sooooo much!

emreergen · July 2006

I purchased my a week ago. 2003 G35 sedan with 76k miles. Has been serviced by Infiniti dealer since day 1 (have all records) I havent got the title so i only started the car 3-4 times last week and did not drive more than 5-6 miles total. today i tried to start but it did not! I dont think its batter cause all lights, radio and even a/c works. it gives a sound like "trrrrrrr".
does it ever happened to u?
Also when i lock it with remote the horn has a weaker sound, u can barely hear it. It was way louder 2 days ago when i started it last time.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA???
i'm soo upset cause i just sold my 1998 I-30 with 120Kmiles and I used it for 3 years-50k miles with out experiencing a single problem.
thanks for your help...

esfoad · July 2006

If it's still the original battery, most likely that is your problem. The lights will still work but there's not enough juice to turn the starter.

brionini · July 2006

I've owned my G35 for more than 3 yrs and always put premium gas. I now learned that if there is a knock sensor in the car, one can just use regular gas. Can someone fill me in if we can safely use regular?

emreergen · July 2006

It is the original battery...
I jump started it after reading your thread and it started without any problems...
Thanks for the help...

Does anybody know if we can replace the battery with the ones at Autozone (maintenance free ones) or does it have to be original INFINITI battery?
thanks again...

mnrep2 · July 2006

It does not have to be the oem or Infiniti battery.

smokey75 · July 2006

You can safely use regular gas but the knock sensor will retard the ignition timing, resulting in less power & worse fuel economy.

guest · July 2006

When my car went in for it's 18,750 service visit, it needed rear brakes. While talking to the service manager, I mentioned that I hired an attorney because there is definitely something wrong with the brakes on min 05 G35X and plenty others if you read these boards.
The service manager, said, "I am glad you are doing something because he is in the middle." There isn't anything he can do because his hands are tied. "You are not the only person with this problem. It would make my job much easier if someone could get Infiniti to admit there is a problem." "Each dealer is independently owned so there isn't much we can do except pass on the information we are told." "I'll just tell you this, the brake pads have been changed on the 2006's again and it took them a long time to admit there was an issue with the 2003/04's."
I personally believe the problem is that some of the 2005's were still made with the brake parts as the 2003/2004's even though the parts have a 2005 part number on them. Since I got my car in February of 05, it was made in 2004. And since getting the information from the Service Manager about the brakes being changed on the 2006 models, if there was nothing wrong with the 2005 brakes but the drivers, why would they change them again?

dem739 · July 2006

Why don't you read the messages on this board from other 2005 G35X drivers who have the same problem. Need brake pads and rotors.

me_and_g35 · July 2006

When I bought my G35 back in 2004, I experimented different grades. (87, 89, and 91 are available in CA) Based on what I did, 91 gave me slightly better mileage and much smoother driving experience.

rphwack · July 2006

I just got a letter from Infinity congratulating me on the fact that they have decided to extend the rust corrosion warranty from 7 years to 10 years. No if they would only extend the warranty on the brake pads and rotors from 3 years to 6 years they might restore my faith in them that they really care about their customers.

jccai1 · August 2006

I have a 2006 RWD with the dual zone climate control. When I set it on Auto or Auto Economy, the A/C seems to blow too hard for way too long, even when the interior is not hot at all (e.g. parked in a garage for the whole day). I have to set the themostat to something ridiculous like 85F for it to slow down to a comfortable level. The air coming out of the vents is icy cold, so it's definitely cooling the cabin. I suspect either the interior temperature sensor or the sun sensor on the dash is not working properly. Also, I suspect this keeps the A/C compressor working over time, robbing the car of power and gas mileage (16mpg city). I've had two G35 loaners during service, and both felt faster than mine.

I live in Texas so it has been hot. But I have another car (and I've had 2 others in the past) with auto climate control. And on the same day, I never have to set it higher than 72F to be comfortable. It only blows hard for the first few minutes and then slows down.

The dealer of course told me there's nothing wrong with my car. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

vpking1 · August 2006

Amazing how Infiniti keeps shipping these cars with creaking dash. It sounds like a haunted house. Mysteriously it went a way for a few hours the other evening. It came back with a vengeance today. I'm sure our 100 degree temperatures and high humdity on the East Coast had something to do with it. The plastic changes shape and structure during heat. Why aren't these problems being resolved on the assembly line. I saw the service bulletin. Some jury rig method using masking tape. You think Lexus ever sends cars out with problems like this. I needed the AWD for the Winter so the ES350 really wasn't an option. I really like the G35x but I can't live with this annoying noise for 7 years.

dancerman · August 2006

Vehicle interiors are full of double stick tape to close gaps and prevent noise. Using it in a TSB is common. If it works and can't be seen, I'd be happy. Keep us posted.

dodgiebloke · August 2006

I just purchased my car a month ago. It had 53k miles on it. It is still under warranty. I took it into infiniti to make sure all the recalls had been done, they confirmed they had.

A few days after I got it it wouldn't start. The slip light came on, and later it started after 10 minutes. A few weeks later it wouldn't start at all, I had to have it flat bedded to infiniti in glendale. They first told me that the key was demagnetized which didn't add up. They inspected it and told me that it was the throttle chamber, explaining that the engine wasn 't getting any gas, which explained my poor gas mileage. Once I got it back the acceleration was better, but ofcourse my mileage is exponentionally reduced. I plan to have the fuel injectors flushed and tuned up and replace the tires, so I put 6 gallons of premium 91 in and I have driven 44 miles in 3 days and the fuel indicator has already come on. So by math Im averaging 7 miles per gallon, which doesn't seem right. I saw on the forum the fuel line recall and I am wondering if my vehicle had been recalled, or whether the dealer was just blowing smoke. I am going to verify this with the 800 number on the recall before I take it to my mechanic. Does anyone else have a problem with poor mileage? Also can someone tell me how much gas is left when the fuel light comes on? Thanks. I would love to love my car but until I can resolve this issue I may have to offload it immediately.

Cheers

brothers · August 2006

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE TODAY FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THEY ARE REPLACING THE COMPRESSOR

brothers · August 2006

I DO ALOT OF HIGHWAY DRIVING AND DIDN'T WANT TO MESS UP THE RIDE QUALITY SO I WENT WITH THE 17 INCH RIMS AND KUMHO 235/40S AND IT RIDES GOOD. I HAVE PUT A LITTLE OVER 10000 MILES ON THEM AND STILL GOING GOOD :shades:

rollbar · August 2006

I read your post with some interest because I have been thinking the same thing. Then I discovered something. The light on the auto button may stay lit even if the manual override has been engaged. My wife complained about the constant blowing at high speed the other day. I reached out and touched the auto button and it blinked then the blower slowed way down; appropriately so since the cabin had cooled off some time earlier. I would expect the auto button to kick off the moment a manual button is pushed. Maybe you are in manual mode when you think youre in auto.

Give it a try and see if that helps.

Roll

me_and_g35 · August 2006

Your gas mileage is slightly worse than my 12 MPG due to mostly short city drives. I noticed that "low in gas" indicator comes on too early. Based on my calculation, I should still have about 3+ gallons in the tank when the "low in gas" indicator comes on.

jccai1 · August 2006

Thanks, Roll, for the reply. Unfortunately that's not the problem for me. My climate control system is definitely on full auto, with no manual adjustment of the fan speed.

To give an example: This morning when I left for work, it was 89F outside. I turned the A/C on Auto and set it to 80F. It blew hard (3/4 of the full fan speed) for 15 mins without slowing. I raised the temperature to 82F, the fan slowed down to 1/3 of full speed. I left it there for 5 mins, then set it back to 80F. The fan speed did not increase; it stayed at 1/3.

rollbar · August 2006

Actually now that I take a closer look I am having a similar experience. Hmmm. Air runs like crazy and only after a long time and after the car is chilled does it begin to slow down, and then, only a little. It does seem to be acting odd.

Roll

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