Infiniti I30/I35

mhammy84

You should leave your car at your dealer overnight, and ask them for a loaner to take home while your car sits there. Then, the next morning, start the car over there, and drive with them in the car and show them the problem while the car warms up so that your problems are addressed. I am in a similar situation...I must leave my car at the dealer 70 miles from here overnight in order to show them a funny noise I am experiencing when the car is fully cold.

sascuderi

I used Holman (South Jersey) last year to purchase my 2000 I30. No problems, the sales force is low key. At the time the best they would do was 4% over invoice. I bet you could do better now, just be firm with the price.

I was less pleased with their service people. I have only used their service dept. once (I posted before about it) to fix the cold start idle problem. They acted alittle unfriendly when I showed then the TSB and insisted they didn't have to experience the problem first hand to fix it since I experienced the problem each morning!

Overall as dealers go they are fine. They did pay for a rental car when they ran out of loaners. Not sure other dealers would do that. They also gave me a free wash after the service visit.

STEVE

acrane

I was thrilled with my 2000 I30 except for a couple ofr things with the transmission. Firstly it was very difficult to move off smoothly from rest. The “tip-in” was very sensitive and, unless you were ultra-gentle on the throttle, it was difficult not to move off without jerking passengers’ heads back. The second problem I encountered twice – both times when moving off from rest up a steepish hill. I’d put my foot down on the gas and there would be a pause, as if the car were thinking what to do, then it would suddenly jump into gear and take off. I also used to notice what seemed like shunting in the drive train as I went from coasting to putting the car under power. This was noticeable especially when running at moderate speeds on undulating roads with the cruise-control engaged.

I took the car for its 7,500 mile service to Troncalli Infiniti in Decatur, GA who replaced the TCM and the transmission solenoid valve assembly under TSB Ref. AT00-004A (NTB00-039a). This has transformed the drivability of the car and eliminated the problems listed above. Check with your dealer to see if this fix applies to you car’s VIN – they fixed it on later models.

djrunner

After writing the Manufacturer and the Owner of the dealership where I purchased the car, I received a phone call today from the owner. He reassured me that the manufacturer was trying to come up with a solution. He said to stay in touch with the Service Manager and they would continue to contact the manufacturer for a solution. At this point it is in the manufacturer hands, if they decide to fix the problem.

funmizzou1

the dealer, Plaza Motor, in st. louis, mo, would sell I30 with heated seat package, splash guards for $28,500.
I called your Infiniti dealer, Ray Catena in Edision, 732-603-9600. the sales, Mike, told me that they do sell I30 with traction control, CD changer, heated seats package, and splash guards for ONLY $28,000.
i am looking for buying I30 in a week.
thanks for your information.

mhammy84

anybody know or have any idea if the TCM issue would affect the driveability of a 97 I30? Did they change the TCM at all from 97 to 2000? I would really appreciate it if anyone quickly asked their rep.! Thanks! I seem to be experiencing some tranny issues also...but I am sure the dealer wouldnt know what move to make in only one visit (its hard to drive 140 mi round trip with such little time). Thanks!

dleskar

Just leased an Infiniti I-30L with nav system for $423.00 per month plus tax with $800.00 down for 39 months. Best deal I could find here in South Florida. I currently have an Acura 3.5RL with the Nav System and love it. Anybody out there have any feedback on the Infiniti Nav System and how it's been working? Thanks.

george2kmax

I believe the TCM changed in model year 2000 considering all the major changes that were made to the car. The TCM has since changed 3 times from model 2000-2001.

George

bski1

Dlesker: What other options were included on the I-30L that you leased? Also, how many miles per year were included? And, were there any other fees that you had to pay, beside the $800 down payment and taxes?

sammielee

With all of this talk about faulty transmission modules and wind noise that can't be fixed, should I still be considering a 2001 I30 or maybe bump up to a used Q45. If so, what year and maximum amount of miles should I be looking at. I want to spend around 22K for it. Thanks for all of your help.

dleskar

There weren't that many options to choose from other than the nav system which comes as a package with the 6 disc cd changer. I think the only other options were the xenon headlights, traction control, splash guards and heated seats. Other than those, of which the car has none, the car has everything. The lease was for 39 months. The lease for 48 months was only about $10.00 per month cheaper and 39 months is enough with 12,000 miles per year. Beside the $800 down payment, tax and tag, I had to make the 1st payment in advance. I think they raised the residual on the car to make the deal work as the residual on the lease was $17,000 while I believe Cars.com only shows the residual as somewhere between $14,000 and $15,000. But I didn't care as I have no intention of buying the vehicle. The lease had a $300 disposition fee upon termination which I wasn't crazy about but it included gap insurance and $1,500 coverage over ordinary wear and tear upon termination. Picked up the car today and so far so good but I haven't played with the Nav System yet.

acrane

I don't know about the wind-noise issue, but they fixed the TCM thing on later 2000 model year I30s and beyond. I'm really pleased with my I30. Q45 is good value for money, if you can live with the looks. Regards.

sammielee

Thanks for your thoughts. It seems that the dealers really control the aftermarket for Q45's as they're the only ones who get invited to the off lease car auctions. Consequently, any "blue book" estimates of fair market value are out the door.

Any comments on this?

mhammy84

I was thinking of upgrading my tires and rims on my '97 I30 to larger, more attractive rims. The BBS wheels that are already on there seem to be very expensive rims, however, I will somehow manage to intsall those onto my 2000 Camry which does not currently have alloy wheels. What my question is to everyone: Where is the best place to purchase a wheel/tire package from, either local or on the internet? I have looked at tirerack.com and found a package with 18" rims and Pirelli tires for 1500 total with shipping and handling. However, who will install these and how much will installation cost. ALSO, the tires are size 235, and my current tires are only 215. Will there be any difficulties with turning, etc? Thank you in advance.

redskin024

I purchased a set of American Racing rims for my car(15x7) for $347 total. the cost included center caps, 16 lug nuts and 4 locks. i then bought 4 tires(215/60-15 on front, 235/60-15 on back) at Dunn Tire for $338 making the total cost $685. I bought the rims at sears. I do believe though you may have problems finding tires for the I30. he only place that had them for my dads 2000 is Dunn, and they were expensive michelins. Whatever you do, DO NOT have sears put your tires on! or Sams Club! my friend did this at both places and both of them warped the brake rotors because the torqued the wheels on too tight. Sears also snapped off one of the studs and did not tell him. Dunn Tire is the best deal around town... their prices include valves, balancing and everything.

mhammy84

Thanks for the feedback. I tried two sites...www.tires.com and www.tirerack.com

I liked the tirerack interface, it shows your car and what the rims look like on the car, however, the brand names they had weren't recognizable, and the prices were a bit higher. I then tried tires.com and they had a wider selection, and more recognizable brands. I decided on a set of 17" rims from TSW, with size 225 tires. I hope they look good, and I chose them because they best match my current BBS wheels which came on the "t" I30 models from 96 and 97. The tire selection was quite wide, however, I did not wish to opt for the "Z" rated tires, as I do not drive that fast, and also, I do not require that much performance. I decided to go with a brand of tires called "Nitto" which offered a set of "V" rated tires, for 129.00 each. Unfortunately, there were only these two choices for the size 225 (the Nitto or the Z rated Michelin). The 235 tire size offered many more choices, all for lower prices too, but again, these were all Z rated tires. I did not want to run into any issues with tire width either, and I am quite sure that 225 will be acceptable. I would really appreciate the 2000 "t" model rims on my car, but the dealer said the cost would be thousands more than reasonable. Thanks for the advice on where to get the tires fitted, I will try Dunn Tire...I would also like to ask your opinion of the Goodyear tire shops (especially the one located on Transit Road across from Regal Theaters)? Thanks again!

scuderi

My car is currently with the dealer regarding the TCM . I purchased my 2000 I30 in 10/99. I have experienced the slow shift from 1st to 2nd at times but it is very noticeable when the car is cold. The dealer called back and said he could not reproduce the problem. I told him to keep the car overnight and try when the car is cold.

He also said that the TSB ITB00028 related to the TCM only applies to vehicles with a VIN number of 015xxx and before. My car has a VIN number of 108xxx. I double checked with Infiniti and that is true. To check on your car look at the last 6 digits of the VIN number.

Does anyone own an I30 that has had the TCM/seloniod replaced that has a higher VIN number then 015xxx?

Thanks for your help,
Tony Scuderi

mhammy84

Dont take my full word on this, but I thought I had read somewhere that the TCM issue was related to one of the first few batches of 2000 I30s. They usually have a production date listed also (Ex. Affecting All Cars Built Before XX/XX). You may want to check that out against your vehicle's production date.

scuderi

I just called Infiniti again this morning and asked about the production dates that the TCM problem occurred. I did this because I thought it was strange that for the Maxima it affected all cars build before 10/28/2000. Which means it affected ALL 2000 maxima's This time Infiniti told me that it affected ALL 2000 I30's. I asked her why I was told only a certain VIN numbers on a previous phone call. She assured me that she was looking at the TSB and it involved all 2000 I30's.

Then I had a conversation with the dealer. The dealer said that they drove it this morning while it was cold and noticed a slight lag. This morning was not a cold morning. I mentioned on colder mornings the lag is very noticeable. He did not care. My word did not mean a thing. He said he could only go by what he sees and he refused to do anything. I could add a few choice words to describe him, but I will hold back.

I have no options to fix this except drive 60+ miles to another dealer which I doubt I will do.

redskin024

you should tell them that you want it fixed, so fix it! show them the TSB, yada yada. i cannot understand why a dealer wouldnt fix someones problem. after all, they get paid for fixing it, right?

mhammy.... I wouldnt even bother looking elsewhere, You simply cannot beat Dunn Tire around here. They have many locations, in fact, there is one in the Clarence Mall, next to the former Burlington coat factory. To answer your question though, i have not heard anything positive or negative about Goodyear.

scuderi

redskin024:
You are right, that is why I tried to find out if my car was one of the cars that the TSB affected. I received a few different stories from Infiniti Corporate.
1. First they said NO based on the VIN number
2. Then they said YES, that all 2000 Infiniti I30's fell under the TSB.
3. Then they said that based on the updated TSB xxx28a, that only some VIN's for 2000 fell under the TSB and mine was not one of them.

So since I could not use the TSB it was hard for me to push the dealership. I do not understand how a car can go from being affected to not being affected based on an updated TSB.

mhammy84

Scuderi: I had the same problem with my local dealer about TSB repairs. In my situation, my car WAS affected by the TSB, yet they STILL came up with excuses to why it was making this noise, or why it was rattling here, etc. That is why I did drive the 140 miles total to the next dealer to have it addressed. Besides that, i will NEVER go to my local dealer as I have just discovered that on my last oil change, they never drained the old oil, just poured the new stuff in (who even knows if it was new stuff they put in there). I dont trust them with my car at all...this is probably why I hear so many weird noises and why the car operates to strangely now. Never buy/service your car at Autoplace Infiniti of Williamsville. The new dealer told me that those consumers who find out about TSBs have the right to have the repairs done, and the dealer cannot hold back on that. He said if you want it done, and if the situation annoys you, thats what TSBs are for...and they had no problem addressing the issues on my vehicle.

redskin: I ended up ordering a set of 17" Voxx rims (conservative looking rims) from www.tires.com, to be mounted and balanced on a set of Dunlop Sport 5000 235/45 ZR17 A/S tires. The rims will arive to my home on Monday, and my appointment with Dorschel Infiniti in Rochester is on Tuesday...they have agreed to install the new tires onto my car for a mere $30 total (and I certainly dont mind paying them for it). I do hope the tires/rims accent the look of the car.

rawpower101

I've read in numerous reports that the new I30 is suppose to be slower then the old ones. Interestingly enough, I had opportunity to test this out. On my way home I came to a redlight and a older (possibly a 98 or 97) I30 limited pulled up next to me. We kinda toyed until the next light. But as soon as that light turned green we both mashed the pedal until about 90 mph. I encountered a bit of wheel spin, which I think aided in his quarter of a car lead. But from 5000 rpm in first to the time that i applied the brakes at 90, I was about half to a 3/4's of a car lenght ahead of him. After that straight run we came to a twisty 2 lane section, and I was shocked that my I30t wasn't able to take those turns the way I imagined. Hate to admit but he swallowed me up on those turns...I was already getting the slight feeling that the car was going to lose control......while he was picking up more distance.
The only noticable things about the other car was rims (pretty sure they were 17s) and that unmistakable sound of that k/n airfilter.
Perhaps it's time for me to opt for forced induction (if stillen offers it) and a good eibach suspension system.
And just to bring everyone up to date about my transmission problems.....after a very agressive standoff with the service guys....they have agreed to fix my tranny and if they cannot..... they're gonna replace it.

redskin024

i was at the Buffalo Auto show the other day and Infiniti had a Midnight Blue 2001 I30 on display. That color really looks nice on the car.

mhammy... $30 is a nice price! To update you on my "service" visit: I woke up at 8:00 am to take the car over there. i drove as slowly as i could, so that the car would be semi-cold when it was there. I pulled in, the service manager and i went for a ride and the car did what was wrong(thank God). the guy told me he would have to order the parts and to bring it back on Tuesday and they'll give us a loaner. Total time at dealership: approx. 20 min. On monday, my father got a call from Autoplace stating that the parts werent in(they were "backordered") and they will call us to set up an appointment when they do. It is now Saturday and still no word from the dealership. This is somewhat of a problem because we also wanted an interior detail, oil change and inspection. ill keep you posted.

mhammy84

redskin:
I took your advice about Dunn Tire and just had the folks there install it since I received the rims package on Friday instead of Monday. They charged me only 17, as opposed to Infiniti's offer of 30 (just to bolt the tires on). The Z tires are slightly noisier at lower speeds, but they are very good tires.

When you were at Autoplace, you must have met with Tom Wall, the service manager (thin, tall older fellow). Looks like you had an OK experience with them so far...hope the rest follows through for you. Did you tell him that you found a TSB for the issue, or did he take your word for what was wrong with the car (and offer any new input)? Will you get your detail from Autoplace or from Delta Sonic?

...went to the Autoshow also, not what I expected. Mostly passenger vehicles there...nothing really of the "concept" status. I did like, however, the NEW Q45 and the LS430 parked next to it. The Q45 had height adjustable HID lamps with 7 projectors on each side...very nice. Driving it must be a whole other story...340hp V8!

halfon

I called to schedule my 7,500 mile service which includes oil/filter change, topping off of fluids and tire rotation. To my dismay, the charge for this service is $135.00!!!! Most service shops charge between $46 to $60 for this service. How can Infiniti justify charging $135 for this service??

mhammy84

As far as I know, I was given a brochure when i bought my car. Each model (Q45, I30, etc.) has a set-price for each service interval. I dont know if this is still true with the 2000's, but my dealer still has the brochure they gave me laying around. A rotation and oil change should NOT cost that much. Didnt you ask BEFORE paying to release the car?

mmcbride1

So don't do it. All you really need at that point is a tire rotation and oil change. That's all I did with my 2000 I30. Cost about $40. IMO, the only important services are the 30k ones. I might do the 15k, though.

halfon

mhammy84: Once I was quoted the $135.00, I decided not to have the car serviced at this time. Most likely I will take it to a Nissan dealership where I was quoted $46.00.

mmcbride1: When not having a major service (30K miles, etc..), where do you take your car for service?

mhammy84

Just had my 3750 service done today...with EVERYTHING (labor, parts, NYS 8% tax) it came to 36 bucks. Included oil change, and regular maintenance checkups on many components. Forgot to check how much the 7500 mile service is. He said the next service is the 30K for me...the big one costing up to 359.99 according to the new pricing outline (the previous one was 248.99). Service manager explained to me the difference in filters used at quick change places. I trust this dealership to actually perform what they say they do...also, while I was there, the chief tech (who always works on my car) found out that there was a faulty part (BPT valve?) and said they were ordering it and would install it when it comes in. Really surprised with the great service they provide!

mmcbride1

I have it done at the Infiniti dealer. When they asked if I wanted the 7500 mile service (for $100 some-odd dollars), I replied that I would just like the oil changed and the tires rotated. He said OK and did just that.

redskin024

Yes it was Tom Wall... he basically took my word, we took a short drive up Main St. and the problem occured, so he believed me when i said it does happen. He also said it would show in the Tranny fluid if it needed replacing. he pulled out the dipstick and sniffed it(i wonder if he got a buzz?) and it seemed like we had all the symptoms. I called him today(friday) and he said the one part has come in and we are just waiting for the other one. I dont know if it was Autoplaces or Delta Sonics... Auto place offers it so unless they contract Delta Sonic to do it it would be autoplace.

Auto show was ok, it was more fun last year when my dad was in the market and we got to be nitpicky. this year was just for fun. Wasnt it odd that all the Lexus' gear shifts were removed?

mhammy84

The Mercedes people had also removed the shift knobs...off the CLK320 (which was also locked). I guess they had a bad experience with that one particular year with people stealing the nice wood knobs! The I30s knob isnt that great...no wonder they didnt bother taking it off!

mikebui

I am using Chevron Supreme Unleaded gasoline and my I30 pings occasionally, anyone has the same problem ?

sascuderi

My 95 Max had some ping even with 93 octane, but my 2000 I30 has not. Some ping is normal-when accelerating up grade with a full load- but most times you should NOT hear ping. A sensor in the engine is suppose to retard the timing at the first sign of premature detonation (ping). Excessive ping will damage the engine.

I would suggest you change the brand of gas, drive it for 2 weeks, and if you still hear ping during daily driving take it to the dealer.
(Often its the gas causing the problem so changing brands is worth a try and always use 93.)

Good luck
STEVE

exlegend

I believe Infiniti (or at least some of their dealers) may have found a "fix" for the wind noise problem. I called and spoke with a service writer who said that, while not common, there had been a few complaints about wind noise in the I30. He claimed that the cold weather (I'm in the Midwest) caused some of the rubber window seals to shrink temporarily.

When I took my I30 in to have the wind noise problem corrected, another service writer said he had never heard of wind noise problems in the I30. When I got the car back, the invoice said "repaired and replaced both rear window run rubbers and installed foam shims." It reduced the wind noise by about 75%!

I drove back to central Illinois the next day to visit relatives and left my car outside in my sister's driveway (she wasn't having anything to do with garaging mine and letting her car sit in the cold). It was about -10F I with wind chill overnight and the next morning, I noticed the wind noise had increased from the rear windows. This happened the next morning as well. When I got home last night, I garaged the car, as usual. My garage isn't heated, just well insulated. This morning I didn't notice the increase in wind noise. It seems the rubber window seals do shrink somewhat in cold weather. Maybe Infiniti should find a new supplier for their window seals!

If you haven't gotten your problem solved as of yet, then I hope this helps. Good luck.

okeefed

I am looking at purchasing an I30 Luxury Edition. MSRP is $30.4K. What should I expect for a purchase price? Any recommendations for best Infinity dealer in the Atlanta area?

sascuderi

I bet you could get the I30L for around 27,500-28,000, excluding Tax/Tags. The edmonds new car site says 27,600. Start low, offer $500 over invoice and work up from there. Don't let them charge for dealer "extras" and don't buy an extended warrantee.

I have the 2000 I30 with the heated seats/traction control option both of which are great. (live in NJ) At the time, could only get the dealer to go down to 4.5% over invoice (29,000). But it was early in 2000 so they were less flexible.

Have fun.

STEVE

ps the silver and black leather is a nice combo and the silver never looks dirty!

djrunner

Thanks for the info. I bought the car in August, a very hot time for Southern Alabama. I didn't notice the problem with the car at the time of purchase. We have had a considerably cold winter for the south, during which time the problem was very evident. This past weekend I spent time trying to determine the exact location of the problem and it appears that the seal between the back window that lets down and the little window that never moves is the major culprit. It also appears that the seal around the rear door near the hinge doesn't seal properly either. I spoke with my dealership two days ago to see if they thought I should use some weather-stripping sealant to help matters and they told me to wait because the manufacturer was working on a solution. They have yet to offer to replace the seals to see if the problem can be corrected. Once again I must wait according to them.

exlegend

It's too bad your dealer is making you wait for action on the part of Nissan/Infiniti to correct an obvious problem. It seems some dealers insist on having a TSB in their hands before they will even consider looking into the problem (ask mhammy84). Nor should you have to track down the TSBs yourself and take them to the service department in order to get results. My service department never mentioned a TSB on the "window run rubbers" and installing foam shims, nor did I want to ask if there was one, for fear they might not do anything unless a TSB existed.

However, the first service writer said their experience with the wind noise came from the same area you described. In my I30, it was happening on both side rear windows, near the small window by the "C" pillar.

If it helps, let me know and I'll send you a copy of my invoice where the complaint and solution are clearly listed, with no TSB reference. Maybe if your progressive, service oriented dealer sees that, he'll try the same repair, or at least call Infiniti of Cincinnati, who didn't hesitate to fix it.
I would like to know why these particular seals shrink with the cold (I know it's basic science), when our experience with Acura and the seals on their Legends and Integras was (or still is) completely different.

yanks9

I am looking to buy a 2001 I30t and was interested in what I can can look to pay. Salesman commented that the regular I30 is in an overstock situation but did not comment on the I30t. The msrp was $32,500

umpopa

Doug:
I would appreciate your sending me a copy of your invoice with the complaint/solution to the wind noise. Although mine is the Maxima, the problem is the same.
-umpopa
doc@zunga[dot]net

redskin024

Dealer finally got our TCM parts. BUT! I didnt take the car in this time. My dad took it in, and now it seems as though they are refusing to fix it! On our first visit, i proved the problem to the manager, he ordered the parts, and said he would call us when they came in. Well, my dad took the car in and from what he tells me the dealer is saying nothing is wrong now. We have all the symptoms(engine light, delayed shift). They are keeping the car overnight right now, and i reminded my dad that it only happens when the car is cold. so we'll see what happens! The thing that bugs me is why would they order the parts for us and then not fix it? He is also saying that the TSB doesnt affect our VIN, but as far as i know it affects all 2000's. Until next time...

scuderi

redskin024:
I am sorry to hear about what you are going thru trying to get the "delayed shift" resolved. I went thru the same experience. The dealer refused to fix the problem with my car saying that the delayed shift fell within the "normal guidelines", whatever the hell that means. Just like your car the delayed shift is very noticeable when the car is cold, although my engine light has not come on.

I called Infiniti Consumer Affairs to find out what VIN numbers are affected. They told me that
according to TSB ITB00028a, which replaces TSB ITB00028, only cars with VIN of 015xxx and before are affected. My car has a VIN number of 108xxx so according to Infiniti my car was ok. To check on your car look at the last 6 digits of the VIN number. The earlier TSB said that all 2000 I30's had this problem, but the new TSB changes that.

To me this sounds like a load of crap. How can one TSB say ALL cars are affected and then a later TSB changes that.

Good luck with your car, and do not give up!

djrunner

Please send a copy of the invoice to djrunner@millry.net. Thanks so much for the help!!

96_i30_5sp

The manual transmission shifting can be improved by switching to Redline MT-90 (or Amsoil 75W-90) synthetic gear oil. While the clutch has never been my favorite (compared to Hondas or German cars), I am still on the original one after 106kmiles.

aspalek

my brother has a 1996 I30 with a manual transmission - his shifting has never been great, and now his clutch is going after 50K miles. he hasn't gotten much help from his dealer (dealer charged him $40 to look at the car and gave it back without repairing anything...strange!)
I've searched through this thread - I'm wondering if others have had problems with I30s with stick shifts???

mangm612

I have an I30t with about 3500 miles on it. There is a rattle or vibration which I think is coming from the shifter for the automatic transmission. It mostly comes when I'm going over rough pavement. Anyone else with this problem and if so was it correctable?

mhammy84

take the car to the dealer...I took mine there today to have my BPT valve replaced (they said it was failing), which may be the cause of the rough idle on my car. I also told them about some cracks and rattles, and the service manager had pulled out a special "Rattles Worksheet" with a diagram of the car from different views. The worksheet had spaces for them to check off when the car rattles, where it rattles, etc. and the chief tech was even willing to take a ride with me to hear the noises.

krngimp

I have a 99 i30 limited. does ne one kno then stats on 0-60 and quater mile? thx