I am considering a 35/45 and am really curious as to how this car operates in the driving rain where you can hydroplan easily or in the snow. I live in the northeast and this is a major concern. Please help me. Thanks
I've driven it in snow and on icy roads, but not with the stock tires. I have Blizzaks and the traction is excellent. With 4 wheel lock on they really bite, and the rear wheel bias otherwise makes it a blast to zip around corners. From other reports that I've read, traction with the 20 inch all seasons is "OK." Some have said "no problem" while others have complained. As with just about any vehicle, the tires make all the difference in the world. Certainly a summer performance tire would be terrible, dedicated winter tires are the best, and the all seasons split the difference.
I looked at the X5 vs the FX when I purchased. The X5 was almost wholly inferior. I have seen the new X3 in person and It just doesn't seem to stack up well. It is slower all around. doesn't break as well but does seem to handle just as well but with a worse ride quality. Seeing as this is a new BMW it probably won't be discounted much so you could get a FX35 tech or base FX45 for about the same price for a 3.0 well equipped. At that point I think the X3 is a poor value comparitively. I also belive the FX has more rear seat room than the X3. I hope the real redesign of the X5 goes better than the intro of the X3.
I never would have posted anything if the above had been posted in context of the FX thread, instead of a review of a vehicle that seems to have never seen in person or driven.
jeffmust2 - have you driven it? Judge for yourself. Not saying get one, but unless there is something in the overall design that you hate...take it for a test drive. You might be pleasantly surprised and find that statement not to really be reflective of the way the vehicle really drives. Then again you might feel that statement is really on target.
I recall reading months ago about rattling from the sunroof area on '03 fx's. My '03 has it and it's getting louder. Any experience on dealer fixes? Hopefully doesn't involving pulling the whole assembly apart.
.....is now official (for those of you that were told that your dealer knows nothing about it - me for one). The Infinity Ownership web page lists the vins effected.
I'm buying a black FX35 (tech and touring) next week. I think the car would look much better with chrome roof rails but I'm having a hard time finding them on my own. I'm hoping the dealer will just swap them out as part of the deal. I just wonder if it will look odd since I'm not getting chrome wheels too. Opinions?
....you'll love it I'm sure. I did see an 04 with the chrome roof rails at the dealer recently & I didn't like them.....thought they were too obtrusive and take away from the lines of the roof. I do think they would look nicer with the chrome wheels but the black rails do not stick out as much.
Hi all, I was just quoted $40,380 for a brand new FX45 - premium package, splash guard, cross bar, luggage protector. MSRP (with destination) is $47,590. It is red on black. Sounds like a decent deal? Also .9% for 36 months. What da ya guys (and gals) think? Kris
Hey Team. I have an 03 45 and a couple of days ago I stepped on the brake and pushed in the shifter button to go from PARK to DRIVE and the shifter would not move. I stuck the key into the SHIFT LOCK override button and nothing happened. Finally, the shifter moved to DRIVE with a terrible ratcheting sound. My FX shifts normally once in DRIVE but two things are screwed up. First, there is no MANUAL shift capability. The Shifter will not move to the Right +/- Gate. Second, after putting the stick in PARK, the ignition switch will many times not go into the OFF Position, and I must leave the car with it beeping continuously. Going in to the dealer Thursday, but have any of you experienced this problem? It's all tied in with the SHIFT/BRAKE INTERLOCK SYSTEM. Thanks
I would take it to the dealer today. Not Thursday. They will give you a loaner and if they need all week to look at it, fine. Don't damage it more by driving it - especially since it is a transmission issue.
Just my $.02.
(And yes, why are there posts regarding the X3 in the FX35/45 thread?
"I would take it to the dealer today. Not Thursday" I'd say 93fsu1 has some good advice there, that sounds like something that needs addressing post haste. I haven't read any posts regarding that problem - I'll be interested to hear what it turns out to be....& the prognosis. Please let us know. BTW yall- I had the brake caliper recall taken care of today & it took about 45 minutes combined with an oil change....they just re-torque the front bolts.
The problem sounds like a transmission linkage adjustment issue, probably minor. Of course minor is relative, like "minor" surgery, when it's on you, or your FX, there is no "minor".
The transmission shifts normally, and there are no dash "trouble lights" on. I now can get the "key" to go completely to the left to the OFF position, and that's tied in to the PARK position of the shifter. The only symptom now is the inability to move the stick to the MANUAL gate. It could be as simple as an "adjustment". It reminds me of the 60's, when I had two 64 GTOs, and the stock shifter mechanism on the Muncie four-speed had rods with slide adjustments. It wasn't hard to get those out of whack. Buying the Hurst shifter retrofit kit solved those problems because it had threaded rods. How simple things were in those days. You could work on about 90% of the car yourself. Now I doubt I would try to work on even 10% of the FX. Even if I had a breakout box (code reader), I would be challenged to replace the offending part. We'll let you know the outcome Thursday. The dealer picked the date because there were no loaner cars available until then. Thanks.
....gotta love GTO stories. But todays' systems being complicated has also brought LOW maintenance demands which I greatly appreciate. I remember (got me reminicing now) having a 69 Triumph Spitfire with triple Amal carburetors that needed tuning with a bar of 3 meters (reading the air draw) every 1-2 weeks. Working on all sorts of VW's in the 60's & 70's also helped cure me of the "hands on" approach. Good luck with the shifter issue.
I am about to leave this cold weather for some sun! How can I find a list of Infiniti dealers along I-95 between Harrisburg PA and Naples FL ? I have had such a list of dealers for my other cars - in case I want or need service along the way.
Sorry if this is not a new question -- I'm a newbie to these boards:
I just refilled the gas tank for the first time on my '04 FX35 and noticed the print on the refill door -- that unleaded gas is required but premium recommended.
Have any of you actually tried using less than 91 octane gas? Did you suffer any consequences re: performance or mileage? I don't push my vehicles to the performance limit, so the price difference at the pump (especially in Southern California) would be significant!
That is a great idea. My old Acura came with a booklet that had dealers on maps of the alrger metropolitan areas. Perhaps you can inquire of Infiniti to see if they have plans to do this.
Infiniti Consumer Affairs P.O. Box 191 Gardena, CA 90248 800.662.6200 9:00am - 6:00pm Eastern / Central Time 8:00am - 5:00pm Pacific Time
Otherwise I would suggest looking up a dealer in each of the major cities you will be driving through - or just rely on the free road servce that came with your Infiniti and call them if you have any problems.
"Roadside Assistance Program – Infiniti's 24-hour roadside assistance is like a best friend at the other end of a toll-free line. Should you ever require roadside mechanical assistance of any kind, Infiniti Roadside Assistance is at your service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.** Simply call 1-800-662-6200 from anywhere in the continental U.S. and help will be on the way.
Trip Interruption Benefits – In the unlikely event that your Infiniti experiences a breakdown more than 100 miles from home, an Infiniti representative can also authorize Trip Interruption Benefits** covering such costs as transportation, lodging and meals for you and your companions. You can rest assured that no matter how unexpected the circumstances, your driving experience will always be as worry-free as possible."
you're better off in the long run giving that high tech engine of yours what it's tuned to strive on. Less octane means more garbage clogging stuff (stuff = technical term) in a low tolerance high performance engine. That translates into problems that are probably much more expensive than your pump savings.
I have 10,000 miles on my 9 month-old brick interior leather seats, and they show no wear whatsoever. One of the reasons why I chose the brick/black interior is that to me the leather seemed of higher quality and would be less prone to premature wear. So far I am not disappointed.
I don't think so. My understanding is that high performance engines with knock sensors can adjust the timing to increase performance right up to the point where knock occurs. With lower octane fuel, you lower that point. So you might see less performance and fractionally lower fuel economy. But there shouldn't be any difference in the amount of impurities or detergents if you grab the left handle of the pump instead of the right one.
I am trying to decide which is preferable. Are those of you with 35's satisfied with its power. I am thinking of extra power on the freeway when going ata good clip.
Any other factors that I need to be aware of between the two?
They used regular unleaded in a BMW M3, which took a small hit in performance; scanty, you're right about the knock sensors in newer cars. They adjust the timing to the peak flamability of the gas in the cylinder. And the octane in the gas should have nothing to do with the amount of impurities in the gas -- that's probably dependent on the brand of fuel, not its octane rating.
I think I'll just stick to the expensive stuff. It shouldn't make a difference of more than a couple hundred bucks a year, anyway.
Good article - thanks. My original point was that inefficient combustion would result from burning lower octane than your engine is tuned for and would result in damaging carbon buildup over time. Apparently that is not the case with knock sensors on-board. But the lowered performance is still reason enough for me to stick with the high test. As the article points out: "Cheapskates burning regular in cars designed to run on premium fuel can expect to trim performance by about the same percent they save at the pump. If the car is sufficiently new and sophisticated, it may not suffer any ill effects, but all such skinflints should be ready to switch back to premium at the first sign of knock or other drivability woes."
Gibo- I haven't noticed any problems with my brick leather. (18,000 mi & 6 months) There are some minor imperfections (features?) in the grain that I was a little concerned about at first but it is wearing beautifully so far.
Wibble & Scanty- my point wasn't that there are more impurities in lower octane gasoline but that inefficient combustion may cause carbon buildup. Apparently, knock sensors prevent this from occurring, as you pointed out.
Bankeizen- Have you driven both the 45 & 35? When I did my test drive I drove both & thought the 45 was just so much more fun that I couldn't settle for the 35. That's not to say the 35 is by any means under-powered, it isn't. I'm afraid now that I'll never be able to own a 6 banger again unless it's turbo-charged. I see from the other threads that you are considering several vehicles. Please let us know how your decision process goes.
I must confess that the one thing that has stopped me from buying the FX is the rear vision. It seems the blind spots are massive. Also I cannot see far behind when drving along directly out the rear window ( for instance to spot patrol vehicles). Are the mirrors suffiecient for safety?
I would greatly appreciate commentary on this issue as I may be making a mountain of a mole hill. To me safety is always the first issue.
to petewad3: I haven't driven the 45 yet because I found the sport suspension on the 35 to be too harsh for me and I beleive the 45 comes with a sport suspension, though I have been told they have mellowed it a bit for 2004. Hopefully, this weekend I will get the time to do some test driving.
Got my 04 FX35 touring/tech just before Christmas. It is an incredible car. More than enough power for most, and the FX35 is one way you can stay away from the stiffer ride of the 20 in wheels. Two minor issues have arisen that the dealer has not been able to diagnose:
1) Got a dealer-installed, Infiniti-supplied XM satellite radio. Love it, but the nav lcd screen will only show ten letters of the artist or title. Anyone had this problem or know of a fix I can relay to the dealer? Right now Infiniti and XM are saying there is nothing wrong with the unit. 2) When I back out of the drive and put the car in drive, as I accelerate past 10 mph a "tinny" clank originating in the front end happens 95% of the time. Dealer cannot find a problem. Again, anyone heard of this problem?
Overall, this is one of the most fun cars I have ever owned.
You have to be a bit careful when you are backing up but that can be fixed with the camera and/or installing backup sensors. If you correctly adjust your side view mirrors there is absolutely no problem seeing to change lanes in traffic as long as your rear view and side view mirrors are set properly. The problem is most people do not set their side view mirrors properly.
Set the rearview as your normally would; lean your head all the way to the left so it touches the driver's window. From that position, set your left side-view mirror so you can see the back corner of your car. Now lean the same distance the other way, and set your right side-view mirror the same way. Now, here's what happens.
When a car comes up behind you, you should first see it in your rearview mirror. But as it passes you (let's say on your left), you'll see it move to the left side of your rearview mirror. And as its left headlight disappears from your rearview mirror, it should instantly show up in your left side-view mirror. There should be no delay. It should slip from one to the other, so you can always see it.
You probably already know to do this but I thought I would just go ahead and post the how to anyway.
I agree with fxfan.... I haven't had any problems with visibility. The first time I drove it it took a bit to get the mirrors just right but I've had no issues with it since. The same has been the case with the suspension, I really only noticed that it was somewhat stiff on the first drive, it now seems perfectly matched to the handling / performance.
I would agree with fxfan and petew4. Rear vision has not been a problem. If you are concerned about parking, get the rear camera. It works very well and is a good conversation piece as well. If you did not like the ride on the Fx35, I doubt you will like the 2004 FX45 any better. Most FX owners value performance and handling first. If smooth ride, rear vision and safety are first concerns ahead of performance,you may not be happy with the FX, although I believe it is a very safe vehicle.
My FX45 is at the dealers, torn apart to fix two unusual problems -lack of AM reception and the inabilty to shift into the "Manual Gate". The shift quirk was a matter of "out of adjustment", but this is the third and hopefully final stop for the AM radio outage. After taking apart the rear interior section, and conferring with "Infinti Tech", they found an "open" in the AM antenna cable up front in the firewall area. A new cable is on order. In the meantime, I get to drive a G35 Sedan loaner! I never have had the opportunity to test the ubiquitous Nissan V-6, winner of Ward's Best Engine awards for over a decade. Hey, this is the V-6 that thinks it's a V-8! This engine begs to rev compared to my 45. I can chirp the tires at will. And while my tranny seems lost at mid-throttle, a slight push on the throttle on this G brings in a kickdown that threatens to tear my head off! Makes me wonder what one of these with a six-speed could do and I think 0-60 in the high 5's would be no problem. That is a great performnance for the $$$. Compared with the FX, it definitely has a "lighter" feel, and the ride is softer but not nearly as isolated from engine and exterior noise. As fun as the FX, but not a head turner. It looks just like a bunch of sedans. Maybe it's the stealth "quiet killer". The Civic and Eclipse will never know what happened!
The 10 digit display is the max that will be displayed for SAT radio.
Also, the clang you hear is the ABS self-check that occurs at every startup. It is normal. I called my dealer I this when I first purchased and they new exactly what I was describing.
I have had zero problems with visibility. I formerly has sports coupes as my primary vehicles. Set the mirrors correctly and you should have no problems at all. Even backing up poses no problem.
Thanks for the input on the abs and the sat radio display. When the dealer tried to troubleshoot the sat radio problem, they only had a Sirius unit in a nav FX. On this configuration, they said they could see the entire title and artist. They can also see the entire title and artist on XM or Sirius on a standard (non-nav)lcd. Do you think the problem is with the factory radio or with the XM receiver? Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill, but the only time you would look to see the artist or title is if you did not know them. If you only see 10 characters, you may or may not be able to identify the artist or title.
"They can also see the entire title and artist on XM or Sirius on a standard (non-nav)lcd".
I'm not sure what you mean here. Sounds like your saying the NAV unit will show the entire title/artist. What are you referring to in the statement above? Are you saying the dealer can see the whole title on a NON-Nav unit? I only see the truncated title on mine?
I know what you mean about the G. I have the FX35 but the VQ has another personality in the G. It will kick you in the chest if you stomp on the go pedal and handles like a go kart. While not as luxurious, spacious or well appointed as the FX the G is definately a fun ride.
I did not see the sat units the dealer used to troubleshoot my XM unit, but here is my understanding of what they told me.
For FX's without a navigation system, the lcd will show channel, artist and title all at the same time and in the middle of the screen.
On FX's with a navigation system, both the XM and Sirius artist and title info is at the bottom of the screen and you have to manually scroll through channel, artist and title to view this info one mode at a time. It is my understanding that for both XM and Sirius the title and artist is truncated to 10 characters, but in the case of Sirius-equipped unit, the entire title or artist can be viewed by turning the tuning knob while in the artist or title mode. This does not work on an XM-equipped unit. Hope this is clearer.
I too have had the 635 on several occasions(oil changes-repairs) as a loaner. It is a lot of fun to drive. I forget it is rwd sometimes and then I switch off the traction and it slides and screams just like a 60's muscles car(I'm sure you don't do that kind of kid stuff-right?) It definitely feels lighter and cheaper than the FX, but a ball to hot rod, nonetheless.
Comments
I looked at the X5 vs the FX when I purchased. The X5 was almost wholly inferior. I have seen the new X3 in person and It just doesn't seem to stack up well. It is slower all around. doesn't break as well but does seem to handle just as well but with a worse ride quality. Seeing as this is a new BMW it probably won't be discounted much so you could get a FX35 tech or base FX45 for about the same price for a 3.0 well equipped. At that point I think the X3 is a poor value comparitively. I also belive the FX has more rear seat room than the X3. I hope the real redesign of the X5 goes better than the intro of the X3.
I never would have posted anything if the above had been posted in context of the FX thread, instead of a review of a vehicle that seems to have never seen in person or driven.
(He now goes quietly away)
And, in the last summary paragraph, they were puzzled as to why BMW would bother bringing the X3 to market.
But I will give it a good look at the auto show this week so I can be an Real Expert in the future as per my web responsibilities.
JNRAS08U*3X 000014 - 002021
JNRAS08U*3X 100001 - 103411
JNRAS08W*3X 000028 - 004170
JNRAS08W*3X 200001 - 208109
JNRBS08W*3X 000051 - 003595
JNRBS08W*3X 400001 - 404688
I was just quoted $40,380 for a brand new FX45 - premium package, splash guard, cross bar, luggage protector. MSRP (with destination) is $47,590. It is red on black. Sounds like a decent deal? Also .9% for 36 months.
What da ya guys (and gals) think?
Kris
I stuck the key into the SHIFT LOCK override button and nothing happened.
Finally, the shifter moved to DRIVE with a terrible ratcheting sound.
My FX shifts normally once in DRIVE but two things are screwed up.
First, there is no MANUAL shift capability. The Shifter will not move to the Right +/- Gate.
Second, after putting the stick in PARK, the ignition switch will many times not go into the OFF Position, and I must leave the car with it beeping continuously.
Going in to the dealer Thursday, but have any of you experienced this problem?
It's all tied in with the SHIFT/BRAKE INTERLOCK
SYSTEM.
Thanks
Just my $.02.
(And yes, why are there posts regarding the X3 in the FX35/45 thread?
BTW yall- I had the brake caliper recall taken care of today & it took about 45 minutes combined with an oil change....they just re-torque the front bolts.
I now can get the "key" to go completely to the left to the OFF position, and that's tied in to the PARK position of the shifter.
The only symptom now is the inability to move the stick to the MANUAL gate.
It could be as simple as an "adjustment".
It reminds me of the 60's, when I had two 64 GTOs, and the stock shifter mechanism on the Muncie four-speed had rods with slide adjustments. It wasn't hard to get those out of whack.
Buying the Hurst shifter retrofit kit solved those problems because it had threaded rods.
How simple things were in those days. You could work on about 90% of the car yourself.
Now I doubt I would try to work on even 10% of the FX. Even if I had a breakout box (code reader), I would be challenged to replace the offending part.
We'll let you know the outcome Thursday. The dealer picked the date because there were no loaner cars available until then.
Thanks.
I have had such a list of dealers for my other cars - in case I want or need service along the way.
I just refilled the gas tank for the first time on my '04 FX35 and noticed the print on the refill door -- that unleaded gas is required but premium recommended.
Have any of you actually tried using less than 91 octane gas? Did you suffer any consequences re: performance or mileage? I don't push my vehicles to the performance limit, so the price difference at the pump (especially in Southern California) would be significant!
Infiniti Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 191
Gardena, CA 90248
800.662.6200
9:00am - 6:00pm Eastern / Central Time
8:00am - 5:00pm Pacific Time
Otherwise I would suggest looking up a dealer in each of the major cities you will be driving through - or just rely on the free road servce that came with your Infiniti and call them if you have any problems.
"Roadside Assistance Program – Infiniti's 24-hour roadside assistance is like a best friend at the other end of a toll-free line. Should you ever require roadside mechanical assistance of any kind, Infiniti Roadside Assistance is at your service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.** Simply call 1-800-662-6200 from anywhere in the continental U.S. and help will be on the way.
Trip Interruption Benefits – In the unlikely event that your Infiniti experiences a breakdown more than 100 miles from home, an Infiniti representative can also authorize Trip Interruption Benefits** covering such costs as transportation, lodging and meals for you and your companions. You can rest assured that no matter how unexpected the circumstances, your driving experience will always be as worry-free as possible."
Any other factors that I need to be aware of between the two?
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_- id=3604
They used regular unleaded in a BMW M3, which took a small hit in performance; scanty, you're right about the knock sensors in newer cars. They adjust the timing to the peak flamability of the gas in the cylinder. And the octane in the gas should have nothing to do with the amount of impurities in the gas -- that's probably dependent on the brand of fuel, not its octane rating.
I think I'll just stick to the expensive stuff. It shouldn't make a difference of more than a couple hundred bucks a year, anyway.
As the article points out:
"Cheapskates burning regular in cars designed to run on premium fuel can expect to trim performance by about the same percent they save at the pump. If the car is sufficiently new and sophisticated, it may not suffer any ill effects, but all such skinflints should be ready to switch back to premium at the first sign of knock or other drivability woes."
Wibble & Scanty- my point wasn't that there are more impurities in lower octane gasoline but that inefficient combustion may cause carbon buildup. Apparently, knock sensors prevent this from occurring, as you pointed out.
Bankeizen-
Have you driven both the 45 & 35? When I did my test drive I drove both & thought the 45 was just so much more fun that I couldn't settle for the 35. That's not to say the 35 is by any means under-powered, it isn't. I'm afraid now that I'll never be able to own a 6 banger again unless it's turbo-charged. I see from the other threads that you are considering several vehicles. Please let us know how your decision process goes.
I would greatly appreciate commentary on this issue as I may be making a mountain of a mole hill. To me safety is always the first issue.
to petewad3: I haven't driven the 45 yet because I found the sport suspension on the 35 to be too harsh for me and I beleive the 45 comes with a sport suspension, though I have been told they have mellowed it a bit for 2004. Hopefully, this weekend I will get the time to do some test driving.
1) Got a dealer-installed, Infiniti-supplied XM satellite radio. Love it, but the nav lcd screen will only show ten letters of the artist or title. Anyone had this problem or know of a fix I can relay to the dealer? Right now Infiniti and XM are saying there is nothing wrong with the unit.
2) When I back out of the drive and put the car in drive, as I accelerate past 10 mph a "tinny" clank originating in the front end happens 95% of the time. Dealer cannot find a problem. Again, anyone heard of this problem?
Overall, this is one of the most fun cars I have ever owned.
Debating to take it in for that.
Set the rearview as your normally would; lean your head all the way to the left so it touches the driver's window. From that position, set your left side-view mirror so you can see the back corner of your car. Now lean the same distance the other way, and set your right side-view mirror the same way. Now, here's what happens.
When a car comes up behind you, you should first see it in your rearview mirror. But as it passes you (let's say on your left), you'll see it move to the left side of your rearview mirror. And as its left headlight disappears from your rearview mirror, it should instantly show up in your left side-view mirror. There should be no delay. It should slip from one to the other, so you can always see it.
You probably already know to do this but I thought I would just go ahead and post the how to anyway.
The shift quirk was a matter of "out of adjustment", but this is the third and hopefully final stop for the AM radio outage.
After taking apart the rear interior section, and conferring with "Infinti Tech", they found an "open" in the AM antenna cable up front in the firewall area. A new cable is on order.
In the meantime, I get to drive a G35 Sedan loaner!
I never have had the opportunity to test the ubiquitous Nissan V-6, winner of Ward's Best Engine awards for over a decade.
Hey, this is the V-6 that thinks it's a V-8! This engine begs to rev compared to my 45.
I can chirp the tires at will.
And while my tranny seems lost at mid-throttle, a slight push on the throttle on this G brings in a kickdown that threatens to tear my head off!
Makes me wonder what one of these with a six-speed could do and I think 0-60 in the high 5's would be no problem.
That is a great performnance for the $$$.
Compared with the FX, it definitely has a "lighter" feel, and the ride is softer but not nearly as isolated from engine and exterior noise.
As fun as the FX, but not a head turner. It looks just like a bunch of sedans.
Maybe it's the stealth "quiet killer".
The Civic and Eclipse will never know what happened!
Also, the clang you hear is the ABS self-check that occurs at every startup. It is normal. I called my dealer I this when I first purchased and they new exactly what I was describing.
I'm not sure what you mean here. Sounds like your saying the NAV unit will show the entire title/artist. What are you referring to in the statement above? Are you saying the dealer can see the whole title on a NON-Nav unit? I only see the truncated title on mine?
For FX's without a navigation system, the lcd will show channel, artist and title all at the same time and in the middle of the screen.
On FX's with a navigation system, both the XM and Sirius artist and title info is at the bottom of the screen and you have to manually scroll through channel, artist and title to view this info one mode at a time. It is my understanding that for both XM and Sirius the title and artist is truncated to 10 characters, but in the case of Sirius-equipped unit, the entire title or artist can be viewed by turning the tuning knob while in the artist or title mode. This does not work on an XM-equipped unit. Hope this is clearer.