Infiniti G35 Maintenance and Repair

pajack

Help.help.help...

I am buying a G35X in 10 or 15 days, and one of my options is black inteiror with silver console. However, after I looked at several pictures, I begin to worry if the black interior has a silver console. Does anyone here know about it? Thank you'll very very much...

carnaught

"I begin to worry if the black interior has a silver console."

Does the car have the sport package? I think they have the silver console. BTW, what are you worried about?

adpcs

If the car has the sport package, then the console is silver, otherwise, it is the color of the interior.

chrisboth

Any G can have the TCu updated to a newer program. When it says "5" that doesn't necc. mean it's in 5 it is just a top gear selector. It will downshift (03's and some 04's anyway) and not display the ACTUAL gear. I'm not sure what the newest program does exactly but if the program for late 04's actually shows the the gear you are in then you may want to do this.

luv2drive3

I have a 04 6MT. I was wondering how many of you have the "marble" noise when in neutral and clutch is not engaged. I hear it more in garage. When clutch is in the noise goes away but when clutch is out you hear a marble gear messing noise. I know some noise is normal when you do this but how much is normal? Should I be hearing it at a stop light with radio and Air off? You also hear it when turing off the car and clutch in not engaged as the engine turns off. You hear the marble noise for a second as the engine comes to a stop. When clutch pushed in and turning off you hear nothing? Dealer is telling me it is normal noises for the car.

Thanks in advance.

adpcs

I talked to my dealer again about this, and they seem clueless. Is there something I can tell them that they can reference?

wibble

Go to http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/MaintenanceServlet and see if there are any relevant TSBs.

ronin

So far I have had 12 items recalled, repaired or unable to identify the problem (i.e. the Infiniti service person said it was normal). Last week my rear ashtray broke. I do not smoke and I have never used the rear ashtray. While driving to work I heard a "pop" in the rear of the car. When I got to work the ashtray was on the floor and the metal clip had split into two pieces. The Infiniti service advisor admitted that this was another problem with the G35, especially the coupes.

eticketride

My ash tray also just popped out too. I had one ordered and I was going to pop the new one back in, but they told me that it had to be installed. Apparently it does not just pop back in. You have to remove the console to get it back in. Anyways, for my troubles (that I did not explain here), they detailed my car for free.

anaviator

I have an '04 Coupe and have noticed the same thing noise when the clutch is not engaged. Doesn't seem to matter if the transmission is in neutral or in gear, though, and I only hear it when the car is cold (i.e. first start of the day). Scared me the first time it happened - seemed REALLY loud in the garage. Dealer told me it was normal as well.

Anyone else notice this?

anaviator

Has anyone had trouble with the XM radio tuner? Every so often, mine will just up and quit playing - location doesn't seem to matter, no obstructions around, etc. The display will show "LOADING" and will continue to do so until I turn the car completely off and start it again. Turning the radio off and back on doesn't do it.

I took the car back once and they replaced the XM Tuner, but the problem still seems to crop up every so often.

Thanks...

jaydoll

luv2drive3,

Just got my coupe. Read your post last week. So far no marble noise in neutral, but do seem to have a bit of clutch chatter. For me there is definitely a learning curve with this clutch pedal. It's a bit heavy and it catches high. I hope the problem is just me learning to get along with this clutch pedal and not a problem with the clutch. Did you notice any chatter when you first got your coupe? If so, did it go way?

snagiel

Indeed, it appears to be a software problem with the Clarion XM tuner which many have noticed. The only way around it is, unfortunately, to restart the car, which can be tricky while doing 65. I read back on the FreshAlloy forums last year that Clarion was "looking into it," but haven't heard about any recalls.

t_valley_koom

Can anyone clarify what Infiniti means by "body color" splash guards on the G35? I've seen a few of these, and all seem to be only about half body color and half black in the bottom half. (They are colored only at the attachment to the body.) Is this a stupid question?
While I'm at it, are satelliate antennas on the G35 also just black plastic, not truly body colored like those on the Audis?

Thanks for any info.
TVK

snagiel

I'm not sure about the splash guards, but the satellite antenna is a dealer-installed option, so, yes, they're all black. (You can probably paint it, as long as the paint isn't metallic.) The Audi ones are factory-installed, so they're painted along with the rest of the body. But, they're also absurdly big and unattractive.

Personally, I installed my XM antenna on the front dash shelf (since I have metallic tint on the rear), and this positioning does not detract from the car's exterior lines. It arguably undermines reception in some cases, but since I'm in a metro area 95% of the time (where ground-based repeaters complement the satellite signal), it's not an issue.

carnaught

Well, I now have about 33,000 mi on my '03 and have had the front brakes replaced at 15000 mi. Now the dealer is replacing them again. Fortunately, it is under warranty, but my rhetorical question is will the car need to brake pads and/or brakes every year to year and one-half? If so, this will be a very high maintenance car.

If you're about to say that it's my hard driving habits, I answer that my tires are still good.

wibble

What are they replacing? The pads, the rotors, the calipers? It might be worth looking into ceramic pads to reduce rotor wear.

carnaught

They're replacing the pads and rotors

wibble

That's not good. Two sets of rotors in 33,000 miles!

carnaught

"That's not good. Two sets of rotors in 33000 miles!"

My point, exactly!

lck42

Will the G35 sedan run properly on the midgrade or lower fuel. I am seriously thinking of purchasing one.

robfmatl

The Platinum trim scratches with a light touch. My door handles have several scratches from passengers wearing rings, etc. I only have 13K miles so what does that say??? Beautiful machine though.....

fjm1

Brakes: Get aftermarket replacements from Nismo or Stillen and quit riding the brake pedal

Fuel: Sedan manual sez premium preferred, any grade O.K.

Trim: Haven't noticed this problem yet.

I'm at 8K miles and NOTHING but smiles ;-) knock on wood.....

carnaught

...."quit riding the brake pedal."

What, and you have access to my car's black box? (LOL)

snagiel

While it will run on lower grade fuel, it's not recommended by Infiniti, and I'd say it's a bad way to save money. The engine will detect the lower octane gas and adjust its timing to minimize the possibility of early detonation (aka "knocking"), which will decrease engine output performance. If you want to save money on gas, you can mix a 50-50 ratio of 89 and 93 octane, since the manual calls for 91 octane, which is rare. You can also turn off the AC, accelerate slowly, and drive only downhill.

robfmatl

Well, looks like most are fairly happy with this car. I agree that it's a beautiful car and that it handles great. I have 13K miles and here's what I've found:
1. Power window motors are defective, (I was told this by the dealer), and I was put on a waiting list while they ordered motor. (Are your windows acting weird and getting slower?? May as well make an appointment and get on the list!!)
2. Platinum interior trim scratches extremely easily. Maybe a warning sticker that says: "Please remove all jewelry and don't touch shiny parts" would fix this one.
3. Seat belt retractor is pathetically weak. I have to manually "assist" it or it will hang out the door when I close it.
4. Brake rotors are already "grooving" and pads are wearing extensively, (has nothing to do with riding brakes as suggested by earlier "smart #@!%^").
5. Gas gauge inaccurate. (See other's comments).
6. Outside temp reading completely bogus. Which, of course, affects environment systems in maintaining correct temp inside car.
BUT I DO GET LOTS OF COOL COMMENTS LIKE: "NICE CAR DUDE".
With this many problems at 13K I wonder what the future will bring??? Can you say "trade-in"? We'll see.....

tonyo3

I have an 2004 35X with 350 miles on the odometer and I am not pleased with the ride. I lowered the air pressure in the tires to 28psi and this helped some. Does anybody have any sugestions to improve the ride on the car

6mtsd

I have an '04 6MT coupe with 2000 miles. I've noticed when I'm launching from a dead stop and revving the engine moderately as I release the clutch, I hear a chattering somewhere in the drivetrain -- presumably the clutch. Only way I've found to avoid it is to engage the clutch fully and let the engine lug down a little before applying the gas, which is not too satisfying either. I did read somewhere on the Internet that high performance clutches with "cerametallic" plates do exhibit some chatter, but I have no idea if this is what Infiniti uses. I'm definitely going to inquire further into this and will post anything new I find out.

As far as the "marble noise," it's most likely "neutral gear rattle" which all manual transmissions exhibit to some degree. I can definitely hear some when I'm sitting in the car quietly and release the clutch. I don't how you determine whether it's excessive or indicative of a poor transmission design.

I plan to look up the TSBs on this car at some point to see if either of the issues is the subject of a TSB.

havoc

Hi, I have a '04 sedan with the sport package and recently had the tires rotated at Costco. I did this close to 7500 miles and asked for a straight front-to-back per the owner's manual. After the rotation, I notice that the car is now pulling slightly to the right. This was not happening before rotation. After increasing the air pressure to 32 PSI, this helped somewhat but it still pulls. On most cars this would not even be noticeable but with the precise steering of a G35, it is annoying. I called my dealer and he said sometimes they pull after rotation since the tires have different wear patterns. He said it should clear up after a few hundred miles. Is this indeed normal or is it possible to knock the alignment out of spec with a simple tire rotation? Has anyone had this experience with their G35? Thanks,

dklanecky

"I have an 2004 35X with 350 miles on the odometer and I am not pleased with the ride. I lowered the air pressure in the tires to 28psi and this helped some. Does anybody have any sugestions to improve the ride on the car"

Isn't that what test drives are for?

Seriously, I just saw a review on TV and they said the X version added 350lbs of weight and a significantly stiffer ride. Said it improved handling though.......

I was pretty interested in the X version before I saw this review, but now am going to have to take an extended test drive over some of the worst roads I can find, just to see how bad it really is.

wibble

In my experience the G35x has a softer ride than the standard G35 sedan with standard or sports-tuned suspension. As you say though, that's what a test drive is for.

redz06

Ick42,
My G35sedan runs great on 87 octane regular, and on the few occasions when I have spoiled the car with 93 octane premium, the difference is all but undetectible. There is no appreciable difference in fuel mileage either.

Snagiel,
The G35 engine control system does not detect low octane fuel, it detects knocking. When knocking is detected it adjusts the timing to eliminate it, at a slight deterioration in performance. I have over 18000 miles of operation with no negative effects.

Note this is not true for all cars. My Z06 Corvette is super-sensitive to octane and does not even like it when I have to burn 91 octane premium.

Unless you are running sustained high speeds or WOT on a track or on a dyno, burning premium in a G35 sedan is just throwing your money away.

roxy728

I love my new Infiniti G35 sedan but unfortunately I have been a victim of headlight theft twice in the first 3 months of having this car. The total cost of repairs combined is $6000. Now I have a great car that I'm fearful of driving anywhere including work. I know of others G35 owners that have had the same thing happen. Also, when I had my car in the shop, there were many other G35s in repair for the same reason. According to the police officers I spoke with, HID Xenon headlight theft is a big problem in metropolitan areas especially on the east coast. They also mentioned that the thiefs hit this car because it is so easy....it takes less than 30 seconds to remove the lights. Maybe if we can get enough people to complain to Infiniti about this, they can come up with an anti-theft design for the headlights. Unfortunately, when I called them, the complaint fell on deaf ears. I would certainly try to disuade a friend from getting the Infiniti G35. It's a great car that's turned out to be a big headache and a money pit.

snagiel

Personally, I wouldn't let the same place I buy toilet paper by the case work on my car, but I suggest bringing it back and insisting they re-align until it doesn't pull anymore. I've heard of tires breaking in with regards to traction, but not with alignment.

snagiel

Out of curiousity, where do you live?

I suppose a determined thief is impossible to stop, but I was under the impression the G35's headlights were of a far more theft-deterrent design than, say, the Acura TL's (which are stolen at an absurd rate in the NY tri-state area). My understanding is, that, to get at the headlights, you need to remove the bumper, which is why many who wanted to replace their foglamps decided it wasn't worth it. Am I incorrect on this?

snagiel

Sorry, I misspoke: Indeed, the engine computer detects pinging, not the lower octane gas per se.

According to the 2001 Car & Driver story, "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."

You may, indeed, not have noticed any degredation of performance, but that's probably a testament to the V6's power reserves. And, under heavy loads and/or hot temperatures, I suspect your engine will knock sooner or later.

roxy728

I live in Miami. It seems to be more of a problem in metropolitan areas. They are very easy to remove. It can be done with 2 screwdrivers and they are actually popped out like eyeballs in under 30 seconds. All this info I got from a police officer and from a witness who saw the theif steal my light the last time at the shopping mall. The lights are attached by plastic mounts and they are easily broken off in the process.

will38

The 2002-2003 Nissan Maxima's had the same problem with HID headlight theft. Nissan came up with a device that secured the headlights. This was done under warranty. I'm surprised they didn't keep this in mind when designing the G35.

twindad

I bought a '04 G35x in June and am very happy with it. However it has been doing something odd since I got it. Two days a week I commute 62 miles each way. After about 45 minutes of driving on those mornings, the low tire pressure warning light goes on. I have checked the tire pressures and they are fine. (I would expect pressure to INCREASE after tires heat up). It only happens in the a.m., not on the way home. I go home a different way. I called the dealer about this and speculated as to whether local radio signals or something could be triggering it (as I understood that's how the signal is transmitted from the sensor). He indicated this was not likely and thought I might just have a bad sensor. But why only in the morning? Anyone else have experience with this problem? It's no big deal but sure is odd.

emilitante

I currently have a 2004 G35 sedan 6MT and love it; however, recently I've noticed the entire dash board lights have been flickering (on and off) when driving the car. Granted this flicker would only last a second or two, but it worries me, being that my car is less than a year old.

Anyone else have that problem too?

wibble

Never heard of this one before. I would have your dealer look at it next time you're in for a service. Have you tried turning the knob that adjusts the brightness? If so, does the brightness increase and decrease gradually. If not, it could be that part that is faulty.

emilitante

Thanks for your quick reply. Yes, i have tried that, but no such luck. Unfortunately, when the lights flicker, the whole dash board appears to turn off as if I turned the car off. Meaning the gauge needles all fall down to the left and the digital readings turn off.....with all that happening, the car is in motion during this outage....

Already set an appointment.

Thanks again.

wibble

Let us know what they find. Thanks

eticketride

I have had my lights flicker a couple of times. Only the lights above the clock with the temperature and compass. The gauges above the steering column have been fine. It has happened only a couple of times and lasted for a couple of seconds. Dealer could not find anything wrong.

cptnfoot

Just picked up my G35. Will put on snow tires this winter. Wheels on the car are 17". Tirerack.com has a 16" steel wheel and Blizzak tire package or I can spend a lot more on a 17" a la carte alloy wheel and tire package. Am I correct to assume that the lug pattern on the car will accomodate the offered 16" wheel/tire package? Will the odometer register less milage than travelled with the 16" wheels?

snagiel

If you go through Tire Rack and tell them what you're driving, they'll only offer you wheels that will fit your car. When you get a smaller diameter wheel, the tire sidewalls are taller to compensate, so the overall tire circumference is (practically) the same, netting zero effect on the odometer.

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simpson

Not sure if this is the right forum to post, but wanted some advice on the G35 i just bought.

Two weeks ago I travelled about 100 miles to get the G35 i wanted at the price i wanted. I tried to be sure everything was perfect with the car since I had to travel to get it and knew it would be hard to get the dealer to fix anything after i took possession of the car. I noticed that someone had scuffed one of the rear splash guards (backed into a curb i assume). They reluctantly agreed to take care of that. What i didn't notice is two big scuffs or chunks out of one of the wheels. It does not look like a curb scrape. I don't know how it got there but i know i didn't do it.

I am sure they are going to give me a hard time, b/c i've had the car two weeks, etc. (as a matter of fact they have not even returned my calls for a week now and i haven't even identified the problem). But knowing that i didn't do it and i bought the car this way really pisses me off (both at them for selling the car this way and myself for not noticing it).

Does anyone know what recourse I have if any? Do I need to deal with the far away dealer I bought it from or should I deal with my local dealer? Do they have to replace it or am I screwed? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

mrike

Hi. Can anyone recommend a clear bra installer (the 3M one looks good to me) in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area?

M.

rickc1

I'd appreciate any advice that folks might give me. I have a 2004 G35 sedan. I purchased it in January and it has been back to the dealer 5 times since then (8 months) for repairs. First, the driver's window started rattling and required a fix to the window guide. Then, the dashboard started making popping sounds when the outside temp was hot, and that required a replacement of some foam tape. Then, the first fix to the window failed and required another guide. Then, the carpet on the floor came unglued and pulled away from the console. Then, the CD player died. Today, my "service engine soon" light came on. The car has 6,200 miles on it.

The dealer is very nice and fixes each problem, but the car seems to have an unending string of repairs. I sold a 13 year old BMW with nearly 200,000 miles when I bought the G35, and it was far more reliable.

Any suggestions? At what point would you escalate this and how would you do it?

Thanks,
Rick C