Infiniti G35 Maintenance and Repair

kring5

It's pretty simple, ask them to list out everything they do, line by line in the 30K service, then ask then to put the cost to have each item done individually. Most of the time the price doesn't add up to $750, they will be about $300 short, even when the charge $40.00 to look at battery terminals.

Tell them what your willing to pay, i.e.$5.00 a check, so if your checking tranny fluid, air filter and brakes... thats $15.00. If they are not flexible then ask them how long it takes to do the work, and pay by the hour, then tell them you need a mechanic to go over your car for 4 hours, at a rate of $75/hr. then your only at $300.00

no one gets these services, most dealers don't even offer them anymore, or have brought their price down to reasonable of $350.00

zhampton21

Thanks for the reply. i know the services are not totally necessary, especially in a well kept luxury vehicle.

I really don't want to bargain with them. Car dealerships are a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] anyways and I have a feeling if I bargain with them, their gonna bargain the actual work on the vehicle. I have no problem taking it to the Big O tire center right around the corner. I know the guy there and he always does a good job when I need something.

Have you bargained with the service dept. before? I'd be interested to hear what they did when you tried that.

ocg35man

I own 2005 G35 sedan automatic. At 30K Miles, some services
are recommended. I replaced air filter and A/C filter myself. The location of air filter is not very convenient,so
it takes extra time(15-20 mins) to replace it. If you go to
Infinitihelp.com you can find information on maintenances etc.
I am in So California and some Nissan dealers work on Infiniti vehicles. For routine maintenances I just take it
to Nissan dealer in Buena Park. I usually pay $30 for oil
change including car wash. I even use Nissan service coupons
on my Infiniti G35 ! Afterall, it shares many parts with other Nissan cars such as 350Z. At 30k miles, I had coolant
service and auto transmission service for about $ 170.00
Tire rotation and balance can be done for $ 30 to $ 40
I also replaced wiper blades myself @ 25k miles.
I would make sure to visit Infiniti dealer for warranty
work before your factory warranty expires.

good luck

sundarhp

I am a proud owner of 07 G35x that I bought in Jan. So far I am happy with the car except for the engine noise during the initial acceleration. The car is quieter once is reaches 60 mph and above. But I thought it is still noisier than even Chevy, for instance. Wondering if anyone else noticed this or is it just me ? :-)

Also, it is past 3 months (3 months & 2 weeks to be exact) and I haven't changed my'engine oil as yet. The car has 3500 miles on it. I am planning to get this done on Monday.But hopefully, I havent done any irreversible damage ? I checked my engine oil level in the morning, the level was in the 60%.

Does the onboard computer monitor for the engine oil level too and alert you on the dashboard?

Appreciate any inputs

Thanks,

Sundar.

kring5

I wouldn't call the engines note noisy during acceleration. That's a good sound. Sports cars have a louder engine, but I would never classify it as noisy.

No you havn't done any damage, Oil doesn't breakdown until 25K miles. but I would never recommend going that long.

here's the section of the manual on the engine oil light

Engine oil pressure warning light
This light warns of low engine oil pressure.
If the light flickers or comes on during
normal driving, pull off the road in a
safe area, stop the engine immediately
and call an INFINITI dealer or other authorized
repair shop.
The engine oil pressure warning light is
not designed to indicate a low oil level.
Use the dipstick to check the oil level. See
ªEngine oilº in the ª8. Maintenance and
do-it-yourselfº section.
Running the engine with the engine oil pressure
warning light on could cause serious
damage to the engine almost immediately.
Such damage is not covered by warranty.
Turn off the engine as soon as it is safe to do
so.

sundarhp

Thanks ! I am not planning to wait till 25 K though . I am getting it in the next couple of days.

Will replacing the regular engine oil with the synthetic one have any negative effects ?

zhampton21

I would hope you wouldn't wait until 25k to change the oil, that would be the stupidest thing I have ever heard of.

Engine oil lasts a lot longer than you would think. It is good past 5k miles. Now, being that the car is brand new, you need to get that factory oil out of there and put synthetic in. I recommend Mobile 1 synthetic. If you go buy a case of the oil at Costco, the dealer will put it in your car for a cheaper price than a regular oil change. The synthetic oil will not have any negative effects on the engine, it will help it perform better.

As far as the engine noise, I enjoy the purr of the engine when it's up in the higher RPM's. That's the beauty of owning a performance vehicle, the power. Not sure what loud sounds yours is making, but I like the subtle, smooth rumble of my engine.

zhampton21

Yeah I have called around to some of the better automotive shops and found a lot better deals. I can get the full service, including transmission flush, radiator fluid flush, brake flush, cabin air filter and air filter, oil change and with a bumper to bumper check and tire rotation, balance and alignment fix for about $220. It's a Big O tire center and they have done a great and honest job in the past. I still have 10k+ miles to go until my warranty is up, so I am going to make sure the vehicle does get into a dealership to get any and all quirks fixed before it runs out.

I appreciate the input, let me know if there is anything else I need to do for the 30k service. The car is immaculate and runs perfectly, I just want to maintain it so that I can keep it for a long, long time!

imkramer

Just bought a new '07 G35 4 door Journey 3 weeks ago. At delivery I was told by the salesman that the original engine oil is synthetic. I am doubting this is the case. Can anyone confirm or refute what the dealer told me?

zhampton21

The oil that is in the engine is partially synthetic. So, it is synthetic, but not 100% synthetic. I would recommend putting synthetic in the engine whenever you get a chance. Preferrably Mobile 1 synthetic. It is just flat out better for your car.

If they do in fact put fully sunthetic oil in the 2007's, I highly doubt it is a top quality motor oil. They wouldn't use the good stuff on that many vehicles.

scottm123

Full synthetic is not really recommended until your at 12-15K, to allow for proper engine break-in.

audi2infinti

My 2006 G345 Coupe 6MT was in the shop for a headlight recall (and the bastards scratched the paint on the right front quarter panel in the process, which they are now also fixing). Anybody know anything about this?

smokey75

Full synthetic is not really recommended until your at 12-15K, to allow for proper engine break-in.

Not true... that's one of those synthetic oil urban legends that's still sticking around with some people. You know, the one's like once you use synthetic you can't switch back... or you can't mix synthetic & dyno. Many vehicles now come factory filled with synthetic.

Mr_Shiftright

Agreed...you could use synthetic after your first scheduled oil change.

zhampton21

Yeah...synthetic is the best for your engine. Why would you have to wait 12-15k miles to put it in?

scottm123

There are many different opinions on the matter, but I've done my share of research and even read replies from techs at Mobil and Nissan.

The engine in the Infiniti G has a break-in period of 1200 miles. ie, no WOT (wide open throttle), vary RPMs, ... typical break-in rules.
It does not mean, however, that your engine is 100% broken in at the moment you hit 1200 miles.

During the break-in period of an engine, there needs to be a certain amount of friction between the motor's components. The piston rings need to rub against the cylinder wall to break-in or "finely tune" the machine mating between the two metal parts.
To properly seat all mechanical components, a certain amount of friction is required between these metal parts.

Synthetic oil is just to slippery and if placed into the engine at too early a time, these parts never properly marry, which can lead to problems like poor compression.

The point where people start to disagree is on the subject of "when is good"?
I'm in other G forums as well, one which includes members who are Infiniti Techs and they all seem to be in agreement on this subject.
They have been informed that Full Synthetic is not recommended in this engine until 12-15k to allow for proper engine break-in.

Again, this all depends on the driver's habits and what kind of miles are on the engine, but for me personally, I think 3K is just too early.

dmac690

We just bought an 07 g35x and am a little confused on the oil capacity. Is it 5 1/8 qt with new filter or 4 3/8 qt with filter? Also it says we have a 20 gal fuel tank. I ran it down to the fuel light and filled it back up and it took just over 15 gal. REALLY CONFUSED with owners manual.

triple_7

Im sure many will disagree, but you provided a very convincing argument of why one should wait. As for me, Im with you and would prefer to wait before placing a full synthetic oil in the car.

scottm123

Not 100% sure on the oil thing.
Haven't even given it a thought yet.

As for the fuel tank... that's typical, at least for Nissan.
The fuel pump is in the tank and does displace a little bit of that fuel capacity.
Also, when the fuel light comes on, you actually have somewhere around 50+ miles in the tank.
The pump is submerged, and from what I've been told, the fuel it pumps also acts as it's coolant/lubricant, so it's not suggested to run the tank too low.

For that reason, the fuel light comes on early, so you go and get gas without causing damage to the fuel pump.

scottm123

Okay, the manual says that the Oil capacity, when changing the Oil and Filter is:
US Measure: 5 1/8 qt
IMP: 4 5/8 qt
Liter: 4.9

Without changing filter:
US Measure: 4 7/8 qt
IMP: 4 3/8 qt
Liter: 4.6

The magical question is...
What's an IMP?
And don't say, about half a quart! LOL

esfoad

IMP stands for an Imperial quart. They use it in England and Canada used to use it before going metric. It has 40oz instead of the US quart's 32oz.
And YES an Imperial gallon is 160oz vs 128oz for a US gallon.

dmac690

Thanks for the info. However, the fuel things still does not make sense to me. If my fuel light came on and I filled up the tank and it only took 15 gallons and the manual says a 20 gal tank, that should mean I would have approx 4-5 gallons left. Therefore, the gas gage should not be on empty and the fuel lights should have never came on???? I called an Infinity dealership and spoke with a tech and he said it should be 5 1/8 qt with new filter. Thanks again for the info.

scottm123

The Manual says the tank has a capacity of 20 gallons... and it does.
There is a fuel pump in the tank, which displaces some of that capacity.
That, along with the fact that some fuel MUST remain in the tank, means that the guage and light come on while fuel is still in the tank.

Sorry if I'm not explaining this well.
Maybe someone else can give this a try.

dmac690

I get it. It just doesn't seem right. I guess they give you plenty of warning. Thanks for the help.

scottm123

You're right... it doesn't seem right.
My friend bought an Nissan X-Terra months before I picked up my G and he had the same exact finding.
They claim one capacity, but when empty, it took nowhere near that much fuel.
I used to laugh about it, and now I'm in the same boat.

All I know is that when it reads empty, I have to fill it.
Just a bummer that we can only drive on16 of the 20 gallons... really cuts down on "Miles Until Empty"

zhampton21

Well, as far as the break in period goes, I have also done research and you are right, the 1k mile mark (or 1200) is the magical number in which you should take it easy on the car and let the parts form. The metal in the engine has to heat up and expand to form with the parts around it, particularly in the cyclinders. However, after this period fully synthetic oil is more than OK. To fully break in a car you are supposed to "drive it like you stole it" after the initial 1200 mile break in period. If you baby the car, it never gets a chance to get the juices flowing and the parts broken in. In order for the car's engine to perform at a high level, fully synthetic oil is recommended. It is the best for your engine and will keep the friction down after the initial break in period. However, the car is semi-broken in before you even get it. The initial 6-7 test miles that is on the car when they get to the lot are hard driven miles. The engine is redlined and really run hard for a short while to make sure the vehicle is built to standard. So really, the metal in the engine might have already warped and been broken in, thus negating all myths about proper break in.

I guess it's all opinion. I put synthetic in mine right after the 500 mile mark and I drive it like it's supposed to be driven. It's a sports car, right? I love it, I drive it hard and it runs perfectly. It's just all perception and I really don't think there is a "best option" when it comes to this. It's whatever you feel comfortable with.

lforney

We have been having issues with our brakes since the beginning. We had to have the rear changed out when it was only a month old. We are now on our third set of brakes and the car is only just three years old and has just 29000 miles on it. I just paid for the third set of brakes as it is over the 3 year limit and they refused to put on a new set when I took it in before. I did not know about this class action lawsuit. Can you give me some kind of idea how much a attorney costs for this kind of lawsuit and where I go about finding one. We live in Bakersfield Calfornia. I appreciate your help. We are sick about this as we dont owe anything on this car and really dont want to have to buy something else yet dont want to keep a car we keep going through brakes on and cant really drive anywhere.

Thank you for your help,
Lori
ps-I feel stupid for not researching this car better!!!!!!!!
kforney@bak.rr.com

wildcat2320

My green key light has been blinking for a long time after I start my 2005 g35x. The manual mentioned that it might be the battery and it should be charged? Not sure how to do that or if the dealer needs to do so and if it's covered by warranty if that is the case. It's only about a year and half old with 37,000 miles. I'm taking it in for an oil change and want to make sure I have ducks in a row.

Also when I stop sometimes at a slow speed (and no it's not my drivign with this) I notice after I stop the car jerks forward especially on an incline. I just had the suspension replaced (should ahve been when I bought it used last September) about 5 or 6 months ago. Could it be going again? Any help/info is great. Thanks!

scottm123

When I stop sometimes at a slow speed, I notice after I stop the car jerks forward especially on an incline.

My Jeep Grand Cherokee was doing weird things like this and then the Check Engine light came on.
My mechanic pulled the code and it turned out to be a Speed Sensor in the transmission, and cost about $150 to replace, including labor.

I think we'd need more details on this to make an educated guess, but if it's jerking forward, after coming to a stop, it sounds like it's coming down into 1st gear hard... assuming this is an Automatic transmission... so yes, that sounds like a transmission issue.

jason31480

I have a 06 G35x. It only has about 8600 miles on it. Last weekend, I noticed both front calipers show the signs of rusting while I was washing the vehicle. Does anyone else have the same problem? I am just surprised the rust occurred on the G35 in such early stage.

scottm123

Most calipers are just exposed metal, and rust over time. (Surface rust)
This is caused by exposure to heat, brake dust and moisture.

You can sand them down, tape them off and coat them with paint or clear if you wish.

All unpainted calipers will rust over time.
I've been looking for a paint color that closely matches my Blue Slate color, so I can paint the calipers to match.
In the meantime, when rotating my wheels, I give them a good once over... scrub and clean.
This keeps them looking nice.

stef1974

i recently was faced with a dead battery.. went to the local garage and they said the alternator is fine, but the battery was finished, so they replaced it. Ran fine for a few days, but it was left in the driveway for 2 days. Then the battery died again. If the alternator is fine, what else can be causing this? Or is it really the alternator? I was wondering if this happened to anyone else?

Thanks

stef1974

i have rust on the bottom of the passenger door. Wondering if anyone else has had rust problems on the 2003. They had already replaced the driver-side door under warranty, due to rust on the side of the window. They told me that they would replace the passenger door if rust ever were to appear next to the window (recall)

Thanks

stef1974

I was told that it was loose and needed replacing. 1200$! Has anyone else had the same problem?

Thanks

scottm123

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is, make sure the ignition is Off.
What I mean is, if you get in the car and hit the start button without your foot on the brake, it turns the ignition on.
This will smoke your battery pretty quickly.

I know of a few guys who were listening to their "Studio On Wheels" system with the ignition set to On, while waxing the car.
2-4 hours later, dead.

Also, if it was an Alternator, it wouldn't just die from sitting still.
If the ignition is not set to On, then something else is causing the drain, and a tech would need to hunt it down for you.

g35woman

Help! Driving me nuts. My wife's 2003 G35 creeks very loud when we take hard lefts or rights. I can reproduce easily. I turned into my driveway and stopped when I heard the creeking. I got out and went under the rear. To me it seems to be a bushing or a pivoting point. Any ideas? Seems to be happening when weight shifts. I bought used from an Audi dealer who has been useless. Thanks. Bob

esfoad

Sounds like compression rods. If it is and the car is out of warranty I hear it can be expensive.

tenizpro

Thanks, I'm a first timer.

So if the car, in this case the sedan, is one piece and doesn't have what I think of us the old "panels" of front and rear, etc, I don't get the repair concept. Say I crunch the rear corner. The salesman tells me that nothing is "replaced" it is just repaired. As in the damage is straightened and repainted But my body shop friend of ten years who is very reputable says No Way.

Any experts on the subject . . . . ? Thank you

bocatrip

I agree with the diagnosis of compression rods. I've had a loaner that had the same issue.

gooddeal2

I think you talk about the damage to the rear quarter. If the damage is light enough, they can just pull it back (repair). If it's major, they have to replace the rear quarter.

robkane

Was quoted $140 from the local Infiniti dealer. Doesn't this seem a little a lot ridiculous?

scottm123

Yes!
The suggested maintenance is how the dealers make their money.... more more than from sales of cars.
The $140- will buy you an oil change and tire rotation, along with the inspection of brakes, driveshaft, exhaust, steering & suspension.
I think these "inspections" are complete garbage and never fall for them.
Have them rotate your tires and change your oil... and put the other $70-$80 bucks toward a new golf club. :P

zekeman1

If you think $140 is too much, never buy a Lexus - any model.
Z

scottm123

I'm not saying that $140- is too much...
I'm saying that he'll most likely be paying for more that what he receives in return.

And yeah, I've heard about those nasty scheduled maintenance prices over there at Lexus. Ugh.

koppsuz

You get what you pay for.... that $140 is less than 3 tanks of gas...

scottm123

I'd gladly pay $140 if I was getting $140 worth of service.
The point I was trying to make (but failed to do so) was that most of these things are not even done, so No, you do not ALWAYS get what you pay for.
Some tech glancing at my brake pads quickly as he pops his head underneath and sees the exhaust is still there.... that's not worth the other $75 being spent.

If you have absolutely no knowledge of cars what-so-ever..spend the $140.
I'll get the tire rotation and oil change and inspect the other stuff myself.

Normally, I do my own oil changes too, but life is recently much busier for me and it's just easier to swing by the shop and have them do it in 10 minutes.

Tire rotations are another easy job, but the 07 G does NOT like floor jacks, as the jack points bend easily.
I'll leave that to them, as they can do it while the car's up there getting the oil changed.

agm1

Interesting reports. Both of my dealers, one in San Diego and the other in Nashville inspect the car each time I bring it in for nothing. They report by phone what extra needs to be done and if it is covered by warranty. I always get the covered stuff and pass on the other stuff as I can do it much less expensive that $100 per hour. And of course they do a mini detail prior to delivery.
agm18

drvic1

I'm considering purchasing a 2007 G35 sedan and have read about brake problems with earlier year models but haven't seen anything with regard to 2007. Is there anyone out there who has a 2007 that has had to have their brake pads and rotors changed out in an unexpectedly short period of time? This issue concerns me and I'm hesitant to make the decision to buy if this is the case.

raizelgs

I believe these problems were primarily in 2004 and earlier and especialy in the AWD. I have a 2005 coupe with 26000 miles and the brakes are still fine.

I would not be worried about a 2007. You can search the arcives of these boards for additional discussions on this.

pat

Here's a tip for everyone's information - the best way to do a search is to go to any given vehicle's group page and use the search feature there. That way all of the discussions in the group will be searched. Click here to get to the G35 group page and check it out.