Infiniti QX56

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  • dadfromchitowndadfromchitown Member Posts: 8
    Ok guys...I would like to install a Playstation 2 in my QX56. My problem is I don't know what type of inverter to use...If you currently have a video game console installed, what brand and model # of the inverter are you using?

    Thanks
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    Playstation draws 79 watts at 120 volts alternating current.
    If you buy a 100 watt inverter, your covered. I have a 300 watt just to cover anything else they want to plug in such as chargers, etc.
    The size difference is negligible.
    Check out ebay for examples.
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    ...just got my July issue of Motor Trend, in which they did a full-size luxury SUV comparo. Included were the QX56, Navigator, LX470, and Range Rover--and they finished in that order.

    The QX56 didn't fare too well. They started out by praising the drivetrain, saying it was in a class of it's own with a 6.8 second 0-60 time and that it had great interior space, but then things went down from there, and down quickly. As said, "Anyone paying nearly $55 large for a luxury truck, we think, ought to get a package that feels as refined and substantial as a leather club chair. The QX56 doesn't." Going on to say that a lot of the interior materials were sub-par, some looked like they were straight from an econo-car, and most of all, there were way too many squeaks and rattles.

    To put it into perspective, I think this says it all: "And despite being built on a beefy boxed ladder frame, the QX56 squeaked and shimmied like a flock of teenage girls at a Leonardo Dicaprio movie. "Rattles and shakes over dirt roads mercilessly," noted Williams. "Unimpressive structural integrity," wrote Matthius. "There's a terrible creak coming from somewhere in the back."

    I have nothing against it myself, and think it has awesome looks and a muscle car drivetrain, but if it is even remotely close in build quality to the Armadas I've seen, I think it's time for Nissan/Infiniti to go back to the drawing board for another 6-12 months and give the thing some refining.
  • josh684josh684 Member Posts: 55
    Thats what it comes down too. The range and LX are not in the same price range or size range. Both are nice trucks, The Navi has a nice interior. But I give the QX the edge on Exterior styling. The front end of the QX just makes it dominating. The Navi exterior looks old, not much difference from the old model. Squeaks and Rattles, after test driving both....they are about the same. If you get the QX w/o the DVD...the headliner does not rattle, not much does. The breaking point for me was the extra warranty and the loaner car. Service at Infinit is the best around, not doubt. If you bring the car in for anything, you get a loaner and they fully clean your car inside out everytime.
  • lexusguy1973lexusguy1973 Member Posts: 5
    The Range must have done superb in the testing because they have extremely high pricing, extremely low pricing, and the only suv in the group without 3rd row seating. Can't really be "full-size" in my opinion, nor can the G-wagen by mercedes-benz
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    With the Range Rover, they started out by saying that value is a very important factor when they rate a vehicle and that, even though it was the most expensive in the test, everything about it was awesome enough to not only warrant the price but win the test. The Lexus was a very close second and they couldn't say enough about how terrific every bit and piece of it is made and assebled.

    They loved the QX56 drivetrain but just couldn't get over how awful the body integrity and strength were. Definately not something belonging in the $50k-plus range of vehicles.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    While I love how the Q feels and drives, I too feel the interior is way below class, and I'm going to have to disagree with Josh above, my 1.5 year old Navigator does not rattle or squeak, and my neighbors Q across the street rattles like a 57 Fairlane Country Squire with all the windows open. Now, they may be able in a year or two to overcome that, but right now, if you're going off the freeway, it's gonna get loose. In time, they may have a real truck there. Not yet, IMO. Still, it's on my list for a potential replacement for the Navigator in 06. We'll see how they are by then. It's the ONLY competitor for the Navigator out there, IMO. YMMV.
  • josh684josh684 Member Posts: 55
    Maybe depends what QX you test drive? Mine does not rattle or have that resonance noise that many claim it has. So far I am very happy with mine, much happier than my 02 Denaile , thats for sure.
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    I'm with you Josh. I've had mine for a couple of months now, and if I had a rattle or squeek I would have it back to the dealer the next day. The roads in cent. Jersey have not been repaired from the harsh winter we had, so their loaded with potholes. The only rattles that bother me is when the seatbeat is not back in position on the passenger side.
  • josh684josh684 Member Posts: 55
    Maybe depends what QX you test drive? Mine does not rattle or have that resonance noise that many claim it has. So far I am very happy with mine, much happier than my 02 Denaile , thats for sure.
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    I would guess that the '05s will have some very minor improvements and then maybe the '06 or '07 models will be upgraded significantly as far as the build quality concerns go. Just look at what happened to the Altima. Came out in '02 with an AWFUL interior and not that great build quality, got a few very small upgrades for '03 and '04 and then got an entirely new, much better interior for '05 and appears to have gained improved build quality in the process (not something you can explain, but the newer models seem quieter and more solid). Hopefully that will happen for the QX56 and Armada too.
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    ...maybe the reviewers are just getting some very early build pre-production vehicles (they always do). I've read numerous owner reviews and even some other magazine reviews and few, if any, seem to mention any issue with build quality or rattles.

    You wouldn't think Infiniti would let something with their name on it come out and have so many problems, anyway. Now the Armada is a different story, but Infiniti's rarely have ANY quality issues.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I expect improvement as well as time goes on. Within a year, it will likely be improved considerably. I hope they also improve the looks of the front end in a year or two.
  • josh684josh684 Member Posts: 55
    IMO....The Front End is that best feature looks wise, It looks very dominating. Im not a big fan of the side, I dont really like the hump after the back doors.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    the hump reminds me of a 59 Rambler Ambassador station wagon, but I can get past that. The front end just looks awful plain to me. But hey, that's why we have all these choices, right? Because YMMV.
  • dadfromchitowndadfromchitown Member Posts: 8
    What type of oil do you use for your QX? A few people have advised me to go with synthetic oil.
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    I too would like to switch over to syn. oil, but I would be careful on that decision because the manufacture and the dealership recommend standard motor oils. I would guess you would have a battle on your hands if anything goes wrong with the engine.
  • presplanpresplan Member Posts: 30
    does anyone else expereince a problem with the intelligent cruise control not working when it rains? each time it rains, the intellignet cruise control shuts down and I have to wait for it to dry off before it works again. The manual crusie control will work, but not the intelligent cruise control. I don't know if a wire is getting wet by the sensor, or it is a standard issue.
  • ringleader6ringleader6 Member Posts: 43
    No problem with Synthetic, no question they are superior lubrication and temperature tolerate. They also will pay for themselves with the longer maintenance. Harley Davidson has now gone synthetic after years of denial about air cooled high temp engines needing fossil lubes. Tests proved Synthetic superior. I am now running Mobil 1 in mine 0-40W which is hard to find, Nissan states the lower viscosity is proven to provide superior fuel economy.
  • ringleader6ringleader6 Member Posts: 43
    Gas Mileage and full size SUV are not to be found. My QX now has about 4,500 miles on it and is just beginning to feel broken in. It gets about 16-17 running on I-75 and I-65 at 80-85; about par to a Chevy Suburban; ran one 1,000 mile trip to Myrtle pulling a small enclosed cycle trailer and got about 12.5 running at 75-80 on I-20; gets about 14 around in town driving. All of this in right in line with the 13-18 EPA sticker.
  • katana2katana2 Member Posts: 35
    Presplan, the guy at my dealership that shows you how everything works told me the laser cruise will not work in the rain. The rain breaks up the beam. You will also find that the laser cruise will get confused on highways with hills and curves. The laser will see the hill and start to slow down. Hope this helps.
  • joe_msjoe_ms Member Posts: 2
    The book says the fixed-distance feature is disabled when the windshield wipers are turned on. The laser light used in sensing distance does not penetrate heavy rain, so cars may not be detected with lots of rain.
  • joe_msjoe_ms Member Posts: 2
    Anyone else having a/c problems with their QX56? After 7 days my a/c drops the temperature by less than 6 degrees. My Ford Expedition cools it by 40 degrees. Getting service is a pain because i'm 2.5 hours from the nearest dealer, who has not yet stocked repair parts. So, drive there (no a/c), drive back, wait for the parts to arrive, go back to the dealer. Bummer!
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    I have a QX56 and I not real happy with the AC's ability to cool the cabin space in a short period of time. I have found that outside air temp. and humidity play into it's ability to cool quickly. I have noticed on humid days I can create a small stream of water on the pavement if I sit in one place to long - a sure sign that the system is kicking. As an electrician/ HVAC mechanic I have always been told that an AC system is doing it's job if you have a 20 degree difference between the outside air and the evaporator discharge air. Any more or less calls for the test equipment to be broken out. Check out this website for details.
    http://www.aircondition.com/wwwboard/current/44954.html
    When Infiniti completes my new transmission install (1900 miles), I will check air temps and post it for your comparison.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    If you put a stick thermometer in the vent, and your Expedition can drop the temperature 40 degrees, the Q ought to do a lot better than 6 degrees, wouldn't you think? I sure would. I also am familiar with the 20 degree drop law, but my cars often do much better than that if it's not raining. 6 degrees means the unit is broken.
  • josh684josh684 Member Posts: 55
    I had A/C problems also, for some reason my freon tank was never filled at the factory. They took care of that.
  • dadfromchitowndadfromchitown Member Posts: 8
    qx56...what's wrong with your transmission??
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    My wife tried to back out of a driveway the other day and had no reverse. She called me and I suggested shutting the thing down and restarting. NG. She managed to roll it out and drop it into drive and got it home. I tried it and it worked the first time but not after that. Called Infiniti 8:00am, 8:20am the flatbed was there, 9:30am received a call from the service manager, says he talked to Nissan and they are sending a new trans. from Texas. Should be here tomorrow.
    In the mean time they told me to go to Enterprise and pick something out. I grabbed the '03 Yukon XL w/27k. Has alot of the same (ordinary) features, but it handles like a truck, and for all you squeak freaks, this fairly new SUV squeaks, groans, and rattles from the front and rear suspension like my 14 y.o. E-250.
    I'll keep you posted when I get the QX56 back.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I'm impressed that Nissan took good care of you so far.
  • presplanpresplan Member Posts: 30
    I have my truck 2 weeks now with 520 miles on it. I love it so far. Only minor issues, of which I can live with until I bring it in for serivce. I hear a little whisper noise from the sunroof; I have a 2nd row bench seat, and when I fold down the center seat, the armrest is getting some smudge marks on it from resting against the rubber gaskets below it; and the 2nd row left passenger seat doesn't pull back by itself in the recline position when releasing the handle - you have to pull it manually as it is sticking to the middle passenger seat.

    Also, I would find it useful if they have an after factory installed front bumper (or under grill) camera that can be hooked up into the NAV video system (just like the reverse camera) - it's hard to exactly judge where the front bumper begins. I come close, but with a truck this big, every inch counts and it's impossible to see where the bumper begins. I was also thinking maybe they have an attachment like a stick that could be placed on the front left and right side of the bumper to help with the visual of where the front bumper is aligned.

    And last but not least, I read the article in the July Motor Trend magazine and can't disagree more with their results. I love this truck and haven't heard one rattle or creaking noise yet (and no resonance issue). The plastic molding doesn't look cheap to me, especially for the price paid compared to the other trucks ranging up to 20k more then the QX56. I think the QX is well worth the money. The seats are so comfortable with a huge amount amount of leg room in the 2nd row. The Bose system could be a little better but I didn't buy the truck for that.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I agree on the seats. First class. First Asain SUV that has fit me.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "And if you want one of the hardest-working 'utes in town then, yep, this is still the one to pick."

    Full Test: 2004 Infiniti QX56

    Steve, Host
  • ringleader6ringleader6 Member Posts: 43
    Well, we just completed another 500 mile weekend, this time towing a 21' Boston Whaler. Acceleration unlike anything GM or Lincoln can put up. You can actually spin the tires on dry pavement. Did not mention Lexus or Rover, neither accelerate without anything in tow. The fuel economy ranged from 8 to 9.5 on the highway all on relatively flat four lanes on US-1 and GA 520. We have always done better with GM vehicles, usually 9-12, and I was somewhat surprised. You can get better than that with a Peterbilt or KW.
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    Infiniti called about 4:30 this afternoon and asked if we could pick it up. (Or they would drop it off tomorrow) Well I driven that Yukon a week and it is second rate as far as I'm concerned. Not bad at all for the money, but I'm spoiled at this point! Anyway the QX56 is as good as new, and they made good on a deal that there would be two (additional) new headphones in the backseat. I'm going to crawl around under it tonight just to make sure it's all "like new".
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I agree, the Yukon isn't bad for the money, but it's clearly the most low tech of the large SUV's out there. Good seats though...nice & big.
  • pete_l_ppete_l_p Member Posts: 322
    <<<<<<
    does anyone else expereince a problem with the intelligent cruise control not working when it rains? each time it rains, the intellignet cruise control shuts down and I have to wait for it to dry off before it works again. The manual crusie control will work, but not the intelligent cruise control. I don't know if a wire is getting wet by the sensor, or it is a standard issue.
    >>>>>>

    As you&#146;ve noticed, the intelligent cruise control will be intentionally disabled when it rains. That&#146;s because rain makes the laser sensors less reliable and it would be dangerous to have a driver rely on them for breaking etc.

    If you want to activate standard cruise control *without* automated laser breaking and acceleration, then, **from the off position**, you need to press and hold the cruise control enable button, when first enabling it.

    Standard cruise control works just fine in the rain.

    Pete
  • pete_l_ppete_l_p Member Posts: 322
    <<<<<
    Does anyone know whether XM or Sirius Satellite Radio are currently available from the factory on the QX56? I can't seem to find one with satellite radio already installed. Any information on this option would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
    >>>>>

    You can get dealer installed XM or Sirius and it is fully integrated with all of your radio controls and display. Just like FM. Additionally, your display shows you artist, title, channel name, and channel category.

    I love XM more than you could imagine. Never in my life have I had an opportunity to hear so much music, so perfectly in tune with my taste. It&#146;s the 120+ perfectly programmed channels that do it.

    Oddly enough it's the most enjoyable feature I've ever had in a car.

    Admittedly, infiniti's navigation is a close second. (to XM radio)

    Pete
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    After receiving my QX56 back from Infiniti, a squeak developed on the overhead console housing the DVD screen. I open the screen and notice that one of the hexhead screws had pulled through the plastic and the other was loose. I dropped down the screws, fitted the screws with the proper sized flat washers and reinstalled them. I then moved to the overhead compartment where there was two more. I found one of the stripped, so I replaced the 10mm with a SAE#10x3/4 and it grabbed solid. I would check these screws with a 10mm socket if I were concerned about possible overhead rattles.
    I personally felt better doing this one by myself.
  • josh684josh684 Member Posts: 55
    Anyone here seen this. I was told it replaces the back center counsol? Is this true?
    Thanks
    Josh
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    This is the accessory cooler for the QX56. I'm not under the impression that it installs any particular place.
    http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=MorePartI- nfo&PartID=110499&siteid=213775&catalogid=580
  • msmithsonmsmithson Member Posts: 1
    Hi Joe,

    You are right on the mark.

    I am a commercial a/c mechanic and took my first test ride in a well equipped QX56. It was 102F yesterday.

    I think the QX56 A/C system is seriously undersized for the interior cubic ft in that big cabin.

    They do have a reason for it. It's not like they don't know how to engineer a a system that can handle the heat load.

    Mike
  • foobarfoobar Member Posts: 2
    Hi all,
    It has been about 3 months since I got the Qx56. Apart from the occasional discomfort from shaking when driving on bumpy roads in Seattle, I have been a happy customer. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed that this truck was shaking violently every time I applied the brakes. The faster I was going before braking, the more violent the shaking would be. I took the truck in for service this morning and they told me they probably had to do something to the rotor blades for the disc brakes. I will be picking the truck up tomorrow and I am hoping that all will be well. However I am totally surprised that I would be seeing problems with brakes for a truck this new. Has anyone else ran into this problem? Also I had my first oil change and when I asked to switch over to synthetic, they told me that they don't allow switching until 15K miles but that they do use a synthetic blend. Is this standard for all Infiniti dealerships. Thanks and keep driving...
  • rmd3003rmd3003 Member Posts: 21
    Premium gas required, because of higher compression ration (more horses and torque).
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    Just got back from a 800 mile trip down to Busch Gardens. Family of five and luggage for five days. It was a little cramped due to the middle captains chairs vs. the bench, but we managed, and I still have no regrets. The QX56 hooked on to the tractor-trailers in front of us with the cruise control as if there was a 200' tow line between us. It did 17.5 MPG with some stop and go traffic mixed in, and about 16 MPG coming home at 70-80 MPH. I did notice a clunk when I let off the gas for a distance and then hit it again, something I would expect in a vehicle with over 75k but not 3k. I'll have to get underneath and check the newly installed trans. for loose driveshafts etc. I also noticed the mild shimmy in the wheel while braking from 60, but we all know what that is.
  • foobarfoobar Member Posts: 2
    Ok, I got the Qx56 back and the shaking is gone. She said that the pads had some hot spots and that they replaced them under warranty. She warned me though that they can only do this within 12K miles otherwise it would be considered wear. I asked why I would be seeing this on a truck with 4k miles and all she could say was "you know it is a heavy car etc". Oh well at least I got my soft ride back. Cheers.
  • josh684josh684 Member Posts: 55
    First of all, for some reason I thought that Oil Changes and Scheduled Maintence was included in the infiniti warranty like it was for lincoln. My dealer told me it was not, can anyone clear this up for me. Also, Service told me today that tires should not be rotated until 7,500 miles so they can break into position? Is this true?...Or should I get them rotated at 3,000? Thanks, Josh
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    Josh - Service at 3,750 miles are not part of the package. I'm just about due myself. What did they hit you for it (if you don't mind)?
    Tires should be rotated at 7,500 miles, which is typical of most cars these days.
    Joe
  • qxinlaqxinla Member Posts: 3
    My 3,750 mile service was a freebie. Just a basic oil change. But all oil changes are complimentary. Maybe it's my dealer. Tires will be rotated next time.
  • josh684josh684 Member Posts: 55
    My first oil change was free. They told me after this I will be paying. I also thought oil changes were every 7,500 miles on new trucks. My Volvo S40 is like that. But Infiniti told me that in florida its 3,500. My question is, is it bad to rotate tires every 3,500? I have always done that.
  • qx56qx56 Member Posts: 69
    Thanks, I'll let you know how Ray Catena treats me.
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