Thanks for your reply; we have not used the second fob yet. I carry the only fob we use in my pocket and always use the door handle button to unlock the car, so I'm not sure whether or not I would see this while unlocking the car with the fob's unlock key. Some guy complained of similar, random incidents on a 2005 Maxima on another board.
It might have something to do with whether on not the seat or mirrors had been manually moved. I know that, if my wife has last driven the car and it is unlocked, when I get in and start it with my fob the seats will move to her position. If I move the seat slightly before I start the car the seat remains in it's current position until I press my memory button.
If you moved the seat or mirror the last time the car was driven, maybe it resets to your position when you use your fob to unlock it. Just a thought.
Unfortunately I'm confident I had not changed any mirror/seat setting manually. What you are experiencing after your wife has driven the car is normal. When you approach the car after it's been driven using another fob, push the unlock button on your fob (even if the car is already unlocked) or lock and then unlock the car via the door handle button, the car should then adjust to your settings (unsure if it will do that right away or after the engine has been started, as I only use one fob for now).
Ask your, I'm sure, very experienced mechanic how a tank/drain system would work if it was able to give you clean fuel until the very last when it would find the water etc. If the tank had a float and extracted fuel from the top and gradually the float went down until it was extracting fuel from the bottom. Sort of like draning a pool using a siphon or shopvac. That's a whole lot harder, and more complicated, than putting a solid fuel line at the lowest point of the tank and never allowing water etc build up in the first place.
His wife no longer works for us, so no contact. It's worth asking someone, however; just for the fun of it. Maybe he was spinning a yarn ... just seemed logical to me at the time.
I spoke to a rep from one of the national tire stores about snow tire / wheels for my M35x. He agreed that it is better to go with a set of 17" wheels for better traction. He also said that when you move down from an 18" wheel to a 17" wheel you should change the alignment. He said that when you go back to the 18" wheels you don't have to realign as you are going up in size. Does this make sense? My gut reaction is to not have them change the alignment and only put on the tires.
I love my M35x and I'm very glad I bought it, but one thing that I believe is sorely missing is an auto trunk closer for a car in this price point. The thing that makes it even more awful is that the manually closing trunk on this car is rather difficult to close. I end up having to practically slam it to close it or otherwise I'll get a "trunk open" warning signal.
Maybe they'll include this for the 2007 model year.
Hi Youval. Sorry I didn't reply earlier but I somehow missed this post. I'll be back in Montreal next week and probably make a decision then on 550i versus M45. I'm definitely leaning to the Infiniti, and if we go with it, it'll also be Millenium Bronze. My wife thinks the all-black would look better than stone / graphite combo, but I'm not sure. What part of the seats is in stone? Would you have a photo you could email me of the interior? If so, I'll provide an email address in response to this message. Else if you're in Montreal maybe I can drive by and take a look!
And btw how's your second week been with the beast?
I have the same issue with my trunk. Dealer's answer: Closing as factory designed. What a nonsense. I ended up screwing in those two black distance holders on the underside of the trunk lid. this helped a lot. The service manual mentions that the latch (part at the bottom of the trunk) can be adjusted too.
1) I am not sure what I should do maybe someone can convince me either way. I am looking at getting the M35X or the M45 both Premium Packages. I live in Southern CA so snow is not a big problem, however rain can be, rare but it does happen. I wouldn’t mind driving to the mountains occasionally or even to other places with bad weather, ie UT, CO and KS. Its not that I really need to have the extra horses either so can someone help me out? 2) I am going to have to order either one, can you give me an idea of what to expect? I have never ordered a car, do I need to purchase the car first or is there a deposit? What about length of time? 3) I am looking at putting a substantial amount down. Anywhere from 80%-90% down. What kind of price should I expect to pay for a)M35x w/Premium or b)M45 w/ Premium Package
Just a note, if you want youval (or any Forums member) to have your email address, either make it public in your profile or add it to the bio section. Only registered members can see what's in your profile so that will prevent the spambots from picking it up.
Well, they were able to hear the rattle when I took it in. They took the headliner out and the rattle went away, so they had to put it back in to find the rattle again. Then they took it out again. They ended up pushing down (imperceptibly bending/warping) on the moonroof rails from above and voila', no more rattle. But now they didn't put the rear seat cushions back in correctly so that the cushions jut out a little. They are going to fix that when they fix the only other problem I've had with the car--the driver seat slides forward slightly when braking hard. They are going to replace a bracket (on backorder)
I brought my car in to have them look at the rattle. The rattle is coming from the extra spacing between the sunshade and the rail. They told me they added some felt cloth to it (not sure where or how) and that fixed the problem. So far, i think it has worked. But now I'm starting to notice a little click sound from the passenger side when I go over bumps or potholes. It might be from the glove box. I have to check if it's coming from the nav dvd system.
A question I have is why did they take out your back seat cushion?
They took out the entire headliner. This included some material wrapping behind the rear seat (when I say headliner, I mean the fabric covering the roof and pillars, not the moonroof shade). I don't think they removed the pillar coverings, though.
1) Why not just get the M35 and save yourself some money? The x just adds extra weight, mechanical complexity, and possibly noise to the already excellent M35 if you don't need it for snow. Either the M35 or M45 should be fine for occasional snow driving. Both have traction control.
Remember that four wheel drive just helps you get going, it's no better for turning or stopping in the snow. I read an article based on a CHP report that stated the most serious accidents in the Sierra tend to be "occasional" snow drivers with four wheel drive who get over confident in their vehicle's abilities.
2) You may or may not have to give the dealer a deposit. I ordered my M35 from a dealer who requested a $1000 deposit but then never charged it to my credit card. You don't pay for the car until you get it.
3) Check out the new car pricing on www.edmunds.com and go by the dealer cost. Don't pay more than $1000 over dealer cost and you should be able to negotiate lower.
Here are situations where AWD helps a LPS other than snow:
1) Rain acceleration 2) When squeezing into traffic from a side street, gets you through the accumulated debris on the side of the road without traction control kicking in and reducing your power to that of the average riding lawnmower. 3) When early morning dew is still on the road, don't worry about lining up against that z06 Vette. Guaranteed you will smoke him off the line if he/she tries.
So Cal I would probably save the expense. Anywhere else, I would think twice.
Do you really need AWD for occassional rain in So Cal. Besides the weight and extra cost, you also loose mpg. If you don't care about the mpg, get the M45.
I've had my M35 for 2 months and just today I noticed that when I choose "Settings" only the first three items show as active and the rest, including "Volumes and beeps" and "Phone" are grayed out. So I left the display on "settings' and those other items would occasionally become active, then gray out again.
Anyone else seen this? I haven't called service yet.
It's liability control. Infiniti doesn't want you to fiddle with multi-step controls while the car is moving. When you are stopped, the grayed-out items will become active again.
On a similar note, when I scroll down the phonebook for a list of people I've stored, the display only lets me scroll down the first 15 names. I know I've saved over 20 names in there and I remember being able to view beyond 15 names before. But sometimes, I can't scroll pass 15 names. Has anyone else experienced that?
You aren't really missing much. I've seen it. The aero kit makes the car seem even more narrow than it already is. The best piece of the aero kit is the lip spoiler on the trunk. I'd get that. They can keep the rest.
I lurked this board for about 3 months while considering GS300 or M35x to replace my 2001 bmw 325cic. Selected silver/graphite 35x w/ Journey/Tech packages based on better roominess, ease of entry/exit, trunk size and more goodies for same money. After 3 weeks, and my first service visit: 1. The car is a great drive. Obviously, it doesn't handle like a 325, but it is very solid and responsive. I don't find road noise a problem. I seem to be averaging about 20mpg. Not great, but not bad either. Bluetooth phone is terrific feature. 2. Right after delivery, I couldn't get Homelink to work, and noticed dash clock inoperative. Prior posts on this board led me to check the ashtray, and sure enough, found the fuse that the salesman had not been told about. 3. The tire monitor alerted me to a leaking tire, and saved me from a roadside flat tire change, as I was able to keep adding air daily until the dealer repaired a nail puncture today. Service at Infiniti of Manhattan already seems much better than at BMW (which is ghastly).
It's pretty funny how different people's taste can be, even within those who like the looks of the M. While I think the car looks great without the Aero-Kit, and that's the only way I saw it for quite some time; I LOVE the way it looks 10 times more WITH the Aero-Kit.
To say "You aren't really missing much..." is kind of a shortsighted response. While you may not like it, myself and many others do.
upuaut, do yourself a favor and look at it, then decide for yourself.
Has anyone mover the drivers seat back. I am 6’6” and it is hard to find a car that will really be comfortable The M is all most there. 2 to 3 inches would be a hall lot better.
The grayed-out items will come on when moving, albeit briefly, and mostly will not be active even when stopped/parked, so I don't think it's the liability thing.
I also have the limited phonebook scrolling thing.
HI there. I'm in SoCAL and I purchased the M45 W/premium package. I love it! There are not alot of dealers that have this configuration in stock since it's the highest end possible. If you're interested in seeing my car, just let me know and we can arrange something. Erik
Thanks for the very kind offer erikdg, but I just ordered the M45 w/premium, chrome wheels and the aero kit at 9am this morning. It should be in late december. I am really excited.
We got a cold snap and snow flurries here in Chicago today so I used the seat heaters in my M35x for the first time driving home and I noted something rather odd. After starting the car to get home (it was in an outdoor garage for about 10 hours during the day) I turned on the seat heater to high. It got warm but not exactly hot over the next 20 minutes, reasonably warm but not as toasty as my wife's Land Cruiser when it's on high (it actually burns but she likes it...) I later stopped for gas, turned off the car and got back in the car about 5 minutes later. As I drove the next 10 minutes to home the seats got almost uncomfortably warm and I had to turn them down to the lowest level. Seems odd even if there is a thermostat of sorts in the seat. Anyone else notice this? Any ideas on what it means? BTW it looks like the aero kit and mud flaps are mutually exclusive. I wonder if you're more susceptible to paint chipping along the bottom without the protection of the flaps.
It's been cold in detroit. My seat heaters in my m35x never get hot. I taken the car into the dealer twice about the heater & coolers. During the summer the seat coolers weren't cooling off. At that time the service manager said that they checked the seat and it was working fine. He said at that time that the cooling system was a cooling plate that cooled the seat & said that there wasn't a fan blowing out. I didn't think he was right. Now that it's cold, even with my seat heater on full blast, the seat never get to warm. I took the car back two weeks ago for an oil change and mention that the seat weren't heating up. They said that the check the seat heating with an infrared meter and that the seat was at the right temp. All I know is that these seat don't heat up or cool and much as my prior Lexus or my wife's Audi Allroad.
IIRC, the seats are vented from the HVAC system in the car and whatever temperature is blowing from the vents is the temperature that the seat fans blow. I don't think they have the tradtional heater elements (wires in the seats) to warm them up (and that "cooling plate" story is ridiculous). I believe that is what takes them so long to heat or cool.
I prefer the cooling system in Mercedes seats. The fans pull the hot air (and humidity) away from your body instead of trying to blow air through the seats. It works faster, is much more effective, and is more comfortable. Gotta love convection! And it stinks that the M's seats only cool the bottom and not the back as well.
Ahhh Infiniti seat heaters, rerun from my FX35 days...
The first time you use them they do take awhile...after you have used them a few times they seem to settle into their normal patterns. I'm not sure why seat heaters need to be broken in...but this is the case with both my M and my FX.
And we've long complained that the heaters don't heat as much as they should (though my M is better than my FX) and the coolers dont cool as much as they should.
Welcome to the world of heated and cooled seats. They don't use the toasty resistance heating found in traditional heated seats. I found this out years ago when Lexus started using climate controlled seats in 2000. Mercedes does it best. I think they offer a ventilated mode that sucks air to help keep you comfortable in summer, but in heating mode, you get nice heat pad like heat. Many new models are coming with the luke warm/kinda cool seats we got in the M.
Some like it hot! But since most people think luke warm is good enough; climate controlled seats are here to stay. I bet even Mercedes will adopt them.
Have had my M35 for a month now, sport w/ premium & tech pkgs., and really like it so far. Compared ride & value of MB 350, Bmw 5 and Lexus GS, obviously I thought the M35 rode at least as well and was more car for the money. With the Sport Pkgs larger tires road noise is a little more than expected but the road feel of the car is outstanding. The M35 has more than enough power for me and actually the car handles better with the 3.5 in my opinion. Not having auto-lock doors is a mistake in todays world, my wife really misses them. It was interesting to learn that the Bose 14 speaker system only works with CD's made in a 5 channel format and only in the single disk DVD player, not the six disk CD player. I agree with others who feel that Infiniti needs to give purchasers a CD with more info on the Nav. system etc. Bluetooth works fine with my Motorola E815. An electronic parking brake release would be nice also. Build quality on my vehicle is excellent with no problems at all to date. Overall I am very happy with my M35 although the dealership has yet to achieve the feel of an MB or Lexus sales center. I would highly recommend the the M to anyone who likes to DRIVE a luxury sport sedan.
Thanks, I guess I'll just be patient with the M's seat heaters, but they are much cooler on high than my Land Cruiser. On its' high setting I am always worried I'll need skin grafts when I get off the seat.
Does anyone have experience with how the M35 will handle on snow. Currently drive Sequioa. When youy put it in $WD you really can feel the difference. Very reliable but would like something more comfortable.
I live in area with lots of hills and sometimes the winter can be rough. Does the weight and height of SUV make them alot better in the snow.
Have not read great things about the AWD in the RX 330?
I doubt anyone has much experience with the M35 AWD in the snow...but I had an FX35 for 3 winters with the same engine, platform, and AWD system and similar weight. For a moderate winter like those we get in the Mid-West, the AWD allowed me to use the OEM perfomance tires on my Sport (20" wheels) all year round without fear of not being able to get around. Although we don't gt alot of snow here, it is hilly and very icy for 3 months. It was a god send imho....if the M45 were offered with AWD I would have gladly gone that direction.
Those on the FX forums with more severe weather still swapped tires to winter tires. Since I doubt you will get many direct repsonses on the M, try the FX forum for the reasons mentioned above.
Birddog: I've had mine 8 months now, and have been a fairly frequent visitor to this site since mid-April. You're pointing out a number of shortcomings that have been addressed here on many occasions. With any good luck, Infiniti will take this kind of feedback to heart and rectify a significant number of minor and inexpensive oversights that would end much of the criticisms. Auto-door locks is a major one from the safety/security point of view. Poor adjustability of the passenger's seat is another. Having NO way to start the car if the key fob gets lost is yet another.
I'm still a bit puzzled by the "road noise" complaints ... my M is a sport w/ Bridgestone Potenza's and they're quiet even with the moon roof open. I've never felt there's an issue with that at all.
Bottom line ... the car's a 9 out of 10 ... missing a few little refinements that are nominal to add.
Having NO way to start the car if the key fob gets lost is yet another.
Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't understand how this is any different than having no way to start a car if you lose the key. You guard the key fob for this car as you would the key for any other car.
Yeah, I'm with you. I've had vehicles with a flat spare key in a magnet box under the bumper, but the big complaint here seems that you can't get a flat key backup. I suspect we all forsee biometric locks & ignition that iris scans, reads fingerprints or ??? Doubt that I'd really want a first generation example of that though. In the meantime, it would be nice if Infiniti built in a system that used a digital code like Ford door locks that allowed you to open and start the car a fixed number ( 2 or 3 )of times without reading a fob. You would want to be able to program your own numbers, not be stuck with their forgettable digits.
Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't understand how this is any different than having no way to start a car if you lose the key. You guard the key fob for this car as you would the key for any other car.
No disrespect intended, but you are missing the point. While it's no different from losing a key, with the Infiniti there's no way to have or build in a backup system. When there's a keyable ignition some manufacturers provide you with a "valet" key that fits in a credit card sized carrier (wife's Lexus, for example) and if that's not available a magnetic box can be sequestered somewhere outside car for emergencies. The problem here is that there's no fallback position if the owner loses his fob, or a valet loses the fob, or a purse gets stolen ... none. Bart :shades:
Perhaps it would be worthwhile to start listing the "issues" we're expressing here and assembling them as a wish-list to submit to Infiniti. We can each copy and paste the existing list and add our individual recommendations to it ... then those of us who are so inclined can copy the list and forward it on to Infiniti. Given their willingness to respond (on their website) to inquiries, perhaps these recs will get some attention if seen repeatedly.
I'd also submit them to my local dealer for him to give to the regional Infiniti rep.
I have an M45 Sport with 13k miles on it. At a recent oil change by the dealer, they mentioned I have two bent rims. Both front and back are bent on the inside of the rim. The dealer indicated a pot hole could cause this to occur. I keep the tires inflated at a low psi to gain a better ride and wonder now if contributed to the issue. Anyone with a similar experience or have a view on the likely cause?
Interesting you'd say this. Sunday PM I was called by a survey company. It quickly became clear they were focused on me as an Infiniti M owner. They had me rate for 20 minutes. I was also asked what I'd change. Since unfortunately, the survey taker did not speak English as a first language, it was a lost cause. How do you get into the intricacies of automotive shortcomings with a person speaking English at the 65 % level ? At the end of the survey, I was asked if I'd consider doing more questions for compensation. I do hope that comes about with someone I can converse with. Auto locking doors, the "enter" switch on the steering wheel, reworking the Journey / Tech packages, a dvd to teach the Nav system. My dealer was given a heads up that a cycle of JD Powers surveys is starting shortly for Infiniti product. May or may not be true. ??? Anyway, if they asked me to change one thing on the M, I guess I'd lower the profile of the enter button on the steering wheel. I bump it every time I turn a corner. But I do love the car. 3,750 mile service today. $52. I can live with that.
I recently test drove an M35 with Journey package(absolutely loved it)but have seen on this forum that the car does not have auto door locks. The Salesman told me it is a feature "the dealer can program". Is this correct? This should be a standard feature on this or any car in this class.
Comments
If you moved the seat or mirror the last time the car was driven, maybe it resets to your position when you use your fob to unlock it. Just a thought.
What you are experiencing after your wife has driven the car is normal. When you approach the car after it's been driven using another fob, push the unlock button on your fob (even if the car is already unlocked) or lock and then unlock the car via the door handle button, the car should then adjust to your settings (unsure if it will do that right away or after the engine has been started, as I only use one fob for now).
Funny, but he was an independent Audi/VW/MB service shop owner until five years ago and is now service manager for the local Audi dealer.
I still don't like to go below 1/4 tank ... I don't need more excitement in my life.
Bart
Ask your, I'm sure, very experienced mechanic how a tank/drain system would work if it was able to give you clean fuel until the very last when it would find the water etc. If the tank had a float and extracted fuel from the top and gradually the float went down until it was extracting fuel from the bottom. Sort of like draning a pool using a siphon or shopvac. That's a whole lot harder, and more complicated, than putting a solid fuel line at the lowest point of the tank and never allowing water etc build up in the first place.
Bart
Maybe they'll include this for the 2007 model year.
And btw how's your second week been with the beast?
Regards
2) I am going to have to order either one, can you give me an idea of what to expect? I have never ordered a car, do I need to purchase the car first or is there a deposit? What about length of time?
3) I am looking at putting a substantial amount down. Anywhere from 80%-90% down. What kind of price should I expect to pay for a)M35x w/Premium or b)M45 w/ Premium Package
A question I have is why did they take out your back seat cushion?
Remember that four wheel drive just helps you get going, it's no better for turning or stopping in the snow. I read an article based on a CHP report that stated the most serious accidents in the Sierra tend to be "occasional" snow drivers with four wheel drive who get over confident in their vehicle's abilities.
2) You may or may not have to give the dealer a deposit. I ordered my M35 from a dealer who requested a $1000 deposit but then never charged it to my credit card. You don't pay for the car until you get it.
3) Check out the new car pricing on www.edmunds.com and go by the dealer cost. Don't pay more than $1000 over dealer cost and you should be able to negotiate lower.
1) Rain acceleration
2) When squeezing into traffic from a side street, gets you through the accumulated debris on the side of the road without traction control kicking in and reducing your power to that of the average riding lawnmower.
3) When early morning dew is still on the road, don't worry about lining up against that z06 Vette. Guaranteed you will smoke him off the line if he/she tries.
So Cal I would probably save the expense. Anywhere else, I would think twice.
Anyone else seen this? I haven't called service yet.
Joe
You can always use voice commands, though.
Thanks, Joe
1. The car is a great drive. Obviously, it doesn't handle like a 325, but it is very solid and responsive. I don't find road noise a problem. I seem to be averaging about 20mpg. Not great, but not bad either. Bluetooth phone is terrific feature.
2. Right after delivery, I couldn't get Homelink to work, and noticed dash clock inoperative. Prior posts on this board led me to check the ashtray, and sure enough, found the fuse that the salesman had not been told about.
3. The tire monitor alerted me to a leaking tire, and saved me from a roadside flat tire change, as I was able to keep adding air daily until the dealer repaired a nail puncture today. Service at Infiniti of Manhattan already seems much better than at BMW (which is ghastly).
To say "You aren't really missing much..." is kind of a shortsighted response. While you may not like it, myself and many others do.
upuaut, do yourself a favor and look at it, then decide for yourself.
I am 6’6” and it is hard to find a car that will really be comfortable The M is all most there. 2 to 3 inches would be a hall lot better.
I also have the limited phonebook scrolling thing.
Joe
Erik
BTW it looks like the aero kit and mud flaps are mutually exclusive. I wonder if you're more susceptible to paint chipping along the bottom without the protection of the flaps.
I prefer the cooling system in Mercedes seats. The fans pull the hot air (and humidity) away from your body instead of trying to blow air through the seats. It works faster, is much more effective, and is more comfortable. Gotta love convection!
The first time you use them they do take awhile...after you have used them a few times they seem to settle into their normal patterns. I'm not sure why seat heaters need to be broken in...but this is the case with both my M and my FX.
And we've long complained that the heaters don't heat as much as they should (though my M is better than my FX) and the coolers dont cool as much as they should.
Some like it hot! But since most people think luke warm is good enough; climate controlled seats are here to stay. I bet even Mercedes will adopt them.
I live in area with lots of hills and sometimes the winter can be rough. Does the weight and height of SUV make them alot better in the snow.
Have not read great things about the AWD in the RX 330?
Thanks
Those on the FX forums with more severe weather still swapped tires to winter tires. Since I doubt you will get many direct repsonses on the M, try the FX forum for the reasons mentioned above.
I'm still a bit puzzled by the "road noise" complaints ... my M is a sport w/ Bridgestone Potenza's and they're quiet even with the moon roof open. I've never felt there's an issue with that at all.
Bottom line ... the car's a 9 out of 10 ... missing a few little refinements that are nominal to add.
Bart
Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't understand how this is any different than having no way to start a car if you lose the key. You guard the key fob for this car as you would the key for any other car.
No disrespect intended, but you are missing the point. While it's no different from losing a key, with the Infiniti there's no way to have or build in a backup system. When there's a keyable ignition some manufacturers provide you with a "valet" key that fits in a credit card sized carrier (wife's Lexus, for example) and if that's not available a magnetic box can be sequestered somewhere outside car for emergencies. The problem here is that there's no fallback position if the owner loses his fob, or a valet loses the fob, or a purse gets stolen ... none. Bart :shades:
I'd also submit them to my local dealer for him to give to the regional Infiniti rep.
Bart
Auto locking doors, the "enter" switch on the steering wheel, reworking the Journey / Tech packages, a dvd to teach the Nav system.
My dealer was given a heads up that a cycle of JD Powers surveys is starting shortly for Infiniti product. May or may not be true. ???
Anyway, if they asked me to change one thing on the M, I guess I'd lower the profile of the enter button on the steering wheel. I bump it every time I turn a corner. But I do love the car. 3,750 mile service today. $52. I can live with that.