Infiniti I30/I35

mvargo1 · April 2002

The S version is very strong for a 2.5L V6 and the car overall is quite nice. It depreciates like a rock but it is a hell of a car for the money. It is not close to the Infiniti in terms of fit and finish, reliablility, warrenty, size, and a host of other issues, but for 22 grand it is not a bad car.

bbrimmer1 · April 2002

The Mazda Millenia that you will find for $22k, and possibly less, is the "P" version, not the "S". I own a 97 and it's a great car, getting at least 25 mpg in combined driving on regular petro. The "S" version is about $3K more and is a turbo-charged V-6 that is quicker than the "P" but gets lower mileage and drinks premium. Good luck.

acrane · April 2002

Does the emergency brake act on the rear calipers or is there a supplemental mini drum brake used at the rear for the emergency brake?

Thanks.

howardchen · April 2002

My I35's A/C really stinks when I turn it on (heater/ECON). The smell is nauseating.
The car has only 3200 miles and started to have acid like smell since 2750 miles.
I took it to the dealer and they spray something in the A/C. The smell
does disappear for a few days, but it comes back every time I turn on the A/C.
If I set to AUTO (cool air only), there is no stinky smell (well..actually it
happened once when it's on AUTO mode).

If anyone has similar experiences with the Infiniti I3X A/C, please tell me.

Thanks.

zielinw · April 2002

You are not alone. My 97 I30 has a smell that I would compare to a mild form of an "outhouse", it does go away after a short time. I always wondered if the assemblers at the plant were using the cars as a liquid waste receptical. Sort of like the American cars in the 60's that sometimes had pop cans in the doors.

pdxi30t1 · April 2002

Hi

In April of '01 I bought an I30t with zenon headlights. Within a week I was back at Beaverton Infiniti (Portland, OR) to have them adjusted. They told me they were set to factory spec and I needed to learn to "live with it". The problem is that there is intense light within 10-15 feet of the front of the car, and then nothing. Turning on the fog lamps (even in the fog) does nothing because of the intensity of the beams immediately in front of the car.

My opinion is that the lights need to be adjusted up so they at least illuminate the back bumper of the car ahead of me at a stop sign! Driving in the dark rain of Oregon is like driving blind in this car.

Does anyone have any words of advice for me? Unfortunately there is only one Infiniti dealer in the area.

Thanks,

jimmyj1945 · April 2002

My advise is to take it to a Nissan dealer. I take my I-30 there for everything. They are cheaper and just as good.

Jim J.

laheat · April 2002

Anyone heard of the (new)Infiniti M-35 (I think) that will be replacing the I-30 - I 35? Infiniti will be redesigning the car and replacing the I with a "M" series in 2003.

So anyone considering purchasing an I- may want to wait it out.

mvargo1 · April 2002

The M45 is coming out in the fall and is a rear wheel drive car priced in the $40,000 range. It is sort of a baby Q and has nothing to do with the I series

cbuswell · April 2002

I recently brought my 2000 I30t in to have the sloppy shift from 1st to second fixed with the new control module. My build date falls in the problem range. The slipping and delay are very apparent when I need to accelerate quickly.

I think the service rep blew me off he said the computer shows all the shift limits are correct, the fluid is the right temperature and there is nothing wrong. When I asked if he drove it he hesitated and said yes and couldn't see a problem. He then said if it happens again bring in right in with out turning the engine off so he could check the computer codes.

What do you think! Sounds like BS to me
Craig

gdouble · May 2002

Anyone know where I can locate a nose mask for a
98 I30?

doctordave1999 · May 2002

Copying this from the FAQ pages on infinitihelp.com (spelling & grammar errors are not mine, I just copied and pasted)

"How do I get rid of the musty odor from the AC system?

The musty odor is created for the moister and dust built on the evaporator (A/C system component inside car). If is a lot of dirt built up on the evaporator the only solution is to removed and clean. But you can also try to use the A/C system on "Econo" mode more often, especially 5-10 minutes before you turn the A/C off. This will dry out the evaporator and wont let dirt stay on it."

End of copy---me talking now. The evaporator is kind of like a sponge---if it stays damp too long it begins to mold & mildew and that causes a stench. I had this problem on another car (Honda) and found that running the heater for 20 minutes dried it out. Then I sprayed (non-aerosol) Lysol into the vents to keep it smelling nice for a month or so.

yacomrade1 · May 2002

Not in the same class - but I would love to hear some experienced opinions anyway? I own the Accord, worth ~$17.5K now with 45K miles. But, with a newborn child, I want/need a 4 door sedan. An acquaintenance is selling a Millennium Jade I30 with 22K miles for $21K.

My general req's are reliability, ride comfort, smooth acceleration/passing power (in that order).

The Millennium Jade is pretty much the only annoying item... and should I just save a few $$$ and opt for a Maxima GLE?

karz10 · May 2002

i can relate a little to your headlight issue, although mine were fine for driving, my driver's side was a little low on my '01 i30t, not giving me full effect, not to mention annoying me everytime i pulled up to a wall or down towards the street from a drive, as they were not level.

at any rate, i complained, the dealer said the same thing, but i insisted they raise it, they ended up raising both of them way too high and i proceeded to get yelled at and flipped off etc.

went back, they 'put back at spec' and yet this time they were perfect, as opposed to the wacked out spec they claimed the lights to be previously

i will say the headlights are a little odd, if you pull up to a wall, you can see the spectrum of each headlight raises from left to right at a slant, if you're lights are not focused straight ahead, and/or are too low you're vision range is focused on the lower left hand range of that beam's spectrum

if you can get someone to set it right, you will be very pleased and won't get annoying gestures from other drivers

good luck
karz

psriniv · May 2002

Between the max gle and the i30, i'd go with the I. You'd probably find a max gle with similar miles at about 19-20k. But for the 21k I30 is a much better car, with better finish and the luxury touch, better warranty and dealer service. Buy one and you'd know. I bought an I30 after going through a similar process 6 months ago, do not regret it a bit. Dealer service is awesome.

gdouble · May 2002

We have a 98 I30t, which we took in for service at a local shop. We were sold on some ceramic brake pads. For the past week we've had a lot of
noise (screeching) when we braked, so of course,
called repair place to find out what the deal was. We were told that the pads would need to be replaced with genuine Infiniti brake pads, because there aren't any aftermarket brands that will work properly for them. The person even said that this was verified thru Nissan. I find this very hard to believe. I thought that wasn't even legal for only a manufacturers part to be suitable for replacement AND work properly. I'll try and read through some of the posts in here to see if I can find my answer, but I would like some help here on figuring out what is fact and what is "fiction" in this situation.

Kirstie_H · May 2002

A journalist is looking for someone who bought one "twin" over another where the manufacturer offers two or more vehicles based on the same basic platform. (a Maxima vs. an I35 (or I30) or the TL vs. Accord)
Did you know it was basically the same vehicle as the other?
Why did you choose it over the other?
Please submit your response to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, May 15.

bberisford1 · May 2002

Test drove a new M-35 last week. Same engine as the I-35, but rear wheel drive. Dash board much more utilitarian -- but has a cool center mounted digital display on top of dash-- and L/R temp controls.

Car is mildly noisier than I-35, and handles like a real sport sedan. Back seats don't fold down to provide pass-thru, but have a mild recline feature. Has a neat +/- shift gate.

Priced similar to I-35.

cainep · May 2002

Surely you mean G35?

laheat · May 2002

No - he meant the M-35. That is the one that will be replacing the I-35!!!!

bberisford1 · May 2002

Yup,

M-35

cpa4u · May 2002

I have an '01 I30t and follow the new Infiniti models pretty closely. I have seen the new G-35 and read about the upcoming M-45, but have read nothing about an upcoming model named "M-35"? Just curious.

mvargo1 · May 2002

The author is in error. What he saw and drove was a G-35.

bodydouble · May 2002

Too darn confusing!

ernurse · May 2002

had my I30 2001 for a year now and have noticed from the start a purring/snoring sound from the compressor while its on. I have taken it back to my dealer to question the very noticeable sound but they said this was normal and even turned on another car engine to show the same (of course that makes it allright). Anyone else with this same noise/concern?

bodydouble · May 2002

You mean a sound like a coffee maker when it's almost finished percolating? I've heard that on other cars before too.

pbernard1 · May 2002

Hey All

I'm was thinking about purchasing an 99' I30t(55000miles) for $16,000 b4 taxes and fees. Is this a good price? Can anyone send me some feedback on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

PB

miowname · May 2002

G35 when it gets the all-wheel drive will be a real skyline.

The skyline is one of the best cars in Japan and if we ever get the all wheel drive version, which they say will be out in early 2003, it will be a world beater. We'll see???

bodydouble · May 2002

How about a AWD G35 coupe? Is that coming down the pipeline?

pbernard1 · May 2002

I have just purchased an 99' I30 last week and I notice after driving with the A/C on there was water leaking from under the car. I need to know is this normal, or do I need to notify the dealership to have something fixed

PB

psriniv · May 2002

I think this is a normal phenomenon, when one uses the a/c and park. I have a 98 I30, it does the same. Its happened with other cars too. I dont think you need to worry about it. Its just a trickle.

bodydouble · May 2002

Perfectly normal. Nothing to worry about. Actually, an interesting sidebar, I had a '95 Max which was mechanically almost identical to your '00 I30, and for the first little while I noticed no water leaked after using the AC. I had a '89 Accord previously which dripped buckets after using the AC, so I was actually worried that somehow the system got plugged. But after awhile I observed that AC had to be on for a extended period and in fairly hot and humid conditions for it to drip.

pat · June 2002

The Town Hall is about to take on a new look in an effort to make content more easily searchable and accessible.

Have you seen the Letter from the Town Hall Manager on the Town Hall Welcome page? If not, you might want to follow that link to have a look.

And hang on to your seats. Change is never easy - for any of us - but resolving the Search problems we've had will be worth the pain.

Pat
Sedans Host

amarmistry · June 2002

I have an 1996 I30 with 88000 miles on it. This was purchased used, after a thorough lemon check and previous owner had all maintenance records and papers.
Few weeks ago when I came back home from a short trip and ready to park and was backing up. Once I backed up I put it in Drive, the car stopped. The engine completely died on me. I try to restart and drive, same thing happened around 3 times. Then I started the car again and while in Park, I accelerated the gas pedal and it started and worked fine ever since.
After that episode, I noticed that once in a while the car hesitated to start while stopping on a red light(always in Drive mode) or stop sign.
The original problem occurred today too. I was waiting in a parking lot to park while someone was backing up. I have had the car in Drive mode. The engine died on me. I restarted and while in Park, accelerated the gas pedal and it drove well.
Anyone has experience the similar problem? What could be going wrong? Do you guys think this could be a transmission problem or fuel injector problem?
Any advice will be valuable.
Thank you.

cpa4u · June 2002

Has anyone replaced the in-cabin air filter themselves? I just called my dealer to see what the price would be and they quoted $139. From what I understand pieces of the dash and glovebox have to be removed and the passenger side airbag unhooked in order to replace this filter. I was just interested if anyone had done this themselves and the amount of difficulty involved.

Thanks

adrian01 · June 2002

I have a 00 130t that seems to have excessive wind noise from the back windows or doors. I checked out a 01 I30 and the rubber gasket on it appears to fit flush with the roof and maybe even protrude between the roof and door. Mine is recessed, the gasket is different on the 01. I had heard in earlier discussions that a fix from Infiniti was in the works. Help anyone?

lordjim1 · June 2002

Look up the April 23, 2001 Discussions on wind noise remedies. Methods to eliminate excessive wind noise are discussed there for the 2000 Infiniti I30.

igorh · July 2002

I own a 1998 I30. Like it. As my 4yr. bumper to bumper expiring I was considering buying an extended warranty. Any opinions?
I am planning on keeping the car for another 3 or so years.
Is the price of the Extended warranty negotiable? (Last time I asked the dealer I was told it's fixed.)
Please comment.

lordjim1 · July 2002

All Extended Warranty prices are very negotiable. Plus they can be purchased from any dealer, not just your selling (where you bought the car) dealer. Shop around a lot (call dealers in other cities/states if you have to) and you will be very surprised at what you will be offered. I purchased a manufacturer's extended warranty at half the suggested retail cost simply by shopping around. Someone is always willing to sell it for less. Offer them $100 over cost, as all they do is fill out paperwork anyway. Your car can be serviced by any Infiniti dealership or authorized repair center. Various aftermarket (non-Infiniti) warranties are available also. Are they worth it? I cannot say, but base your decision on the problems you have had thus far with your car. If your car has been relatively trouble free, then spending money for an extended warranty makes little sense. On the other hand, if your vehicle has had significant repairs done in the past, maybe an extended warranty is the way to go for you. My I-30 has been very trouble free thus far (52K miles), so I would not seriously consider buying the extended warranty.

igorh · July 2002

Thanks a lot for your input lordjim1. My I30 with 42K on it has being relatively trouble free. However it isn't getting younger. Infinity repairs as I understand are quite expensive. I also like the free loaner option. So for the piece of mind I think I would pay, but not more then I have to. I'd prefer the Infinity extended warranty over an aftermarket one because it basically extends an existing 4yr. bumper-to-bumper with the loaner and roadside assistance.
Anybody else had any experience of buying extended warranty?
Thanks

psriniv · July 2002

Hi

I bought a 98 I30t with 26k miles on it in dec 2001 from the only infiniti dealer in town. I dont have very good luck with used cars and hence went ahead and bought an extended warranty from the same dealer with a 0 deductible for 4 year 60k miles, so basically it is covered upto 86k miles, upto 2006. Moreover, being a 98 model it was going to be out of the basic warranty soon.
I had done my bit of homework before making my purchase. Reliability was my top priority and this model has had good ratings.
However have been a few complaints from other people in this board and others, about problems with the sunroof and the stock stereo system on the long run. Fixing atleast one of these components would cost the total amount we'd invest in an extended warranty. In my opinion it was worth the money invested. My car has about 7k miles after i bought it. So far no problems.
The only problem i've had so far was the trunk opening intermittently while driving. The dealer replaced the whole trunk module under the original warranty (ofcourse, there was a TSB).

I'd go with an extended waranty, just to be on the safe side.

igorh · July 2002

Just spoke with the local dealer, Fields Infinity in Chicago Suburbs. For my I30 1998 he offers the following extended warranties:
3 yr/ 45K miles from the date of warranty purchase at $1755. This is from the third party that they sell. It supposedly covers bumper-to-bumper with roadside assistance.
Infinity's warranties: 4 yr/48K miles extending existing warranty at $1927; and 3 yr/ 48K at $1691.
He claims that all these are fixed prices take it or leave it.
Is this sound right?

nockursoxoff · July 2002

I have a 96 I30, had the check engine light on months ago. a local mechanic checked it out and don't know how to fix it, then he erase the light, now it comes on again. anyone have any idea would be appreciated.

blackhawk2 · July 2002

My car has 64,000 miles on it and I need to replace the tires. There isn't much tread left and when it rains it slips like no other, kind of scary when braking (even at slow speeds). But anyhow, I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good set of tires but not too pricy. So far, the cheapest I've found were Michelin Energy MXV4 for about $149 a piece.

blackhawk2 · July 2002

I had that problem just recently and found out that the oxygen sensor was loose and all I did was tighten it. After I checked all sensors and cables under the hood, I knew everything was in good shape, yet the check engine light was still on. So I grabbed a 1996 Maxima mechanics book (I forgot the exact name of it) and it tells you how to reset the car's computer which resets the check engine light. Since the I30 is setup similar to a Maxima, it should work out just fine. But that's how I fixed my problem, don't konw if it's the same with yours.

jimmyj1945 · July 2002

Suggest you look at Dunlop SP Sport A2. About $90.00 each. For more information check www.tires.com and www.tirerack.com.

Jim

pbernard1 · July 2002

I have an 99' I30T with 59,000 miles on it. When is the recommeded time to change the timing belt. I purchased the car used, and the dealer said they would change it for me free of charge since I purchased the car w/ 55K on it. Also my car came with the factory tires(TOKO), and the tires still have a decent amount of treading on them but I want to know how many miles should I drive on them until I replace them?

Paul

psriniv · July 2002

The I30 does not have a timing belt. It does have a timing chain, which does'nt need replacement at 55k miles. IMO normally timing chain is replaced around 90-100k miles. Did you buy it from a infiniti dealer. If he is willing to change it for you free of cost, you should probably go for it.

frankw2000 · August 2002

Bought a '96 I-30 with 17K miles and agree it's one of the best low priced cars available. We started hearing a noise when stopping or going over bumps. Never could pinpoint it. Had the dealer's mechanic take it home for a weekend in an effort to "identify" the sound. That dealer in Tukwilla, WA. went out of business and I took it to another local dealer (who's since gone out of business also). No luck either with the service manager telling me "we can't find anything". Hanging around the waiting area the next time it was in for brakes, a mechanic who worked there told me that they had "loads of I-30 noise complaints for under floor" and that factory reps had been to the dealership to try and locate the noises themselves". He went on to say that the general theory was that it the noise was somehow related to all the extra under floor insulation on the I-30 but they hadn't confirmed it yet. So, later in the week I called the Service Manager to discuss my "problem" (car still under warranty then). He steadfastly maintained he "had never heard of any I-30 problems from under floor noise" or clunks. I might add here that the exhaust system had been checked and found "not guilty".
Now that the car is really getting old and has 90,000+ miles, the clunking is becoming more obvious. But there aren't many Infinity dealers left around Seattle any more. Just wondered if Infinity USA ever "fessed up" to the problem and what the fix was?

karz10 · August 2002

First issue, stalling/no start issue....I had a 96 Maxima, sounds like a similar problem, I had bought it w/ 60k mi, sold it w/ 130k mi, there were a few occasions where I was driving around town, it was hot out, went to turn around in a parking lot, wanted to stall on me, or did stall and not start right away, i never figured out why it did that, i got it serviced at the dealer, it happened once or twice each summer for the last couple summers before I sold it, i'm pretty meticulous w/ cars, and despite the dealers in ability to find a problem, i think i ran some fuel treatment through it, maybe that helped me get through the next year, or maybe it was a mysterious intermittent problem, either way, never did me any real harm only happened those few times

2nd issue, ck engine light, as blackhawk said, most likely is an o2 sensor, he was smart and tightened his, i don't know if i could have done that, but i know replacing mine did the trick, my light would go on for a few weeks or so and then shut off, even though there wasn't anything really wrong w/ it, this happened a few times over the course of my last 2 yrs w/ the car, it came on again right before i sold it, and this time made it to the dealer before it shut off, they replaced the o2 sensor for almost $200, and i sold it for $9,300 w/ 130k mi on it later that week

As for the clunking sounds, can't say I relate to that one

good luck, I got good service out of my 96 Max, and so far my 01 I30t is great

karz

Infiniti I30/I35

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