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Infiniti I35 Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    Ebay has a 2003 Owners Manual for $15 plus $6.85 shipping. The 2003 should be the same as the 2002.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    If you've been tracking the posts, you'll realize that my I35's clock doesn't work.

    The conclusion?

    It's going into the dealership for service on Saturday at 9:45 AM and I have requested a loaner car.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    I know that leather seats need some sort of conditioner, but I don't know what I should use. Any suggestions?
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    The last time I took mine in, they replaced the dash due a small bubble on the passenger side. During the install, there were grease smudges on the dash, so the service rep got some Nissan leather/vinyl conditioner to clean it off. The grease came without problem, and he gave me the spray can of conditioner. So this past weekend, I decided to use it to clean and condition on the vinyl and leather surface area. Well, it turns out this stuff is like Armorall, leaving a slippery surface which is very noticeable on the seats. I'm sliding around a lot more.

    I think the best leather conditioner is one made specifically for leather. I use one last year that was more a paste, cleaned the leather surface really well, and didn't leave you sliding around. I don't recall the name, but you can find leather conditioners in Target or Walmart. Just don't use Armorall.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    OK. I'll keep that in mind the next time I take a trip to Target.
  • pvellozopvellozo Member Posts: 19
    i have a 2000 i30 which has worked well to 70k miles.
    is replacing the cabin air filter a do it yourself job? how is it performed? thanks
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    I was told it wasn't so I had the dealer take care of it for $75. I am told it requires going throught the glove box, but I haven't checked into it. If someone out there can tell us how to do it, it will save me some buck next time.
  • yankeebelleyankeebelle Member Posts: 22
    Has anyone else had a problem with the horn sounding more like a sick duck in REALLY cold weather?
    I know there are two horns, a high and low pitch but I can't tell if one of them isn't working in the cold or if it comes from the push mechanism on the steering wheel. By the time I get it to the dealer the car is warmed up or the day is too warm to make the weird noise I get when using the horn in the winter (yes, I use my horn because around here without it you get run over or run into by people pulling out in front of you)
    But if the weather is really cold, around the 20s, I basically have no use of my horn.
  • shiskashiska Member Posts: 16
    This sounds like something specific to your vehicle perhaps a loose connection. I bought a 2003 135 new and have never had a problem like yours through two winters of as low as -30 F weather.
  • ejohnejohn Member Posts: 1
    I have purchased an '04 I35 that was a demo with 4k.
    About 3 weeks after purchase I heard a spark knock at 5-15mph and 35-40mph and up a hill when I excel.
    Dealer first accused me of using low grade gas. NO!
    Then dealer added some fluid to fuel. Still there
    Dealer then looked at plugs, told me there were very
    much covered in carbon (5800 miles) and replaced them. One week later, 600 miles, Premium gas only, it is back. Called Infiniti Hdq, they asked dealer, dealer told them they do not know what the problem is. Infiniti rep told me I did not excel fast enough, what a bozo answer. I now have 20k and the knock is still there, using quality premium gas and Infiniti says they do not know
    what to do and that they have not have any problems with other 04's.

    Has anyone else had this and if so, any solution?

    This is my first infiniti, was a cadillac owner for 23 years and ready to go back!
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    Sounds odd. I use Regular octane in my I35 and it doesn't seem to be knocking.

    This sounds like the early signs of a lemon. Be sure to document everything neatly and keep detailed reports of what exactly went wrong, when it went wrong, what the dealer told you to do, what Infiniti corporate told you to do, and what you actually did. Since it was a demo, check to see if the dealer serviced it while it was a demo.

    An I35 shouldn't be like this- Consumer Reports rates its reliability as "excellent" and its Maxima cousin is fairly reliable also- that's why I chose the I35 in the first place myself.
  • newdaytynewdayty Member Posts: 1
    I hope there is a simple solution. How do I get the inside drivers door panel off of my 2002 I35.
    Can anyone help?????
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    Could some of the I35 owners advise me what kind of mpg they are getting with their I35? I would appreciate it.
  • holleyholley Member Posts: 2
    I have almost 10,000 miles on my I35, and I am getting about 28 mpg on trips and about 22 mpg in the mixed driving I do on the way to work here in Atlanta.
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    I checked my last tank and it was at 24 mpg. I usually average between 22-25 around town, depending on how much stop/go and if I'm using the a/c. Don't go by the trip computer, it's way off. Mine has been registering 28-30 mpg around town. I've asked Infiniti service to check it twice and they said there were no problems. They said it can be off by 20% and it's not intended to be exact.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    I was reading my owner's manual the other day and it said "Refer to your owner's portfolio..." My I35 only came with the owner's manual. Am I missing something? I've seen Infinitis on eBay (I30s,G35s, G20s, I35s, QX4s, Q45s, QX56s) and all of them had a big leather portfolio with INFINITI stamped on the side. I don't have that. Am I supposed to have that? Was it supposed to come with my car? I was planning on asking my local dealer when I bring it in for its next oil change. Is that too late?
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    It you bought your car new, then your sales person should have gone through the portfolio with you at delivery. You should ask for one to be given to you.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    Ok. If you scroll back through the Prices Paid board, you'll see a post where I describe the very quick 3 minute delivery the salesman gave me. Guess this is a side effect. I'll ask for the whole portfolio when I bring it in for its 3750 mile service or when I'm in the area and can spare a few minutes to swing by.
  • shiskashiska Member Posts: 16
    In the 19 months I have had my 2003 Sport I have averaged 25.1 m.p.g. over 25,000 miles.The highway high is 29.6 and the city low is 18.8.Is this fairly typical?( I,m not a heavy footed driver.)
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    Are these actual figures from you filling up the car or are you using the mpg figures displayed on the dashboard computer?
  • shiskashiska Member Posts: 16
    These are actual figures from my log book.I use only 91 octane fuel.
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    They sound fairly typical to me. I haven't reached your highway mpg in a few years since it's been that long since I took my 2002 I35 Sport on a long trip. But I've never had my mpg drop below 21 either, so I guess it all evens out. Since you're way up north, I'll bet your winter mileage drops quite a bit in the cold temps.
  • shiskashiska Member Posts: 16
    You're absolutely right about the effect of the cold weather.Mileage is signifigantly lower mid Dec. to mid Mar. My lowest was in the last week of Jan.2003 when it was very cold.
  • rawdadrawdad Member Posts: 12
    I recently bought a slightly used 2002 I35. I too had seen that the MPG shown on the trip computer to be high, so I started monitoring it and low and behold, it is higher by about 4 MPG - it says that i am getting 25 and my actual calculations are about 21 +/-. The 20% variance seems to be about right. I would ask, what use is it then? My Chryslers all had accurate - and I do mean accurate MPG figures on the trip computer. I can't believe that Nissan/Infiniti can't duplicate that accuracy. On my next visit to the dealer, I will request that it be checked and see what happens.
  • pham7pham7 Member Posts: 13
    Hi EJohn, read the post I did awhile ago. I had the same problem and I went thru Better Business Bureau with Infiniti twice but they said they can not fix it. The problem is the gasoline is not enough octane. Since you bought demo, I bet you they pump either 87 or 89 octane gas to save money. What I did to get rid of the knock was I found a 76 gas station that carries 100 octane gas, I pump half of the tank with it and other half is 91. I can tell the different righ away and the knock is not there any more. After you run the tank empty, next time just pump 91 only. The gasoline sold in US is not that good because they put too many additives in there in order to meet the federal requirements. You can check 76 gas station online where you live to see which one is carrying 100 octane and do what I just said. Good luck.
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    I have over 40k miles and have never had a knock problem, as others attest to also. When living in CA, we had 91-92 octane and used it with no problems. Now that I live in SC, we have 93 octane, and again no problems. Only once did I fill up with 89 octane and I could tell the difference in the responsiveness of the engine, but again no knocking. So those who have knocks, you have a problem, probably with the knock sensor or an emission related component. My oxygen sensor recently went bad and they were replace under warranty. My "service engine soon" light came on, with the manual telling me it was emissions related. Have you tried going to the dealer serivce when you hear the engine knock and drive the service tech around so they hear it too? Even with 87 octane, your engine should not knock. :D
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    Mine doesn't knock either. I tried using premium gas on a long trip recently and the trip computer showed that I was getting 29.2 MPG at one point.
  • 2004graphite2004graphite Member Posts: 11
    I have an '04 I35- driving in Colorado and New Mexico last December at a fairly steady 60 mph, I got 34 mpg (calculated from my log, not the dash computer) in temperatures ranging from 15 to 32 degrees.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    Wow. That must be a record. Any tips on how to get my MPG that high?
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    If that mileage is from his log, then the computer must be indicating over 40 mpg since it's always optimistic by about 20%. I wonder if he can repeat that kind of mileage on a consistent basis. :)
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    Wouldn't that be great though? About 35 MPG AND a 255 HP V6... :)
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    I would be great, but without a 5th gear to reduce rpms to around 1750 at 60 mph, it's difficult to attain unless you have a hefty tailwind going downhill. :D
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    True. But it is possible to be driving downhill and have a strong tailwind increasing your mileage... :)
  • ota1025ota1025 Member Posts: 1
    The same thing happened to my I35 and I'm also under a lease obligation. I wrote an email to Consumer Affairs since many people have complained about their Maximas and my car is essentially the same (just with an Infiniti badge). Like you, I don't see any sense in keeping the car any longer since it's almost guaranteed that the lights will get stolen once I get it back from the shop. I couldn't believe at the efficiency and brazenness of the thieves-mine were stolen in my parking lot in broad daylight. Then again, they pick the easiest targets (the Nissans/Infinitis).

    I just wanted to say thanks for posting this message. I went back to the dealer this weekend to work something out as far as trading in my lease without taking a major loss but was unsuccessful. In fact, the salesperson's solution was to lease a G35 since this problem is pretty much limited to the I35. Of course, this information was not furnished to me when I leased the car a year ago.

    Do we have any other options as far as getting compensation for a problem that we have no control over? I had a Lexus IS300 which came with HID lights and never had this problem. Why the car was designed with the horn/alarm right behind the grill (which is easily accessible) just defies logic.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    I guess the reason why they put the horn/alarm right behind the grille was because they wanted to cut costs. :(
  • 2infiniti2infiniti Member Posts: 13
    I love my I 35 and in 2 years the only problem I have had with it is that the gas mileage computer is off. It can range from 2 to 4 MPG high so its error percentage isn't even consistent. I was told by the dealer that there was no way to fix it. If you get some satisfaction let me know.
  • 2004graphite2004graphite Member Posts: 11
    I haven't been able to repeat that mileage since that trip. Immediately prior to getting that mileage, I received a speeding ticket. So I had a great deal of motivation to keep a constant 60 mph.
  • 2004graphite2004graphite Member Posts: 11
    Have you tried resetting the computer?
  • 2infiniti2infiniti Member Posts: 13
    By re setting the computer I assume you mean holding the trip button until it re sets!? I do this every time I fill it up with the results as previously described. Ironically, when I took it the dealer I had to explain to the mechanic how one calculates gas mileage and what an average per tank meant. This didn't instill much confidence in the local Infiniti mechanic.
  • 2004graphite2004graphite Member Posts: 11
    I just replaced my cabin filter in my 2004 I35 this afternoon. I have no confidence in my local Infinti dealer's service department, so I do my own maintenance.

    Check out this page- I tossed it together today w/ pics of the replacement process. Hope it helps.

    http://users.stic.net/dprice/i35/
  • 2004graphite2004graphite Member Posts: 11
    It took me a few months before I realized the MPG calc could be reset. I have similar sentiments concerning my local dealer.
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    I'm curious, where did you buy your replacement in-cabin air filter? Dealer or other source? Thanks.
  • 2infiniti2infiniti Member Posts: 13
    First, has anyone tried and of the after-market chips or other HP boosting products? Second, any advice on how to launch an I35? If I shut of the traction control and floor it the tires spin and the car doesn't move. If I leave the traction control on, as soon as the tires start to spin it up-shifts and cuts the power and I accelerate like a Camary. The only option I know is to ease on the gas until it is moving then floor it. But obviously this puts it behind the competition and then I have to play catch up and that isn't really feasible unless I want to test my Laser Jammer and radar detector in avoidance of the speeding tax.
    Thanks
  • 2004graphite2004graphite Member Posts: 11
    I ordered from Drivewire.com. It was $52 with shipping. The Nissan part number for the 2-piece charcoal impregnated filter is 999M1-VP004. My local Infiniti dealer wanted $68 + tax.

    The original filter that came with the car is different from the replacement. The Nissan part number is 27274 4Y110. It's a light nylon pleated filter akin to a furnace filter for the house.

    After replacing the filter, I realized the whole $50 filter deal is a joke. I'm going to research an alternative. Perhaps a custom made furnace filter? Maybe a light foam insert? If anyone has suggestions, let me know.
  • 2004graphite2004graphite Member Posts: 11
    About the fuel mileage- I forgot to mention I installed a K&N air filter. The K&N may have contributed slightly.
  • 2infiniti2infiniti Member Posts: 13
    Very few cars have the in-cabin air filter including my wife's Cadillac and my Grand Cherokee LTD. So, I am wondering if it is really worth having. I appreciate your instructional pictures but I am considering just removing the filter when it is time for a change and leaving it out. Other than just working like a normal car HVAC system thereafter do you any down-side? :
  • 2004graphite2004graphite Member Posts: 11
    I don't think operating without the filter will harm the system.

    But I noticed that the filter trapped quite a bit of debris. We have a lot of oak trees in our area, and when I replaced the filter, I found significant amounts of pollen and even some crud like small leaf particles. Perhaps the intake for the HVAC is positioned badly allowing easy access to debris?
  • shiskashiska Member Posts: 16
    Very, very helpful! Thanks very much.
  • driver76driver76 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    My I35 has been surging (accelerating) on its own. Has any seen this problem? Is there any history of surging problems? Is this transmission related?

    Any help would be much appreciated.

    Thanks in Advance
  • dustinhdustinh Member Posts: 1
    Does any one know where I can purchase the clock bulbs for a 2002 I35? The deal wanted $15 a piece for the bulbs. I told them I didn't need to see the clock at night :-). Let me know if anyone has seen them anywhere.
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