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Infiniti I35 Maintenance and Repair

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  • myrcgaragemyrcgarage Member Posts: 18
    I took it to dealer. They had it for 2 days. They said they couldn't duplicate the problem. I went there in the morning to drive with them. The mechanic was able to hear something. He said that it was exhaust system related. Exhaust is not included under warranty. Therefore, it is not fixed. My concern is: is it really exhaust or it is something else. They checked the engine mount and everything is good. I guess I will leave it the way it is for now and see if it will get worse before next May, which is when my extended warranty expires.
  • walter41walter41 Member Posts: 5
    same problem..... comes on then just go off for a few weeks and then it's back.

    mechanic has run all and poses no mechanical problem and dealership would love to get you in and charge big $

    This has been a problem for the last year and I just put up with it.
  • bostonguy1bostonguy1 Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for the feedback. I will also live with this problem rather than pay a dealer. But, from a previous car experience, I'm thinking I won't pass my annual inspection (omissions check) and will most likely need 2 new O2 sensors and maybe the other sensor. Anybody paid a dealer for this work? (how much $)

    Thanks.
  • mik5423mik5423 Member Posts: 7
    Invest in your own code scanner.Then your not at the mercy of some stupid mechanic or the dealer.Trust me it will pay for itself.$69.00 at advance auto.

    http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_PocketScan-Pl- us-Code-Scanner-Actron_9090012-P_N3389_T|GRP2018____

    You can probably find one even cheaper on ebay.Just has to be ODBII.Not ODBI.
  • snowace76snowace76 Member Posts: 3
    i've only had this happen to me once and it seemed to be right after i'd filled the car with gas. i now make sure i tighten the cap well after each fill-up. hasn't happened in over 3 months now so we shall see...
  • sparqueesparquee Member Posts: 1
    You may want to have your catalytic converter checked. I just went through a similar problem and replace my engine. Here's my scenario

    - i bought car used with 58K Km on it. At first oil change (64k Km) i was told no oil. Did oil consumption test and sucked back about 1 to 1.5 liters per 1000 km. Was told normal by NISSAN.
    -Also had light rattle around 1500 to 2000 rpm but was told most likely bad gas and to use premium (i used lower cost gas up to this point, 85k km)
    -At 96,000 km, re-did oil consumption test (same infiniti dealer) with same results as previously mentioned. This time not normal (documentation was different as well). This was in early 2007. NISSAN authorized a change of the short block under warranty.
    -Documents showed a $5,000+ cost for engine job.
    -Car worked good after this, but knocking still there. I never did more as dealer not to concerned.
    -January 2009 lost coolant due to broken pipe. some overheating and only time check engine light came on. Seemed to have fixed problem early enough and engine seemed OK.
    -Late 2009, sound seemed worse and wider range of RPM for rattle noise (diesel like).
    -Stopped at local mechanic, confirmed noise, seemed to come from rear heads (very audible inside of garage with hood up. also noise from timing chain area. Made appointment for monday inspect, until checking oil. Non on the stick. Left car.
    -Monday morning found coolant in 2 cylinders. Base estimate without totally dismantling engine at least $3000 with many unknowns. Decided used motor for $1,200 + $1,000 for labor + 5 to 600 extra.
    -I have 1 year guarantee, but to get it they had to find why problem occurred. They found the catalytic converter clogged (pressure differential to large across converter) upon opening up completely blocked and loose.
    -Spoke to mechanic and he said that " the O2 sensors should pick up these problems and if they start to go off, this needs to be checked otherwise crap is blown back into the cylinders causing these problems. This will cause temperature differential across the comnverter of as much as 500 degrees. Causing lots of problems, overheating of rear heads, increased oil consumption, coolant in heads etc.......

    - Moral of the story is, CHECK OUT THE catalytic converter (MY COST FOR NEW PART WAS $265). Seemed nissan had a lot of issues with these causing engine damage (replaced a lot of 4 cylinder motors on warranty because of this).

    Good luck.
  • bcrisologobcrisologo Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1997 I30 with the right brake light that turns off when I step on the brake while the lights are turned on. What could be the problem? Is it the brake light relay? Where can I find it?

    Thanks for your help,
    Jericho
  • 59fan59fan Member Posts: 5
    You might want to just replace the bulb itself, Make sure that the new bulb is in its socket correctly, and make sure that the new bulb meets the OEM specs. My 2002 did the same thing, I just replaced the bulb and it was fine. :)
  • bostonguy1bostonguy1 Member Posts: 16
    Hi Sparquee,

    WOW! That's a real horror story...I'll be selling mine for parts before I spend that type of money for repairs.

    Best of luck with it.
  • shermanhvn11shermanhvn11 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 99 I-30. I'm the original owner and have always had the car serviced at either the local Infiniti or Nissan dealers. The car has been running fine until yesterday. When I started it, it was running very rough. There was a small amount of fluid in the drive. It had no odor of color. I was afraid to drive the car and called for service. I did drive the car to the dealer and it seemed to run much better after letting it warm up for a few minutes. The dealer is telling me today (after touting that I had plenty of life left in the car) that I need a new engine. Something about gunk around the timing celenoid? The car has 135K miles. I'm just shocked as I expected to be able to get another 50K miles out of the car. They are trying to cut me a deal on a new engine but I just think it should have lasted much longer than this.

    Sherman
  • walter41walter41 Member Posts: 5
    Sherman- Better check with a mechanic that is looking out for you and not the company.

    I have 166,000+ and figure it will go another 100,000 if properly maintained.

    Walter 11-24-09
  • lori925lori925 Member Posts: 12
    Does your car still drive good after using the MAF sensor cleaner? I am having the exact same problem with stalling, running rough, etc and I am at my wits end. Have replaced TWO oxygen sensors, the knock sensors, the IACV and it STILL acts up! I will try anything at this point that does not cost much money, and a $7 can of MAF cleaner sure sounds cheap:) Thanks in advance:)
  • pethelmanpethelman Member Posts: 20
    Hey mik,
    Nice to hear that the mount worked out. Curious if you've noticed any problems with the others. If you're at a stop and punch the gas quickly and let off, do you feel/hear a single "clunk." If you do this with the hood open, you should see the engine lurch/rotate toward you. Mine is rotating so much that it is bottoming out on the rear mount and making a clunking sound. It will even happen under hard acceleration when changing into second gear. That's the next project to replace the front and rear mounts. Not nearly as nice as the right!
  • mik5423mik5423 Member Posts: 7
    Hey peth,
    Not sure if mine is doing that or not.Its my wifes car and I rarely drive it.I will say after I replaced the side mount I drove it for about a week and ran it pretty hard and I didnt notice any other issues.I will try punching it at a stop light the next time I drive it and let ya know.Keep me updated on yours cause like you said that rear mount does not look like it will be fun to change.The front one looks fairly simple.I can't even find the left side mount.I hope that sucker never goes.
    I bought the r/s mount online at carpartswholesale.com.Let me know if you find a better supplier.I think I payed @ $89.00 shipped for the r/s.The front and the rear have the dielectric fluid in them and are fairly pricey if I remember right.Good luck.
  • louisl2louisl2 Member Posts: 6
    The Bose system is matched with the speakers and an aftermarket kit or radio will not work. there is a company in florida that will remanufacture your radio to factory specs and send it back to you. the radio is actually made by clarion, but it is a high end system that retails for over $1000. To avoid a lot of problems, pull the radio out and send it to them. They will re-do everything inside to brand new condition for about $200.00 . They are in longwood florida, and their phone number is 1-800-428-1909. For illustrated instructions on how to remove the radio, go to CarStereoRemoval.com and search for your model. I think they only do infiniti's.
  • npmnpm Member Posts: 3
    As I was driving down the turnpike today in my 2002 I35 with the system set to ECON the fan(s) started to cut out, come back on again and again. Finally, after about 30 minutes they were no longer ever blowing air out the interior vents. The situation was the same on all settings - AUTO, Manual, etc. The display showed anywhere from one to four fan icons on depending on the setting I was trying. When I got home I checked fuses and all appeared ok. So what I am asking is what the cause may be? Could both fans have decided to quit at the same time? Is there something common to them both that may be the cause? Am I facing having both blowers replaced? Is this something I can do on my own or does it need a mechanic?

    Any insights appreciated.
  • ps_001ps_001 Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem on and off. Replaced Gas cap - didn't work. After a couple of weeks the check engine light was back. Initially the dealer couldnt find anything and changed the gas cap. Checked the code and it was a evap problem. Infact failed a smog test because of the check engine light on. This ntime they checked the evap and found a tiny leak which they fixed. Now the check engine light is gone for good...
  • slowdriverslowdriver Member Posts: 41
    I still recommend the Michelins. They now have 16K miles, with no viable wear.

    As we all are aware, the I35 has a lousy turning radius by design, but there is plenty of clearance with the 225/55R17, even with snow chains on the tires.

    I'd stick with these tires.

    Inifiniti still needs to do a better job of insulating the car for road noise.

    I hope that they had addressed this issue in my target replacement car, the M37!
  • cgaskinjrcgaskinjr Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 I35. During the winter the heater worked fine. Now that spring/summer is here the A/C is not functioning. I thought that the refrigerant needed to be recharged but the pressure in the low pressure line was at 105psi. The instructions said recharge if between 35-40 psi. I checked the two small fuses in the engine and passenger compartment. Is this giant baby blue fuse on the left of the engine compartment as you are facing it a possibility? How about the high pressure in the low pressure line? Please help, it is hotter than a rattlesnakes stomach!
  • chuck_jchuck_j Member Posts: 5
    I have an 04 I35 and the car has been great until about last month. Seems like i have two major leaks, a power steering fluid leak and a radiator leak, I'm not sure exactly where the coolant is coming from but the car started to overheat last weekend. The next morning after i had to feel the radiator with a gallon of coolant and changed the radiator cap... Well the cap wasn't the problem because the car is leaking coolant but I'm not sure where its coming from... (no coolant on the ground) however after driving on the highway I usually smell coolant so decided to open the hood right after driving and coolant had sprayed over every component under the hood, anyone knows what this could be and how much it may cost
  • wilson16wilson16 Member Posts: 20
    I have a 03 I35 and the neck around the top hose was cracked and you could barely tell it without squeezing the top hose
  • njgrandpanjgrandpa Member Posts: 2
    Have an 02 I35 with 113000 miles. Six months ago I was hearing a clicking noise while turning at slow speeds. Mechanic said I needed front strut supports as the bearings in the supports were bad. Replaced supports, started hearing the same sound again after a few months. Went to another mechanic. He said my struts need to be replaced as well as the strut supports since the bad struts ruined the new strut supports. He said they shouldn't have replaced the supports without replacing the struts as well. Tomorrow we get struts, strut supports, and rear shocks............$1,300. Incidently, I got over 100K on my original brakes! Does my experience match up with anyone else's? Love my I35!
  • atma97atma97 Member Posts: 47
    It was the same with my car. I replaced struts, shocks and brake when it went over 100k. Now it is 147K. I used KYB GR-2 brand and hope to keep it for awhile.
  • wilson16wilson16 Member Posts: 20
    I have a 03-I35 with 240,000 miles on it. They are mostly Hwy miles(60 miles one way to work 5 days a week) I was wondering if anyone had any issues with the waterpump and if so had changed one out themselves. I haven't had any problems yet but with the high miles I have on the car it may come sooner or later and considering what it takes to change the back spark plugs I wanted to know the difficulty of the job
  • atma97atma97 Member Posts: 47
    I would flush and replace antifreeze fluid and thermostat first before ever getting to a water pump. Service manual shows quite a number of steps need to do to replace a water pump. For spark plugs at the back, you need to unscrew two small bolts on the side of intake manifold where it is very close to the fire wall. There are five screws where intake manifold sitting on top of engine. Unplug some hoses, loosen air intake at the throttle body, lift up the intake manifold about one inch and twist it side way so you have enough room to access ignition coils and spark plugs. You will need to replace an intake manifold gasket too. Changing spark plugs is a good idea but you should beware that it will counter the balance inside the engine and might trigger engine light and requiring you to change ignition coils or O2 sensors in the next few thousand miles. You should have ready budget for that.
  • slowdriverslowdriver Member Posts: 41
    One of the 2 main headlights turns off after about 10 seconds. Starts up correctly.
    Anyone had this problem? Will replacing the bulb solve my problem?

    Thnx.
  • njgrandpanjgrandpa Member Posts: 2
    I've not had this problem but I think I would replace the headlights.
  • casey103casey103 Member Posts: 11
    My 03 I35 has been flawless. Bought at 20k miles. Now has 78k. Zero costs other than maintenance. I am now debating passing down to my son or selling. Am I asking for trouble with expensive repairs if I keep this car in the family? Are these troublesome and expensive as they age? otherwise love the car..TY
  • pb13pb13 Member Posts: 3
    Hi Casey - Great car to keep in the family. I'm at 100k miles exactly and overall good. Did have to replace a cam position sensor (which is covered for your year by recall) and did have to replace a starter. Starter wasn't cheep via dealer, but gives me the confidence of another 100K. I finally replaced OEM tires at 85K, which I thought was good wear. Here's the recall link. Would have saved me some money, but missed it by a year. Recall Link
  • wilson16wilson16 Member Posts: 20
    I have a 03-I35 that has 248,000 miles on it and still can haul the mail
    If you take care of it now and down the road I don't see why you can't get to where I'm at on mileage. The dealer's are very costly to deal with if you can't fix something yourself. I haven't had any major problems yet but I'll drive it till she won't drive anymore
    Good Car
  • casey103casey103 Member Posts: 11
    I have an 03 I35 that has been great. No expenses to date. It now has 78k. Am I asking for trouble if I pass down to my son?

    do these cars have certain problems that crop up as they age? Is now the time to sell or might this continue to be a reliable car? Thank you.
  • casey103casey103 Member Posts: 11
    Wilson_ Thanks for your reply. Yours owes you nothing. wow that is alot of miles..
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Hard to say with a crystal ball :P but generally a modern Japanese car should have a lot more life in it...however, around 80K you may find certain "expendable" items (things that normally are expected to wear out) may crop up. This could include items like shocks/struts, battery, wiper blades, belts and hoses, brakes----you know, items that require periodic replacement. It's also possible that some components like the alternator or some suspension bushings might need attention--or maybe not. After all, 8 years of use does produce a bit of wear and tear.
  • wilson16wilson16 Member Posts: 20
    If u owe nothing on the car I would say keep it because they are pretty stout and reliable. Most of the miles on mine (248,000+) are highway
    (60mile oneway to work 5 days a week) There will be cost that are unforseeable just like any other car or truck. I run seafoam through mine every 6000 miles which doesn't take long for me to reach it helps!
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    We have an '04 with just about 100k miles now. It's been a great car. The throttle body has had to be replaced twice (once at 45k, once at 95k) and there is a small leak in the power steering rack, but everything else has just been oil changes and routine maintenance.

    I'm pretty sure ours has at least another 75k of life in it; I'm hoping we don't get new car fever before then!
  • ferdi1ferdi1 Member Posts: 16
    Mine is 2002 and I have 120K miles on it. The only problem I have is the power steering fluid leak.

    It is interesting that it goes away on its own, but after 1 year comes back, leaks for few days and then goes away again. I believe that the STOP LEAK additives in the oil just seal it every time.

    I wouldn't buy a new car at least for 2-3 years from now. The thing is that you will not get anything better than the I35 after you spend $25K on a new car.

    In fact my new car will be either a fun to drive Hybrig, or an Electric car. I just want to wait for them to develop the technologies for electric cars.
  • walter41walter41 Member Posts: 5
    My 2002 has 184,000 and is all city driving.Basic maintence...nothing big. Drive it till it drops!
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    A graph at that Major Consumer Publication a few years back showed maintenance curves for various automakers, in which Nissan ran slightly poorer than Toyota and Honda for the first six years or so, followed by a horrifying spike at seven years, and then about even with them from that point on. My own experience definitely corroborates their findings, as I spent a lot of 2007 (and a bit of '08) tracking down problems in an '00 I30 which runs just fine in '11 and which I expect will still be doing well in '15, by which time she'll be pushing 200,000 miles.
  • wilson16wilson16 Member Posts: 20
    My car has 260,000 miles on which are mostly home to work (120 round trip 5 days a week)
    Im starting to get the knocking noise that I have been reading about. I thought it may be time for a valve adjustment but was told the valves are not adjustable. So excludiing running
    premium gas @ a war pension price what other suggestions are there. Could this noise I'm hearing be a timing chain or a cam shaft getting loose or worn out The car has been pampered
    since I bought it which was used but only had 41,000 mi on it
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    When do you hear this noise exactly? A knocking noise that is caused by insufficient octane in your fuel will only occur at speed, when the car is straining. If you are talking about a constant noise when your foot is merely floating on the gas pedal, or a noise at idle, it's not octane related.
  • wilson16wilson16 Member Posts: 20
    It usually is happening at acceleration. I always heard using Premium gas was a waste money but if that's my problem what gas would you recommend using
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited May 2011
    If it sounds like a chain dragging under the car when you accelerate, this could be detonation (pinging) and it is *very bad* for your engine, if it persists and is frequent and loud. (a little 'ping' for a split second is okay).

    Just buy the best gas you can for starters, like Shell or some other name brand, and see how it affects the noise. If it diminishes or goes away, you are on the right track. If it doesn't, you'd best see a mechanic to determine if it is really severe detonation requiring engine adjustments, or if it's some other noise not related.

    In any event, don't postpone acting on this. Severe detonation will punch a hole right through the tops of your pistons. :cry:

    The noise you are hearing are the internal parts of your engine rattling around---literally.
  • atma97atma97 Member Posts: 47
    Knocking sound in acceleration is a symptom of gas with low octane or engine running too lean. One should always use a premium gas for I35. If knocking sound exists after a couple premium gas tanks, then knock sensor need to be replaced ($50 part). For saving on gas, I am adding 3 oz of pure acetone into a 14 gal gas refill and saw mpg increase more than 3 mpg. I am doing this with my own risk but the car is running at its best. At 160,000 miles with a luxury and smooth ride, I could not find a just reason to get rid of this car and get a more luxury and trendy one. Hope not to keep driving this one for another ten years.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited May 2011
    Acetone has been shown in rigorous clinical tests to have no affect on gas mileage, and is also corrosive to paint and rubber, so you could confidently abandon it with no worries. I personally never recommend using it. Probably you're experiencing normal variations in MPG and most of us don't have the patience to really measure and calculation out all the variables.

    Your suggestion about a knock sensor is definitely worth looking at and thanks for mentioning it.
  • wilson16wilson16 Member Posts: 20
    I have heard there may be more than (1) knock sensor in the 03-I35
    Can you tell me where the location or locations would be and is it something I can change myself
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited May 2011
    No just one. Looks like a bit of a job. Book says 3.5 hours for a mechanic. It seems to sit (from the diagram I've got) in the valley between the two cylinder heads--so under the intake---about 2/3rds of the way back. It's also a pricey little devil--not something you'd want to be guessing about. List price close to $200 bucks tho' I'm sure you could shop around and do much better.
  • wilson16wilson16 Member Posts: 20
    Well as such as all the parts for Infiniti. If the premium gas doesn't fix the knocking that I'm getting what would the signs be for a knock sensor going bad or about to. Are there any other places I might check to solve this problem
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited May 2011
    Well it would be good to get a "second ear" on this noise to make sure we're barking up the right tree...unless you are POSITIVE it's pinging.

    Anyway the knock sensor is supposed to correct for pinging--it's supposed to "hear it" and retard the engine timing. The question then becomes--is the knock sensor working or not, and if it IS, why isn't the engine responding to the signal?

    DESRIPTION: The knock sensor is attached to the cylinder block. It senses engine knocking using a piezoelectric element. A knocking vibration from the cylinder block is sensed as vibrational pressure. This pressure is converted into a voltage signal and sent to the ECM.

    So in theory we could also have an electrical connector issue, or an ECM issue.

    Unfortunately I cannot find any description of how to diagnose and test for a bad knock sensor. I would presume a good repair shop with a CONSULT-II scanning device knows how to do this.

    They used to say "you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure THAT out"--but you know, sometimes I wonder :sick:
  • atma97atma97 Member Posts: 47
    edited May 2011
    There are other reasons for the engine to knock when the car has high millage. Car might run too lean or too hot. Lean might due to dirty fuel injections or weak fuel pump. Hot might be caused by back up pressure from bad catalytic converters. I would exam spark plugs to figure out how lean the engine runs.

    Knock sensor is bolted to the center of the engine, underneath intake manifold body. As soon as removing the intake manifold upper and lover parts, you will see the knock sensor sitting right on the engine. You will need a new set of manifold gasket though. It might be a good idea to change valve cover gaskets and spark plugs when you have full access to these locations. The whole tedious job requires patience, try not to over tighten the bolts on this engine block. Hope you will have another 100k miles on your car after this job.
  • wilson16wilson16 Member Posts: 20
    Do you think the noise I may be hearing could be the timing chain getting loose or already that way. I've noticed that when you rev the motor you hear a clanging sound or when you shut the motor off
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