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Infiniti M35/M45 Maintenance and Repair

1362 messages,  Last post on Sep 19, 2012 at 4:54 PM

You are in the Infiniti M35/M45 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Infiniti M35, Infiniti M45, Sedan

Messages Page 101 of 137

#999 of 1362 Re: 2006 M35 sport steering issue [tmartin63] by barryend

Nov 19, 2008 (11:52 pm)

Replying to: tmartin63 (Nov 19, 2008 6:40 pm)
Yes there are several postings there about M35X steering and trammeling.
 
First my 2006 year car had a new steering rack replaced by the dealer at 27,000 miles. The original rack became quite loose after 1-year.
 
Shortly thereafter I put on Cont Extreme Contact tires. Now it drives quite well. The new tires have much more aggressive, open tread than the OEM Goodyear tires. More like a snow tire. They are excellent in the rain and good on what little snow we had in 2008.
 
Postings on forums state Michelin's improve but do not cure the trammeling issue.
 
My further opinion is the engineering of the steering lacks on-center feel. That is fundamentally incurable.
 
The M35X is a beautiful car with great features at a very good price. I see Infiniti offering $10,000 off MSRP now.
 
Make sure you can live with the stiff ride.
 
Put on the Contis before leaving the showroom and sell the Goodyears on Ebay. Or better donate them to charity and take a tax deduction. It is worth the extra $1,000 since the car is a bargain.
 
It's great now that premium gas is down 50%. It is a gas eater due to weight, 4 wheel drive and gearing.

#1000 of 1362 Any High Mileage M's out there? by capoany

Dec 01, 2008 (8:45 am)

My '06 Sport has been great. Got the steering rack done and went to Michelin A/S tires and it steers and rides well. I'm at 44K miles, owe $20K on the loan, and I'm at the inflection point of payoff and keep ( and get a set of winter tires/ wheels) or trade. If i keep it, i'm looking to put 150K mi on the car. I know Nissans are for the most part bulletproof, but i'm wondering if there are any real life examples from forum members regarding high mileage M's...experiences, major repairs, etc. Fire away and thanks!

#1001 of 1362 rattle in passenger compartment by nolan001

Dec 03, 2008 (4:47 pm)

Just wanted to share a humerous happening about a rattle. Bought a new m35x about a year and half ago. For two months from the time I bought it I heard a rattle evertime I would hit a bump or a washboard type road. Went crazy trying to find the rattle. One day for some reason(even though I don't where sun glasses) I opened the sunglass holder in the roof console. Someone at the dealership had left a pair of great looking sunglasses in the holder. Removed the glasses and the rattle disappeared. Have slept well since.

#1003 of 1362 Re: 2006 M35 sport steering issue by southbay1

Dec 19, 2008 (10:14 pm)

Replying to: barryend (Nov 19, 2008 11:52 pm)
I too am experiencing the steering defect and extremely low gas mileage (~14 mpg in local driving) with my '06 Sport (27,000 miles). I just bought it this past summer (came off of a two year lease) and generally like the car but am now wondering if I made the right choice.
 
Before I go back to my dealer about the steering rack does anyone know if this fix is covered by the warranty and if this is indeed the best way to correct the issue? The gas mileage sucks but that I can live with for now - the steering problem not so much.

#1004 of 1362 by ghstudio

Dec 19, 2008 (10:35 pm)

The steering problem may be a faulty rack which would be covered under warranty. Your service manager has to see/feel the problem driving the car and sometimes that's the tough part.

#1005 of 1362 Re: 2006 M35 sport steering issue [southbay1] by tmartin63

Dec 20, 2008 (6:19 am)

Replying to: southbay1 (Dec 19, 2008 10:14 pm)
I'd be concerned about the 14 mpg city too. My '07 gets 17.5 mpg city and I drive it fairly aggressively. Are going around all day with your right foot on the floor? If not, I'd question why only 14 mpg.

#1006 of 1362 Re: [ghstudio] by barryend

Dec 20, 2008 (6:46 am)

Replying to: ghstudio (Dec 19, 2008 10:35 pm)
I have a 2006 M35X. Tracking was dangerous. My steering rack was replaced under warranty in 2007 and that helped allot. Shortly thereafter I replaced the horrible 27,000 mile OEM Goodyear GT-A tires with Continental Contacts. That helped even more. They greatly improved wet and snow traction and softened the ride.
 
The M still does not track that well but the roads in my Westchester, NY area are horrible. Otherwise the car is great.
 
My theory is the design of the steering lacks caster in the alignment. It is incurable. More caster would increase the steering's tendency to go straight.
 
Gas mileage is not very good. Killed me last summer. It is a heavy car with 4-wheel drive and the top gearing is low. No 7-speed on the M35X even for 2009. No real cure. Go light on the pedal and easy on the a/c. Keep the air cleaner clean. Sluggish on regular gas use mid grade or premium.
 
My lease is over soon. Thinking of Audi an A4 (a bit small not cheap but wonderful),
Caddy CTS 4 wheel drive (beautiful, aggressive prices, no backup camera, great warranty, On Star, but who knows about GM service and quality?)
Infiniti G-37 sedan (a bit small and rear seats do not fold down),
Good but uglies: Acura TL and Infiniti FX. (don't know if I can look at those for years).

#1007 of 1362 Re: 2006 M35 sport steering issue [tmartin63] by southbay1

Dec 22, 2008 (4:13 pm)

Replying to: tmartin63 (Dec 20, 2008 6:19 am)
My driving is almost always local and I'm actually driving fairly easy to get the 14 MPG -- driving it hard brings it down closer to 12. Based on consumption history in the computer the best the previous driver did was about 18 mpg (assume that was more highway miles). With gas below $2/gal it's just an annoyance but I'd sure love the additional gear.
 
As for the steering rack - I'll make an appointment with my service rep and hope that they notice the same thing I do (somehow I suspect that Murphy's Law will temporarily disappear...). The car has OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE050As that have a fair amount of mileage left on them and none of the boards have pointed to these tires as a culprit. Will keep you all posted.

#1008 of 1362 Re: 2006 M35 sport steering issue [southbay1] by barryend

Dec 22, 2008 (4:42 pm)

Replying to: southbay1 (Dec 22, 2008 4:13 pm)
The 4 wheel drive should use more gas than the rear wheel drive. I cannot understand your low mileage. Maybe it is allot of hills and heavy traffic.

Messages Page 101 of 137

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