CAI = Cold Air Intake

BTW, got a loaner from the dealer today (turns out my 500 mile old '11 might need a new driveshaft!!!), and I couldnt believe it had the 7 spd tranny. it was a completely different car, shifts were quick and crisp, downshifts came when you wanted, etc.

Makes me wonder if there really is something to the whole "loaner will work better because people drive aggressive with it" thing. When I bring it back I might ask if theyve applied the TSB flash to it. I told them not to do so on my car just yet.

 

Hi everyone! So, I took my 2011 G37 Sedan in today to get the TSB update. The service rep said that the TSB number I gave him (ITB10-075) was for a specific group of models that have a specific TCM P/N (see page 4/9 of the TSB) and ECU P/N (see page 7/9 of the TSB). The TCM and ECU numbers have to match for both. On mine they didn't

I got the TCM and ECU numbers for my exact car and will continue to research the availability for my car.

I'll post any new updates!

 

I got a 2011 G37 with 300 miles on it as a rental in PHX. I'll see how this is the next 3 days.

 

There is a copy of the TSB on page 13 of this thread. In it, it basically says there are 2 parts to flash: TCM and ECU. The way I read it, they are completely separate. The TCM flash is based on the transmission part # (which seems to consist of a part number and possibly an installed s/w version) and the ECU flash is based on the ECU part number.

The way I see it, its possible that a car can get only 1 of the 2 flashes. Which makes me wonder........is that why some people are having different experiences than others? TCM flash only, vs TCM and ECU flash?

Things that make you go hmmmmm....

 

I have a question - does the TCU reflash make the car faster or slower? I have never had a problem with my tranny, my upshifts are fast and crisp, and only my downshifts are a little iffy. But My G is fast, and I do not want to lose any speed for the sake of silky shifting. i like crisp, sporty shifting.

If I take mine in for the 25k service, will they check the ecu and transmission part numbers and do the updates automatically if the TSB calls for it? Am I going to have to put a big fat note on the steering wheel that says 'no reflashes please' ?

 

Typically TSBs (unlike recalls) are done if the customer complains of a problem that the TSB addresses, I don't think it's done automatically.

 

I had the ECM & TCM Reprogramming performed on my 2010 G37x yesterday. I can immediately tell a difference. To me, accelerating seems more "linear" and shifting definitely seems smoother. It's just been 1 day, but I also haven't experienced the flaring issue yet.

I'm going to give it a week, but so far I am very happy with the transmission now. It seems more like the 2009 loaner I had six months ago.

 

You don't feel the lagging when you step on it in either D or DS mode. I felt before the Reflash and now after the Reflash - a 1 to 1.5 second lag / hesitation at times - different gear positions and speeds, a Lag. I'm convinced now with more experimental driving applications, DS modes, D modes, manual shifting modes, in trasffic, on the highway, that this tranny is very much affected by the Torque Converter. It locks up way, way too early, and in afirmation to another member, who had a great expanatory post about this, its' taking that extra second to find the right gear on downshifting - primarily.

 

I went in for a reflash inquiry and came out with a reset of the TCM. What I got after the reset was a faulty tranny that can't downshift right at all. At a rolling into a stop, it'll jerk, stop short, jerk again (probably hard shifting into 1st gear) and if I step on the throttle immediately, i'll rev in neutral it seems for 2 seconds and car will jerk forward. Almost feels like a noob manual driver with bad clutch skills. Brought the car back and solution was to get a new transmission assembly. We'll see how this goes.

 

@Chris11LE -- Yes, I read the TSB on page 13. The Service Rep also showed me a copy while I was at the dealership. From what he told me, the ECU and TCM part numbers must match in order for the tech to do the update. So it looks like they are not separate.

 

I am happy to report the update was done to my car yesterday, and WOW what a difference! I have never been happy with the trans in this car, but this update makes it drive out an A/T should! Shifts faster, smoother, and feels more fluid. It still is not perfect, but I can live with this.

I did have the 4/3 downshift TSB done a long while back, and that helped, but nowhere near as much as this.

Drove the car from Miami to Tampa today, crossed 25K miles on the way, and it was an excellent drive. When passing on the highway now, the car downshifts much faster and smoother, and passing acceleration seems improved as a result.

Very happy with the update, big thanks to Steve at South Motors Infiniti for getting it done!

 

I am in the midst of a decision whether to buy a 2011 G37x Sport sedan 7AT or a 2011 Audi S4 DSG. Had been looking for problem areas with both cars that might influence my buying decision and have read in entirety this thread on the quirks of the 7AT tranny. I gleaned from this thread that Infiniti's decision to go with the 7AT was primarily a desire to achieve greater fuel efficiency, but that there's just too many gears with the 6th and 7th gear overdrives. The bucking and the hesitation quirks not fully or satisfactorily corrected for some owners by the 2009 and 2010 TSBs - I see there has been no factory recall - is enough to dissuade me from buying if I was doing a lot of stop and go city driving. However, I live in a rural area in Nebraska and all of my driving is highway miles where I would not expect to experience much of the bucking problem discussed in this thread. The S4 has the dual clutch automated DSG which I have driven before in a VW GTI. It runs through the gears for the driver seamlessly and is extremely fuel efficient. I almost prefer it to a manual. I love the handling of the G37xS and would expect far less maintenance issues and better reliability than with an Audi. Fishing for some opinions from G37 owners whether I should just put up with the transmission quirks of the 7AT and buy the Infiniti or not. It doesn't seem from the opinion in this thread that the issue will ever be fully and satisfactorily resolved by Infiniti. The mention that the car "adapts" to the way it's driven also concerns me as my wife and I both will be driving it and the difference in our driving styles is stark. That will really confuse the tranny ! Soliciting advice as I've never before owned an Infiniti. Thks.

 

Wil1liam;

You have two nice cars to pick from. All kinds of comparisons and reviews are available, but, in my humble opinion, drive them both. See which *you* like over all. Personally, I like the extremely low 1st gear and the overdrive the Infiniti 7AT provides. To me it's best of both worlds and I have no complaints. (Although it does hesitate "in auto downshifting" at times in "D", it is better than many 5/6 AT's I've owned / driven and there is also the DS and M modes.) So, why not rent the two cars for a few days or at least take them out for a test drive and see what you think?

 

Thks for your input. I have driven them both - the Infiniti twice and the S4 once. Driving the S4 again tomorrow. Omaha Dealer has two - but both have the 6 grand Prestige package that puts the car in the 55 grand range I just cannot stomach compared to the most reasonably priced G37xS. The S4 is hard to come by in my neck of the woods. Have to go out of state to buy now. Omaha dealer has a March allocation and I can order one to my liking in the mid 40 grand range if I take his offer. Known the Audi people for years and the new car manager himself for over eight years. Just never had any experience with Infiniti. Love both cars, but you're right I need a rental or some extended test drive arrangements with both the Infiniti and Audi dealers to make a truly informed decision.

 

I have a 2009 G37xS that had the first year of the 7 speed. I've never had any issues with it.