Slinger774

So I got a G37xS 2013 from an auction. It was hit in the front but only the bumper was damaged. I got the awd because of snow and rain where I live. So I drove my car in the snow and the car would go side to side for some reason. It wouldn’t go to much to one side though. It will still go straight down a road but just going a little to one side then to the other if that makes since. It’s again not going to much to one side but enough to where it feels weird and not normal. I did some research and learned about Infiniti’s intelligent awd system. From my understanding when one front wheel slips it will give power to that wheel until it stops slipping. I was thinking that maybe it goes side to side in the snow because only one front wheel gets power at a time but they should both be getting power if they both slip (including back wheels duh). According to other people’s reviews they say that the awd system works really good. So what’s wrong with my car?

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

Should be stable & predictable running down the road in AWD, possibly you have some alignment issues from the accident???

slartibartfast

iTrader: (7)

Also check your tires. You can experiment by switching tires front-to-back to see if steering behavior changes.

llebcire

I'll add my experience from Iowa to the two posts that would appear to be from warmer climates

If there was a significant issue with the AWD, there would be an AWD malfunction light illuminated - you should see this come on when starting then go out if everything's OK.

In snow or slippery conditions, the vehicle does like to drift a little from side to side under moderate acceleration as it is rear wheel biased, and the rear will also kick out before the AWD engages. Front biased AWD vehicles act differently in snow pulling the vehicle whereas the G likes to push from behind. With light acceleration, especially in "Snow" mode, it's stable. With moderate acceleration its more of a controllable yet out of control fun ride.

As others mentioned check your alignment and tires for wear, inflation, and that the tires match - at least side to side if not front to back.

-Eric

Conboss

Agreed, the car likes to be fun in the slick areas! Toronto got hit hard by the snow this year. As said above, if you use snow mode it will be nice and stable, and will have AWD on until 25mph(correct me if I'm wrong) All around I think its a great winter car!

telcoman

Tires, alignment, bent frame perhaps?
Why didn't you get a through inspection at a local Infiniti dealer prior to asking what is wrong with your car on the internet?
Vehicles are sent to an auction for a reason.


Telcoman

Selym

Unitized construction. There's no frame per se.

If you suspect a "bent frame", a body shop would be more appropriate.

Take a look at used Infinitis for sale at your favorite Infiniti dealer. Check the CarFax. You'll find that most of them were purchased by the dealer at an auction.

takemorepills

iTrader: (1)

When I got my car, one front wheel had been curb checked pretty badly. The car didn't track very well in the dry, it had a "tramlining" issue that is common on these cars with OEM rubber. I had the wheel replaced and a new OEM tire installed and had the alignment done, toe was out of spec slightly and the alignment resolved that. But, the car still darted around and tramlined. I was worried something serious was wrong with my car, the alignment shop even hypothesized "maybe that's the way the AWD is".

Anyways, I finally got some new tires, DWS06. The car drives straight as an arrow and the previous issue is resolved.
In the snow, the AWD is AWESOME. So stable with the DWS06's, and the Infiniti AWD system truly is awesome, way better than my Nissan Titan with winter tires or my wife's Impreza which is also rocking DWS06's.

Winter life is good with an AWD Infiniti on DWS06 tires. Pretty cool driving around everyone in a lowered coupe in a snowstorm! Nobody expects a coupe to get around like that.

Yeah, I echo what others have said: TIRES. And get your alignment checked.

Slinger774

Thanks for replying guys! I’m most likely gonna go to an Infiniti dealership soon I feel like it might be an alignment issue like a lot of you said. Also I got new all season tires just before it started snowing. I know winter tires are a lot better in snow but brand new all season’s should be good enough for 3-4” of snow considering my Camry could do it.

Said Amir

I have g37xS and I'm running all season, and my car goes side to side now and then even in the dry, and it is due to the treat on the wheels, and the compound (I'm running all seasons, should have both summer tires). Also during the rain when I'm driving a little quick, and take a turn quickly you will feel that one side of the front wheel giving power to straighten out the car, while the other does nothing. So that could be your issue. Maybe the road is just to icy and the car just keeps giving power to one side of the wheels to straighten it out, then realizes that it is slipping to the other side, then the other wheel gets power, and just goes back and forth. But get an alignment first see where that wheels are at, and if one side has significantly more camber than other check your suspension components for any bent and check the frame for any slight movement. If all your suspension components, and frame is good but a lot more camber on one side of the car than other I would suggest front camber arms, I have mine set at -0.5 on both sides, and their is more tire thread on the road now then what it was when it came from the factor, and it will also help with tread wear on your tires, which will allow them to last longer.