Yes, my wife (whose the primary driver) discovered the same thing; drop her into Drive and the racket stops. We did run it down to the dealer for an overnight stay, and subsequent cold-start in the morning. Under the keen ears of a their best tech (I'm sure...) we got the "Everything sounds normal to us, Mam" response. So, I feel like we've done our due diligence and now we'll have to hope for the best. I was worried oil was not circulating in the upper regions of the engine until 15 to 20 seconds in. We'll cross our fingers and see how it goes, I guess (yikes!).

Curiously, after parking the car for 4+ hours, the noise failed to be reproduced. It's apparently only after a long sit that that rattle and clank come out to play. Popping the hood, and listening in it was weird to hear various motors, actuators and valves come on in sequence - "like a spaceship" my motorhead friend said to me. I have to trust in technology and advancements in engineering I suppose. After all, it is a brand new car. I would have expected a more graceful operating engine from a luxury brand. Like the Lexus I witnessed a decade ago that idled so quietly you could barely hear it (outside).

 

I have come to the same conclusion. Now we just have to worry about the battery dying.

 

Hi, car sitting in a garge overnight ... on a cold morning the 2009 G37x make a pop after few seconds of starting it ...only happens on cold moring .... anybody else hear pop noise?

Thanks

 

Do you leave your climate control ON when you shut off the car? I don't but when I turn the climate control ON after starting the car on a cold morning I hear a distinct pop - almost sounds like a free credit on those old pinball machines. If you leave you the CC on when you start the car the system will turn on automatically a few seconds after starting it.

I attribute this sound to either the compressor relay or magnetic clutch as the compressor will still engage when the outside temps are low (above 23F according to the manual).

 

Pop is normal. Its the A/C clutch engaging after sitting all night.

The VVEL noise is common on all these cars. I'm so not worried about it. It is CLEARLY something the programing.

If it was a mechanic lifter thing...it would stay loud if you rev it.

HOWEVER, if you just touch the gas 5 seconds after starting it...the rpms will jump from 1500 (normal) to whatever you rev it too (but don't rev a cold engine hard). My point, just tap the gas a tiny bit, the rpms will jump up 500 rpm...and its super smooth...as it drops, 19 18 17 1600...the noise will come back as if the VVEL is settling back into some kind of startup operation.

If it was a bad valve etc...it would just be progressively louder as you tap the gas.

Make sense?

 

I'm glad to see you say the noise is "common" opposed to "normal".

 

Thanks for the replies ... lately here it has not been really colde below 0deg. Cel. so I have not heard the pop when starting the car.
You are correct that I do leave the Auto temperature - heat, A/C on when I turn off the car ... I will have to try and turn the heat, A/C off during the cold nights and test ....

Thanks

 

just curiousity, at what mileage for the first oil change.
is it at 1,200 mile according to the manual or 3,750?

 

3750.

"Your engine was filled with a high quality
engine oil when it was built. You do not have to
change the oil before the first recommended
change interval. Oil and filter change intervals
depend upon how you use your vehicle. Operation
under the following conditions may require
more frequent oil and filter changes.
● repeated short distance driving at cold outside
temperatures,
● driving in dusty conditions,
● extensive idling,
● stop and go “rush hour” traffic,
Refer to the “INFINITI Service and Maintenance
Guide” for the maintenance schedule."

 

OK. I live in FL where a cold snap is a couple of days in the 50's. Having said that, the only noise I note in my new G37 Sedan upon start up is a throaty, kinda mean burbly noise that eventually dies down to a seductive purr. Until the purr kicks in, I imagine that I'm at the starting line at Monza, perhaps, or down the road at Sebring...looking to trounce the whippersnapper next to me, When the engine warms up, I snap back to reality, back out of the garage and love EVERY INCH OF DRIVING that comes to me today. While some of you may be hearing a problematic noice, it sounds most likely to me that the noise is ideosyncratic to Nissan's wonderful engine, that you follow the maintenace schedule with a DEALER, drive your machine sensibly and enjoy.

 

I have noticed the increased rumble at cold starts, and contribute it to the immediate cold start idle being enriched along with the various electronic counter measures for pollution control. Add in the VVL and voila' you get a sound like tractor for 30 sec.
Tap the throttle or put it in gear and it changes the settings so that it disappears immediately. I believe valve overlap is increased momentarily to allow the engine to suck back in the over rich exhaust gas and increase the combustion chamber heat. Old cars with EGR valves used to make some noise when they were operational too.