I am the proud owner of a CPO '09 G37x in Liquid Platinum (non-nav version). The car has 11,000 miles to date; love driving it so far and have not noticed any of the trans issues, especially since the bulk of my driving is stop and go. And this morning I observed that the fuel economy wasn't as bad as I was expecting. But reading up on this forum about how people take care of leased cars got me feeling a little bummed.

But sticking to happy thoughts ...

Some questions, hoping folks on this forum could help out.

1. I wanted to know if I must get the car washed outside (not self wash) what are my options? I have a little kid at home and just don't have the time to hand wash (even though the Optimum no-wash rinse looks interesting). Should I look for something specific when pulling into the car wash?

2. Thinking of tints. Read on this forum about ceramic tints. Any recommendations for places that are reasonable and will do a good job? Somewhere close to Brooklyn? Although don't mind driving a little further out to ensure the job is done well.

3. Has anyone successfully installed a back up sonar (sensor) without any issues? We have 5 yrs of bumper to bumper warranty on the car so we don't want to void it. The dealership advised us against it, but seems like there are some good shops who also have insurance that do this type of thing. Any thoughts?

4. What about remote start? Our previous car didn't have it and I always wanted it in my next car. However, I am now wondering if it is indeed life changing. Also is this something we should get installed through the dealer? We were quoted $699 plus tax. That seems high to me.

5. I use my phone as my GPS (Android nav) and would love some recommendations for a good mount. The one we have right now is something we bought on ebay - however it rattles like crazy, not to mention it just looks cheap in my nice car.

Thanks all. Happy to be part of the G37 fan club.

 

Welcome to the forum.

All those questions you have asked can be answered by doing a search on the forum for your specific question.

Good luck

P.s. please don't take your G through a car wash....wash it by hand. It only takes 10 minutes to was and dry it.

 

I live in an apartment building. Not exactly easy to haul water downstairs and wash the car on the street. What are your tips for washing the car in 10 mins?

 

1) when taking it through a carwash get the "no touch" wash, (none of those spinning brush looking things). Yes it's best to wash by hand but I understand your situation.

You could always take it to a self serve wash with the stalls you can park in and they have the spray hoses, bring your own wash mit and soap and drying towels. Should take about 30 mins to do a thorough job with washing the rims/tires and cleaning the glass.

2) Ceramic tint should be fine, try the regional forums section at the bottom to ask for a good tint shop, either that or check out reviews on yelp/google.

3) Wouldn't be that difficult, just drilling the holes and running the wires:
you'd need both of these:
Amazon.com: Audiovox PSD100 Digital Front or Rear 2 Sensor Upgradable System with Learning Capability: Car Electronics

http://www.amazon.com/Audiovox-PSD20...4760282&sr=8-3

Could even add some sensors up front if you bought 2 of each.

4) remote start get a viper or something of that sort for a lot less and have an added alarm capability if it's something you really want.

 

^ +1 on the car wash thoughts. if at all possible, hand wash with good car shampoo and proper mitts (as well as 2 buckets).

if that is completely out of the question, then wand wash or touchless machine washes are distant alternatives. just don't count on your wax lasting very long.

a better solution may be to spread out your hand washes if you don't have time on a ~weekly basis. say you do a hand wash every 2-3 weeks, and in between you stop at the wand wash for a quick rinse (no soap)? that would probably work pretty well and keep your G looking "fresh".

btw - welcome!

 

there are plenty of places out where i live who will do a hand wash for $15.

 

If you get a $15 hand wash, you'll end up with swirl marks like crazy. Those places hire people who have no idea how to take care of a car's finish. They wash and dry with sponges and terry towels that have been used on other cars dropped on the ground, etc. They'll scrub your paint as hard as they can, too.

Check out yelp or other car forums local to your area to find a well recommended place. Otherwise, it's better to use ONR yourself or just leave it dirty. A cheap car wash just isn't worth the swirl marks and scratches.

 

Sorry, I have to disagree. The search function is terrible and often leads to limited/conflicting information. Searching google for the specific questions might work better though.

Besides, if everyone just searched for answers in old threads, new info might not be posted by new people. Even if that means old topics are repeated.

 

All that said, congrats on the purchase! Drive it and enjoy it in good health.

 

The optimum no rinse wash works...I've used it on my car. I haven't used it in a while since I installed a hot water line through the garage so I can wash all winter, but it's still not fun washing the car outdoors at 40F.

 

Thanks all. It was too stressful to decide on a car wash today so I am going to leave the car dirty and attempt to wash it myself this weekend. I will order the ONR wash. It seemed too good to be true, but seems like it works. In the winter we might have to bite the bullet and go through automatic. Although I will tell the guys not to wipe the car or take my own cloths. I'd rather let it self dry.

 

Also, I agree with blackhawksfan81. It was too hard to search the threads, information that I needed was not in one place.

To start with, going to get the car tinted this weekend and buy the OEM all weather mats! Then figure out the rest slowly.

 

• Bring your car wash solution, bucket and microfiber mitt to the car wash.
• Put the wand on "soap" (or soak) and hose the car down.
• Put solution in the bucket, and fill it from the wand.
• Go over the whole car (quickly, people are waiting) with the mitt.
• Put the wand on "rinse" and get your chamois wet.
• Rinse the car off.
• Put the bucket and the mitt in the trunk, drive out of the bay and park the car.
• Chamois dry the car before driving off.

If you're quick, you can do this in one cycle. If not, two cycles, or an extra couple of minutes on the meter... which is wholly acceptable etiquette for drive-in bays. Either way: 10 minutes.

Is it a perfect wash? No. Of course not. But good enough for your situation. Obviously, the more you do it, the more efficient you'll get. It's all a whole lot easier if the car is properly waxed. Chamois drying an un-waxed car is pretty much pointless.

 

Yes, i know. But that's still better than a machine wash


The place i take my car to charges $25 for a handwash. It's a high end detail shop (tons of Astons and Porsches everytime i show up). They do an excellent job, use all Griot's products from soap down to the towels. One time the guy even found a *tiny* swirl mark in the paint (and i don't even think it was his fault) and they rolled it into their detail garage and buffed it out for free.

 

A friend of mine owns a bunch of car washes up my way and he's actually sold all of his "touchless" units because of the damage they cause and the liability he felt he was opening himself up to. He says in order to be touchless, they've got to use much stronger soaps/chemicals and over time, they kill the finish on cars. He says the best thing to do is find a good car wash that uses high-quality washers and cleans the equipment regularly.

On a side note, the suggestion to bring your own bucket/supplies to a self-service bay is spot-on. If you can't wash at home, that's your best option by far.