Hello everyone, I have a 2008 G35xs 5AT with 112,000km. It has a barrage of repairs that need addressing and I am seeking some guidance on how to fix it in the cheapest possible way with quality parts or similar to OEM.

I am looking for a second opinion vs Infiniti as they quoted me a $4000 CAD bill which I know dealership quotes are always more vs independent shops. If anyone from the Calgary area on the forums can direct me to a fair priced and sincere mechanic that would be greatly appreciated.

My biggest issue is the steering rack and the car feels tough when I try to turn but not so tough that it seems impossible. Now I have been looking for steering racks online and a mechanic who can install it (no luck). Only thing I cant figure is which steering rack is best? I have checked rockauto and there are few different brands and I have no idea which one to get.

It drives very funny, throttle response jolts in half way into the accelerator.
When the traction kicks in on ice the headlights lose power, I dont know if that has anything to do with grounding/wiring of the car? (Have decided to add a grounding kit also)

So far I have changed the spark plugs. The owner before me had 19" TSW rims on it with summer tires but after i changed to OEM sport 18" wheels with winters on, I felt the steering was much lighter and the TSW rims are crap as they most likely were the reason for the steering rack going bad.

There is a clunk in the rear on very low speeds but not on high speeds. Cant figure out what it is. Rattles in the driver side door also under the door buttons dont know what it is but its very annoying when music is playing.

I have attached a picture of Royal Oak Infiniti's inspection report below. Certain things on the list, I can do myself with a little guidance. Not good with electrical so will not install the grounding kit myself.


Any help will be Greatly appreciated,


Thank you.

 

Wheels and tires won't damage the steering rack.

You have a ten-year old car. Things wear out.

 

YOu could probably start with the power steering fluid fluid exchange and bleeding it out, its super easy and cheap and doesn't really require any tools (except maybe a turkey baster) will probably have a significant effect on the steering issues you're having...this is an excellent DIY by a member on here
If you still feel the rack's leak is significant enough to change the whole rack (sometimes its a super slow leak and you can get by with a fluid change for quite a while) get a rebuilt rack from Rock auto....after core exchange its not too bad, as they are all rebuilds I'm not sure it matters which brand you get as long as its guaranteed (most have a lifetime warranty as long as you own the car) as the rebuild process varies wildly... but I've used ACDelco and A-1 Cardone remanufactured brake parts without issues, YMMV ....compatibility is listed on the site...and don't forget to use a 5% off coupon...


You could probably change the upper rad hose yourself too..or take it to any competant mechanic...its about a 20 minute job and hose is only about $20.00 from the dealership...for $176.00 if they empty the coolant and do a complete refill its not horrible, buts its insane for just changing the hose..

Hope that helps...

 

Yes the upper radiator hose I will change my self. So an independent mechanic can tell me how severe is the steering rack issue? Because most just want to make money. I haven't been able to find any leaks my self, no spots in my garage of oil what so ever but Infiniti is saying I need to replace it.

The rear clunk at low speeds, you think its rear axle seals?

 

Yes and Intend to fix those things. But need some guidance. For example the clunk, I have no clue what it is and the dealership stated its rear axle seals and want 350 CAD for it.

 

If you're able to get pictures of your steering rack post them up here so people can see how bad the leak is. If you want a second opinion on whether an alignment is needed most places will check them for free. There's a good chance you won't need to replace the steering rack though, many people on here have ones with slight leaks. Don't have them resurface the rotors, could just be buildup on the rotors. Find a quiet area and do a couple hard slow downs from ~65km/h down to about ~10km/h. Do 3-4 of these in a row and then don't come to a complete stop until the brakes have had a chance to cool down for a little bit. I really don't think the clunk would be related to axle seals, possibly sway bar?

 

At this point I am thinking sway bar or maybe rear shock/strut? I will have the car lifted , so I can take some snaps this week. Damn snow wont stop in Alberta though.

 

i think this is really good advice for the OP, if hes not seeing a puddle, he probably just needs a fluid change/bleed after 112k kms...not a whole steering rack...

it could be that at your mileage your swaybar bushings need to be greased...this is common on many cars not just the G, from my own experience, if this is the issue save yourself the time and headache and use high quality grease the first time and it won't come back for a long time otherwise it may com back soon...probably wont hurt to change the swaybar bushings too...they are super cheap on rockauto and not unreasonable locally at NAPA and partsource too

Also it could be an end link too, the description of the clunk is a little vague, a sound clip of the clunk might make it easier for others to give input..

if the axle seals are leaking it should be easy to capture in a picture too...

 

I don't know what area of town you're in, but if you're looking for a second opinion Balance Auto Garage or Minute Muffler on 32nd ave NE are very well reviewed. I'm actually in Cancun right now and coming back Monday. When I left it was supposed to be nice all week and I was excited to come back to most of the snow being gone. Sadly that doesn't seem to be the case from some of the pictures I've seen.

 

the shop is charging a lot for things other shops dont charge that much for. ie rad hose, alignment, balance tires. those 3 things are over priced i would assume the other things are way over priced as well

 

These prices are in CAD. Take off 25% from everything. Prices are normal for a dealership here. Probably another 15% less at an independent.

 

Damn cad sucks

 

OP - i'm in western CAD as well. you are right to obtain a 2nd opinion to provide backup to the dealer's quotes. many of those quotes seem way high.

i do some items DIY, take my car to a trusted independent for other items, or use the dealer when they have service promotions that bring their prices in line (or close to it) with independents. i used the dealer a bit more when i still had warranty coverage since i'd toss them a small job while the car was in for warranty work.

looking at the list, here are my thoughts:

- 4-wheel alignment: my dealer charges $99.95. most independents are ~$80-$100. you do not need a dealer for this.
- steering rack: not sure about this, sounds like a bigger, less common job. it would be worth checking with suspension/steering specialist shops, as well as another dealer as a reference. something like this may be best left to an OEM dealer, i'm not sure.
- rad hose: as discussed above, this is routine and is either DIY or independent. you do not need to pay dealer overheads for this. $50 job tops (not including coolant flush/fill).
- rock chip: go see a windshield shop. they'll likely do it for free. i've yet to pay for a simple chip fix.
- power steering fluid: simple DIY, $20 in OE fluids and a syringe kit for the 'turkey baster' method. i did it, easy-peazy. not $140 job.
- tire balance: $100 at the dealer? no thanks. either go independent or wait for a promo at your dealer. my dealer charges $59.95 for rotation/balance/brake inspection.
- axle seals: not sure about this, similar to steering rack for my advice.
- spark plugs: due at 105k miles. not sure about price, but check at other dealers as well as Nissan dealers. can be DIY but depends on your comfort level.
- rotor resurface: again, routine job for brake specialists. ask around for 2nd opinions. most dealers actually sub this work out to an independent so the cost is even higher than it should be. the independent i used to use charged $30-$50/rotor depending on a few factors.


also, ask about a parts & labour discount at your dealer as part of a 'preferred owners' program. all dealers in my area offer something like this for out-of-warranty cars. my local dealer offers 15% off for parts & labour. this will help for any items you determine must be done at the dealer.

 

so i guess service prices arent much different than what we pay in the states. and op just got an extremely high quote

 

I would have crumpled that up and threw it in his face and laughed. that is ridiculous. Whats the car worth? 5K? but yeah, lets put in $4,100 into it, that way after that it will be worth....5K. They love doing this to people that don't know better. Put something crazy expensive on there to make the rest of it look reasonable.

I like getting estimates like this. NOTHING inspires me more than outrageous estimates to buy some tools, do some research and then do it myself. That radiator hose should give you a big clue what kind of crooks they are. It's $8 and there are few parts in the car that are easier to get to and get off. But they want $176. Thieves, pure and simple.

For not too much more you can get NEW rotors too btw.

You can do most of this stuff yourself, and save thousands.