Engine noise (from bank 2 VVEL actuator?)
 

Hi guys - First time poster here. I'm doing my research on the G37 before I buy. I really like the car but getting a bit freaked out with this noise issue.

My questions are:

- I assume this noise is limited to the 09 models since that's when the new valve train design was released?

- should I consider buying one of the many 08 models at the dealers to avoid this issue?

- perhaps wait till the 2010 model to see if they fixed it?

I'm pretty picky about my cars and tend to keep them for 10+ years. Something like this could drive me crazy.

thanks in advance for any feedback.

This problem began with the 08 models.

The recommendation (requirement?) by Infiniti for Ester oil at $12/qt x 5 = $60 just for oil, might make your decision for you. Check other posts on Ester and VVEL noise. Otherwise it is a nice ride, classy, and designed for hard corners and high speed (and attracts highway patrol if you like that). I have got to find a raceway to get my frustrations out on having to toe the speed limits. But, what the hey, Safety first...protect your insurance rate. I think the car will climb hills at 120mph no problem, very secure, I think. (why do i think that?)

VVEL debuted in the 2008 models.

I have the noise on mine. Not too loud but you know its there and then it bugs the crap out of you. Goes on randomly though, I've been trying to figure out what triggers it.
I'll be getting my 3rd service soon, and will have this checked under TSB. Some people said the Ester didn't really take the noise out, some said it did.

Otherwise, this car ROCKS!!

mostly the new ecu programme will fix that noise in bank2 . the ester oil will help on engine performance . on my g37s i m running castro sythetic 5w30

2 weeks since TSB was done and so far, so good. *keeping my ears open.

At 1st it was fixed, but now the noise is coming back! Not as bad as before, but still noticeable.

Mine was making the same noise..
They used ester oil and re-programed..
its been 1,500 miles so far and no noise. I'm hoping it doesn't come back as well!
Love the car tho :)

i dont think that the ester oil really solve the problems..

i got this TSB covered a few months back, and my car is at the dealer again for same problem......

i really wish my car was lemon so i can get a rid of it and get something else

finally noticed the heavy rod knocking engine noise at idle coming down from the mountains at low speed, water temp got up to 219 climbing up, probably the highest it has seen. Car has about 5K miles (manuf 10/07, purch 9/08). not a pleasant sound, must be hard on engine? By the time I got home yesterday, and again today, I did not notice. How to prove to dealer? They seem to deny everything that they do not experience fully. Is there anyone at Infinity above the Service Manager who can make the call? Seems all early (pre May,08) manufactured cars suffer all the TSB's showing up. They should just do the work early to avoid more expensive warranty damage later.

Hey guys. I'm new here. My car sounds like a diesel truck sometimes. Is that the sound you guys talking about?:confused2:

Yes, dieseling sound, but only happened the one time I mentioned above so far in 5K miles, and since then, the ECU was reprogrammed up from 70c to 86a (last digits of software part number, i believe). Just using plain dino oil so far, changed at 3K and 4.5K.

I got my G37 in August 2008 and noticed this "deseiling" sound about 5K miles into it, along with a hard to handle idle behavior after the engine was raced around Chicago. I was one of the first in Chicago to get the car. I took it to the dealer and he could not replicate the condition ("diesel" sounding idle, jumpy idle, etc). It's now Oct 2009 (about 30K miles on it) and the car makes the sound ALL THE TIME during idle or low rpm. Happens even as soon as I turn it on in the morning, has nothing to do with temp or other environmental conditions anymore. The sound goes away above 2K RPM, or maybe I'm just not noticing it above a certain rev range. The sound is killing my impression of the car (which I love otherwise).

I will take it to yet another dealer and see if the can reprogram the ECU to fix the VVEL problem and maybe this Ester stuff will help. I've tried conventional 5W-30 and just switched to Synthetic (Penzzoil) thinking that might help but it didn't at all. Hopefully this will be the fix. Thanks.

Trying to be constructive here without starting an "Oil War", but have read about
VVEL issues, noise, valve train, throttle lag, TSBs, oil, overheating, limp mode
etc etc etc until my "eyes blead".......the common link here is OIL and what
really lubricates the new VVEL system well. The only folks I've read of who have
gotten a long term fix to these problems are using the Nissan Ester, Redline, or Motul oil.

No doubts in my mind after many hours of reading and researching....the VVEL really likes
Ester in it. If you're dieseling or very noisy, your actuator/motor and or
sensor may already be damaged from poor lubrication.

This paper presents a hybrid test-numerical modeling approach aimed at simulating the noise reduction that can be achieved combining passive and active noise control strategies on a real industrial test case. The study focuses on a train engine compartment, where a noise encapsulation is designed to attenuate engine noise radiation, with special concern to train pass-by events
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