Common problems with older G37s to look for when inspecting
 

I'm progressing towards buying one (yay budget from wife). I've googled and searched on here but I'm not seeing a lot of repeat issues - mostly one off problems. Maybe my google fu is broken.

Anyway, what is a good list of things to inspect prior to purchase for the G37? I know the standard car stuff, I just want to know what the common issues are. I'm looking at 2011-2013 6MT Sedans.

I did look at/drive a 2011 X Sport to get an idea of the overall dimensions/would babyseat fit/would my fatbutt fit/ etc. With that one I noticed horrible drive-end bias switching (no problem with a 6MT) and the HVAC smelled like animal pee. Brakes were a little mushy but I always upgrade those with pads/lines/better fluid and the 6MT should have the bigger brakes anyway.

Any pointers / links to the appropriate (apparently buried) threads?

thanks!

Check front passenger footwell for mildew smell/wet carpet. That would be the sunroof drain problem well-documented on this site.

The CSC (concentric slave cylinder) is distressingly fragile. Be sure clutch works well.

Check that all windows auto up and down. Two position rockers give manual/auto control. If any won't auto, the motor has to be replaced.

Some people complain about the USB port in the center console. Bring a small flash drive with less than 250 songs on it to test.

Crawl under the rear to see if the diff fluid-filled bushing has vomitted. Expensive to replace at a dealer or a pita to do yourself.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment.

Do a compression test to ensure normal engine oil pressure. The oil galley gasket failure is a $3K fix that won't show itself by any external visible means. Also, scan for any codes that might be present even if there's no check engine light on.

Thanks folks. Some of this I'll relay to the inspection mechanic - looks like I'll be traveling to find a 2012-13 sedan 6MT. Not quite a unicorn, but almost. So I'll be arranging a local inspection with a mechanic not affiliated with the seller before I make a solid offer... I don't like to pick up a car based on pictures and internet alone, but I've done it before and it worked out OK. Last time I checked the closest were in Tennessee and Pennsylvania - not exactly a short drive from SC to check it out.

Surprising that the power window motors have the controls for the auto up-down built in. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; we had a Mini Cooper (those use BMW 3-series window motors) and they shiat the bed every winter after a certain number of years.

Any problems with body control modules or the like going out and frying everything attached? Or sunroof leaks/rust? I know I'm buying an older car, and that has my wife worried. But stickshift + sedan + rear wheel drive + not-german = ... not much.

I'm not worried about entertainment electronics - I installed radios in cars and airplanes for a living at one point, I think I can handle a car especially having the factory manual. Also, in my old age, all I really want out of a car radio is bluetooth and a volume knob.

The 2012+ has a revised gasket that should, in theory, mitigate the risk of the oil valley gasket BB mentioned.

I'll second checking the rear differential fluid. If it's covered in black oil, the bushing is blown.

I'll also add that car seats fit with no problem. I've gone from two rear facing to front facing, and in a few more pounds, hopefully two boosters. Infiniti has a web site where they have test fitted car seats that work :biggthumpup:

Good luck finding your unicorn :)

Looking at the DIY whiteline bushing install thread, doesn't look much different than the mechanical gymnastics required with RX-7s, of which I am way too familiar.

Or you can just weld the whole pumpkin to the subframe and use Redline shockproof lube to damp the noise. lol.

I am with one front facing convertible seat now. Had it in our RX8 and Mini and now in the Mazda 3 and CX5. We will be switching to harness boosters within a few pounds as well. But at the current rate, that will be a year.

Thanks for the heads up (head ups?). The newbie buyer threads all seem oriented to making sure you didn't overpay or ensuring that a mechanic looks at it.

The 2012 X that I drove looked mechanically and cosmetically fine and the front interior was great. Rear had had a large dog in it for some time and was trashed - probably the reason for the $10k asking price. Only major dynamic flaws I saw when driving were the traction bias (as with almost any variable ratio AWD system) and the transmission lag (again, normal auto trans lag, but we HATES it). I can't explain the HVAC animal pee smell nor do I wish to speculate - I was never going to buy *that* car. See tons of G37s for sale, but no Sport models and less 6MT sedans. So unicorn it is.

Don’t forget the valve covers are notorious for leaks!

The clutch slave cylinder on the 6MT is notorious for failure. Supposedly the aftermarket clutch pedal assembly from RJM addresses a design flaw that contributes to the CSC problem. Either way, the RJM is a must-do mod for that car. Same for aftermarket swaybars.

I'm guessing you've done your reasearch on why the RWD Sport Package makes for a worthy sport sedan, over the appearance-only Sport Package on the AWD Sedan, so I won't bother.

Good luck. I'm coming up on my 7th year with my 6MT Sedan. Fantastic car. Perfect sweet spot (for me) of size, power, luxury, style and value. And a great platform for a daily driven hobby car.

The big brakes honestly, combined with a return to manual transmission. I'm a firm believer that if speed kills, brakes give life. I've had Hawk pads and ATE fluids in every car I've owned, including a Jeep Cherokee.

As for stick, my RX8 was a 6-speed, as was our Mini, as was my plethora of RX7s. The Mazda 3 that I got because it was cheaper than fixing the RX8 - not only auto, but the tiniest motor too. OMG its horrible. But better than walking, or paying $5k to fix the RX8 transmission when it was coming up on 180k miles on the original engine.

The seats - I'd really prefer sport seats over standard luxo-barge couch seats. As I got older I got fatter front-to-back not sideways, so I still fit in my Kirkey seat and the Mazdaspeed seat in my convertible (Recaro clone). I've had to pad the sides of the Mazda3 footwell just to brace myself since I don't really care to slow down to corner, unless I'm trailbraking to downshift. Which in an auto trans is moot.

I wonder if any of the GM race parts guys make something that would fit for the clutch slave. There's several iterations of high-power GMs that use concentric direct slaves and not side pistons/forks.

So I drove a 2013 6MT Coupe to see what the clutch was like and also see if I could cope with 2-doors since those are WAY more common.

Nope. The lack of headroom in the back, and the awkward not-really-folding forwards passenger seat mean that the booster seat my daughter uses isn't really feasible - the head protection is near the glass now, and she'll be in a seat for another 3 years.

But the transmission is pretty nice.

So this gets me up to 10 posts, and I will post a WTB in the classifieds since my wife/CFO has given me the green light (:DOMO:)

Rust spots haven't been answered yet so I'll throw it out there. From my searching previously, common rust spots are on the trunk. Water can sit on the silver accent spoiler and start there or where the trunk meets the taillights. If the stops aren't adjusted right the trunk will hit and start to rust. Saw that on alot I looked at and the spoiler issue i saw on 2

Thanks for that. I do look at trunk, door and hood closures for rubbing and rust (and the fuel door). We had that issue with our Mini and Mini fixed it under warranty - but I can't imagine the cost had we not found it early.

For what it is worth, there is a very nice / pretty blue(grey?) 2013 coupe 6MT at CarMax of Charleston, SC.

So 11 posts but it won't allow me to start a new thread in the private classifieds. Any suggestions folks?

10 post AND 10 days.

I really don't see that as a problem, though. I don't think anyone will be persuaded to sell just because you want one. Just keep checking the Classifieds, Craig's list and used car dealers. And don't confine your search to your locality. You may need to look 1,500 miles away to find your 6MT sedan.

He joined Feb-2017