Hey everyone. I'm so new here I haven't received my car yet! LOL

So anyways, here it is still waiting to be towed to me.

It's a 2009 G37S with a third pedal. I'm looking forward to taking her for a spin!

 

Nice find as 6MTs are tough to come by in decent shape. How many miles/owners?

 

Just over 124k miles. There's a few minor things I want to get done as soon as I get it. The starter was slow to start when I test drove it. I'm also thinking about just doing the gallery gaskets fix, but not sure about that. I think overall I got it at a really good price

 

Probably the battery. As for the gaskets... unless you have the tools and experience for a DIY, might be best to let sleeping dogs lie.

First year Vert with a 6MT. Nice.

 

I'd recommend a Blackstone Oil Analysis as well. If you can do the galley gasket work yourself and replace alot of the other parts that have 124K miles on them (water pump, tensioners, chains, guides, belts, hoses, radiator, etc.) that are difficult to access otherwise, I'd recommend doing the work as the VQ37VHR will go to 300K with basic maintenance. But that's how I operate and I don't expect everyone to share in my OCD. Even if you use an independent, 95% of the cost of this job is labor so finding one that will allow you to provide the OEM parts could be another path (my shop allows me to do this because they know I do research and buy quality parts).

Z1 has most of the OEM parts available as kits: ex. https://www.z1motorsports.com/camsha...t-p-12470.html

Throw a new heater hose coupler in there and purge/install new grommets for the sunroof drains and you will likely have zero issues to worry about moving forward.

 

Thanks. I don't have the skillset to do the gallery gaskets myself. I was thinking about the water pump as well, but ask Socketz said, the tensioners may not be a bad option to add into that while they are in there. I'll check out the battery when i get it. Hopefully it'll be early next week for me

 

There's your answer then. This job can run anywhere between $1500 and $3000, depending on the shop. Don't go looking for expensive solutions to something that isn't a problem yet. Easy advice to give, regardless whether I follow it or not myself, LOL.

The first 6MT G37 that I ever drove was a friend's 2010 Vert. He let me borrow it for a few days back when it was new, which was an amazing opportunity. Sure was a heavy car, but the short gears made up for it, and the top was transformer magic. Very cool.

 

To echo the solid advice above... do not go looking for a solution to a problem that may never exist. The gasket issue does not affect EVERY pre-2012 engine. There are many still on the road running solid with zero issues (my 2008 w/ 122k miles included (**knocks on wood**)). If, and I stress IF, you encounter limp mode or have codes pop up then you can look at problems and solutions.

I would, instead, focus on the basic maintenance and other preventive measures.

1) Fluids, filters (including cabin AND, if you have the Heated/ Cooled seats, their filters as well) to start with. Belt, hoses, spark plugs and other maintenance items probably need to be addressed and can be easily done on a DIY level with the most basic tools.

2) The passenger-side heater hose coupling is a known failure for these cars. I would look into replacing that with a metal one ASAP (assuming it has not been done already). It is proven that when these couplings fail it is ALWAYS at the wrong place and time.

3) While the 'Vert is immune from the infamous "Sunroof Drain" issue, water can still leak into the passenger-side cabin. Rare, but it has happened especially when the cowl seals fail. When you replace the cabin air filter look for signs of water ingress.

4) Clean and lubricate ALL of your rubber seals. I have used Shin Etsu silicone on all of my cars for the past 25-years or so and highly recommend same. However, find whatever suits you. Place the roof into "Service Mode" as this will allow you to access the seals on the roof panels easier. BMW strongly urges owners NOT to lubricate the roof mechanism (using WD-40 or the like) on any of the moving parts/ joints. While Infiniti never says one way or the other, the RHT was designed by the same company that developed BMW's RHT's, therefore, what is good for one should be good for the other, IMO.

There is tons of useful info on the forum that can help you every step of the way. Welcome to the forum.

 

Great stuff there! Thanks! I'll look into that heater hose coupler (found a thread on here about it). Is there a particular type of anti freeze I should be aware of? I came from a Jeep and a lot of people said to be careful not to mix anti freeze types as they could coagulate and gum up stuff in the engine.

I've been wondering how to lube up the top, so I'll have to find out how to put it in service mode

Thanks again

 

When it comes to opinions on types/ brands of fluids people recommend, you will get 100 different answers from 100 different people. Personally, I use Nissan's "Long Life" (aka 'blue') coolant. As long as you stick with name brands specifically formulated for "Asian" (Nissan) systems you should be fine.

A side note re: cooling system. These engines can be tricky and get finicky if air is not completely bled, or "burped" when coolant is added. A "spill proof" funnel can make this task much more easier. Something to consider.

The key to longevity with these cars/ engines is maintenance. Stay on top of those items and your car should be good to go for the long haul.

To be clear, I am suggesting you lubricate the RUBBER SEALS, NOT any of the pivot points or bearings on the moving parts. This thread has some information, including additional links (BMW E93 RHT maint.), that explains how to address some RHT maintenance items.

"Service Mode" just means that you stop the opening cycle at the midway point. I have the "mods4cars" module that handles all of that automatically but it is still super easy to access.However, page 3 of the attached pdf shows at what point in the sequence to stop the roof (just exercise caution while the roof panels are in this position- while they won't "slam" down, they can slowly "creep."

Hope some of this helps.

 

I finally got the car yesterday. I had to rent a car, drive up to VA Beach, and drive it back. I was a little worried, but after a while I was feeling pretty good about the car. I do worry that the starter feels like it's bogging down, but it's also been starting a little better each start. I had the battery, starter and alternator checked and the guys at Advance Auto said everything was good when they scanned it.

- I filled it up with 89 octane gas. Didn't think it was a big deal, but now reading that it wasn't the smartest thing to do. Octane boost should be okay to fix that, right?
- The front bumper is looking like some retainers are broke missing where the headlights are. Is there a good resource to get those? I see Amazon has some options. The pics may help
- Going to do the radiator flush soon along with replacing the plastic coupler. Going with the Peak Blue. I'll check out the oil to see if it looks good or needs changing.
EDIT - I looked down there and it looks like the coupler was replaced, but not with the original coupler nor an aluminum one. I think I'm going to replace it anyways

Driver Side

Passenger side

 

I wouldn’t sweat 89 octane. The knock sensors will retard the timing. Our cars were factory tuned for 91 octane.

As for the heater hose coupler, take a picture and post here. If the previous owner replaced with OEM, that will last another 10 years. Also, check the coolant with one of those test strip kits off amazon. The one I have can test brake fluid as well. As the others said, don’t look for problems that don’t exist. The car as a whole is ultra reliable.

 

There you go.

 

Are you sure that is the heater hose/ connection? Looks too small in diameter. That almost looks like one of the EVAP hoses- hard to discern in the photo.
Most of the trim and body panels are held in place by those "push clips" and I guarantee more than half are either broken or will break the moment you touch them. Nissan p/n:01553-09321. You can find any number of equivalent clips on eBay or Amazon.
Big "IF." I would politely disagree here and say replace the hose coupling, period. These pieces have a proven history of failure and 99% of the time do so without warning. You do not know the history of this car at all so why take that risk on a known achilles heel? This is one of those "ounce of prevention" deals rather than looking for non-existent problems.

As I said before, you do not know the history of this car at all. Yes, they are highly reliable but it is a 16-year-old after all. Change ALL of the fluids, get new wiper refills, do all of the maintenance items that the car may or may not have had performed reliably in the past. If nothing else, this will give you a blank slate/ baseline for future maintenance schedules.

 

@pinecone I see we missed the ask about clips.

Buy a bag of these:
I am on my second bag as you would be surprised how many of these clips harden over the years and fall off; others just sorta break and are just sitting in the hole, not really securing anything. Check inside the wheel wells also since those are typically missing..