First of all, kudos to all the posters who have contributed to the various threads on the dreaded HVAC/stereo issues. I've read a lot of that material, and much of it may prove useful for me, but I haven't seen my specific questions addressed, so I hope I'll be forgiven for starting one more thread on the topic, and apologies if I have missed these answers elsewhere.

My newly-acquired 03 sedan has the basic (non-Bose) stereo, no steering wheel stereo controls, and regular (not dual) climate controls. According to Infiniti, it had the finishing board TSB done back when it was first issued.

The AC works, and whatever I do, I don't want to screw that up.

The CD player doesn't work; I'm fine with that.

The radio usually works, and I can run my mp3 player through either the tape deck with an adapter or through the radio via FM transmitter.

The only problem I have is one I've seen cited by others: periodically, the radio/tape deck stops working; lights stay on, but no sound gets produced and the tape deck loses power (i.e., I can't eject the adapter).

It's often possible to fix this by opening the compartment on top (where the nav unit would be) and closing it with a sharp "snap"; otherwise, I have to wait till I turn the car off and restart, which usually restores it, though sometimes it takes a couple of tries. This can happen several times in a day, or I can go for a week without it happening at all.

So my questions:

1. Has anyone ever solved this one specific "loss of power" issue by any means other than the complete replacement of the stereo/HVAC control unit?

2. Does the fact that I don't have steering wheel stereo controls, or dual climate control, mean that it would be any easier/cheaper to replace my unit?

3. Would having the existing unit repaired likely save me any money/hassle versus having it replaced? I do live near a few shops that say they have experience dealing with the g35 stereo problems, but I really don't care about fixing the CD player or "upgrading" to a new stereo; I just want it not to keep cutting out.

Thanks in advance.

 

Problems fixed by percussive maintenance are usually caused by problems with the ribbon cable. Check this thread for that problem: https://g35driver.com/forums/audio-v...e-diy-fix.html

By no steering wheel controls, are you referring to the fact they don't work, or that you have an early '03 model that didn't come with the option? No steering wheel controls option means you don't spend $40 on the steering wheel adapter, otherwise it's no different.

 

Thanks-- I had seen that thread, but since it seemed to be talking specifically about CD skipping problems on the Bose unit, I wasn't sure if it would be applicable to my problem.

And, yes, I do have a very early 03 (shipped to dealer 4/02), with no stereo controls on the steering wheel.

Thanks.