Hi all -

I lurk a lot, but don't do a lot of mods nor can I do my own servicing, so I just follow along :-) I'm finally going to buy an oil pan spacer and a plenum spacer tho. It's not my daily, just a weekend out of town road car.

Here we go... 2005 Coupe, 98,000 miles. At first the key fob stopped working in hot weather. That's still a problem. Now the inside lock/unlock button on the driver's door will not engage the locks at all.

What am I dealing with please? Actuators ?

Thanks

 

If the passenger side button still works then it could be the buttons in your door, or it could be the WIRING in the door (usually where the flexible loom section is where the door harness connects to the chassis).

If you have the normal non-push start fob you can buy another one at Autozone or whoever else carries the DORMAN brand. They look/feel identical to the OEM Nissan ones but it won't have the Infiniti logo on the back. You can program it yourself, it's simple, once you get that door lock button working (you need that button to work for the programming steps).

https://cdn.z1motorsports.com/upload...ng%20Guide.pdf

If you do have the intelligent key push start system it requires dealership programming.

 

First of all -

THANK YOU for continuing to be an ongoing resource for all thing G35. We are all indebted to you in some way or another. So thank you...

let me outline what's up...

Vehicle in garage - Fob works on all doors. No problems.
G stays outside parked for a while, usually in the Texas sun... Fob stops working, definitely on driver's door, haven't checked passenger ( this problem is 2 years old). You hear the clicking, but the doors don't unlock.

Vehicle in garage with driver door swung open and passenger locked, door switch doesn't unlock passenger door.
Sitting in vehicle door switch does not lock or unlock driver or passenger doors whatsoever

also, related or not.... if I leave the vehicle unlocked sometimes for maybe 30 minutes or more and them come back and open, the alarm goes off. But this never happens in my garage.

I'm tempted to use the key for EVERYTHING, but I'm worried that will somehow make the overall scenario worse..

Swear to god, I love driving this car but this little BS almost always makes me want to sell it. I just don't know why my 2002 4Runner with 283,000 miles doesn't have any of these issues yet this occasional tempremental POS is always acting up...

Thanks as usual..

 

That actually sounds like two separate issues. The door lock actuator is probably getting worn out and the extra heat from sitting in the sun is causing it to strike very lightly, enough to make that clicking sound as it TRIES to operate the latching mechanism but not enough to actually pull it open/closed.

The issues that exist only when the door is open DEFINITELY sounds like broken/damaged wires in the door flexible section. There's a little rubber accordion looking boot where the door and chassis meet right by the hinges. The wires in that section flex every single time that door opens and over time bending the wires back and forth eventually breaks them, definitely not uncommon on these cars but it's actually an easy fix. I would talk to a local reputable stereo shop about fixing it, they're usually a LITTLE less expensive than going to a mechanic, they're already very familiar with taking door panels off, pulling wire, soldering wire, etc.

You can troubleshoot some of this yourself usually. While the door is open hold the door lock switch while you use your other hand to wiggle that flexible loom around to see if the wires make contact again.

EDIT: If the fob still works in SOME conditions then it's probably not the issue.

 

Also, just to verify it's not from WATER getting in the car when it's sitting outside you should check your driver side carpet periodically while it's sitting outside. If the sunroof drains are getting clogged it can leak water only the BCM which is located behind the plastic kick panel in the left seat kick panel next to the Fuse Block - J/B.

 

My driver door usually faces the sun when Im parked. On hot days, the actuator would get weak enough where it wouldnt unlock the door anymore.

 

Would the key work, or you'd just sit in the parking lot with a Arizona Iced Tea and a bag of chips waiting for it to cool down ?

 

Lol yeah I could still unlock the door with the key. I dont have a key FOB though. Just a regular old key I put in and turn.

 

The key should always work since it's mechanically actuating the linkage.

 

Thanks to both of you for the help.
It's still very random and inconsistent, but I'm pretty sure the driver's actuator is bad. I'm going to wait though till the window regulator goes, then I'll just do both.

Thanks again, most appreciated..

 

It might just need some white lithium grease sprayed into the moving parts, when you manually work the lock from the inside (i.e. not the door switch) does it feel nice and smooth on both doors? If one feels stiff or gritty it's probably a linkage issue and white lithium spray usually fixes things like that.

Plus these door cards and inner panels are super easy to remove so it's not a difficult thing to reach with the spray.

 

They seem smooth but require a a little effort. The car wasn't used much, sat in a garage in Dallas for a while so maybe that ? Yeah....I have a can of Blaster Silicone..I'll try that this weekend... my white lithium is in tubes for the drum parts..

 

Silicone would be fine too, it just wouldn't last as long as the white lithium if it DOES fix the issue.

 

Coil in the actuator is old and tired, or mechanical has too much friction. I have the exact same problem on my Audi right now.

Next time it doesn't unlock, try thumping the door near the handle and see if it lets you open the car.

That's my fix for now.

If I were to try to clean the up, in hopes of not having to replace it, I would use WD40 or a degreaser to clean it up, then use a proper lube, after I degunked it....
maybe try a electrical cleaner first.

Timing belt and cooling system hoses and seals are my priority this Summer.

 

Priority for your 2003 G35 or your Audi ?

Thanks for the suggestion...