Hi All,

I picked up a black high mileage 03 sedan which needs a little TLC, and would appreciate some insight into the following:
Btw, I've already been using the search button and have resolved some things, but still have some more questions

1) I have an oil leak which after looking into things 'might' be the oil cooler seal. I've read there are 2 that can be purchased - black and orange. I would like to confirm the orange seal is the correct one?
2) CD player gives "check disc" error. could be laser shot or laser misaligned, has anyone recovered from this error? other posts speak to the other error, which impacts the hvac controls
3) My rear window defrost does not work - button does not light up, all others are fine. From another post, I've checked the the fuses and the 3 big relays (swapped them around) in the area behind the battery. Not sure where i can access the pins that connect to the defrost grid to check for current, is it behind the rear pillar?
4) Suspension feels very stiff, as i can feel all the bumps in the road. Is there something I should specifically look at? Struts don't appear to have any leaks
5) when i start the car or drive up to 20km/hr the cooling fans seem fully engaged and very loud (like i'm driving a 1 ton). From my reading, these are mechanical fans, and i'm checking the clutch unit; however, how easy should i be able to spin the fan with the car off?
6) People speak about the mid-year change in 2003, other than the lack of pull handle on the truck, how else can i tell the version I have (just in case the trunk lid was replaced)?

The car is blast to drive, after driving my old f150 as my daily for the past few years, this is a refreshing change.

cheers!

 

1. Get an inspection mirror and flashlight so you can watch EXACTLY where the oil is coming out from.
2. Probably a failed optical drive.
3. See attached snipped about rear window defroster.
4. Start by trying to identify which springs are on the vehicle, remove the wheels and look for identification marks, Nissan springs have large colored dots painted on them, I suspect you have aftermarket springs.
5. Go down to a parts house that has a new fan clutch in stock and spin that one by hand, compare to the one on your COLD vehicle. When the vehicle is HOT the clutch should be even stiffer which makes the fan slip less/spin more.
6. Easiest way to see if you actually do have an early '03 is to check the shape of the ECM connector, see attached snippets.

I also VERY STRONGLY RECOMMEND you go to the Nicoclub FSM website and download each file for the Factory Service Manual (FSM), it will likely be taken down soon due to NNA filing legal action against them for posting it, it's a VERY valuable reference on how to fix anything on your vehicle and the 2003 year FSM's are still posted which is likely an oversight and will disappear any day now.

http://nicoclub.com/archives/infinit...e-manuals.html

 

Thank you very much for the info!
I went out and checked the fuses again based on the diagram, and all visually looked fine. I'm hoping its not the hvac unit, but everything else on it works - although i did notice the amp to the speakers have cut out randomly today...
From the diagram I think the hvac button is what allows the ground, and from there the circuit is complete and sent the rear window (grounded at the frame). So if I metered the defogger unit at the back i wouldn't get any power.
I think the diagram shows the middle large relay is the used in the defrost system - which i swapped with no luck.

I can also add the 3rd brake light to the list of things to look into

 

I had issues with third brake light failing in cold weather after driving for a while. My theory was that once things warmed up, a connection was being broken due to expansion. I disassembled the unit and connections, put it back together with multiple plug/unplugs to clean connections, and haven't had the issue since. There are many reports though of failing LED boards. You can still get this aftermarket improvement here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/22267516653...m=222675166535

Much cheaper than OEM replacement. I have one in reserve for the day mine fails.

 

Hold your finger on the relay while someone else operates the button, you should feel it CLICK as the relay snaps shut. If you do feel something then it's probably a wiring issue going back to the defroster element, if you don't feel it click then either the relay is bad (definitely a component that wears out) or it's not getting power through some other part of the control circuit.

 

Thanks for the link - tho its still pricey, can't imagine OEM cost...
I managed to get it out (without removing rear deck or drilling). brought it inside and hooked it up to 12v - one of the diodes are weak and very dim, and maybe cause inconsistent voltage across all.
I would take it all apart, but it looks to be attached to the plastic housing, so i didn't want to risk breaking it.

I might go with the one you suggested or try and hit up a wrecker one of these days.
Thanks!

 

That's a good idea. I did swap the relay with another in the same row - no luck.
I feel like i need to meter the HVAC controls and confirm power is coming in at that pin for the defogger button.

 

ok going to tackle the oil cooler o-ring and do an oil change.
Was thinking of using 5-30 mobile1 - but cant confirm its had synthetic before - worth doing, has 285k kms?

Also i'm getting conflicting info on the part number of the o-ring on the 2003 g35 - can anyone confirm this is the correct part 21304-JA11A? So sites are referencing W0133-1840120...
I called nissan, and said they can't provide infiniti parts list...called infiniti and got the above, but none in stock. Called nissan back with part and they have it in stock.

Cheers

 

Synthetic is always worth switching to IMO. Other than the higher initial cost, there is no downside. Better lubrication, lasts twice as long (make it more cost effective), doesn't cause older engines to leak like some say.

 

I did the oil cooler o-ring on my 03 sedan not too long ago and ran into the same confusion about part numbers and the o-ring color/size. After some trial and error, I finally figured out how to get the right one and why they differ. I'll copy and paste my reply in the DIY thread for this fix below.

"In regards to the confusion about the O-ring part numbers and some OEM ones not fitting - the actual part number for the older style (smaller and orange colored) O-rings is B1304-43U00. This part has been superseded by the 21304-JA11A which is black and too big to make a good seal on the older G's. The new part automatically gets ordered when you go ask for the oil cooler O-ring at the dealership, so you'd need to specify this outdated part number.

The Fel-Pro replacement on rockauto (same as the amazon link a few posts above) is the only aftermarker one I've found that fits for those with the older and smaller O-rings.

For reference - I have an 03 sedan and got stuck ordering multiple replacements (both OEM and aftermarket) before realizing that this was the case."

In summary: you need that exact older part number I mentioned above if you go OEM (unsure if it is even possible to order through a dealership), or if you go aftermarket (I did and had no issues) get the Fel-Pro one from Rockauto/Amazon.

For what it's worth, I also replaced my third brake light with a Chinese one from Amazon. For less than a hundred bucks I've gotten over a year with it still working fine!

Quick Edit: I realized that you didn't know which O-ring you have. If you know your VIN, you can go to parts.infinitiusa.com to look up parts diagrams with numbers specific to your vehicle! I usually do that to get the OEM numbers for stuff I need, and then order those number through a direct parts sale website instead of paying local dealer markups.

 

Thanks for the responses folks!

@Scottwax - i went with basic oil this time, until i have the leaks contained. I think my next change will be with mobile1, as its only 10$ more (when on sale) and to your point you get further range per change.

So i went to nissan (infiniti wanted 5$ more for the same part) and got 21304-JA11A - as you mentioned is the replacement.
The ring is thicker and slightly larger in diameter, however with the cooler flipped around i was able to get it properly and symmetrically seated - took a little bit of playing with.
Original one was orange and new is black.

It appears the oil cooler leak stopped, as i don't see dripping with the car running...but..i still have a slow leak when the car is off.
I'll have to get under there and take another look, might be the oil pan gasket.
Interesting thing, there seems to be a (make shift?) oil heater attached with metal straps to the bottom of the pan. Basically looks like a heating element attached to the bottom, lol.
I'm in Canada, so there should be some kind of heating application, usually a block heater, I've never see this type before.

Went to the wrecker yesterday found 2 G's and the 3rd brake lights are also shot.
I'm considering altering my broken one to remove the troubled LED, bypassing it so the others will function.

 

Glad you got it to fit! The black one I got from the dealer was actually thinner than the original orange and I had no luck getting a good fit. Luckily I had bought a few different kinds because I was unsure about it too, so I went with the Fel-Pro because that seemed the most similar. If you can't pinpoint the source of the slow leak, it might be worth getting the orange one and replacing it again during your next oil change to see if that helps.

Also, in my state you can't pass inspection without the third brake light working. It's a little expensive overhead, but because it can be time consuming to get to that area, it might be in your best interest just to replace it once and not worry about it again.

 

Thanks I'll keep that in mind.
From a quick glance, this leak looks to be coming from back (firewall side) of pan.

Took off the brake light and hooked it up to my DC bench-top PSU, and the last LED was very dim.
Wiggled the resistor around and it all fully lit up, so i reheated that point - not sure if it re-flowed, as it looks like it would have to break it out of the plastic housing to get at everything properly.
Reinstalled and its working again - might just be a temp fix.

Also still fighting with the rear defogger.
When my father got this car it came with an aftermarket deck - i replaced it with a bose SAT version. Neither the metra or this head unit worked the rear defogger.
From the diagrams provided below, i confirmed power from all the points in the fuse box, but not at the head unit.
Removed the rear cover for the defogger relay at the rear windshield, no power back there. I removed the relay and cleaned up the ground contact - had a good amount of corrosion, still no luck.
I'm no longer clear on what the issue could be, maybe i should replace that rear relay/control unit (labelled condenser)?...i'm really hoping its not the head unit, since the old metra did the same thing.
There's only a single wire coming into the rear relay, so i'm assuming once the button is pushed from the head unit, the power is sent and once grounded there, the head unit light would come on - this is an assumption however.

thoughts?

cheers!

 

Search eBay for this item: LEDMARKERS Third Brake Light Replacement Fits: 03 - 08 Infiniti G35 / All Trims

Says they're almost gone so don't delay. Company website no longer updated; I think this person ended up with remaining stock and once gone they're gone.

I have one in reserve for when mine inevitably dies.

 

Took the 3rd brake light out again and removed it from the plastic housing - cut 3 little plastic welds.
Found a cold solder joint on one of the -ve terminals. Re-soldered and we're back in business.
I also got a broken one from the wrecker and re-soldered the small resister, as it was loose. I have that working, and saving it as a backup; however it has 2 LEDs burnt out.
I suspect b/c these lights take in 12v and step it down to about 3v (at least that what i was metering), it can get fairly warm and eventually loosen a joint.

Update on my defogger issue:
Rechecked the 2 main 20A fuses and the relay (under hood behind battery), no luck, confirmed power at the required points in the fuse box as per FSM (interior drivers side)
Took the drivers side plastic off the rear window to look for any loose or rusted grounds, and all looked good.
I think my only next step is to check the wire harness at the control unit (hvac/audio), maybe the defogger line was damaged from the previous owner...

Any thoughts from anyone else? "Winter's coming" and i need this working