I have no idea what you're referring to about the slot under the trunk release button, but the batteries in the key fobs are just plain watch batteries. You cannot charge them. One of mine just started showing the low battery indicator (on the dash, when starting the car) a couple months ago. I changed both of mine just to not forget the other, and I've noticed a good 30-40% increase in operational range. But that's mostly moot, since I almost always unlock and lock the car with the convenience button on the door handle.

And your mechanic made a very broad, very simple generalization that's only true in a small amount of cases. Different manufacturers, and most often even different models from the same manufacturer, tend to use different tires. Yes, some are pretty cheap (though not always inexpensive) tires. But many are also good tires, if not always in the categories of performance that every driver wants. In considering a tire's performance, you must consider directional and lateral grip (acceleration, braking, and turning.. being good at one does not mean good at all 3), noise, tread life, comfort... and THEN, you must consider how all those aspects change between cold and hot weather, AND between dry and wet weather. There's also the issue of load and speed rating, but those are mostly a moot point for 99% of the motoring public who aren't driving the autobahn or driving a 4 ton pick-up. Most tires trade performance in some categories to gain better performance in another. You want ultimate grip in summer? You better not hit a snowflake on your drive to work. Do you need to be sure you don't slide while you drive through a hurricane every weekend? You're car might feel a bit more greasy on those days the roads are dry.. You want a quiet, comfortable ride that impresses a potential buyer into thinking the vehicle is a great luxury machine? You'll throw in softer compounds that are likely to wear faster. You want a tire that grips like a band-aid on a hairy arm? You'll have compounds that are often harder (when cold) that soften up and get extra sticky when they warm up. A tire that sticky inevitably sticks so well that more of it gets left on the road, thus wearing down faster.

Customers can't tell that they'll need to replace the expensive tires after just 8k miles or if they'll last 40k miles with just a test drive, so why worry about getting a long-lasting tire if it means sacrificing other performance attributes that will impress a customer?

 

Ah, I stand corrected. My buddy who is a tech at Nissan/Infiniti dealer came to visit and told me that slot was for the key fob.... I made that mental connection to the charging ability on my own

 

Today marks 7 years with my 2007 G35S 5AT, which is now at 44,490 miles. Comments:

* Still no mechanical problems whatsoever.
* In the past two years, the only expenses beyond oil changes have been a new set of summer tires (went with Michelin PSS and am very glad I did), new wiper blades, auto trans fluid replacement and brake pads.
* Car looks and feels like new.
* Dash speaker has a bit of a rattle.
* The car is still on its original battery.

After 7 years, the car is still a blast to drive, turns heads and has been insanely trouble-free.

 

Glad its still holding strong...please continue to keep us posted!

 

I traded it in on Saturday.

 

How much credit did you get for it? A low mileage car like that is rare.

 

I got 13,000 for it on trade, plus saved some sales tax because it is calculated based on price difference of the two cars when trading in...but I got a nice price on the new car.

It hurt that it was a RWD car in Chicagoland.

 

I may have missed a post elsewhere, but what did you trade it in for??

 

a mint condition, CPO black 2012 750i xDrive M sport with 28,375 miles.

 

Hmm, around where I'm from (Bay Area California), 2007 G's with that kind of mileage would go for around 16k+. Must have been a bit less due to direct trade in