I sent email to Infiniti before too (but for something else), and I got the standard "thanks for contacting us" canned response with no useful feedback. The problem here is that the dealers need direction from Infiniti regarding this issue. They don't want to do something to the car that isn't condoned by Infiniti (and to be conservative, to not put an 08 ECU in an 07 if it's not something that has been thoroughly tested and approved by Infiniti).
So, I can't really fault dealers for being conservative.

Now, the person(s) in Infiniti responsible for getting email requests are likely at the bottom of the Infiniti support hierarchy, who figure that problems with the car must be one-off issues and want to pass of the problem back to the dealers. I'm not sure who the right people are to get this issue escalated to Infiniti corporate. The dealers? Get enough dealers to complain back to Infiniti corporate? Maybe if the lowly email tech support responders start getting dozens/hundreds of requests for this issue? I don't know. Maybe someone who works in the auto industry may have suggestions on how to escalate this issue.

 

Any kind of update would be nice.

This tranny is average at best. It's never smooth, shifts hard and unpredictably, bangs in and out of gears. It's just sloppy IMO. The rev-matching doesn't work well, especially while applying the brake. Leaving it in plain old "D" provides the most tolerable, predictable shift behavior.

...and then the dealer responds with: "That's normal behavior for this car and they all do that."

IMO, the smarter these trannies get, the worse off they are.

 

Well, Infiniti has been useless, except to keep referring me to my dealer. The assistant service manager promised to research this for me. I'll post with more info if/when I have any.

 

You guys should stop asking for the '08 firmware in an '07. That's obviously going to confuse them. You should just ask for the latest software updates for your car. That will get you a lot further.

 

. . . and if the "latest software" doesn't have the changes that we are looking for, that we know are in the '08 software?

 

I got my car end of December 2006. Do you actually know if there are software updates for it (not counting the firmware update for the phone voice recognition issue)?? Unlike computer companies, car companies are much more conservative about releasing software updates (e.g. ECU), likely due to the amount of testing that needs to go in when testing them and especially due to the liability involved if there are bugs.

 

My car goes in Monday for the trannny and surging cruise control. I'll keep you posted.

 

Well..... it's going to be longer. The transmission valve body they have on order for me is on backorder, not eta. So, I have to wait to take it in for the new programming.

 

Why are they replacing the valve body? Hard 2-3 shifts with paddles? lol

The shop foreman drove my car and said it's fine, but I know I can make it bang-shift from 2-3 all day if I want so I'm going back in to show him.

 

All owners of 2007 G35 sedan should contact infiniti if they want the ECU to be updated. According to a long term test of the Civic Si in Motor Trend, Honda offered an update to that car's ECU based on the feedback they received from owners of the car.

 

Thud at 40mph..... https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-sedan-v36-2007-08/181639-thud-40mph.html

 

Then you are no worse off. For sure there are going to be multiple revisions and updates of the ECU strategy. There may be calibration strategies that require certain hardware changes/revision levels, and therefore can't be used on an older processor. You should get the latest ECU software that applies for your vehicle, and it will have all of the changes they have done that apply to that vehicle.

The cruise control surge on downhill is an example. This was just an ECU reflash to a newer software level. There were probably other fixes included in that strategy, potentially the pedal re-map (if that has in fact been changed on later model cars).

I had this change done to my car. I think the throttle response might have changed, (improved), but I never really had a problem with it after getting used to the car. I just learned how to modulate and operate my foot to not give me whiplash I guess.

Anyways, trust me, you will get further if you ask for the latest ECU software updates instead of something that they can't really fathom like "the '08 software". Mention it to your service adviser at your next oil change.

 

^^ I just had my ECU flashed for the cruise issue and haven't noticed throttle repsonse to be any different (better or worse). But I had no problem adapting to the sensitive throttle and was comfortable within an hour off the lot and haven't looked back.

After the ECU update though, my tranny still shifts the same and bangs into 3rd here and there.

 

Your tech may not have updated u with the new program. I can definitely tell the difference. On a scale of 10 I would say the past used to be 80% power when you step 2/10 of the pedal. After the update, 4/10 of it is super linear low power then 80% power on 5/10. It basically feels like the original pedal program is delayed until 5/10 of the pedal in. I was hoping the new mapping can increase my meager 16mpg fuel economy, but no luck.

It would have been nice if they left the DS mode mapping to be like the original and D to the new.

 

Yeah they may have not have fixed it. I went in on saturday to get it done, and they said they couldn't connect to Infiniti's computer so they couldn't fix the TSB?? I took that as they had no idea how to fix it. They said to drop it off during the week and they will fix it? They did say they have never heard of the TSB until I told them????

Anyway, they may have not known how to fix it and just said they did.