2012 G37x - Unresponsiveness and acceleration Lag

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james t kirk
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I'd like some feedback from owners of newer G37 cars.

I have a 2012 that I purchased about 6 months ago. I have not put a lot of miles on it because I have a company vehicle (2009 Nissan Frontier) which I use for work purposes. As such, in the 6 months I have had the car, I've only put on 4,000 kilometres on the car.

My issue is this. Under moderate acceleration, the car does not seem to downshift properly. There is a noticeable lag between the time you hit the gas and the car moves.

I used to have a 2005 Infiniti G35x and I do have the 2009 Frontier. Both behaved as one would expect with normal automatics. Specifically, a moderate increase in throttle results in an automatic downshift of 1 gear and the resulting increased acceleration in short order.

The new 2012 G37x, however, a moderate push on the accelerator does nothing. One needs to hit the gas substantially so before there is a noticeable increase in acceleration and then, the problem is too much accleration.

The problem is most noticeable when cruising at say 60 or so km/hr and the car has shifted into a too high of a gear in my opinion. RPMs are maybe 1,000 or so. Too low. You give it a moderate increase in acceleration and it does not downshift as my 2 other Nissan products would. Instead, the car acclerates weakly as a result of the increased throttle only. So that is very frustrating. In order to get the car to "move" one needs to hit the accelerator and then you have too much accleration and you're off the gas and on the brake to compensate.

My question is:

1. Do other owners notice this? (It's driving me crazy)

2. Does anyone know if the car is somehow set up a certain way during some mythical breakin period to make it behave in such a way?

The car has not been serviced since I bought it and I'm going to schedule a service, but I find with these sort of soft issues, one never gets a solution, usually one is told, "the car is operating normatlly"

This is not operating normally and it's driving me nuts. (That and the damn voice recognition system.)
Last edited by james t kirk on Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:10 am, edited 1 time in total.


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Mudgen
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Is this happening in D or DS mode? Or both?

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telcoman
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This is why I drive a stick and perhaps you should too. Also a manual shift is much safer to drive in bad weather.

Telcoman

james t kirk
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Stick is not available in the All Wheel Drive Model

(And as an owner of a 1975 Triumph TR6, I can assure you I know how to drive a stick.)

Living in Canada, AWD is hugely preferable, if not required.

james t kirk
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Mudgen wrote:Is this happening in D or DS mode? Or both?

Drive

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Mudgen
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james t kirk wrote:
Mudgen wrote:Is this happening in D or DS mode? Or both?

Drive
Yep. What you're describing is characteristic of D mode, which seems tuned more for gas mileage. If you want aggressive shift/throttle behavior, run in DS.

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kmckis1029
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+1

in "D" the car is slow to downshift, also the accelerater pedal is basically a button with accelerometer built in. The FSM states to get a down shift in D the driver must fully depress gas pedal. Then the tranny will eventually learn your habits and it wont take much of press to cause a down shift, BUT a fully depressed pedal will alway cause a down shift.

If im in D and i know i need a immediate response i use manual mode or DS. Please note that DS mode is programmed to keep the car in its power band ~3.5krpm to ~6k rpm thus will reduce mpg. while D wants to keep the car is the highest gear possible.

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It could be the gas as well, if the computer detects knock it will restrict power accordingly. try a different brand of gas.

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kmckis1029
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oh and ask the dealer to apply the lastest update for the ECM and TCM, will help with your issues.

james t kirk
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Believe it or not, I just figured out the difference between D and DS. (Pays to read the Owner's Manual.)

Having owned a 2005, if you pushed the gear selector AWAY from you, you were in manual mode. (Which is pretty much pointless to me.)

On the 2012, I thought that the only difference was that the engineers made it so that one had to pull the gear selector towards oneself. (I actually am not a fan of this because I usually hold onto the gear selector as I drive and use it as a brace. It is a pull thing. I am used to being able to pull on the selector. Now when I pull on the selector, it goes into DS mode. Up until about 2 weeks ago, I thought that DS was simply manual.

The other day, by accident again, I put it in DS mode and I noticed, "hey, that's wierd, it shifted gears"

So I'm experimenting and I figure out, "hey, the car is now behaving like I would expect it to"

Then I figure out that if I pull on the selector that it goes into manual. Again, pays to read the Owner's manual.

So I'm bombing around in DS mode and thinking, "this is the way the car should drive"

So I read the manual. Low and behold DS = Drive Sport

It drives like a different car and it cruises in a lower gear.

Drive really sucks large. The car is just bogging out all the time and seriously lacks get up and go. But DS, I'm a fan.

The thing I always thought sucked on my 05 was that the RPMs were too high on the highway. When I heard that the 07 was going to have a 7 speed transmission, I thought that that was great.

But comparing the 5 speed auto to the 7 speed auto (before I knew about DS mode) I thought that the 5 speed was better in every way, except on the highway. The difference between the ratios of the adjacent gears was so slight that one needed the car to drop down 2 gears to get moving. (Whereas the 5 speed was a great transmission ratio wise.)

Anwyay, DS is the only way to drive the car around town.

james t kirk
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kmckis1029 wrote:oh and ask the dealer to apply the lastest update for the ECM and TCM, will help with your issues.
I will do that. I was not aware that one was out. Thanks

It needs serviced very soon.

james t kirk
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kmckis1029 wrote:+1

in "D" the car is slow to downshift, also the accelerater pedal is basically a button with accelerometer built in. The FSM states to get a down shift in D the driver must fully depress gas pedal. Then the tranny will eventually learn your habits and it wont take much of press to cause a down shift, BUT a fully depressed pedal will alway cause a down shift.

If im in D and i know i need a immediate response i use manual mode or DS. Please note that DS mode is programmed to keep the car in its power band ~3.5krpm to ~6k rpm thus will reduce mpg. while D wants to keep the car is the highest gear possible.
I have noticed that if I am in DS mode vs D, the RPMs will be higher when cruising in the city. Presumabley, the DS mode is kicking the transmission down 1 gear to keep the RPM's up.

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kmckis1029
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i like the duallity of the new 7 speed tranny.

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audtatious
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james t kirk wrote: I have noticed that if I am in DS mode vs D, the RPMs will be higher when cruising in the city. Presumabley, the DS mode is kicking the transmission down 1 gear to keep the RPM's up.
In DS mode it usually does keep the car in a lower gear to avoid some delay when you stomp the poop out of it.

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Mudgen
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audtatious wrote:
james t kirk wrote: I have noticed that if I am in DS mode vs D, the RPMs will be higher when cruising in the city. Presumabley, the DS mode is kicking the transmission down 1 gear to keep the RPM's up.
In DS mode it usually does keep the car in a lower gear to avoid some delay when you stomp the poop out of it.
Poop stompers that most of us are.
:chuckle:

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RED_DET
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Now you need to add some paddle shifters....

james t kirk
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RED_DET wrote:Now you need to add some paddle shifters....
NEVER saw the point of these to be honest. Just a gimmick in my eyes.

I'm completely comfortable with a standard, but the x is not offered as such.

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audtatious
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If you run the car on a race course they help keep your hands on the wheel. Otherwise I use the standard shifter.

james t kirk
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Taking car back for service as this problem is persisting.

last time I took it in, they told me that the car was operating normally - it is not and it's driving me crazy. I get in the car and all I think about is how this car is so unresponsive compared to the 2005 G35x I had. Your driving along in the city and your behind some slow poke in traffic, you need to pull out quick, but you cannot because the car will bog down.

This time, I want a member of the service staff to come out with me so I can show them the issues I'm having.

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Mudgen
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*snert*

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You may need one of the ITB"s done to correct the issue...

http://infinitig37.com/Infiniti-G37-Tec ... itins.html

2009 - 2012 G37 AND 2011 G25 TRANSMISSION SHIFT ISSUES AND/OR A/T DTC STORED

ITB10-075a

I had just had ITB12-027c done on our 2011 and it definitely made a difference.

Seems 27c may not apply to your vehicle as the 2012 is not listed, but have them check anyways if it was a early run production date for the car.

james t kirk
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I took the car in for servicing. They told me that it is operating "normally". The technician went out for a spin with me and he agreed that it bogs under moderate acceleration, however, "that is the way it goes". Nissan came out with a patch for the older cars, but supposedly with my 2012 - this issue has been addressed (I can't imagine how bad the older cars were for this). (In other words, the car is operating normally, however, it is not operating correctly.) It seems that the car is always upshifting in order to reduce RPMs in order to use less fuel, in order to get those mileage numbers. Cruising along in the city at 55 or 60 km/hr, the engine is barely making 1,000 RPMs. Too low. You hit the gas and the car bogs, then you keep pushing the gas and then it hits, but all that takes time. Time you don't always have when driving. You want the car to respond properly when asked to respond. The 7 speed automatic transmission is not as responsive as the older 5 speed AT that was in my 2005 G35x. (But it (the 7 speed) is better on the highway in terms of lower RPMs, I will admit that.) It's all about the fuel economy. I WISH they could say to me, "look, we can reprogram your transmission to operate your car the way you want it to, but it will use a bit more gasoline" NO PROBLEM.



I had a 2005 G35x (gave it to the GF) and I have a 2009 Nissan Frontier. Neither of them bog down under moderate acceleration like the 2012 G37x. This is hugely disappointing to me. The car loses a lot of points in my eyes over this issue. You cannot be driving along a city street and come up behind a guy making a left and confidently accelerate around him. The car will bog down every time. Your only option is hammer the gas, in which case you then rocket around the guy.

I am very disappointed in the car and the only option I have is to write Nissan a letter to see what they have to say about this nonsense, or sell the car. Every time I get in the car, it's in the back of my head, "ok, here we go again, no proper downshifts, can't drive the car like this, can't drive the car like that without taking into consideration its lack of proper response"

Hugely disappointing.

I have to say, my 2005 G35x was a far superior car to the 2012 G37x. It was a lot more "raw" of a car, less refined, but it was a F'ing great car to drive. The 2012 is more like an old man's car. (JMHO)

Rips66
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I own a 2012 G37x and I have exactly the same problem, as you so accuratly described. I had the transmission update installed but it made absolutly no difference. Even in DS mode, I feel the car is lazy and this gets me really frustrated. Did you right to Nissan/infiniti about this issue and if so, what were was their response?

Signed: a not so happy Infiniti owner

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kmckis1029
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i agree my G35x was much more sporty... But if you need a quick down shift, just use manual mode, thats how ive got around this issue. Or if you have the paddle shifters... hit the paddle shifter and force a downshift. I take full advantage of the duality of the tranny with paddle shifters.

But even then the car should learn you and it will take much less to cause a down shift in D mode, it has for my g37x.

Kendahl
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What you are experiencing is why I dislike automatic transmissions. With a manual transmission, I can think ahead and put the car into the correct gear before it's needed. An automatic can only react to the accelerator pedal and most of them take too long to respond. (I wish Nissan would license Audi's DSG transmission or, better yet, design their own version.)

When the mechanics tell you the car is functioning normally, they mean it is working the way the Nissan engineers designed it to work. There is nothing they can do unless the engineers change the programming and issue a software update for the mechanics to install. Perhaps, there is aftermarket software that would suit you better.

In D, the priority is low fuel consumption and downshifting is the car's last resort. DS should be more responsive at the cost of greater consumption. Even if you don't have paddles, you should be able to pick your gears manually with the shift lever. Since I have an S model (manual transmission), I don't know how well the car will adapt to your driving style.

Why do you brace yourself with the shift lever? Instead, keep both hands on the steering wheel, except to shift gears, and use your left foot on the dead pedal to push yourself into the seat.

Rips66
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By the time you put it in manual mode and downshift, it will take you at least a few seconds to get the car going... and it's often already too late when you need an instant accelaration. Moreover, when switching to manual mode from D or DS modes, you sometimes need to downshift two gears to get a swift reaction from the engin... not the kind of performance one would expect from a car like the G37... Anyway, I wrote to infiniti last night about this issue. We'll see what they have to say... I'll keep you posted.

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June 2012:
The other day, by accident again, I put it in DS mode and I noticed, "hey, that's wierd, it shifted gears"
So I'm experimenting and I figure out, "hey, the car is now behaving like I would expect it to"
...
So I'm bombing around in DS mode and thinking, "this is the way the car should drive"
November 2012:
I am very disappointed in the car and the only option I have is to write Nissan a letter to see what they have to say about this nonsense, or sell the car. Every time I get in the car, it's in the back of my head, "ok, here we go again, no proper downshifts, can't drive the car like this, can't drive the car like that without taking into consideration its lack of proper response"
I guess the serendipitous discovery of DS mode was forgotten in the space of 5 months.

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kmckis1029
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when you put the car into DS or manual mode from D the car will automaticly down shift 1-2 gears depending on what speed you are at. which i found to be usually enough to pass a person with great haste lol.

james t kirk
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Rips66 wrote:I own a 2012 G37x and I have exactly the same problem, as you so accuratly described. I had the transmission update installed but it made absolutly no difference. Even in DS mode, I feel the car is lazy and this gets me really frustrated. Did you right to Nissan/infiniti about this issue and if so, what were was their response?

Signed: a not so happy Infiniti owner
I just had the car back for the third time today regarding this issue and they did NOTHING. They basically told me to go pound salt.

I asked for and received the Infiniti (Canada) Customer Service line 1-800-361-4790

I spoke to the guy at a call centre who answered the phone. He's a long way from a technical expert. He basically noted my file, but said that there were no recalls on the vehicle and no technical bulletins regarding this issue.

He gave me the email address:

[email protected]

to email with a description of the problem.

In other words, "don't let the door hit you on the way out"

Other issues:

1. Lag under acceleration
2. Doing 110 km/hr and hit the brake and then try to hit the gas - car sits there with no power for a good second or two.

3. At highway speed, put the pedal to the metal, car just sits there, then catches.

It's almost like the throttle is not responding to the demand.

I can't tell you how utterly disappointed I am in the car, and Infiniti. They have your money, they don't care.

Since 2005 I have bought 2 new Infinitis and in 2009 a Nissan Frontier (new).

I definitely won't be buying any more Nissan products if this is how they treat you.

james t kirk
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Mudgen wrote:
June 2012:
The other day, by accident again, I put it in DS mode and I noticed, "hey, that's wierd, it shifted gears"
So I'm experimenting and I figure out, "hey, the car is now behaving like I would expect it to"
...
So I'm bombing around in DS mode and thinking, "this is the way the car should drive"
November 2012:
I am very disappointed in the car and the only option I have is to write Nissan a letter to see what they have to say about this nonsense, or sell the car. Every time I get in the car, it's in the back of my head, "ok, here we go again, no proper downshifts, can't drive the car like this, can't drive the car like that without taking into consideration its lack of proper response"
I guess the serendipitous discovery of DS mode was forgotten in the space of 5 months.
No, not really, DS only solves part of the problem, not the entire problem. Car lags in both D and DS. Plus, I find that in DS, the car often holds onto a gear when braking and the engine revs like mad. Not correct either.


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