2012 M35h bulb replacements, trunk light and interior courtesy light not working

[Ilya]

I'm confused. You bought the M35h from a private seller, but he allegedly sold you a car with existing issues. Why would you still be paying him?

He has a lien on the title from a bank like most of us. Private sales don't mean cash...

[reggiebrown40]

Ok, understood. I guess I'm different in that I wouldn't go into a lien debt on a private sale but that's just me. Hopefully he got the car at a great price. Didn't mean to get off-topic.

[fernicus]

no, sorry, I meant I have the line of credit on the car, to pay for the car in money owing. My bad. Great car, the m35h, but prone to major issues as I've read online in many places, electrically. Went and saw a Subaru Legacy 3.6r which I love - not so cute, but great car and bulletproof - a 2015 ILX which is an amazing car but i've heard not so great reliability wise. So far, for me, the GS is the best but do I really need such a fancy car in this stage of my life? not really. I work at the fed gov't and sustained an injury in which I will be getting an operation next month so have been missing odd days here and there due to medical reports, etc. Not a steady flow of $ coming in for sure. I drive max 2 or 3 days of the week and take transit otherwise but the GS is not only amazing value wise, is also bulletproof also. Temptation is the root of all evil...... Avalon looks to be like a good bet.

[fernicus]

my bad, it was the GS350 and 450hybrid, the Avalon and the TLX I am now torn between. I was interested in the Q50 until Infiniti downtown service dept and techs ended up being a bunch of con artists. A whole other story.

[EdBwoy]

do I really need such a fancy car in this stage of my life? not really.
... I drive max 2 or 3 days of the week and take transit otherwise

Great question. One school of thought would say that if you can take transit, have that as your main form of transport and keep a cheap car for the few tasks public transportation is not convenient for.
On the same line, if it seems like you don't really need a car, buy the cheapest car you can get. Well, simplest car really. The mechanicals are usually stout, it's the added features that get you when they need repairs.

I don't know at what stage in your life you are, but if you are still leaning towards a luxurious car, then the Avalon is solid. Mostly simple, they do everything OK. They're not gonna beat anyone at any one category, but once you're bored with the car, there'll be somebody willing to pay almost what you bought it for. You could say the same for the other Toyota products, except that it costs much more to get into the Lexus game.

Otherwise, if I wanted to go from A to B with no frills, there's a manual transmission Nissan Versa.

[fernicus]

nissan versa's are very cool but not sure about trust factor now with nissan since I had the Infiniti go south so bad. Not to bash them but loved my M35h if it was functioning 100%. The honda fit i would lean more towards but again just preference. Seems the Fits get rated better than the Versa. Interesting.
The Avalon had all the bells and whistles - all around monitoring, cruise control, driver warnings and decent upgraded stereo for the price of my Infiniti and the rep to bolster it. AWD is always a great thing but I can deal without for now. Looking at the BCM again and keep thinking even though Infiniti dealer stated that it was the heater core that was cause of heat problems, i feel like it was the BCM instead and that Infiniti was hoping to max out their profit by saying it was worse case scenario and fixing cheaper one AND charging for more expensive bits when they didn't need replacing. They were into dash anyway, why not charge him full? Just my thoughts but only applies to this weasel dealership.

[Ilya]

Some of the Korean cars are pretty good bang for the buck these days.

And I still stand by my earlier assumption that your heat issue is not related to your BCM issue.

[DoN_BLaZe34]

I would have to agree with Ilya. I do not believe your heat issue is tied to the BCM as it has nothing to do with controlling that.

[fernicus]

so if it isn't the BCM as so many agreed earlier, do I finally agree with the Infiniti dealer that already proved themselves to be liars and assume that it's the heat core along with another heat item they named? That would still involve taking the dash apart and a friend of mine suggested that it would be a very good idea to consider spending the approx $1000 to do it. My fave mechanic Vito told me that it would only get worse which makes me feel that there will be other problems down the road. Agreed, guys, or you think I should repair the sucka? I've done a search across the country for M35h's and only found one other in all of Canada for sale! I have spotted one on the road the other day and I was dying to pull the bad boy over and question the owner about his experiences or at the very least strip his car of parts! lol. I see this car going on the used market in the summer..... I feel Chris Angel like powers coming on.

[DoN_BLaZe34]

I finally had the chance to read this entire story and I'm very sorry you've had such bad luck with the car however these are my thoughts.

1) I stand by Infiniti's assessment that it's likely your heater core or some other component tied to it. While I understand your hesitation/reluctance given their misdiagnosis of the wheel bearing that repair in itself pails in comparison to the cost of fixing your heater issue. Quite frankly even if they were right, cost wise, any local mechanic could've repaired that. Your heater issue is a different animal entirely.

2) if you truly feel that Infiniti is incorrect or trying to pull one over then see if you can schedule an appointment with a Nissan dealership as well to get another opinion.

My fear is you paying to get to get the BCM fixed in hopes that it fixes your heat is which I'm fairly confident it will not.

[fernicus]

hey Don, so what I'm trying to read from your 2nd statement is that it will be a very costly repair to fix the heater core or replace? What I'm taking into account is the fact that the cabin courtesty lights and trunk light doesnn't work either so it's most likely 2 problems? Could they not both be tied in together and if not, what else could it be? One mechanic told me that near the BCM there is a bundle of wiring that controls both lighting and heat and these 2 could be either cut, contacting or shorting each out. That was his prognosis also. Trying to make sense of both the issues. i do have lights in cabin when pressing the light buttons overhead but not when opening the car nor when opening the trunk and it's not fuses nor blown bulbs. now you see my frustration? Everyone seems to have their own solution but nothing 100%. To get another assessment from Nissan would cost another 100 and change and promised myself wou;lnd't spend another dime unless it was to fix car or sell it.

[Ilya]

Fernicus, with all due respect, we're beating this dead horse and going in circles.

As stated before by many of us:

1) Your lights issue is likely a result of the BCM + a wiring harness melting, etc. as it was for ALL of us who had this issue. My light symptoms were EXACTLY what you have (lights only work when the button is pushed, not automatically, etc.). For all of us, it was thousands in repairs but I believe all of us had warranties at the time. For me, it was like $5,500 but I only paid $100 thanks to my Elite warranty. I can scan and redact my work order if you really need me too.

2) Your heat issue is separate. There have been 3 or 4 of us who had the BCM issue due to shorting it out while trying to install LED bulbs and NONE of us had the heat issue. None. Not even a hint of a heat issue.

So you have the following options:

1) Repair the BCM/Light issue - $5K+
2) Repair the Heat issue - Technically $unknown but I guess it's $5k per your dealer?
3) Repair both issues - $10k+
4) Sell the car as-is with all issues listed so the buck stops being passed (bad car)

That's all you can do. The way I see it and I've read every post and responded numerous times...there is no option 5 that reads "fix both issues for $5k". I would be 100000% surprised if your issue boiled down to being the same wiring harness being damaged or a replacement of the BCM. You can confirm your mechanics theory that the wiring is shared between the light and heat systems yourself (or have your mechanic do it) by looking over the FSM (Factory Service Manual) that is linked in the FAQ/HowTo link in my signature. You literally have the 'shop' manual at your disposal.

Again, I say this with all due respect but we're approaching the end of page 4 of this discussion and the posts keep being repeated...

As Don said, have you tried your local Nissan dealer(s)? I don't recall if you did or not...they are like half the labor rate of an Infiniti dealer.

[fernicus]

you're right, Ilya, we have been beating this dead horse but remember the horse will probably travel further and with less cost than beaten down Infiniti at this point.
correct.
Perhaps the fact that I see it costing a couple of $1000. on my part to repair that i have finally come to the decision that it's to be sold and done with. As a few mechanics have told me, Sell it and be rid of it.
thanks for all of your input. Diagnostic was already done at Infiniti re heat issue and they said it was heater core so looks as if lighting is BCM alone. Voila. Thanks all, and ciao from moi.

[fernicus]

so.... I decided to send a message to Infiniti Canada outlining all the dealings that I have had with this car stating that all of these items shouldn't have messed up with a car that is 5 years old and also, the double dealings that the dealership were trying to pull on me by trying to charge me for items that weren't needing repair AND asking for an exorbitant amount for repairs at the same time telling me gently that it would be a safety /life hazard not taking care of them right now. Right at the cost of $5000 later. I also stated that I would relate my story to the various consumer agencies and advocates in my city at tv stations and gov't agencies and tell them how shod the car model actually is. Sour grapes? maybe, but thought you guys would get a kick from reading this. The dealership that I tried to trade the car into gave me a really crap resale value for the car due to going to check with the Infiniti dealership to see if any service or outstanding service needed on car. Strike 5. All good, will await response back from Infiniti and proceed from there. I am serious about taking my complaints one step further although many will say caveat emptor. yes, Ilya, beating a dead horse..... dude, but you guys have been amazingly helpful. It's just daunting for me that even after diagnosis, the issues couldn't be resolved or pinpointed directly to a part that is faulty in the car but could be either BCM as you guys suggested or heater core OR climate control box OR just behind vent doors as I was also suggested by tech. Crazy for me to swallow all of that I guess. P.s. also, how do I edit my old posts or deletea post altogether? can that be done? just wondering.

[Ilya]

Will be curious to see how this ends...guess you can't lose anything that way.

As for the posts...there is a time limit on editing posts for posterity and other reasons.

[fernicus]

Will be curious to see how this ends...guess you can't lose anything that way.

Hey Ilya, probably has been done before and I have a funny feeling that it will end up bloody...... for probably moi.
Meh, I told them that I would be outlining my full experiences on all websites for posterity. Unfortunately and totally not planned, I did here much to everyone's pain. lol
i wonder if this has been done before? I just can't reason that a car that's 5 years old would lose the heat and the lights factor with nary a sputter. Oddly enough, the lights and other electrical in the car go wonky all of a sudden ie the cruise control went on when I depressed the lane warning switch, the mini heater i plugged in the lighter outlet blew after the 2nd time i used it and now notice the lighter plug is super hot. Car is a linda blair car..... going all exorcist on me. Man...... I keep thinking how great your cars have turned out also from other posts here. The Infinitis are great no doubt but the hybrids probably not so much.

[pedsemdoc]

Car is a linda blair car..... going all exorcist on me

Maybe....priest/holy water first, then heater core, and finally BCM??

not trying to make a joke out of your misery, the idea of a hybrid nowadays seems like a no-brainer BUT if it gives the owner these kind of headaches, No sir, I will not have another.

[fernicus]

yes, you are right. Linda blair all the way, without a Father Karras there. greek like me btw. So sent all the emails to Infiniti and called them and they said good luck a la Taken but I'm about to go all Liam Neeson on them. Sent to all consumer watchdog news outlets, Canada consumer agencies and forums. The blast across the bow. Car is ridiculous with all these issues. Electronic issues ie. plugged in heater for warmth in 12v and blew the fuse within an hour, lights wonky as is dash display warnings along with no heat after a full flush of system or so Infiniti dealer says. Heater core and thermostat needs to be replaced, along with replace of BCM and reprogramming. WTF?? all that will probably cost 2grand approx. Worth it? not so sure although nice car otherwise. Does anyone know maybe it's just the BCM to be reprogrammed and not replaced>? is that possible? one dealer said I could trade in towards a 2016 Avalon ltd with snow tires included for another $15 grand....or maybe an Optima SXL? lol..... nice quick lil cars.

[Ilya]

Heater core and thermostat needs to be replaced, along with replace of BCM and reprogramming. WTF?? all that will probably cost 2grand approx. Worth it? not so sure although nice car otherwise. Does anyone know maybe it's just the BCM to be reprogrammed and not replaced>? is that possible? one dealer said I could trade in towards a 2016 Avalon ltd with snow tires included for another $15 grand....or maybe an Optima SXL? lol..... nice quick lil cars.

$2k for all of those issues? If it's only $2k, I'd keep the car and pay. My guess it will be more like $12k to fix ALL of that. Then again, if you pay $2k and it's still busted...depending on how upside down you are on the loan, it may make sense to pay the repair bill instead of trading it in and getting an even bigger loan.

Again, your BCM is toast. A few of us are well versed in toasting BCMs. Your issue, as far as your lights go (again, I'm 99% sure your heat issue is ENTIRELY separate from the lights/BCM) is not programming. Your BCM is garbage. Guaranteed.

[fernicus]

interesting. So Infiniti Dealership downtown quotes me at 4.5 grand for the heat alone AND haven't encountered the BCM/lights issue. Infiniti Canada head office contacts me after I send them a ransom note threatening that I'm sending my experience with this extremely dangerous car - no heat, no defrost, lights going wonky as in cruise, proximity sensors just going on and off and heater plugged in lighter blows after an hour, potentially causing electric/fire damage - to all the major consumer watchdogs contacts that I send them in a detailed email along with the names of the 6 contacts. I tell them I'm hoping to hear from them Monday of this week and if I don't, I'm sending the first 3 emails out to these contacts - CBC, CTV, CITY tv, Consumer Protection Agency and also will be listing my experiences on a few Infiniti help boards listing all the bulls***t I've gone through along with the attitude of Infiniti Canada towards my issues and the conduct of the Infiniti dealership that treated my issues. They responded back in 2 days and told me that just be patient, they were looking into all the issues at hand and doing some factfinding investigating re: the car and would get back to me in a few days, early next week. They stated they were hoping to reach an amicable solution to the problems at hand. Wow. Well, fingers crossed and let's see what happens. One mechanic that I've been dealing with for awhile said he would call me back re: trying to repair the car and he's not returning any of my calls. lol, buddy is running away from this sucker. Dash has to be completely removed and the heater core AND the BCM after all replaced and reprogrammed. I'm guessing $5k with the used BCM from Ebay but that's just me. Hell yeah, Ilya, $12k for sure through Infiniti to repair that s*** but this amazing mechanic in Toronto, Vito, at Danforth Auto Centre has stuck with me and the issues and will be checking it out this week. he states just the heat issue will be 1500. to fix and the lights are something else altogether. The guy is amazing not to be running to the hills on this job. Even Infiniti Canada after 2 days wasn't 100% it was the heater core and thermostat also. Man, love the car I was thinking the other day, but seriously? Auditioned quite a few cars and gotta say even the Bose system in the M35h beat out the JBL in the Avalon, the Harmon Kardon in the Legacy, and just edging out the BMW 535i system and the - believe it or not - the Infinity system in the Optima SXL just to give you guys some food for thought. I can stop posting now if you want, Ilya, but now I know exactly what the issues are with the car and how to approach them. Toyota dealer was willing to take Infiniti towards a nice 2015 Avalon Limited with me paying a 145000 approx. difference towards them. Sucks but dem are da breaks. Hopefully I can work something out with Infiniti towards resolving this.

[EdBwoy]

That's really generous of Infiniti giving you some attention. I too, would respond. Not because of the ransom note, but because this car would make for an interesting study specimen... with all the electrical drama going on.

I have felt like this isn't anything to do with the car being a hybrid, as you haven't mentioned anything with the drivetrain. It's the accessories that have given you trouble, some of which a good number of gas drivers have reported as well.
The problems remind me of a car that has been in a flood.

Good luck

[Ilya]

You don't need to stop posting lol...just we got to beating a horse there for a bit. Glad to hear Infiniti Canada is looking into your issue though.

[fernicus]

what's interesting though which is a response that both the CTV consumer reporter and now Edbwoy has mentioned is that it may be a flood car. wow, how now to find out if it was? and if it was, I need to dump the sucka real quick and the Avalon looks like a great deal. yeah, maybe nothing will come of the Infiniti Canada call but who knows? A study specimen? looooool, like a frankenstein monster with spokes.

[Ilya]

Don't know about Canada but in the US you run the VIN through a service like CarFax, etc. and it will tell you it's history...IF that history was reported. Assuming that it was a flood, it likely was reported to the insurance as a total loss and then possibly purchased back from the insurance and sold...to you.

[EdBwoy]

IF... If the car was in a flood, once they start ripping the dashboard, there might be signs such as water lines. Google how to inspect a flood vehicle; you might be able to quickly eliminate that suspicion.

[fernicus]

odd that when they did the initial safety and inspection of the car by my mechanic, he didn't see this originally. all good, I'll wait and see what happens with Infiniti. Checked most of the signs of the flood vehicle and the car doesn't seem to have any of these ie rust in the spare wheel well, doors, musty smell inside car, etc. Now just to wait for Infiniti's investigation and factfinding and hope that the car that was at the Toyota dealer, the avalon, will still be there. I feel bad that I put them through all the trouble of appraising Infiniti and auctioning it online then pulling back when Infiniti head office called me while i was there in dealership. All good, dealership is owned by the same Infiniti dealership down the street that tried to scam me with work on my hybrid. Meh, dealers seem to be all the same. Man, you guys all seem to be quite well read on your problem areas and Infiniti lore. Don't know if I would get back into another Infiniti. Any decent ones out there ie sedanwise I should look at just in case to trade for?