Now that I'm back on NICO and full of things to post, I thought I'd make my first post in seven years about a serious problem that has plagued my 2005 G35 Coupe for the last 2 years.

A couple summers ago, on a hundred degree day, my Infiniti was parked in a hot lot while I took in a movie.
When I emerged and began the drive home, the CD player began to do that wierd skip sound that those things do, an oscillating skip, the rapid fire brr..brr..brr that indicated either a faulty disc, a warped disc or an impending equipment failure. I went to eject the CD, but the button would not respond the way it always did.

I turned the car off, the unit reset itself ( no CD) and I switched it over to FM. It did what it was supposed to, the music played, but when I looked at the illuminated screen, the thing went blank before my eyes. I then had zero control. I could not change stations, could not change modes or volume--except, I COULD do all those things using the steering wheel controls!!!
The next time I got into the car, everything worked properly. WTF???, I thought, but since all seemed well, I moved on.
One day, weeks later, as I drove through a construction site, I hit a large pothole, and the audio AND the HVAC controls suddenly went dark. This time, they didn't reset. This time, I had only PBS (PBS!!!) out of ALL of my presets, and that and the volume control was only available on the steering wheel buttons. Nothing else.

The a/c apparently went into some kind of a default mode, allowing one temperature, 75 degrees ,to function.
No fan speed, no defroster, no adjustments at all.
I checked fuses, dis-and re-connected the battery looking for some diagnostic clues. Nothing.
The next day, all was well again, but when I went to empty the CD tray, the unit again froze any and all control was lost and the screen went blank, forever.
Thinking that the jolt at the construction site might have jarred some wires loose, I went to an audio shop to have it diagnosed and they told me that the whole thing--the Master Head Unit-- was history. It was irreparable and had to be totally replaced. And it would cost at LEAST 600 large, plus installation. Whoa.

I did the expected. I went to the computer, did some research. I googled Master Head Units, verified that the the audio guy was correct and began to learn about the thing. Used ones were in the $500-700 range. ( New, or at least OEM from the Infiniti dealer, they are around a thousand !!!).
I found some people locally who sold the part. It, like all used electronic parts, was not returnable. I buy it, I own it. Obviously, they all came from wrecked or unwanted Infinitis, and all are at least as old as mine is, since it is a part dedicated to the '03-'05 model years.
They all came with a teeny warranty and had to be installed by a certified technician ( who, no doubt, earns $100/hour plus for his effort) for the 30-day warranty to apply.
How reliable could a nine-year-old, $600 used electronic piece be, anyway?
And who is to say that ANY of these replacement units weren't minutes away from failure?
I decided that buying one would be possibly the lousiest investment I could ever make.

So, I did nothing. For 2 years I've been driving a silent G35, one that has six of my favorite CDs trapped in the player. I use a portable radio, strapped into the passenger seat like it's a little kid, when I feel the need for music.
The a/c DOES maintain a constant 75, in hot or cold weather, which has created some very interesting oddities. ( The sensor must be in or on the dashboard. Whenever I park the car in the sun on a cold day, the a/c instantly comes on when I begin to drive, making a chilly car even colder. Other strange things go on as well, depending on weather conditions.).

Has anybody experienced this, the total death of the Master Head Unit?
If this happened to anybody, what did YOU do about it?
Is it worth doing anything at all about it?
Is there a cheap, quick fix, or am I totally screwed, doomed to exist in a silent, 75 degree Infiniti ???

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Parking a vehicle in the sun on a 100 degree day can easily result in interior temperatures of 150+ degrees which can destroy sensitive electronics
If you have a sun roof tilt it open and crack the windows slightly to allow excessive heat buildup to escape.
You've got a almost 12 year old vehicle.
Start shopping for a new one which comes with all new parts and a warranty. Me, I wouldn't sink a dime into your current vehicle.

Just my $.02

Telcoman

I had something similar happen back when I was under warranty. The radio would cut in and out. If you banged the side of the panel by your right foot, it would sometimes start working. I had it replaced twice while under warranty. The second time it worked fine for several years and now the cd player is broken and holding my 6 favorite cd's as well. I use the bose cassette deck to play music on my phone now.

JERRY!!!!! Glad to see you back!

This is a common issue with the G35's and seems to be a solder issue on the board. http://www.shortcircuitrepair.com/ can fix it but it requires you send it in; cheaper alternative than a replacement. Somewhere on here is a how-to where someone re-soldered the internal connectors. I just can't find it right now.