I read through several of the threads on common J problems and knew exactly what I should scrutinize, what I could fix, and what I would need to do to service it after getting it.
I am very grateful to all of you for you taking the time to offer your advice and share your experiences for those of us who are new to Infiniti to learn from.
THE LOW-DOWN -
I got a '93 J30 with 110K and $400 cash in trade for my 1991 Mazda Miata.
THE BAD...
The stereo does not work (comes on, no sound), one of the tracks is broken on the sunroof, the headlights were not operating consistently, and the interior was pretty dirty but no major damage.
THE GOOD...
Based on other threads I knew to change out the headlight relay (a pain in the butt, but inexpensive). The leather was in great shape under the dirt and the whole car cleaned up great. The engine is strong and the transmission shifts up smooth but seems a little rough on down shifts.
Overall it is in great shape (after a very thorough detail) and with a little TLC will be a car I can drive for several years.
:help
Any recommendation on someone who does infiniti carpet replacement? I would like to change out the light grey (read almost white) for a darker grey that would match the dash and not show dirt as easily...
Where is the best place to get Infiniti floor mats? Are there dark grey mats available for the J, maybe from a later year?
Besides servicing the transmission, checking all belts, and changing the oil and timing belts, what other preventative steps should I take?
Need advice on tires, there is some vibration and the steering wheel is picking it up at speeds above 55. I would like to go to a bigger wheel size 17 or 18" what tires have you had good luck with in those sizes?
Which ones should I stay away from?
Thanks again for the great discussions, what a great resource for a new owner.
PS, I am in Seattle - Eastside area, so any recommendation on mechanics or parts stores in this area is appreciated.
Later,
Gadget...
Just bought a J30, and I must say YOU ALL ROCK!!!
Gadget,
Congratulations on your new purchase and welcome to NICO. I'm glad you've found the site useful so far. The J30 is a great car and a sweet ride. Post some pics whenver you get a chance.
I don't know about replacing the carpets. I think that it would be an expensive job to do. You may want to look into dying them to a darker shade of grey.
Call Joe at Scottsdale Infiniti on your floor mats. He gives great discounts to NICO members and is a member himself. His number is at the Infiniti Parts USA website http://www.infinitipartsusa.com.
As far as preventative maintenance goes a transmission flush that includes and pan drop and filter removal is a good idea at least once a year. Also, fill with Mobil 1 ATF (the most recommended here on the site). Other than that, cleaning injectors, checking knock and O2 sensors, etc. the car should run fine. Dennis (Q45Tech) will chime in as will experienced J owners on this part.
The tires recommended on the site include: Michelin Pilots, Bridgestone Potenzas, etc. Run a search (big red button at top right) on wheels under Infiniti General and Infiniti Online Mechanic sections and you will find plenty more info on this.
Again congrats and glad to have you aboard.
Nick
Congratulations on your new purchase and welcome to NICO. I'm glad you've found the site useful so far. The J30 is a great car and a sweet ride. Post some pics whenver you get a chance.
I don't know about replacing the carpets. I think that it would be an expensive job to do. You may want to look into dying them to a darker shade of grey.
Call Joe at Scottsdale Infiniti on your floor mats. He gives great discounts to NICO members and is a member himself. His number is at the Infiniti Parts USA website http://www.infinitipartsusa.com.
As far as preventative maintenance goes a transmission flush that includes and pan drop and filter removal is a good idea at least once a year. Also, fill with Mobil 1 ATF (the most recommended here on the site). Other than that, cleaning injectors, checking knock and O2 sensors, etc. the car should run fine. Dennis (Q45Tech) will chime in as will experienced J owners on this part.
The tires recommended on the site include: Michelin Pilots, Bridgestone Potenzas, etc. Run a search (big red button at top right) on wheels under Infiniti General and Infiniti Online Mechanic sections and you will find plenty more info on this.
Again congrats and glad to have you aboard.
Nick
The broken stereo sounds like a fantastic opportunity to throw it away!
The Bose system is an expensive headache, and the money you will invest into a new head unit, or amps for each speaker, is better spent on a new head unit and new speakers (Pioneer is best value).
For the head unit, I STRONGLY recommened Nakamichi. Many new units can be found on eBay, but may be hard to find locally due to the company's recent restructuring. Otherwise, Pioneer and the Pioneer Premier series are a heck of a bang for the buck!
Note that you may have to rewire the sound system yourself or pay someone plenty ($100 or so) to do it for you.
Best of luck on your new J!
The Bose system is an expensive headache, and the money you will invest into a new head unit, or amps for each speaker, is better spent on a new head unit and new speakers (Pioneer is best value).
For the head unit, I STRONGLY recommened Nakamichi. Many new units can be found on eBay, but may be hard to find locally due to the company's recent restructuring. Otherwise, Pioneer and the Pioneer Premier series are a heck of a bang for the buck!
Note that you may have to rewire the sound system yourself or pay someone plenty ($100 or so) to do it for you.
Best of luck on your new J!
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carlos_knology
- Posts: 438
- Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2002 2:11 pm
- Car: 1995 Infiniti J30
- Contact:
Gadgeteer... welcome aboard.
Check out my J30 webpage for tips on some of the common J30 gremlins.
http://www.fuzzycats.com/j30.htm
Carlos
Check out my J30 webpage for tips on some of the common J30 gremlins.
http://www.fuzzycats.com/j30.htm
Carlos
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steelvulture
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 2:37 pm
- Car: 1996 J30t 85k
Re: Just bought a J30, and I must say YOU ALL ROCK!!!
Gadgeteer wrote:Need advice on tires, there is some vibration and the steering wheel is picking it up at speeds above 55. I would like to go to a bigger wheel size 17 or 18" what tires have you had good luck with in those sizes?
I have 18's on mine, 225/40/18, i've always loved a larger wheel on a car, the feel is more responsive in my opinon. Basically you feel the road, you may or may not like that. Its all personal preference. The handleing improved dramaticly, i take turns like im still in my 240sx.
As for the radio, I used to compete, I can give you some good advice if you would like, drop me an email. [email protected]
Your 18's look tight...
I am not sure what stereo to put in yet. I am not interested in video as I have that in my other car, just want good sound, MP3 or WMA compatibility and most of all I want a quality integration that looks well with the interior. "after-the-fact" I would much rather have Mark Levinson, Nakamichi, or something that looks like it fits in the car. Not because of the name brand, but because of continuity...
I am still a ways off from dealing with though. Next is the preventative maintenance, fixing the sunroof, tinting the windows and putting some PHAT 18" rims on to match the incredible styling on the rest of the car...
Thanks all for the advice.
Gadget
I am not sure what stereo to put in yet. I am not interested in video as I have that in my other car, just want good sound, MP3 or WMA compatibility and most of all I want a quality integration that looks well with the interior. "after-the-fact" I would much rather have Mark Levinson, Nakamichi, or something that looks like it fits in the car. Not because of the name brand, but because of continuity...
I am still a ways off from dealing with though. Next is the preventative maintenance, fixing the sunroof, tinting the windows and putting some PHAT 18" rims on to match the incredible styling on the rest of the car...
Thanks all for the advice.
Gadget
Gadgeteer wrote:RideInMyJ, I forgot to ask you about your tires, do they change the speedometer at all or is the outside diameter of the new tires about the same?
Thanks,Gadget
Yes its all the same diameter. If you want to try different sizes, check out this little tire size calculator. Here!
As for a new cd player, Alpine sounds like it would best suit you. One of the best out there(if not the best), and some will play MP3 and WMA.
RideInMyJ - do you have any other shots of your car with 18's on them? I am going to go in this week and start shopping for Rims and am still torn between 17 and 18...
Also this week, changing the interior carpet out to a darker grey as the light grey shows all the dirt.
Stereo change out is in process, currently driving around with no stereo or heating controls as I am in the process of working on it, don't have to worry about getting broke into this week, heheh.
Need to do the sunroof fix on Carlos web page.
And all the new owner maintenance is scheduled for throughout the week.
I am feeling poor just looking at the list. Oh well, its worth it.
Also this week, changing the interior carpet out to a darker grey as the light grey shows all the dirt.
Stereo change out is in process, currently driving around with no stereo or heating controls as I am in the process of working on it, don't have to worry about getting broke into this week, heheh.
Need to do the sunroof fix on Carlos web page.
And all the new owner maintenance is scheduled for throughout the week.
I am feeling poor just looking at the list. Oh well, its worth it.
here are some infiniti wheels on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...67603 17s and http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...72780 18s. Seems like a great deal too.
just saw this post....
about the carpeting.
as far as i know, there was the charcoal(black), light grey, and sand color: for both the carpeting and the leather.
you could easily change to black carpeting/mats, just find a J30 with correct interior that is being parted out.
carpeting comes out after all seats are removed and console is out. (about an hour's job)
for all purpose daily use, a 17" rim is generally better, due to greater comfort and less unspring weight.
good luck getting all that done, and welcome to NICO.
about the carpeting.
as far as i know, there was the charcoal(black), light grey, and sand color: for both the carpeting and the leather.
you could easily change to black carpeting/mats, just find a J30 with correct interior that is being parted out.
carpeting comes out after all seats are removed and console is out. (about an hour's job)
for all purpose daily use, a 17" rim is generally better, due to greater comfort and less unspring weight.
good luck getting all that done, and welcome to NICO.
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szh
- Posts: 15932
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 12:54 pm
- Car: 2018 Tesla Model 3.
Unfortunately, no longer a Nissan or Infiniti, but continuing here at NICO! - Location: San Jose, CA
j30t wrote:here are some infiniti wheels on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...67603 17s and http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...72780 18s. Seems like a great deal too.
Uh ... the guy wants $600 for each wheel, as far as I can tell from the listing (not four!). That is way too high!
Z
szhosain wrote:Uh ... the guy wants $600 for each wheel, as far as I can tell from the listing (not four!). That is way too high!
Z
Read the bottom of the auction, it states that it is for all 4 wheels. That doesnt include tires though. Personally i think your better of trying to find a deal in a your local area with tires included. After shipping, finding tires, mount, balance, install, I dont think it would be worth it. Chrome looks better on the J anyway.
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szh
- Posts: 15932
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 12:54 pm
- Car: 2018 Tesla Model 3.
Unfortunately, no longer a Nissan or Infiniti, but continuing here at NICO! - Location: San Jose, CA
RideInMyJ wrote:Read the bottom of the auction, it states that it is for all 4 wheels. That doesnt include tires though. Personally i think your better of trying to find a deal in a your local area with tires included. After shipping, finding tires, mount, balance, install, I dont think it would be worth it. Chrome looks better on the J anyway.
Okay! I stand totally corrected. I did not see the part where he said that it was a set of four wheels.
It is confusing and he should make it a lot clearer! Just for blind idiots like me.
Now the other question not clear to me: were these OEM wheels? In the case of 17" wheels, it appeared to be, but in the case of the 18", it was not totally clear. Some of his words ("similar", etc.) implied otherwise.
Z
Seattle area shops
If the dealer is out of the question...
I've been somewhat out of the loop lately, but these two shops have had a good reputation in the Seattle area:
Check with Greg's Japanese Auto. They have a very good reputation, from the people I have talked to. Their website has phone#, driving directions, and a map of the area, among other good info. The place may not look as impressive as some high end ultra-fancy dealerships, but I've been told they do good work.
Also check out Doctor Don's. I've been told they also do good work at *reasonable* prices. Be sure to check out the FAQ section on their site. There you will find a shop phone#, and a basic idea of the work they do. The owner came from UTI in Arizona(can't be too bad a guy, since Hitman resides down there in the AZ furnace:D) and holds Certified Master Technician status from the ASE. Most positive reaction I've gotten has come from Dr Don's customers.
Both sites have a great deal of good info to get you started. There are other non-dealer shops that do high-end work, but these two are definitely a good starting point, and come highly recommended from some old customers of mine who drive nice fancy Infiniti or other luxury cars. Every shop has <some> customers who are unhappy or feel they have been cheated, but I've heard only good things about their service standards/business ethic. Good luck!
-Phil
I've been somewhat out of the loop lately, but these two shops have had a good reputation in the Seattle area:
Check with Greg's Japanese Auto. They have a very good reputation, from the people I have talked to. Their website has phone#, driving directions, and a map of the area, among other good info. The place may not look as impressive as some high end ultra-fancy dealerships, but I've been told they do good work.
Also check out Doctor Don's. I've been told they also do good work at *reasonable* prices. Be sure to check out the FAQ section on their site. There you will find a shop phone#, and a basic idea of the work they do. The owner came from UTI in Arizona(can't be too bad a guy, since Hitman resides down there in the AZ furnace:D) and holds Certified Master Technician status from the ASE. Most positive reaction I've gotten has come from Dr Don's customers.
Both sites have a great deal of good info to get you started. There are other non-dealer shops that do high-end work, but these two are definitely a good starting point, and come highly recommended from some old customers of mine who drive nice fancy Infiniti or other luxury cars. Every shop has <some> customers who are unhappy or feel they have been cheated, but I've heard only good things about their service standards/business ethic. Good luck!
-Phil
On the floormats thing
I didn't seem to see anyone mention Ebay, i JUST sent away $45 dollars for near brand new floor mats in my J. If you are looking to fix up your car, i always recommend at least checking ebay for all of your needs.
Also, this may go without saying(since i've been told this from other wiser members of NICO), but you will need an adaptor if your going aftermarket with your Bose wiring. http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/PERNISAH4anyway, something like that. (Big thanks from Necknspine for the link!)
I didn't seem to see anyone mention Ebay, i JUST sent away $45 dollars for near brand new floor mats in my J. If you are looking to fix up your car, i always recommend at least checking ebay for all of your needs.
Also, this may go without saying(since i've been told this from other wiser members of NICO), but you will need an adaptor if your going aftermarket with your Bose wiring. http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/PERNISAH4anyway, something like that. (Big thanks from Necknspine for the link!)
just wanted to add this, i hope this helps.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...57564
60.00 plus S&H will cost you probably 80.00(give or take a few dollars), not too bad concidering brand new in the box. Anyway, worth looking into if i were you.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...57564
60.00 plus S&H will cost you probably 80.00(give or take a few dollars), not too bad concidering brand new in the box. Anyway, worth looking into if i were you.