Very helpful post!

'03 w/92,000

Been living with the issue now for some 20K miles. Knew it was a problem so I've been simply tracking the mileage. However, recently the CEL has been coming on. Hooked up the OBD ii reader and it's saying the Fuel Level Sensor is the problem. Reading this thread, can anyone confirm that both the gauge and CEL can be fixed with a new cluster?

I find that my check engine light comes on if I don't close the gas cap tight enough. Re close gas cap and light will go off after a few days. I went to autozone - they check "check engine light" problem for free. I've had gas gage problem on my 04 M45 at 58,000 miles and thought nothing of it and finally brought it to infinit dealer at 65,000 miles and they won't cover cuz I ran out of warranty at 60K. I WILL NEVE BUY AN INFINIT AGAIN. They know that the gas gage cluster is a problem on these vehicles and yet they refuse to recall or at least cover the bad part. NO MORE INFNITI for me.

I had this same problem in my OLD 2005 Pathfinder. The needle gauge would read "E" even though I just filled up the tank. Plus, the DTE would just flash with blinking "- - -". That was my main reason why I decided to trade it for my M35. From reading other Pathfinder owner's comments, Nissan refused to submit the issue as a recall....because it (labor and parts) would be on them to replace it of course. I'm crossing my fingers it won't do the same for my M.

Question for all you guys that say its no big deal. In Illinois you have to have your car pass an inspection ever couple years.... its roughly $900 to fix the problem so you can keep your car legal to drive.. I did about a year with just hitting the odometer when I filled up then keeping track of fuel by miles driven, but once they hook up the meter, your car fails. What really sucks is the new part is only covered for 12,000 miles. I love my m45, but my next car will not be Nissan Kinda sad when a guy that sits at a desk all day can walk into the service deparment and describe the problem exactly and the cure, the cluster, the sender unit, what the meter is going to read, etc, and they say "we will check it out" as if they dont know that WE know....Then call ya later to say , thats exactly it....surprise..bend over $900....

either that or i will get a new m with my $900 back after final negotiations, and and additional $900 for playing stupid.. They Know...Its just cheaper to crap on the customers who buy your expensive product

It seems as if i have the same problem w/ my 03m45. Shoulda came here first before the dealer sold me the sending unit saying that would fix it..... it didnt, and now they seem puzzled. With my past dealership experiences, I havent been impressed to say the least. They act like im the only guy in the world w/ this problem and thier only advice is to bring it in an let us have another shot at it. yeah, okay!

2003 M4571,000 miles

Fuel gauge has been acting screwy. Shows full or half when it is really empty. Ran out of gas. Very frustrating.

Anyone getting this fixed free without an extended warranty? Is Parkway Infiniti in Valencia, CA sympathetic to this problem?

Thanks fo any help.

I had mine happen at 30k. At first they changed the sending unit. That didn't fix it. They finally changed the cluster. That fixed it.

I would think that this would fall into emissions since it is fuel related. Others have printed out this thread and took it to the dealer and they have replaced it for free.

It should be a recall item, I don't know why Nissan acts like it isn't a problem.

I purchased my 2003 M45 used from a private party at around 90K. After running out of gas when it said I had a full tank I realized I had a problem. I took to my mechanic that specializes in Infiniti's. It was going to be more than I wanted to pay to fix. I just started setting the mileage and would always fill up.

Last month the engine check light came on at 102K. I took back to my mechanic and he said it was the fuel sensor needing to be fixed. I have not idea why it took over 18 months to come on. My birthday is in January so I had to have my emissions done. I failed due to fuel level sensor circuit low input. I cannot afford to get this fixed. I also cannot afford not having an updated tag.

I called the dealer twice after explaining problem with no call back. I called Infiniti customer service and was told there was nothing they could do.

Any suggestions? Cheap place to buy part? What exactly needs to be purchased?

'03 M4585k now55k when it happened, ran out of gas while the gauge was at 1/4 tank... the gauge is now stuck and reads full..

I've had the gas gauge problem for a while now, ive been getting by by filling up every 300 miles but im sick of it. I also need to get my car through inspection but it wont pass with the service engine soon light on. So i was wondering if anyone who has had this repaired and also had the SES light on, did the SES light go away when the cluster was repaired.

On another note: I have to get all four brakes done and my slip light and my vdc light are all on (i know, my dash is like a christmas tree) how much for a full brake job at the dealer

nmgoodthing wrote:I had mine happen at 30k. At first they changed the sending unit. That didn't fix it. They finally changed the cluster. That fixed it.

I would think that this would fall into emissions since it is fuel related. Others have printed out this thread and took it to the dealer and they have replaced it for free.

It should be a recall item, I don't know why Nissan acts like it isn't a problem.

With the troubles that Toyota is facing you think that Infiniti would want be a little more accommodating across the board to promote brand loyalty.

Infiniti is no different from any other company.An infiniti dealer here in LA didn't properly complete our airbag light recall from Aug09, but stated it was done per service invoice. I had to go to another dealer to have it completed. Corporate stated it was a minor mistake, but they would not be saying that if I was in a crash and my airbag didn't deploy. They are out to make a profit.

Send a complaint!

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

LaCapitalRue wrote:
With the troubles that Toyota is facing you think that Infiniti would want be a little more accommodating across the board to promote brand loyalty.

RSheriff wrote:I purchased my 2003 M45 used from a private party at around 90K. After running out of gas when it said I had a full tank I realized I had a problem. I took to my mechanic that specializes in Infiniti's. It was going to be more than I wanted to pay to fix. I just started setting the mileage and would always fill up.

Last month the engine check light came on at 102K. I took back to my mechanic and he said it was the fuel sensor needing to be fixed. I have not idea why it took over 18 months to come on. My birthday is in January so I had to have my emissions done. I failed due to fuel level sensor circuit low input. I cannot afford to get this fixed. I also cannot afford not having an updated tag.

I called the dealer twice after explaining problem with no call back. I called Infiniti customer service and was told there was nothing they could do.

Any suggestions? Cheap place to buy part? What exactly needs to be purchased?

The fuel level sensor going out is different from the gauge error problem - although I am not sure if this is a specific fix for you. The sensor can probably be found for a lot less cost at the Everything Infiniti web site (link is in my sig on first post on this page), and replaceable by your repair person. This will not fix the gauge read error problem though. However, if it is what is causing the CEL, then that issue should go away.

Z

Nissan just recalled some Nissan models for having a similar issue with the fuel gauge showing full when empty. I'm surprised that the Nissan's have the recall but not the Infiniti's.

Late today, Nissan Motor (NSANY), Japan's third-biggest car maker, said it will recall about 540,000 vehicles worldwide due to potential defects in brake pedal pins and fuel-gauge components, mostly in the United States.

Nissan said five models from 2008 to 2010, including the Titan truck and Armada SUV, would be recalled due to the risk of the brake pedal pins partially disengaging, causing a loss of normal braking ability.

This recall will involve 179,000 cars in the U.S. and 25,800 in other regions, a Nissan statement said. There have been three reported cases of this braking problem.

Nissan also announced plans to recall 419,000 cars in the U.S. and 53,000 in other regions for a separate problem with the fuel gauge, which at higher mileage levels can fail to accurately indicate how much fuel is left in the tank.

The gauge problem involve six models from the 2005 to 2008 model years, including the Titan, Armada and the Infiniti QX56.

General Motors announced a recall of 1.3 million vehicles due to failing power-steering motors allegedly responsible for 14 crashes.

The recall, which involves the 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt; 2007-10 Pontiac G5; 2005-06 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-06 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico.

GM said it has received 1,100 complaints of loss of power steering, including 14 complaints of crashes and one injury.

Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles because of acceleration problems.

It covers the twin within Infiniti. I filed another complaint with the NHTSA. They said they never received my signed document. There are no complaints on the NHTSA website regarding fuel gauge issues for the 2004 M45. I didn't check the 2003 M45.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 10V074MAKE / MODEL YEARS :

INFINITI / 2005-2009NISSAN / 2005-2009SUBJECT : INSTRUMENT PANEL FUEL GAUGE

mahmudb wrote:Nissan just recalled some Nissan models for having a similar issue with the fuel gauge showing full when empty. I'm surprised that the Nissan's have the recall but not the Infiniti's.

It is critically important for everyone that has experienced this problem to document this at the NHTSA website. This will put the heat on Nissan/Infiniti to address the broader scope of problem that we all know exists.

We must document ALL occurences of the fuel gauge and CEL issues and this will result in either an official or an unofficial recall/fix.

The Toyota recalls have really gotten the attention of Nissan.

Link : http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

Mine just started acting up last month...

03 M4546k miles

rwinchester wrote:It is critically important for everyone that has experienced this problem to document this at the NHTSA website. This will put the heat on Nissan/Infiniti to address the broader scope of problem that we all know exists.

We must document ALL occurences of the fuel gauge and CEL issues and this will result in either an official or an unofficial recall/fix.

The Toyota recalls have really gotten the attention of Nissan.

Link : http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

I just left the dealership with every NICO entry printed out as well as the complaints listed on the NHTSA website. All I got to show for it was a kick in the pants and direction to take it up with Infiniti Corp.

Rwinchester is ABSOLUTELY right.

Corporate is tailoring its response based on dealer history but most importantly on the number of complaints listed on the NHTSA webite.

We must post our fuel gauge issues on the NHTSA website for our voices to be heard. With Nissan's 540000 recall partly involving fuel gauge issues in media, now is the perfect time. Post up - Guys!

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/02/news/ec ... alls/[URL]http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/02/news/ec ... an_recalls[/URL]/

yes everyone, file a report so our voices can be heard. M45s definitely has a gas gauge problem and should be recalled.

please file report to NHTSA. very easy just call. We have to have our complaints on file for Nissan to listen.

please file a report to NHTSA so our voices will be heard. Easy phone call and they will take your VIn # down and nissan will be notified of the complaints.

When I see this thread re-surface I get sick. Infiniti needs to do what is right and recall this part! I dont have the issue in my car but I called and emailed Infiniti Corp to add to the list. Good luck guys.

As of 3/27/10, I have submitted my fuel gauge claim to NHTSA. Don't know how long it takes to get in their database, but it's done. AND ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE THIS PROBLEM, GET OFF YOUR REARS AND SUBMIT YOUR COMPLAINT VIA PHONE OR ONLINE! It only takes a few minutes, just have your VIN number with you (located on most insurance cards, if you have a hard time locating in your car). Get it done! With all the Toyota controversy, now is the right time to express yourself of why you shouldn't pay $1000+ or for some, get reimbursed for this repair. Infiniti knows it is a widespread problem, now we have to inform NHTSA: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/c...s.cfm

Thank you LaCapitalRue for starting this important thread!

carolynn34 wrote:I just took my 04 M45 to infiniti Lisle also. They didn't really want to admit that it's a known problem. Only have 68,000 and just got off warranty. I'm so disgusted with Infiniti right now. They denied my claim- case by case basis was their response. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER INFINITI AGAIN. Me too replaced a Lexus and never had problems with that car. I will tell everyone I can not to buy an Infinit. GARBAGE!

INFINITI of Lisle is no help either.

Carolynn and Napervegas:

I had posted on here back in 2007/2008 when this problem first started happening and my 2003 M45 was will within my Elite Extended Warranty. I'm now at 91k and out of that particular warranty. I purchased the car from Infiniti of Lisle, and had it serviced there a few times... on two separate occasions they diagnosed it as a Fuel Sender unit problem, however both times said I needed to replace my battery before I could replace it... I told them to put a temp battery in, test it again, and just replace it under warranty. (they were trying to charge over $300 for the OEM battery - I have a whatever the highest end battery at AutoZone was, under $100 installed, even with the $20 tip I gave the kid that put it in!) Both times they refused. They also said it would take a full week to replace it. I live in Peoria, IL which is about a 180 mi door to door trip for me, so I'm hesitant to bring the car back to them. I need to get the airbag recall fixed, but I'd like to try and coordinate something with the gauge cluster/sending unit fix as well (assuming I can get it for free).

Anyway, have either of you had any experience with the dealer in Orland Park? It's about equidistant for me, so I'd like to try and get this taken care of at some point. I may even try and swing a loaner under the recall issue, but I highly doubt that will happen. I wish they had just fixed the damn thing when it was in warranty instead of making up excuse after excuse.

I have not had any dealings with Infinity of Orland Park. I refuse to give any infinity dealers any of my business.. Please report any problems to NTHS to document infinity's problem and prompt them to recall gas gauge problem.

Carolynn

carolynn34 wrote:I have not had any dealings with Infinity of Orland Park. I refuse to give any infinity dealers any of my business.. Please report any problems to NTHS to document infinity's problem and prompt them to recall gas gauge problem.

Carolynn

Is there any indication as to whether or not there is a specific component that is failing? I've seen some people say it's the gauge cluster, some the fuel sending unit (as in my case) some the ECM... I've had the ECM replaced in my vehicle before (there's a post on here somewhere about it - my windows were just randomly rolling themselves up and down and all the lights were flashing on and off... very annoying and spooky) so I'm relatively sure that's a new'ish component... chances are if this was a known issue to Infiniti there would already be a recall... however there doesn't appear to be any service bulletins or anything already out there.

Well, good news!

I took my '03 M45 in to my local dealer to have the airbag recall service performed and had them diagnose the fuel gauge problem, too. It was the instrument cluster -- workorder called it Meter Assy Combination Assy. I called Infiniti Consumer Affairs and they spent two days considering it and decided to cover it 100%.

My car has 74,000 miles and is not covered by any warranty. Keep calling the Consumer Affairs and find out why they cover some, but not all! Good luck!

All I know is that my gas gage reads full all the time. When I took it for diagnostic test, the dealer says it'sthe cluster assembly which cost almost $1K to fix. That's when I googled the problem and found this site. It is a rampant problem not just with the 03/04 Ms. Qx56 has just been recalled for this same problem and other nissan cars which I'm sure share the same cluster assembly as our Ms. For some reason, Infiniti won't recall this on our cars until they've had many complaints that's why it's important for everyone to file a complaint to get them to recall.

rwinchester wrote:Well, good news!

I took my '03 M45 in to my local dealer to have the airbag recall service performed and had them diagnose the fuel gauge problem, too. It was the instrument cluster -- workorder called it Meter Assy Combination Assy. I called Infiniti Consumer Affairs and they spent two days considering it and decided to cover it 100%.

My car has 74,000 miles and is not covered by any warranty. Keep calling the Consumer Affairs and find out why they cover some, but not all! Good luck!

finally, results! Keep calling Infiniti Consumer Affairs and be heard