Maintenance checkup prices asap

[TDot]

Wipers $45
The wipers seem like a decent price and I remember I liked how dry the wipers got the windows, but I don't know the going rate for "good" wipers.

Alignment $99
I can get it done by the people who did my wheels for $60.

Transmission flush serv $229
I hear horror stories as a result of this.

Brake fluid serv $105
Seems like a waste.

Coolant flush serv $159
I can get a hose and a couple gallons of coolant and do this myself, seems like a waste.

Cabin filter with clean serv $219
I can replace this myself, but I don't know what the "service" is.

Opinions please.

[wingFeather]

Wipers $9 total (if Rockauto still has there sale going)

LIFETIME Alignment $160 (if Discount Tire still has it going)

Transmission flush serv ($130 at an independent JDM specialist) I woudln't trust a dealer!!!

Brake fluid serv $50 for fluid and a one-man-bleeder device

Coolant flush serv $20 in your driveway...

Cabin filter with clean serv $30 in your driveway... ($15 for filter, $15 for a can of foaming duct cleaner)

---------------------------

Doing the work yourself, and seeing firsthand how well engineered Nissans are = priceless

[TDot]

I agree with all you state. I already told them not to touch anything. I'm on hold with discount tires right now.

Do you really thing brake fluid flush is necessary? Everyone I've spoken to says no. Also, I hear more negative results for transmission flush than positive when a car never ha issues to begin with.

This is the foam cleaner im looking to get, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002Z ... er=&sr=1-1 any recommendations?

[cruzad3r]

anyone have a good place to buy the OEM wiper filler? I don't want the whole arm, just the filler?

also any recommendation as to where to buy OEM plugs? Thanks

[wingFeather]

I like renew brake fluid every 5 years. Call me crazy, but the stuff absorbs water and can rust your caliper pistons stuck.

As for "flushing" the transmission, I would avoid that. Sorry for the confusion earlier - I was thinking about a fluid exchange... NOT a flush.

As for the air conditioning cleaners, they seem to all be about the same (even the ones the dealerships use). They are all a gamble. I had success with Klima Klean, but the smell would return unless I ran the fan (no AC) for a minute every time I parked to clear out the excess humidity. I do this on every car I own/owned... European cars are the worst for getting smelly AC & nothing seems to work (not even Lysol).

[Boonies]

Some thoughts:
Brake flush is really a good idea. As stated, brake fluid absorbs water and the moisture in the system will not only damage the components, but more importantly water will boil and evaporate under pressure and with the heat generated by brake systems. True that this is an extreme case, but it really is worth doing and at a good independent shop it doesn't cost much.

I just had the trans flushed by my independent, they use a system that uses the transmission pump to circulate the fluid and replace it with fresh. Make sure you use the Nissan/infiniti fluid though.

Easy enough to change your cabin filter yourself. It will make a difference on any smells (mold) in the ducts. If you have some nasty odors from cigarette smoke or....then there are ion generators that do a great job. I bought a car for my son and we borrowed one to remove smoke smell and it worked well. You don't need to perform that service unless you have some really bad problems in the ducts...

[TXT]

I smoke in my car but then again I always have the A/C on with fresh air coming from outside and not the "Re Circulate" method. This way, fresh air is always running through the AC and the cig smoke never gets introduced and circulated through the vents. Also, I find that at the time I am smoking, blowing outside air only to the feet forces the smoke out the windows. I did this in my old car for 8 years and it never smelled of cigs.

Regular cleaning of the interior also helps in any build of of smoke that may hit the windshield or headliner.

anyways.....

[Larz]

My Infiniti dealer wanted nearly $300 for a transmission fluid flush / fill and $130 for the rear diff. I mean actually flushing, not just a drain and refill of trans fluid - over $400 total. They told me only THEY have the proper transmission fluid.
The mechanic shop where I get my 68 fleetwood serviced charged me about $250 for BOTH the trans flush / fill ... AND the rear differential fluid exchange. No matter how rich/ not rich you are, when you can safely save $150 on a maintenance item, you do it. But you have to go to a shop you trust and they MUST have the machine that performs this procedure. My mechanic told me the trans fluid was pretty clean and free of debri. My car has nearly 80k miles and since I bought it used, no idea if this was ever done before. As for using ONLY an Infiniti dealer for this service, here is what I found and it confirms exactly what my mechanic told me:

Nissan matic J is a semi synthetic JASO 1A spec ATF actually made by Castrol and sold to nissan who then puts their name on it and slaps all the dire warnings on everything in their vehicles about it but the fluid is nothing more than Castrol Transmax J which Castrol makes to work in all JASO 1A spec Japanese autos.

http://www.tds.castrol.com.au/pdf/2701_ ... 650_03.pdf (the Castrol data sheet for Transmax J)

I had no issue with my transmission at all, but I felt that 80k miles is a good time to replace it. As for NOT doing any service if you don't have trouble with it? That just seems like a risk to me. I reckon the horror stories we read about came from peeps who didn't go to a reliable shop with good mechanics, or peeps who did it themselves and mucked it up.

BRAKE FLUID:
I'm definitely NOT a qualified mechanic, but in Europe, one of the things tested in your official inspection is brake fluid and lots of cars fail and have to get the fluid changed. According to what I've read, after 3 years, your brake fluid has enough moisture in it that its boiling point is too low to meet safety requirements. Here is an interesting article I found which promted me to have the fluid changed with my brake job.

http://www.workhorse.com/Portals/0/Why% ... %20wip.pdf

I'm interested to hear from Inifiti techs or other mechanics on the forum regarding what they think about this.

[mac1183]

I have a race only Mazda RX8 and anytime you get around a race track you hear the same thing. Be it from full race car guys or weekend warriors out with their daily drivers - swap the fluid, bleed the brakes. I swap the fluid twice a season on my RX8 and every spring on my street cars.

[svard75]

Brake fluid is extremely moisture attracting and should be flushed every 1-2 years on non-race applications (Shorter intervals for race). Eventually the moisture within glycol based DOT fluids will corrode your lines. They do have rust inhibitors, however these too deteriorate over time and have the opposite effect. I would perform this professionally.

Transmission flush is the better way to go as far as I'm concerned. Go to a reputable shop that has the low pressure fluid exchange machine to perform this maintenance. This machine basically sits in line with the transmission cooling lines and as the transmission pushes the old fluid it enters one chamber and the new fluid is pushed out at the same PSI back into the system. Performed this twice to date and no issues. I'm at 170k kms.

Wipers go for it!

Alignment go for it!

Coolant flush serv go for it. Coolant is also glycol rich and corrodes over time. Make sure they replace the rad cap at the same time. I prefer a flush because like the transmission flush they use a machine with higher PSI than the transmission exchange machine and this ensures all the coolant passages are drained properly.

Cabin filter with clean serv LOL I buy the arm and hammer baking powder filters from Canadian Tire for $25. They work better than OEM and it takes me about 5 minutes to replace. The serv is you being served a nice bat up your a**.

One additional plus is they properly dispose of the waste in an environmentally safe way. What will you do with your old fluid?

[szh]

I like renew brake fluid every 5 years. Call me crazy, but the stuff absorbs water and can rust your caliper pistons stuck.

I change my brake fluid every 2 years or 30k miles for the same reason.

As for "flushing" the transmission, I would avoid that. Sorry for the confusion earlier - I was thinking about a fluid exchange... NOT a flush.

A powered change (e.g., using the BG system) that cycles the gears as the fluid is exchanged, every 30k miles - as long as you are doing it from the get go - is a good idea for transmission longevity.

Z

[szh]

Wipers $45
The wipers seem like a decent price and I remember I liked how dry the wipers got the windows, but I don't know the going rate for "good" wipers.

I'd rather suggest: get Silblade silicone wipers from Amazon that fit your car and change them yourself. Easy to do and you will like the results!

Avoid the ones that have a single rubber piece that flexes across the length - stick with the ones that look "normal" old-style. The supposedly uniform pressure along the entire length of the other kind did not work as well for me.

Z

[szh]

Transmission flush serv $229
I hear horror stories as a result of this.

A properly done transmission fluid change (using the powered BG system) every 30k miles is recommended by me. Perhaps I would not start doing this if your mileage is past 100k though - in this case, stick with a simple drain and fill (this will only get about 40 to 60% of the fluid changed out, but better than nothing).

Of course, if the fluid color (using a coffee filter test method) is not red, or smells burnt, then you have a problem to deal with regardless!

Cabin filter with clean serv $219
I can replace this myself, but I don't know what the "service" is.

I don't know what the "serv" means either - I'd suggest getting the filter from www.everythinginfiniti.com and doing it yourself. Should be relatively painless.

Z

[szh]

the rear differential fluid exchange.

A differential fluid change is a simple DIY if you are willing to work - safely - under your car.

Simply buy enough Mobil 1 Synthetic 75W-90 Gear Oil (amount needed is in the Service Manual here at NICO - see link in my first post on any page), open the lower drain plug and upper fill plug, let all the old fluid drain out, tighten the drain plug to the correct torque, then use the fill opening to put gear oil till it just comes to the fill plug opening.

Using a small pump - easy to get at any auto shop - makes this easier by the way, since trying to tilt the gear oil bottle to get the fluid into the differential fill opening is not easy.

Do this on level ground or up on a lift. If you do use a jack, then definitely use multiple heavy-duty stands to support the car as well. No need to be killed if the lift fails for any reason. if you don't feel comfortable doing this, find a friendly local garage shop to get it done. Takes hardly any time.

Z

[TDot]

Thanks all. I was thinking of just getting refill blades. These in particular, PIAA 94060 Silicone Wiper Blade Refill, 24" (Pack of 1)
http://amzn.com/B0002Z9R5W. That and the 19". Thoughts? Will they work?

[TDot]

Just update on the wipers, siliblade uni ub124/ub119 hybrid silicone. Horrible blades from day one. I couldn't be bothered to come back and complain, but I'm bored now and looking at them in disgust. Streaks from day one. I thought maybe they just needed to break in a little or something, but I'm still seeing streaks. Don't buy these blades.

[Larz]

I use Bosch wipers from the auto part shop. They are silent and clear the windscreen perfectly. Don't remember the price but I reckon maybe $20 each. I change them every year.

Seat filters: about $35 for both sidess http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2007/i ... ilter.html

Cabin filter: about $50 at the dealer (non-carbon) and about $16 for a good carbon filter on Ebay

I had my gear box flushed once. No issues before or after. But having read much about it, I doubt I will do it again - I'll just have it drained and filled. I believe the fluid needed is Nissan Matic-J but Castrol makes it for Nissan and you can buy the Castrol branded fluid for less.

Brake fluid: This is a MUST! Brake fluid accumulates moisture and dirt over time and that reduces it's lubricating and stopping power. I have this done when I get new brakes - that way the labor is less coz they already have the brakes exposed.

Coolant flush: I had it done when I bought the car coz I had no way of knowing it was ever done done and we use air con 24/7 all year long here.

Alignment: get the 'lifetime' deal at a reputable place. It pays for itself after the 2nd alignment usually.

[szh]

Just update on the wipers, siliblade uni ub124/ub119 hybrid silicone. Horrible blades from day one. I couldn't be bothered to come back and complain, but I'm bored now and looking at them in disgust. Streaks from day one. I thought maybe they just needed to break in a little or something, but I'm still seeing streaks. Don't buy these blades.

Yeah, avoid the UNI models. The single point pressure scheme does not work well. Like I said earlier in this thread:

Avoid the ones that have a single rubber piece that flexes across the length - stick with the ones that look "normal" old-style. The supposedly uniform pressure along the entire length of the other kind did not work as well for me.

I use the more standard looking Silblade here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029 ... UTF8&psc=1

These are great - much better than the stock Nissan ones. No noise, no streaking and last a long time.

Z

[TDot]

So I bought the ones you said...not that I'm blaming you for anything lol...and they are just as good/bad as the previous ones I tried. Here are some sequential pics.








Well, on with the search.

[Minus (-)]

I would go with Valeo blades, have them on 4 cars, only blade I'll buy.
http://www.amazon.com/Valeo-900-24-1B-F ... automotive

So I bought the ones you said...not that I'm blaming you for anything lol...and they are just as good/bad as the previous ones I tried. Here are some sequential pics.



Well, on with the search.

[kmiles]

I buy Bosch Icon wipers -they're the best I've ever used. I live in the Seattle area and know a little about driving in the rain. They are absolutely quiet and wipe clean every time. I recently drove for 12 hours in the rain and had no problems. I've also become a fan of RainX - it is especially useful in heavy rain. I buy my wipers on Amazon.

[TDot]

Yeah, the icons were what I was looking at. Just going to wait until the winter is done.

[cruzad3r]

where are we getting parts now that sewell is closed?

key word is affordable OEM - thanks

[Larz]

I discovered a small puddle of rain water in my driver side rear tail lamp. I purchased a new OEM lamp from Pepe Infiniti on Ebay for about $100 less than my local Infiniti dealer quoted me. Pepe Infiniti and Circle Infiniti each have Ebay stores and I have purchased OEM parts from them in the past. Usually shipping is free and quick, and prices are significantly less than my local dealer here in Fort Lauderdale.

[TDot]

Bosch 19A/24A Icon Blades, the BEST blades I've put on this car! Not one single streak in direct sunlight. Its almost as if they were exclusively engineered for this car. I won't be buying anything else...subject to their durability which I'm hoping for at least 1 year.

[Larz]

I agree. I have using Bosch ICON blades forever. They last longer than one year, but I change them each year anyway. Always silent, never streaks. never loses contact with the windsceen.