New 2003 M45 Owner

[HolySh*t]

Hello All,

I am the proud owner of a 2003 M45 w/ 24K miles. It is white with wheat interior. One thing that I miss so far about my previous car is the radio staying on after the key is removed until one of the doors are opened. I also hate the trunk thing that so many of you have talked about. I have not been able to catch it in time yet. I have to take the key out, walk to the trunk then press the button but I don't care. My previous cars don't compare to this. This is really a step up for me. The only things I see in the future for this car is tint and I know so many people will hate this, Vogue Tyres. The mayo and mustard, lol, people are gonna hate me.

Anyhow here are some photos. Enjoy!

[diomedesbc]

Nice car! I'm set on buying one and am actively looking. Its harder to find one up here in Canada though. I think I'm going with Silver.

[CakeDaddy]

Congrats on the ride. I klove white. What are vogue tires? I notice you have the faded shift knob. I had the same issue and that drove me crazy, so I got a replacement from Infiniti for $190! ouch, but I had to do it. They say its from all the lotion, gel, colounge(sp), etc.... My original knob was turning green and had hair line cracks, so it had to go

before and after pics

[szh]

Welcome to NICO! And congratulations on the purchase.

I am the proud owner of a 2003 M45 w/ 24K miles. It is white with wheat interior. One thing that I miss so far about my previous car is the radio staying on after the key is removed until one of the doors are opened.

An interesting option for sure ...

I also hate the trunk thing that so many of you have talked about. I have not been able to catch it in time yet. I have to take the key out, walk to the trunk then press the button but I don't care.

This can be taken care. First, there is a TSB that the dealer can use to replace a part that occasionally causes problems. Second, if the problem are the struts, they can be replaced under warranty. Mine were done recently, and the problem went away completely. Third solution, you could install the full trunk openers available at Burtman Industries ... http://www.burtmanindustries.com (specifically, this item: http://www.burtmanindustries.c...k_kit)

Vogue Tyres.

Uhhh ... I'll bite ... what are Vogue Tires?

Z

[HolySh*t]

$190. WOW! It doesnt really bother me so $190 might not be worth it. I noticed it but just thought thats hwo they came. I saw that on every Infiniti I looked at.

The picture below shows what Vogue Tyres are. They have the yellow and white stripe on the tire (mayo and mustard). I always thought these tires looked good on pearl white cars. Since my car has pearl in it, that is the first thing I thought of. I would like to exchange my wheels for a set of factory chrome wheels. I have seen wheels like mine but chrome. What is the official Infiniti color of my car? Is it Pear White, Mother of Pearl?

After doing some reading I may not get it because the speed rating is low for this car. I probably never will go above 85 but you never know.

I will be going to the dealer this Saturday so I will speak to them about the trunk and the key that I have that won't start the car but locks and unlocks it.

One more question. Is the factory alarm a fake or is it active? If someone breaks into it will it go off?

[cremecreme]

Vogue Tires..that would be interesting to see on a M45....they remind me of a old man's car...not that there is nothing wrong with being an old man...but you know what i am saying....As for the shift knob you can get them on Ebay for about $60 on up sometimes i see them. Another option is the Black leather one and i think there is one from the Q but i am not sure?? But welcome and i think the White M really has that look of luxury to it...sometimes i wish i would have had the wheat interior with my Emerald Green M....Then it could have been lemon lime

[szh]

What is the official Infiniti color of my car? Is it Pear White, Mother of Pearl?

It is called "Ivory Pearl". A deep metallic white pearl look that is quite awesome, IMHO!

The picture below shows what Vogue Tyres are. They have the yellow and white stripe on the tire (mayo and mustard). I always thought these tires looked good on pearl white cars.

After doing some reading I may not get it because the speed rating is low for this car. I probably never will go above 85 but you never know.

Uh ... I would vote for safety above looks any time - no ifs and buts about that! If the load index and speed rating are not correct for a M45, then please do not get those tires! Not driving over 85mph is not the issue ... it is the internal construction differences that are not designed for large, powerful cars, and those tires will probably get damaged internally on an M45, and then fail at lower than 85 mph speeds too!

One more question. Is the factory alarm a fake or is it active? If someone breaks into it will it go off?

Totally real alarm, afaik! Try locking the car, with the window down, reach in and open the door using the inside handle and see what happens! What led you to believe that it might not be a real alarm?

Z

[HolySh*t]

Uh ... I would vote for safety above looks any time - no ifs and buts about that! If the load index and speed rating are not correct for a M45, then please do not get those tires!

Z

Below are the ratings for the Vogue Tyre I was planning on buying.

UTQG Tread Rating: 500UTQG Traction Rating: AUTQG Temperature Rating: B

235/50R18 101H

It looks like the Vogue Tyre has a load weight of 1819LBS and has a max speed of 106. Who will ever do 106 in the states? What does the H mean behind the 101? It seems that I may still be able to get them. Szhosain(or anyone else), what do you think? Am I understanding these ratings correctly?

Totally real alarm, afaik! Try locking the car, with the window down, reach in and open the door using the inside handle and see what happens! What led you to believe that it might not be a real alarm? Z

LOL. Yes, it is real. Wish it was a bit louder though. It went off about 20-25 yards away from my closed kitchen window and my brother did not hear it. But it's fine. Just enough to let them know not to touch.

[CakeDaddy]

Who will ever do 106 in the states?

LOL remember this is a 335HP car with 333lbs of torque. I've hit 90-100mph just going on to an express way. Its that easy sometimes. The white walls might look sexy on that white pony.

That 1819 load index is per wheel, sotime it by 4 and... 7276 is fine. This car is 3851lbs, so you should be good. No reputable tire shop will install tires if they don't meet the requirements.

Q- Up to 100mphR- Up to 106mphS- Up to 112mphT- Up to 118mph U- Up to 124mphH- Up to 130mphV- Up to 149mph W- Up to 168mphY- Up to 186mph Z- 149mph and

my source:http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoSidewall.dos

Modified by CakeDaddy at 5:47 AM 3/21/2007

[HolySh*t]

LOL remember this is a 335HP car with 333lbs of torque. I've hit 90-100mph just going on to an express way. Its that easy sometimes. The white walls might look sexy on that white pony.

Modified by CakeDaddy at 5:47 AM 3/21/2007[/QUOTE]

OOOPS... I have been telling everyone 340. Oh Well.

[CakeDaddy]

my bad it is 340

[auditech10]

Those tires are well within spec. The speed rating isnt what stock is but the load index is higher than stock. Fire away and give us a pic when your done

[szh]

Below are the ratings for the Vogue Tyre I was planning on buying.

UTQG Tread Rating: 500UTQG Traction Rating: AUTQG Temperature Rating: B

235/50R18 101H

It looks like the Vogue Tyre has a load weight of 1819LBS and has a max speed of 106.

The 101 load index is excellent! Anything over 94 (i.e., 95 or better) will be good. Note that not all tire manufacturers are as conservative as Michelin in doing these ratings, so getting a high number (indeed higher than 98 from other mftrs) is good!

Too high makes the side-walls pretty stiff and may make for a harsh ride. But the aspect ratio of 235/50 gives you a bit more sidewall than stock (at 235/45), so it will compensate a bit for the increased stiffness of the tire.

The H after the 101 is the speed rating. So, this means that the tire is decently strong. This is the minimum speed rating I would get for the M35/45, by the way - a V, W, Y or Z would be best. Anything less than H is likely to have trade-offs in the internal design that would be undesirable over time!

The lower temperature rating is also an indicator of reduced capability ... usually, a traction A temperature A tire or an AA A tire will be better. But, a A B is good enough for most people too.

The high tread rating of 500 makes for a less sticky tire. Yes, it will last longer than other Vogue tires with lower numbers (this number cannot be compared to other manufacturer tread ratings), but you need to be careful about leaving the tires on the car too long anyway!

A tire that is more than 5 years old from the manufacturing date (stamped on the side of every tire sold in the US) is not safe to use, regardless of the tread that is left! Replace them as soon.

Corollary: do not buy a new tire where the date of manufacture is more than 1 year old. Ask your current vendor for the date code and make sure of this when you get the tires! Tires start "deteriorating" from exposure to oxygen, right from the date of manufacture and, over time, it gets bad enough to be dangerous.

Who will ever do 106 in the states?

Easily! Even though, really, the tire is an H rated at 130mph!

On some roads, it is easy to momentarily exceed 100mph without even realizing it - entering a highway for example. The M was built for high-speed performance - I have driven my M45 at over 120 to 125mph, without any feeling of danger or concern about the car's handling at high speeds. Use tires in excellent condition (no patches or repairs), properly balanced and correct pressure when driving that fast!

The speed rating is a measure of the internal construction strength of the tire when they are brand new. The speed rating degrades over miles (not reported!) and can lead to internal failure that are invisible from the outside. Then, even lower speeds may cause tire failure!

Speed ratings and load index are also automatically downgraded (not reported either) if you repair a flat, for example with an internal patch. Never drive a patched/repaired tire at anywhere close to the speed rating of the tire ... stay below 100mph in that case.

Also, always remember to use correct tire pressure - measure bi-weekly (and top up) with a good tire pressure gauge! Excessive flexing of the side-walls leads to heat build-up and premature failures of tires. The load index of the tire drops with lower tire pressure. What may be okay at 36psi (the measured point) may be too low at a lower pressure for a given car.

This is the reason behind the SUV and "exploding" Firestone tires problem ... caused by inattentive owners driving heavy vehicles at highway speeds on under-inflated tires. The weight of the vehicle exceeded the load index, heat built up due to the side-wall flexing, and the tires failed catastrophically.

Z

[lfj2025]

http://www.rims-n-tires.com/rt_specs.jsp

check this site out, it's the best I've seen for checking tire and wheel fit.