New G35 sedan owner with a laundry list of questions!

[p..milnes]

Ahem.

Hi there.

I just bought a 2004 G35 L sedan with 29k miles. Holy cow do I love it. I thought that I wanted an Acura TL, but there is no dealer within 150 miles of my home, and I couldn't find a used one for sale locally. This was for sale at a local lot, and I decided to drive it. I don't have to tell you that I fell in love instantly. 2004 with leather, sat radio, premium package, trunk mat, full-spare package. All maintenance records - perfect condition. $24,000. By the way, I DID drive a brand new Acura TL yesterday to put my mind at rest that I made the right decision, and I DID. The TL was not nearly as fast... and there were other things that I didn't like - not to mention that the new 04' and later TL's are bringing such a premium price right now that there are absolutely no deals on them at all.

Now I have some questions - and YES I DID SEARCH on the forum for these first:

1. Did I do okay on the car/price? Please be honest.

2. Can I buy an oil filter anywhere - or does it need something special? I plan on doing the majority of the maintenance myself on this car. Anything I should know?

3. Can the factory CD player - 6cd changer play mp3's?

4. I have heard that the xenon headlights on this car are stolen frequently. Is there a mod - or anything that I can do to prevent this?

5. What is an 'active headrest' ?

6. Can I put XM Satellite on it? It has Sirius now... not sure how long the existing subscription will last.

7. Can I add factory navigation? I read that it is a huge pain, but I am VERY mechanically inclined... and I cannot buy another one (wife)... so can it be done, is there a link, anyone know where I can buy the unit, etc?

8. How do I fix the annoying problem with all the brake dust on my wheels? I clean them, and after just a little bit of driving, it's there again. Seems to be a lot worse than other cars that I have owned in the past... if I replace with ceramic brakes will that help?

9. Does it have or can I add an 1/8" input for an MP3/player? (NOT an Ipod - I actually have a Garmin Ique nav unit that I am using - it has a headphone jack and can play MP3's.)

10. Any recalls that are important enough that I may need to take it to a dealer? (none within 75 miles believe it or not)

11. I would like to do the 30k maintenance my self... so this may lead to a couple of questions like...

11a Do I need to use Nissan ATF? 11b Nissan coolant? 11c Where do I get the in-cabin microfilter? Dealer only?11d Replace radiator cap? Why is this? I have never heard of this before.11e Where do I get te climate-controlled seat filter? Dealer only?

12. What is the size of the subwoofer on the Bose system? I'm not USUALLY a Bose fan - but they seem to have done a pretty outstanding job with this factory radio!

I am sure that I will have more later - but I put as many as I could think of right now.

THANKS!

Paul

[joe603]

Wow! Quite the list of questions...First off, welcome to Nico! Always nice to see another fellow G35. You may have better luck using the search feature for some of your questions. I'll try and answer a few for ya.

1. The price looks decent, though I have a coupe, I did notice a few sedans in the 26-28k range. 2. I use NAPA gold filters with royal purple oil (10W-40). Some people swear by other brands though...its a matter of preference, but there is no need to buy a "nissan" filter. 5. The active headrest is used in a rear collision; it will actually move forward to help lessen the impact. 12. The factory Bose system uses 5.25 midbass speakers for the "bass". Though most of the lower range will come from the 6x9's in the rear deck. Most of us, including myself, HATE the factory set-up and replace it. But if you like it, then that's more to love about the car.

For the other questions you'd be better off buying a service manual. There's a few on ebay that come in PDF format. I have it, and it goes into detail on EVERYTHING.

[jtesensky]

Here's the rest:

3. Can the factory CD player - 6cd changer play mp3's? - No, they didn't add this feature until MY05.

4. I have heard that the xenon headlights on this car are stolen frequently. Is there a mod - or anything that I can do to prevent this? - Try torque bit headed screws to replace the current mounting screws at the top where the fender meets the headlamp.

6. Can I put XM Satellite on it? It has Sirius now... not sure how long the existing subscription will last. - Yes, but you will have to purchase a new XM tuner & antenna.

7. Can I add factory navigation? I read that it is a huge pain, but I am VERY mechanically inclined... and I cannot buy another one (wife)... so can it be done, is there a link, anyone know where I can buy the unit, etc? - Never seen factory Nav added, it would be a huge undertaking & lots of $$$

8. How do I fix the annoying problem with all the brake dust on my wheels? I clean them, and after just a little bit of driving, it's there again. Seems to be a lot worse than other cars that I have owned in the past... if I replace with ceramic brakes will that help? - Purchase new brake pads, part number D1060-2Y991. You can also use a product called Wheel Wax, works great. You can get both here from my site:

http://www.everythingg35.com

9. Does it have or can I add an 1/8" input for an MP3/player? (NOT an Ipod - I actually have a Garmin Ique nav unit that I am using - it has a headphone jack and can play MP3's.) - Try a I-PAC adapter, Google "I-PAC Adapter" and see what comes up, I know they make a kit for that.

10. Any recalls that are important enough that I may need to take it to a dealer? (none within 75 miles believe it or not) - Check if you are in the VIN range for the fuel line recall (don't freak out...)

11a Do I need to use Nissan ATF? - Yes11b Nissan coolant? - No11c Where do I get the in-cabin microfilter? Dealer only? - No, but a good idea11d Replace radiator cap? Why is this? I have never heard of this before. - Precautionary on higher compression engines.11e Where do I get te climate-controlled seat filter? Dealer only? - Yes

Hope this helps...!

[rydwhite]

Welcome to NICO.

Great questions and it looks like you got all of the answers.

I have not heard of the headlights being stolen frequently. Actually, I have only heard of one instance and in that case they took the wheels too. I wouldn't worry too much about it. I doubt that Elkhart has a high headlight theft rate.

[p..milnes]

I doubt that Elkhart has a high headlight theft rate.

Hey there,

Actually, I live in Elkhart but drive to Chicago twice a week.

[p..milnes]

8. How do I fix the annoying problem with all the brake dust on my wheels? I clean them, and after just a little bit of driving, it's there again. Seems to be a lot worse than other cars that I have owned in the past... if I replace with ceramic brakes will that help? - Purchase new brake pads, part number D1060-2Y991. You can also use a product called Wheel Wax, works great. You can get both here from my site:

http://www.everythingg35.com

Thanks for the replies. I can't get that part number to come up on your site. I search for it, nothing. I tried to look under pads, and I can't find it there either.

Got a direct link?

Thanks!

[Amarao]

I was under the impression that our cars didn't need a 30k maintenance?

[rydwhite]

I was under the impression that our cars didn't need a 30k maintenance?

While it isn't required, it is recommended.