pixel8r

You keep telling us that the gauge does not work! LOL That makes a pretty crap gauge to me. My factory guage also stops working - but its intermittent. As far as I know it may not be the guage thats faulty. When we say its faulty we dont mean that it gives a slightly faulty reading. Its either working or it isn't (ie. it just sits on full negative boost - when it sits on anything else, including zero - then it is definitely working). So yes you can trust the factory guage - mine is exactly the same - reads 0.8 bar. Also, to touch on what was discussed earlier - I believe the 14psi limit was "discovered" on the rb's so not sure if the same applies to the vq25det. The limit isn't actually the pressure, its the heat. The ceramic can only take a certain amount of heat. Not sure if pressure relates exactly to heat or whether other factors would be involved as well? ie. on a different engine/configuration the same pressure may generate more heat or it may generate less?? Another thing is that when you're measuring boost on the dyno, where are you reading the boost pressure from? Are you measuring manifold pressure or turbo boost pressure? The RB's had a nipple on the side of the motor specifically for reading the boost level, but as far as I know the VQ doesn't have one. I believe the boost reading may be higher or lower depending on where you're reading it from. Or I could be talking utter crap... ?? However I think the boost level we're interested in is the same one that the factory guage is reporting - which is 11.6psi. Note that the boost sensor on the VQ25DET is located just before the throttle body - not sure if thats where the factory guage is reading it from though - I presume this sensor provides the boost level to the ecu primarily but maybe it is also connected to the boost guage in the cabin?

Are you SURE? My M35 RS4 is 100% stock, haven't touched the car mechanically except servicing and I changed the stereo. According to the factory guage its maxxing out at ~0.8bar which is under 12psi. That sounds more likely. I've never heard of any Nissan coming out of the factory with more than 12psi except for the new gtr. and even the aussie version of that runs 12psi. You may have a modified exhaust/turbo or intake?? Maybe pressure is being leaked somewhere, causing the wastegate to stay closed longer? It is a ceramic turbo - so it seems very unlikely Nissan would design the car running higher boost than the turbo can handle. And we all know that ~14psi is the physical limit of the ceramic turbo.

thats 7 kw right there... lol

I realise I've come across all green and environmentally friendly. Its not that I care for the environment more than the next guy. I was really just putting it out there - is it really worth doing vs the consequences/bigger picture....? Just a question to get people thinking - nothing more. I'm all for mods that achieve a big improvement - and I agree that the emission laws currently suck, as do most laws surrounding car modification. I was just voicing how I personally feel about the issue - thinking aloud more or less - which is why I said "discuss"

This isn't directed at you Iain, just generally about the cat vs no cat thing. I've read a lot of comments on here regarding removing the cat... I see everyone's point on this as far as your car's performance is concerned, but the reason the cat is there is to lower the pollution that cars put into the atmosphere. Is it really a good price to pay just to have our cars 0.1% faster? (and louder). I do understand that cats are apparently only efficient for a small part of their life, but at least on principle, I think the reason the law states you need to have a cat installed is for responsible reasons. Its not some evil plot to slow our cars down! Its to protect the environment. I'm normally not even close to being a greenie, but I dont see the point in purposefully contributing to pollution just for a tiny personal gain. Thats my take on it. Feel free to discuss.

Yeah I actually cleaned the AFM as well - but i've done that on its own before and it never fixed the problem - however it probably helped in its own way. My car does now idle at 650 on the dot when its warm, but when cold its slightly higher - around 800-900rpm. When I turn the car on when its cold, it initially revs at 1500rpm now before settling down to around 800rpm. Weird. I thought the idle air learning would fix that but it seems not. Not sure if its a problem - like I said it drops to 800rpm quickly and then as it warms up that drops further to 650. After that its all fine, car is driving like new!! Yes I'm excited - this problem has been annoying me since I got the car.

No mine was done by a business here in brisbane. I've been warned once for speaking my mind on here so I really dont want to comment too much. Its really nothing more than misundertanding and miscommunication that turned ugly. I have no complaints about the quality of the work that was carried out. I dont feel that I got my money's worth but I dont know enough about what was done to offer a fair and balanced comment. Its just hard parting with so much money when you cant visibly see what its paying for (I physically saw, touched and sat in the car BEFORE compliance). Had I bought the car from a local dealer it wouldn't have mattered, but I know what I paid for the car in Japan, and I paid more for compliance (incl all parts, tyres etc) than I did for the car itself. But yes generally speaking I do feel that compliance companies charge an enormous amount of money for what _appears_ to be a simple job that any mechanic could do in a day or two. Obviously there is a lot of organisational headache that goes on behind the scenes as well, on top of the mechanical work - and I believe this is why they charge so much.

Nah didn't touch those. Didn't get that far into it. They're due to be changed soon anyway, 100,000km service coming up possibly end of this year. I'm gonna assume they weren't changed during compliance and get them done then.

My car has done 96500km now. The idle/stalling issue was the only problem I was finding with it...so now it should be running like new!! I was suspecting wheel bearings earlier but that turned out to be really extreme tyre noise. Never buy FIRENZA ST08's!! They were great for about 2 months then they start to get real noisy (due to really fine ripples in the tread pattern - makes a noise very much like those "audible lines" on the sides of the road out in country areas - except its all the time and not quite that loud). I've said a lot of nasty things about my M35 - I now take it all back. Its a fantastic car - much better than my last stagea! There I said it

Here's all of the diagnostic procedures I'm aware of for the ECU (there's more for the A/T too) - its all in the V35/G35 manual which I'm sure you have a copy of - its available on the net otherwise if anyone wants a copy just pm me (I'll need an email address - its a ~60MB download so you'll at least need broadband internet). The G35 is sold in america so its all in english (phew). Accelerator Pedal Released Position Learning Description: Accelerator Pedal Released Position Learning is an operation to learn the fully released position of the accelerator pedal by monitoring the accelerator pedal position sensor output signal. It must be performed each time harness connector of accelerator pedal position sensor or ECM is disconnected. Operation Procedure: 1. Make sure that accelerator pedal is fully released. 2. Turn ignition switch ON and wait at least 2 seconds. 3. Turn ignition switch OFF and wait at least 10 seconds. 4. Turn ignition switch ON and wait at least 2 seconds. 5. Turn ignition switch OFF and wait at least 10 seconds. Throttle Valve Closed Position Learning Description: Throttle Valve Closed Position Learning is an operation to learn the fully closed position of the throttle valve by monitoring the throttle position sensor output signal. It must be performed each time harness connector of electric throttle control actuator or ECM is disconnected. Operation Procedure: 1. Make sure that accelerator pedal is fully released. 2. Turn ignition switch ON. 3. Turn ignition switch OFF and wait at least 10 seconds. Make sure that throttle valve moves during above 10 seconds by confirming the operating sound. (EDIT: if you lift the bonnet and try this while you're outside the car - you'll hear a sort of click/scrape sound coming from the throttle body - it does this sound pretty much every time you turn the car off -you probably just never noticed before). Idle Air Volume Learning Description: Idle Air Volume Learning is an operation to learn the idle air volume that keeps each engine within the specific range. It must be performed each time electric throttle control actuator or ECM is replaced, or if idle speed or ignition timing is out of specification. Preparation: Before performing Idle Air Volume Learning, make sure that all of the following conditions are satisfied. Learning will be cancelled if any of the following conditions are missed for even a moment. - Battery voltage: More than 12.9V (At idle) - Engine coolant temperature: 70 - 100 Degrees C (158 – 212 Degrees F) - PNP switch: ON (Park/Neutral Position Safety Switch - AT only, MT fully depress clutch) - Electric load switch: OFF (Air conditioner, rear window defogger, headlamps. Note: on vehicles equipped with daytime light systems, if the parking brake is applied before the engine is started, the headlamps will not be illuminated.) - Steering wheel: Neutral (Straight-ahead position) - Vehicle speed: Stopped - Transmission: Warmed-up (For A/T models, drive vehicle for 10 minutes.) Operation Procedure: 1. Perform "Accelerator Pedal Released Position Learning" 2. Perform "Throttle Valve Closed Position Learning" 3. Start engine and warm it up to normal operating temperature. - (EDIT: THIS IS IMPORTANT - i've tried it when the car is cold and it will likely adjust the idle incorrectly so that when the car warms up it will idle too low). 4. Check that all items listed under the topic PREPARATION (previously mentioned) are in good order. 5. Turn ignition switch OFF and wait at least 10 seconds. 6. Confirm that accelerator pedal is fully released, turn ignition switch ON and wait 3 seconds. 7. Repeat the following procedure quickly five times within 5 seconds: 7a. Fully depress the accelerator pedal. 7b. Fully release the accelerator pedal. 8. Wait 7 seconds, fully depress the accelerator pedal and keep it for approx. 20 seconds until the MIL stops blinking and turned ON. 9. Fully release the accelerator pedal within 3 seconds after the MIL turned ON. 10. Start engine and let it idle. 11. Wait 20 seconds. 12. Rev up the engine two or three times and make sure that idle speed and ignition timing are within the specifications: Idle speed A/T: 650rpm, + or - 50 rpm (in P or N position) Idle speed M/T: 650rpm, + or - 50 rpm (in N position) Ignition timing A/T: 15 Degrees BTDC, + or – 5 Degrees BTDC (in P or N position) Ignition timing M/T: 15 Degrees BTDC, + or – 5 Degrees BTDC (in N position) 13. If idle speed and ignition timing are not within the specification, Idle Air Volume Learning will not be carried out successfully. If idle speed and ignition timing are within the specification and Idle Air Volume Learning cannot be performed successfully, find the cause of the incident by referring to the following Diagnostic Procedure: 1. Check that throttle valve is fully closed. 2. Check PCV valve operation. 3. Check that downstream of throttle valve is free from air leakage. 4. When the above three items check out OK, engine component parts and their installation condition are questionable. 5. If any of the following conditions occur after the engine has started, eliminate the cause of the incident and perform Idle Air Volume Learning all over again: - Engine stalls. - Erroneous idle.

Yeah I'd go something pretty close to the oil Nissan use. Funny enough, last time mine was serviced by Nissan they used Castrol Edge Sport if I remember correctly. Cant remember where I put the receipt so not sure what viscosity etc. Is genuine nissan oil fully synthetic? if not, then maybe thats why they used castrol...?

I think I found the problem. Here's some pics of the Throttle Body: Front Back You can see even on the Front side the ring of black thats built up. On the Back its quite evident there is a LOT of build-up. So much that it was blocking the intake off completely, and maybe stopping the throttle from moving freely from/to the closed position. I believe this was also contributing to some lag and also the occasional sudden jolt when moving off from a standing start. Anyway so I cleaned it all up - sorry I didn't take any AFTER shots - would've been a good comparison though - basically it turns out the inside of the pipe is actually grey/silver - who would've thought? I also cleaned the inside of the other pipe (the part that the TB attaches to - is that part of the plenum?) so hopefully it'll be a while before it returns to the state it was in...at least I know how its all done now - although it didn't take long to do. I cleaned the AFM as well, gave it a thorough squirt with contact cleaner and left it to dry while I did all the above stuff... Checked the BOV - nothing unusual there - all good. Then I did all the diagnostic stuff again, accelerator pedal position, throttle closed position, and also idle air volume learning. As an aside - obviously the idle air learning works - because when i turned the car on for the first time after it was all back together, it was revving at like 1500rpm!! Thats how much difference cleaning the TB makes! All that was needed then was a good cruise round the block for about 10 minutes to get it all properly warmed up, then do the diag stuff all over again - i've got it all memorised by now... This time it didn't stall on the idle air learning procedure - it just started up at 1500rpm and slowly dropped the revs until it hit exactly 650rpm and then stayed there. The manual says to rev it a couple of times and make sure the revs drop back to the same spot - which they did, no spluttering at all! On one occasion as I was cruising around it idled at 600rpm but never below that. A couple of slight taps on the accelerator and no problems at all. Before if it was idling and I just tapped the accelerator lightly, the revs would go up then drop out and nearly stall. Looks like its problem solved. You guys are the best! I think it was like the 2nd suggestion and zei's reply was like 2 minutes after I posted.

I'll try the AFM first and will see what happens. I might also check the BOV since this may be blocked up - which I believe would cause the same issue? Thanks heaps for the help guys, its given me some things to try.

Last time I had it in at Nissan they told me their consult software wouldn't talk to it. Whats the bet they were using Consult-I - which is what the s1 & s2 stageas use. When I went there they were expecting a s2 and they've worked on s1/s2's before. Is it possible they didn't click that VQ engine means Consult-II? I believe the M35 should use the same as all 2001 or later Nissans? But again, I've checked the ecu fault codes via the manual diagnostic procedure, and it definitely flashes up the code 0000 via the engine light on the dash. I've checked this several times over the last few months, including right after its stalled. Still the same. zei - I have cleaned the AFM several months ago - might pay to do it again? I only used metho last time (as its the only non-residual cleaner i had) but I might try some electrical contact cleaner on it. How is the best way to go about cleaning the Throttle Body? I had the intake pipes off just recently and its mostly clean but there is a small layer of black around the edge of the throttle. I dont think its spark plugs because its fine at high rpms etc. wouldn't it start to misfire if there was issues with plugs? Also a CAS fault would show up on the ecu fault readout for sure wouldn't it? Some other theories I have are that maybe the AAC/IAC valve (whats it called? the bit that lets air through when the throttle is closed, so that it can idle) is blocked up a bit and not letting enough air through? OR since it seems to be temperature related, maybe its some kind of temperature sensor? or maybe its just the fact that hot air is less dense so if its already not getting enough air, the hotter the air the more it struggles?? At this point I'm interested in anything I can do - like cleaning stuff, spraying contact cleaner on any connectors, checking any sensors with a multimeter? or things along those lines. If I cant solve it this way, then I'll need to book it in to Nissan.

Hi, My M35 has been having idle problems for about the last 3-4 months. I've narrowed it down to a fairly specific case - and I can verify this almost every time now. It generally idles at 500rpm - has done since I got the car (oct 2008). Occasionally it will idle at 650rpm as it should, but I find this is mostly when its cold. Once it warms up, the idle revs drop to 500rpm. It actually idles very smooth at 500rpm most of the time, so I haven't worried too much about it. However, if I rev it just a tiny bit then take my foot off the accelerator again straight away, it will splutter before coming back up to 500rpm. Sometimes it doesn't recover and just stalls at this point. If I'm rolling along slowly and release the accelerator, and then turn the steering wheel, the extra load from the steering is usually enough to stall it. However it is not an issue with steering, because it will still splutter even when its stopped and/or when the steering is at the centre (ie. straight ahead). Some other things about it: * ONLY happens when the engine is warm. Seems more likely when the weather is hot too. * Only happens when idling or revving below say 600rpm. When travelling anywhere over say 10-20km/h or with any pressure on the accelerator - it wont stall. To my way of thinking it must be airflow related - ie. the engine being starved of air at the moment the throttle closes - (or almost closes?). I've performed the Accelerator position learning, throttle closed position learning, and idle air volume learning and all seem ok except for the idle air volume one. Either it stalls straight away, or otherwise it pretends nothing is wrong but still insists on idling at 500rpm. Doesn't seem to be "learning" anything. very stubborn!! No ecu fault codes come up when I check this either - its always 0000. Any ideas? Anything I can check?

hmm didn't know that - interesting. Either way the subaru system still would not be computer controlled to the degree our nissans are, allowing the torque split to vary anywhere from ~95% rear to 50-50 depending on circumstances. As I understand it (and I could be wrong), the wrx's and evo's have only a couple of preset torque split settings, that are mostly handled mechanically. As for the AWD vs RWD thing, cars that are RWD only are a tad lighter - which in my opinion is the ONLY benefit to RWD. There are other benefits, slightly quicker, lower fuel consumption - but these are due to the weight difference also. If you were to compare a RWD and AWD stagea with the same weight (ie. remove the front tailshaft on the AWD), the AWD is quicker down the 1/4 mile. Something to do with the AWD launch compared to RWD. Also the more power the car has, the more this swings even more in favour of AWD... However the above was only done by someone on here with a s1 or s2. Not sure if the same holds true for the M35. I agree getting an M35 off the line quickly is no easy task. Not sure if its just gearing or if the torque converter bogs down or what...

are you sure about that? in the older stageas (s1 & s2) most of the models (including my last stagea) were RS4V but they definitely didn't have 4WS. I was sure my M35 was a 'V' as well (I could be wrong) - and it doesn't have 4WS.

The ATTESA system used in the GTR and Stageas is mostly all the same - but with tweaks here and there to suit the vehicle and its intended use. I think mechanically it is more or less the same and the way it works is also more or less the same, but the AWD computer will be set up differently to suit the car. And yes it is true the system will read many different inputs (100x per second) - throttle position, ABS sensors (to determine lost traction), and longitudinal and latitudinal g-force sensors, to determine the weight-shift of the car, sideways and front-back g-forces etc and basically the rule is: If ANY wheelspin (or POTENTIAL for wheelspin) is detected at any wheel, the system will direct torque away from that wheel. The torque split is completely variable - from up to ~95% rear to about 50% front 50% rear - or it can be anywhere in between - as the computer sees necessary. Its one of the most advanced AWD systems in the world, and works extremely well. It is however not designed for heavy offroad use or situations where you are in AWD constantly (ie. all day). The 4x4 Nissans do still use a form of ATTESA but they also feature the usual 4WD diffs etc to support 4WD mode. On stageas and GTR's the system relies on clutch packs which will wear out if used all the time. Its more like a backup system to ensure maximum traction on the road - and it is more than capable of achieving this. My favourite thing about ATTESA is that its RWD most of the time, so you get the fuel economy/drivetrain losses of a RWD car (in theory) when just cruising around, but the safety and traction of AWD when you need it. In my opinion its much better than full time AWD systems like mitsubishi and subaru, however those systems have their advantages as well (just that those advantages usually manifest themselves on a rally circuit, not on the road).

Speak to Tangles (on here) about the bush bearing option. He had one on his s1 stagea (from Sliding Performance) for quite some time. I believe he has now upgraded the turbo once again, but if I'm not mistaken the bush bearing one was happily running 18psi and made over 200awkw. He may be able to offer some insight, and possibly a comparison if his latest turbo is BB.

Yeah I think opening it up and helping it breathe with a pod/exhaust etc will help it run better etc, and definitely will increase power, but yeah its hard to say if it would help much with fuel economy without any tuning. You may well get fuel economy benefits purely because there's less pressure and therefore everything is more efficient...but any gains here would be nothing compared to what you'd see if it was tuned properly. With my last stagea I managed about 2-3L/100km better fuel economy just in tuning alone. Some of that was due to advanced ignition timing, which makes me wonder if the same can be done even with just the stock ecu. The SAFC I had also helped to reduce fuel usage by smoothing out the air/fuel ratios and keeping them from running too rich. Has anyone tried adjusting the base ignition timing on a dyno? is there enough safety margin to increase it a little even without mods? I've been tempted to do this but in the back of my mind I just know that any saving in fuel it might bring would be wiped out by the cost of the dyno session...

Hmmm, not to judge what anyone else has done, but if my turbo dies I will be going for something as close to the stock turbo as possible. I got a GT3071R (? i think - it was a GT30 anyway) installed on my last stagea and whilst it did spool up nice and strong etc, and performed very well, it simply started spooling too late in the revs due to the larger size. I switched the turbo while I still had the stock exhaust and it was painful (as expected). I then got a 3" turbo-back exhaust fitted and that really opened it up, but then it needed tuning. Once I got the SAFC put on and tuned, it was doing much better. But to cut a long story short, it started to boost up around 2500rpm which for me is way too high. Others may find this acceptable, and I put up with it for a while, because after about 2800rpm it started to pull real hard and by 3800rpm it was hitting max boost. Driving around normally though, the revs tend to sit between 1800 and 2500rpm which meant I was basically driving a non-turbo car which just sucked. I know I could've improved it with better tuning but it all just meant pouring more money into a car that would'nt have needed it if I'd just gone with a smaller turbo upfront. I'd just much rather have a car that was responsive at low revs than a car that pulled 6G's at 5000rpm. I believe for a road car - that 500rpm difference in spool up is critical, because its exactly the difference between a car thats got get-up and one that feels sluggish to get anywhere. The M35 is spooling nicely even as low as 2000rpm. If I was to replace the turbo or just the internals I'd try to keep that the same. Maybe with a better boost controller I could improve the spoolup time too - that'd be great. These cars rely on the turbo for the torque to overcome the weight, so the sooner you can be on boost the better. On hot days, the problem gets even worse, especially if you use air-con as well. Just some fuel for thought I guess, another perspective. I went down the modification road with my last stagea, and it was fun, but my M35 is not going down that path. I want to keep it fairly stock, mainly to save money, but also since it will be a family wagon and personally I think that limits the practicality of any performance mods. The wife and baby just wouldn't be impressed. spoilsports I know... btw, the stock turbo on all skylines and stageas is BB. People may complain about the ceramic since it is prone to shattering around 14psi, but it is there to reduce weight....and for that it works well. I know with the RB's when everything was left stock, the turbo should last a long time (but there are always exceptions).

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to convince some people (not anyone on here) that the computer is the reason it runs rich, and pushing more air in just makes the computer dump more fuel in. Maybe on old cars before ecu's more airflow = leaner fuel mix but modern cars seem to be too "smart" for that. The standard fuel map means that it will keep getting richer and richer until eventually it'll switch to whats known as R&R (Rich and Retard) mapping, making your car run very sluggish - its a failsafe measure to stop it running lean. Also, I believe there is some sort of boost/fuel cut if you go crazy on boost - there definitely is on the RB25's, not sure about VQ's. Happened to me just running 12psi on my last stagea, nearly sends you through the windscreen cos you're at full throttle & max acceleration when it happens. On the RB25's tuning was as simple as a piggyback ecu to modify the airflow meter signal to the ecu - therefore tricking it into thinking there was less air coming in than there actually was, and therefore you'd get less fuel. I'm talking about the Apexi SAFC (and SAFC-II and SAFC-NEO). Unfortunately these dont appear to work too well on the M35 - seems the latest cars are too smart yet again and we need to go further to tune them. As for making it run lean without changing the ecu - well, pretty much it aint gonna run lean until you're sucking in more air than the injectors/fuel pump can cope with (ie. they cant supply the necessary amount of fuel to match) - but the ecu will have limits built in that will cut in before this can happen anyway (see R&R mapping above - or search this forum for R&R). Pretty much the only way to improve the air/fuel ratios is by messing with the ecu in some way. I'd be glad to be proven wrong though...

This is true. I was assuming that my 14.5L/100km doing maximum 15 min trips (a good 3-5 mins of which is running cold) would be much worse than what would be considered average fuel consumption for a M35. Either way, 21L/100km is far too high even for an ARX. The factory figures put it at only a couple L/100km higher than the RS/RX models dont they? I'd check the O2 sensor first, then maybe look into tuning?

You really shouldn't be getting more than 15L/100km unless you're like redlining it everywhere... I drive about 15 mins each way to work each day and I get about 14.5L/100km due to the short trips. If I do a few longer weekend drives in there that drops to around 11-12L/100km because it loves the open road when you hold it in 5th gear. But the short trips to work really mess up the fuel economy. I'd aim for around 14L/100km (ie. around 500km on 70L) - if you're not getting at least 15L/100km even in stop-start traffic, then I'd say there's a problem. But first I'd work it out manually (as others mentioned above) to make sure its not just your iphone app giving you dodgy numbers.

The M35 has an extra ~9cm gap between the rear and front seats which makes quite a difference both for passenger legroom and also the baby capsule. I have a baby on the way (due any day now actually!!) and have had the baby seat in (facing the rear) behind the front passenger seat. Fits perfectly and there's still plenty of room in the front. My brother who has the same brand of baby seat had no extra room when fitting his in his ford falcon wagon so i think the amount of space in the M35 is fairly standard as wagons go. We found the middle seat would not support the baby seat in the rearward facing direction because the seat belt strap was too long where the buckle is so it couldn't tie it down enough. Either side is fine though and the strap reached the roof mounting point just fine. Had it checked by the ambulance people and certified and all so the stagea can definitely do it. Our baby seat is a "safe n sound" brand for those interested - i think this brand is one of the longest baby seats when in the rear-facing position. Having owned a s2 stagea before, I do feel it would be a much tighter fit in those, although maybe the middle seat would've worked better in the s1 & s2?