The Max

Firstly, nitrous is the most potentially destructive of forced induction options. I've wound up with bores being eggshaped by the time the motor reached 150,000kms (started using nitrous at around the 138,000km mark). That shouldn't happen with a VG30DE at that amount of kms. I have had those same bores show microscopic fractures because of the thermal shock that nitrous introduces to a system. It's a cast iron block. Imagine doing that to an alloy block. Secondly, if you cop a roadside inspection and that bottle is physically connected to the hose, enjoy the massive fine on behalf of the EPA. It will hurt you, a lot. Those risks were worth taking in the early 2000s but times have changed. It was fun to say that I had nitrous in a Maxima once upon a time but I wouldn't go through it again for any vehicle. Thirdly, using a supercharger or turbo is a better option because of its relative consistency. Cruising speeds on the highway add a little boost depending on your configuration and that just makes efficient power readily available. A better breathing engine is simply a better engine. Basically, it's available across a wider range of your accelerator pedal, as opposed to nitrous strictly being usable at wide open throttle only. If anyone were to ask me if they should install nitrous in their street car, I would respond with a flat "no."

What software option?

Thankfully, your vehicle is old enough to be easy enough for that kind of task. I'll leave it to dudes who have done it to say what needs doing (or you can find plenty of forum threads through Google that would explain how).

Radio sucks balls anyway.

Loose heat shield?

Batteries are not rocket science. You get what fits in the space provided (I run an Optima yellow top, seven years old and still kicking on strong). Before going to the extremes of computers and whatnot, has your mechanic actually checked the wiring and relevant fuses with a proper meter? I seriously doubt it, which is why I question your mechanic's electrical knowledge. I say find a real auto electrician to work out what's going on before you spend thousands for nothing.

Go to Adrian's Auto Centre at 100 Parramatta Rd Croydon. The workshop access is in the lane behind the car dealership. He's the guy I go to when it's not something I can do in my own driveway. No, he doesn't charge dealership prices and definitely runs an honest workshop.

Your mechanic is (figuratively) a rapist. Find someone either honest or who actually knows how to fix cars with the right amount of effort and parts.

I dare say it's probably more the fact that panelbeaters prefer to deal with local sources so that they have the required local support to resolve any issues that may arise. According to my guy, when it comes to import vehicles, the dealers (such as Suttons and Parramatta Motor Group here in NSW) treat us as second class citizens. Without a friend working there (of which my acquaintance and my repairer's friend has retired), it's a tough battle to get them to be semi-helpful even with the part numbers handed to them. I deal with Partsouq for most of what I need anyway. They're cheaper and faster than the local boys but then again, what I save in cash is because of the lack of local support. For example, I bought what I thought was the replacement ashtray assembly for my vehicle with the woodgrain finish, based on the part number I found in the database pertaining to my VIN. Either the previous owner changed the trim himself, database was wrong or the guys at Partsouq needed to be told what trim it needed to be because I received a brushed aluminium one instead of woodgrain. Obviously too expensive to ship back but I can just switch the lid with my original one.

Not necessarily. Depends on the agreement you come to with the repairer. With my guy, I suggested to him that I take it back home after the assessment until he had all the bits ready to repair. He appreciated it because it freed up a space in his busy workshop and all the while, my car was safe at home.

See if a loan car is an option. I have two cars so it didn't present any problems for me.

I would leave everything in place. It's not ideal but when it happened to me, I just used some really fat cable ties to keep the bonnet tied down onto the rams as I drove over to my guy. The rams are a single-use item, so you can't compress them back down to allow the bonnet to close completely. It is what it is. If you mess with anything that has deployed, that gives the insurance an excuse to screw you over. Don't give them any ammunition for excuses. Let them see what happened and why. Leave it to your repairer to put things back to normal after that.

Definitely the same process. The modules are still Bosch, albeit perhaps somewhat different programming and/or EEPROM IC used but it wouldn't be significantly different and the Tachsoft guys seem to support a wide range of modules. If you have the hardware, it's easy to fix within the space of 30 minutes. I might reverse engineer the code in mine to see if there's a software method of switching this module off, as I think it's the biggest load of horseshit, in my opinion. Failing that, a couple of resistors and disconnecting the rams will certainly do the trick as well.

And I'm saying of course Shannons would not write it off. The repair is not expensive enough to do so. My repairer has a good relationship with Shannons but he is not preferred by them. The reason why Shannons took so long was because they had a massive backlog to get through at the time. If you don't have a repairer you know and trust, you can talk to my guy and see what he thinks. Make your own judgement from there. Cullens Smash Repairs in Auburn.

Only reason why it took so long for me was because of Shannons themselves, not my trusted panelbeater. That being said, the only thing he couldn't handle was the pop-up bonnet module, in order to erase the diagnostic code and I told him to leave it up to me instead, since I already have the necessary hardware to reset the module myself. The repair will not be expensive enough to get it written off.

Haven't had the chance to get that far yet but based on a previous situation, it seemed pretty easy to access.

What are you programming that interface into? It should just appear as a regular HID/mouse. If you're using it in a Windows environment, you will need the appropriate UPD drivers which give you the ability to tailor how it performs (as in if it's just x,y or x,y and left click simultaneously, etc). They were free up until a certain version but I'm not home yet to tell you what that version is. I'm sure I have them on file and can share them on Dropbox if need be.

Much easier than that. As the NUC output is converted to composite, it'll feed the auxiliary input of the infotainment system, as per your first sentence. As for the touch overlay, I've decided not to bother with a switch. I'm just going to permanently connect it to the USB converter for the NUC (based on Microchip's discontinued AR1100 IC).

What my plan entails at the moment is based on an Intel i7 NUC, Windows 7, Foobar 2000 for audio with a mediocre skin for touchscreen control and Mapfactor Navigator (free software with open source maps, Google coordinate searches for POIs, addresses, etc) and a Garmin 18x GPS antenna. I've gone the additional step of using a JDS Labs USB DAC for decent analogue audio output and an HDMI to composite converter that's way more expensive than a bok-choi eBay job but it's still composite, so let's see how good it'll look on our little screens. All powered with custom designed power supplies and the NUC power is intelligently managed to allow for an elegant shutdown of Windows after stopping the car, before cutting the power off from the power supplies to prevent unnecessary draining of the battery. I would've preferred a Linux OS but Mapfactor don't do a Linux version and I have not found anyone who does a GPS application as comprehensive as theirs.

Pardon me for being a wet blanket but I knew it was going to end in disappointment. Today's cars have the infotainment system so deeply and intricately embedded. Unless someone is serious about analysing each and every packet of data entering and leaving the OEM systems, they will always be piles of absolute shit. The reason why the OEM systems are faster and more reliable than aftermarket is because they use operating systems designed for embedded use. Android is not that type of system. Never will be a replacement for embedded systems such as QNX, among a few others. And with all the variances between one car model to the next, good luck finding a manufacturer who is prepared to produce software modules to cater to them all. They're designed and produced by people with only a small amount of knowledge, a desire for fast cash and with compromises, from the tablet lacking in computing horsepower, to the limited functionality of their software. I'm not saying my solution is the ultimate but with the compromises I've taken, I'm not going to run low on computing power for the GPS and I'm not losing any of my car's functionality, with the exception of taking over the touch panel of my screen, not that I ever used my touchscreen to dial my phone numbers anyway. I'll be happy to divulge the details once I've integrated it into the vehicle but I need time, which I don't have right now because I'm working overseas. No, I'm not selling anything. I'll be freely handing out all the information and you can do with it as you please if you decide to make it a project for yourself as well.

Well, since you brought it up, I'll update my post about the Bosch Icon blade I imported from the US. I haven't bothered to reverse the housings. I've left them as is and they're doing great after two years. When the time comes, screw OEM, I'm sticking with Bosch Icon.

Now take a look at your door trim and consider what is sitting halfway across the door. Those will be your possibilities, as well as something internal, like a loose screw left behind, stone that fell into the seal or even perhaps a dislodged electrical connector or harness clamp.

But if we don't know where the scratch is, it could honestly be a number of protrusions.

Pull it apart again so you can see what is lined up with the scratch. You'll then have a better idea of what it was than non-psychic me.

Second one seems to describe the vehicle correctly - import, V35, 3.5L, fuel injection. Why not call them and get it straight from the horse's mouth? That's the easiest and safest approach. If we get it wrong here, you're up shit's creek. If they get it wrong, they need to fix it for you.