Hey all! New G37x (sedan) owner here! First-time Nissan/Infiniti product. Have been tinkering with all kinds of different cars my whole life. I've owned modified (sometimes heavily) Hondas, BMWs, Jeeps, Subarus, Fords etc. While I'm not a stranger to car modifications, I am very much a stranger to this G37 platform. I have been "out of the game" for the past 2-3 years, only living vicariously through friends' project cars. I finally needed to buy another car recently and stumbled upon the G series and VQ series engines. I am sort of surprised I had no idea this was much of a platform (or had much of an aftermarket). I just came from a Cadillac CTS (non-V) and I am pleasantly surprised with this Infiniti/Nissan aftermarket!



So, I have a few initial questions I was hoping my new Infiniti owner friends would have the answers to In no particular order:

• My car is 2010 with just under 120k miles. Anything to specifically be aware of with these cars, outside of normal maintenance stuff? i.e. fairly sure I'll need new shocks soon FWIW.
• Best initial (or initial few) "bang for the buck" mods? Bolt-ons before an ECU tune, or ECU tune before bolt-ons? I know cars vary in what they respond to over factory settings. So what's the G37's biggest bottleneck if you will?
• Short vs long air intakes… not that I'm scared to take the bumper off and install one of these brand-name $600 cold air intake systems (with the filter behind the grill in the front), but if the short ram intake systems can be purchased for half that cost, is it really worth double to get the longer intakes? I know the air will be cooler and arguably more "forced" than just sucking from the engine bay, but every car/engine is different. Many cars don't see any benefit to aftermarket intake systems. It seems the G37x however is not one of them.
• Exhaust: worth just replacing the factory catted "downpipes" with straight non-catted pipes? Or better to save up and do headers/full exhaust system altogether?
• Best ECU tuning options? Does it seem "Ecutek" is maybe the best? It doesn't seem as plug and play as say, a Cobb Accessport that comes preloaded with OTS maps for different mods. It looks like I have to purchase it specially from someone local and then work with them on tuning?
• Aftermarket suspension upgrades: I'm having trouble finding much outside of upgraded sway bars and control arms and camber/caster adjustment bits. Are there no good coil overs or just some decent Bilstein shock upgrades out there? Or Eibach or H&R springs?
• Anything I should do to ensure transmission strength and longevity? i.e. upgraded valve body?
• Suggestions on spark plugs, or just stick with OEM? i.e. stock heat range and gap size etc or is there anything better out there? Staying normally aspirated for the foreseeable future…
• BRAKES: sadly I realize my non -X model doesn't have the larger wheels and rotors and calipers from the factory. Can you simply swap a G37x-S front brakes onto a regular G37x? Or will the stock 17" wheels on the regular G37x not accommodate the larger calipers from the G37x-S?
• BODY PARTS!? Maybe a weird question, but where are some good sources for like replacement interior trim pieces or exterior engine splash shield or fender liner pieces? For example, a site like rockauto(.com) has pretty much everything you could order parts-wise for your car mechanically speaking, but not "cosmetic" i.e. body panels, plastic trim pieces, clips, etc.

Alright, those are all my questions for now. If there's anyone who can answer even a handful of these, I'd greatly appreciate it! And in the meantime, I'll get to browsing different threads on this forum and see what knowledge I can gain



Thanks in advance

 

Rear sway bar. It is very small in the X sedans and it is the best bang for buck upgrade. Grab one from a coupe (some on the market place right now in this forum).

 

Hey man thanks for the reply! I did notice the rear sway bar looks pretty tiny by comparison. Are you saying the OEM stock rear sway bar on the coupes not only fits our sedan (AWD) but is also thicker and a popular upgrade? If so, I wonder what the coupe guys are "upgrading" to lol

 

It is thicker, it will fit (with proper bushings sent with from other party), it will help your car level out more and be smoother through corners, it is a very popular upgrade for us X sedans, it is cheaper than those people that want matching aftermarket (hotchkis) sway bars front and back.

 

Here: https://www.myg37.com/forums/private...om-2013-a.html

Mike is a Moderator, good guy, fair price.

Or go for broke and just buy Hotchkis new. Either way, upgrade your sways.

 

• My car is 2010 with just under 120k miles. Anything to specifically be aware of with these cars, outside of normal maintenance stuff? i.e. fairly sure I'll need new shocks soon FWIW.

Not to sure where to start as the sedan x is not a platform I'm familiar with but do know the engine
One on the main things to look for would be a oil gallery gasket failure. Not sure if yours has been replaced but buying a oil pressure gauge would give you some piece of mind in catching problems early.

• Best initial (or initial few) "bang for the buck" mods? Bolt-ons before an ECU tune, or ECU tune before bolt-ons? I know cars vary in what they respond to over factory settings. So what's the G37's biggest bottleneck if you will?

biggest bottle neck is the cat's.

• Short vs long air intakes… not that I'm scared to take the bumper off and install one of these brand-name $600 cold air intake systems (with the filter behind the grill in the front), but if the short ram intake systems can be purchased for half that cost, is it really worth double to get the longer intakes? I know the air will be cooler and arguably more "forced" than just sucking from the engine bay, but every car/engine is different. Many cars don't see any benefit to aftermarket intake systems. It seems the G37x however is not one of them.

long tube will always be better .the intake system that is comes with is not a bad design. Some silicon tubes and drop in high flow filter will go along way.plus dont have to worry about driving it in the rain.

• Exhaust: worth just replacing the factory catted "downpipes" with straight non-catted pipes? Or better to save up and do headers/full exhaust system altogether?

exhaust system is always going to be subjective according to your sound preference.I know the X model is known for clearance issues with aftermarket headers. I know the 2013 14 header design changed on this engines and you may be better sourcing one off a newer model ,up to you.

• Best ECU tuning options? Does it seem "Ecutek" is maybe the best? It doesn't seem as plug and play as say, a Cobb Accessport that comes preloaded with OTS maps for different mods. It looks like I have to purchase it specially from someone local and then work with them on tuning?

ECUTEK or Uprev would be your options
ECUTEK is best for boosted
Uprev for NA. But they both have different features.
My preference is ECUTEK

• Suggestions on spark plugs, or just stick with OEM? i.e. stock heat range and gap size etc or is there anything better out there? Staying normally aspirated for the foreseeable future

stay oem on plugs. best option

• BODY PARTS!? Maybe a weird question, but where are some good sources for like replacement interior trim pieces or exterior engine splash shield or fender liner pieces? For example, a site like rockauto(.com) has pretty much everything you could order parts-wise for your car mechanically speaking, but not "cosmetic" i.e. body panels, plastic trim pieces, clips, etc.

Check out Z1 motorsports. There is alot more options just search around with are vq specific not a general auto store

Welcome to the platform .

 

Things to look out for
-Wheel bearings are known to go bad on these cars. Keep an open ear for rumbling and other road noise when driving slow, fast, making turns, etc

- 2010- so there's the chance your galley gaskets will eventually start leaking. You can always get an oil pressure test to see what PSI your oil's at, I believe 19 PSI is where it should be at idle but others have said that they've come across leaking gaskets even at 19 PSI

- heater hose coupler is made of cheap plastic, has popped on people and left them stranded. Preventative maintenance is swapping this out for an upgraded one, I believe Z1 has some

Best bang for your buck mods
-Performance wise, the biggest bottleneck is the stock exhaust. Get a catback exhaust if you want to eliminate this.

- Second comes the stock cats, go with some RHFC to eliminate that stock cat restriction or go with some test pipes if you don't mind the smell of raw fuel/dealing with emissions. Test pipes will require a tune, otherwise a check engine light will appear.
If you want the best sound/performance, for test pipes get motordyne art pipes, they sound amazing. For the RHFC- Fast intentions. For the catback exhaust, get a motordyne exhaust. These are pretty much the best sounding/performing options you have, but will cost a pretty penny. There are much cheaper options that will give similar performance numbers but the sound won't compare. Check out some videos and see what you think.

-Skip the cold air intakes. Absolute waste of money. Maybe you'll get 5HP at best, MAYBE- allocate those funds to buying an exhaust instead (Where real power is made)


Tuning
Software will depend on the tuner
But the most popular remote tuners are Seb from Specialty Z, and Admin Tuning

Suspension
I don't have much to offer other than getting hotchki sway bars, people claim it's one of the best mods you can get
Lowering springs- Swift springs

Exterior mods
Go with the OEM front sport lip and the OEM trunk spoiler. These will make you car stand out and make it look sporty rather than just a regular sedan. Combine that with some 19" g37s coupe wheels and some lowering springs, you'll be rolling in style

https://parts.infinitiusa.com/ <~ This site helps you find OEM parts from dealers and you can browse through local dealer prices by inputting your zip code. Select different dealers and see which have the best pricing. Saves a lot of money and stress of having to check multiple dealer website. You can also order out of state if there's dealers out there with better pricing. The site is great for finding that sport lip (Chin spoiler they call it) and the trunk spoiler)

 

There are two OEM front lips... one designed for the Sport Package bumper, and one for the non-Sport bumper.

And it's GALLERY gasket.

Otherwise, good advice, SwiftKit.

 

• My car is 2010 with just under 120k miles. Anything to specifically be aware of with these cars, outside of normal maintenance stuff? i.e. fairly sure I'll need new shocks soon FWIW.
• A: Oil GALLERY gasket is the main thing but it is usually a hit or miss on these cars. As for your shocks, we are limited on choices but I would recommend KYB that is what I have been running for almost a year and a half. No issues or leaks. You can pick them up from RockAuto for the low.
• Best initial (or initial few) "bang for the buck" mods? Bolt-ons before an ECU tune, or ECU tune before bolt-ons? I know cars vary in what they respond to over factory settings. So what's the G37's biggest bottleneck if you will?
• A: Like others mentions the rear sway bar. I got a Megan racing rear sway bar and it makes a pretty big difference and handles really well.
• Short vs long air intakes… not that I'm scared to take the bumper off and install one of these brand-name $600 cold air intake systems (with the filter behind the grill in the front), but if the short ram intake systems can be purchased for half that cost, is it really worth double to get the longer intakes? I know the air will be cooler and arguably more "forced" than just sucking from the engine bay, but every car/engine is different. Many cars don't see any benefit to aftermarket intake systems. It seems the G37x however is not one of them.
• A: Or, you can go the route of doing K&N air filter drop-ins that is what I have and made a pretty big difference. The short rams just suck in hot air all the time and tuners do not like tuning cars with it. Or, go with long tube air intakes which will make a bit more gain than the K&N air filter drop-in.
• Exhaust: worth just replacing the factory catted "downpipes" with straight non-catted pipes? Or better to save up and do headers/full exhaust system altogether?
• A: Yes you can do test pipes which will give you the most HP, or you can do ISR long tube headers which makes a bit more HP. The main restriction is the exhaust especially the y-pipe.
• Best ECU tuning options? Does it seem "Ecutek" is maybe the best? It doesn't seem as plug and play as say, a Cobb Accessport that comes preloaded with OTS maps for different mods. Does it look like I have to purchase it especially from someone local and then work with them on tuning?
• A: The tuning is mainly done on Ecutek since it allows more control of engine components, and allows it to do more variable things. Yes, you can either have a reputable shop dyno tune it, or you will have to get it etuned. I did etune, basically, the tuner tells you to do pulls to a certain RPM and you data log it on your phone or laptop. You then save the files and email them to the tuner. He will make changes then send you a new file which you upload and repeat the process. It is a long process for etune.
• Aftermarket suspension upgrades: I'm having trouble finding much outside of upgraded sway bars and control arms and camber/caster adjustment bits. Are there no good coil overs or just some decent Bilstein shock upgrades out there? Or Eibach or H&R springs?
• A: You can do a combination of KYB shocks and struts and lower it on Swift lowering springs. The Swift lowering spring is the only one that has an equal drop. Or, coilovers such as BC racing
• Anything I should do to ensure transmission strength and longevity? i.e. upgraded valve body?
• A: Just perform a drain and fill. There is a form on here that explains the whole process on how to accomplish it.
• Suggestions on spark plugs, or just stick with OEM? i.e. stock heat range and gap size etc or is there anything better out there? Staying normally aspirated for the foreseeable future…
• A: Yes, stick to OEM and get them from local auto stores or RockAuto. Do not purchase any from eBay as many of them are fake.
• BRAKES: sadly I realize my non -X model doesn't have the larger wheels and rotors and calipers from the factory. Can you simply swap a G37x-S front brakes onto a regular G37x? Or will the stock 17" wheels on the regular G37x not accommodate the larger calipers from the G37x-S?
• A: You will need to upgrade the wheels as it will not fit, and there is forms on how to accomplish this also.

 

Welp, car might a complete total now I don't know. I changed out a bunch of the engine bay bolts with some "dress up" like gold-colored bolts I had laying around in the garage. It drove fine. I took it to the dealer to replace the steering wheel clock spring (unrelated), and it drove fine there. They fixed the steering wheel and called me to say it was ready to come pick up. Then called me back 5 min later saying "Oh now we have bad news, the car won't start. Those engine bay bolts, some were the electrical ground bolts and because they failed, all these sensors like your camshaft position sensor, your ignition coil packs, and probably your ECM too all are completely fried. It's gonna cost you $$$$$$$$$$.

WTF. isn't that what fuses are for? To prevent an overload of current/voltage and NOT fry everything else on your car??

UGH.

Stealership suggested trying to file an insurance claim. I mean I know they cover "stupidity" i.e. when someone puts diesel in a gas car or vice versa or whatever for example. We shall see

 

I highly doubt that is what it is.

 

I know you sent me a DM, thanks! But for the public, what do you think the issue is? Like, it ran fine when I drove it TO the dealership. They said it only started acting up after they took it through their little customary car wash or whatever...

 

Its difficult to say but it can be several issues. Since it's still at the dealership it may be hard to work on. I would look around your passenger side floor board for water around any of your electronics.more than likely something got wet from the car wash since it was running fine before that. I would hold them responsible for the damages as it was something that you hadn't requested.

 

Blaming dress-up bolts... that seems lame. Really, really lame. Sorry this is happening to you. G'luck.

 

Thanks, man. Yeah, I called the service advisor back and tried to grill him a little more, now that I've been thinking about this longer... I brought up how I drove it there fine and did not ask for a car wash. He is giving me the, "Hey no we're being 10000000% upfront and honest with you and the fact of the matter is the issue was definitely those bolts......"

Thanks also man - the more I hear from other experienced, knowledgeable guys saying it's lame makes me really question things. I even called the other Infiniti dealer in town and spoke arbitrarily (didn't tell him another Infiniti dealer was the one telling me this) about the issues and that service advisor said something to the effect of, "Yeah something doesn't sound right with that story" and "I mean, a bolt is a bolt, what's the problem?"

I think I'll go make a separate thread on this, see if I can't get some further members' input! When I pressed the stealership back on how I'm questioning how all of this was truly caused by engine dress up bolts.... their response was something like, "Well yeah you see those bolts have some kind of like coating or plastic on them and it's not conducting electricity because the factory OEM bolt is supposed to complete the circuit, therefore, those bolts are the culprit...."

I thought that was what fuses were for, to prevent all kinds of electrical system shortages or "being fried". I mean, how did my ignition coil packs, CPS, ECM, etc all just get destroyed because I put a few stupid cute-looking dress-up bolts in place of the factory bolts on the chassis/engine ground?