pixel8r

just be thankful they didn't offer to remove this "tint" for you...they may have run into some difficulty...its known as "privacy glass" and is pretty common on European cars these days, as well as japanese estate cars (obviously). +1 on using manual mode to lock it in 5th at 100km/h (or anything over 80km/h if you're doing a long trip). Makes the throttle less sensitive so the torque converter stays locked up for longer. When in D, the torque converter unlocks at the slightest press of the throttle, meaning you are straight onto boost. Probably still a good idea to let it boost when going up steep hills etc though... Boost is the enemy of fuel economy and a look at your AFR (air/fuel ratio) graph on a dyno sheet will explain why... Interesting - I owned 2 S13 silvias before getting my first stagea. I'm now onto my second stagea and chances are it wont be my last (a PM35 would make a nice upgrade in a few years time).

I'd be interested in this too. I had great results from a SAFC2 on my series 2 stagea. For the price its a bargain (2nd hand FTW), especially if the car is otherwise standard or only lightly modded. I'm sure I read on here that the M35 ecu somehow counteracts the effects of the SAFC or something along those lines...anyone?

just searched for "button dash s" and it came up with this lot: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Wh...l=button+dash+s http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/S2...l=button+dash+s http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/St...l=button+dash+s http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/2w...l=button+dash+s http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Fr...l=button+dash+s http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Sy...l=button+dash+s This last one particularly should tell you more than you need to know.

I'd say fuel cut as well. R&R will just make the car sluggish for a while (it runs incredibly rich) and usually it doesn't revert to normal until you lift your foot. My s2 used to hit the fuel cut limit around 10-12psi with a GT30 turbo. It was sudden and pretty sharp, but then power would kick in again a moment later. As I understand it, R&R is if it detects more airflow than it thinks it can handle, and the fuel cut is when it detects an extreme case of increased airflow. I think its kind of like the ecu panicking. I'm not sure if the fuel cut is boost-level related as well. Some form of tuning should help eliminate it, otherwise just turn the boost down a bit.

There was a thread recently about this. Basically my guage does weird things all the time. Lately its been slowly dropping to 1/2 way then races down to 1/4 very quickly and then slows down again around the 1/4 mark and seems to fluctuate up and down from that point on. sometimes it jumps almost 1/4 up during a longer drive somewhere...kinda cool watching the fuel guage go the wrong way but unfortunately it obviously doesn't work that way in practise. The tank should hold 78L or so. My empty light comes on around 60-65L so yes there is still a fair bit of reserve even when the light is on.

Mate, sorry to hear about the problems with your M35. I can tell you that tyres with an aggressive tread pattern will make a noise like a whirr or "hum" like you said, and will get higher pitched the faster you go. Mine was loudest around 80km/h but still audible above engine and wind noise at 110km/h. The tyres themselves only lasted 30,000kms before getting a puncture on the left rear. They weren't bald either - I'd say they just gave up or maybe I drove over something - I dunno. But now with new non-directional Toyos on it, the quiet is awesome. I'm not saying this to rub it in, but to confirm that it will most likely get better when you next buy tyres. As I understand it, the dealer statutory warranty (5000km/3mths) should cover you for all the other stuff.

This question seems to come up a lot on here. If you do a search you'll find several posts already.... I agree with most of the replies above saying the turbo timer is unnecessary. I had one on one of the 4 turbo cars I've owned and I must say its got to be the most annoying thing I ever did and it also makes you look like a tool IMO. If you're on a public road etc its illegal to walk more than 1.5m from your car while its running, so its pretty much pointless. Not just that, but it will affect your immobiliser/alarm so your car is potentially not secure while the turbo timer is armed (depending on the setup). Mine was a pain in the neck because it messed with the central locking...which was tied into the alarm remote. Secondly, you shouldn't need to run it for more than 1 minute after you stop (unless you've literally been redlining it up your street and then instantly pull over and stop). Most of the time if you're cruising along at the speed limit the turbo will be sitting idle. Its only when your revs go above say 2000rpm that its actually doing anything, and when you're cruising at constant speed it will already be starting to cool. The reason for leaving the engine running is so that it still has oil & coolant flowing through it while it spins down and cools. These days with ball bearing turbos (incl factory one) its not as big a deal and like I said above, unless you're a leadfoot who is constantly on boost, it really is a waste of money. Even without one, it would take a lot of turning the car off while its red hot before it gets any damage. FWIW your engine also gets hot and will cool down just fine with no coolant running through it. To put everything in perspective, if your driving style is such that your turbo is always hitting near max boost all the time, I really doubt the turbo timer will save your turbo. On the other hand, if you drive like most people, only hitting boost when accelerating and then cruising at the speed limit, you shouldn't ever need to think about it.

I meant the S2 M35...(2004-2007). It comes in manual, but not with AWD.

I think some people confused the title of the thread to read "Which one do you prefer?". I also noted that a good half of this thread was something about a pot and a kettle... I'll try to answer it as factually as possible. In some things, it does depend on what you would consider to be "better". But if we go with the "more is better" theory for most stuff, then the M35 is pretty much the better car in almost every way. However, there are a few caveats. Obviously the M35 S1 does not come in manual. I believe the S2 does come in manual, but loses AWD (correct me if I'm wrong guys). The M35 also has fewer aftermarket parts available, and less EXTREME modification potential (seriously, you can get an exhaust, bigger turbo, tuning, boost controller, already has FMIC - can fit bigger one easily - how many of you actually have more than this on your C34?). Thats about it. Other than this, the M35 has: (excluding 260RS) same if not more power bucketloads more torque (at same revs) 1 extra gear in the auto bigger wheels FMIC rather than SMIC (vs all C34's including 260RS) more legroom in rear seats more boot space more interior space in general longer wheelbase better front/rear weight ratio better handling - due to above weight ratio and also engine moved back behind front wheels (advanced front midship configuration) *not sure how it compares to 260RS handling boot opens in less space, also has semi-hatch window better safety design better aerodynamics better suspension - designed specifically for wagon reduced road/wind/engine noise There's probably a whole lot more - but I just went through the list in the M35 Info sticky... The C34 S2 is a slight upgrade from the C34 S1 and has noticeably more power and torque. I'm not talking about preferences here, just the facts. I've been in a C34 S1, I owned a C34 S2 for 2 years, and have owned the M35 S1 for over 1 year. How many of you guys have owned both? They are all great cars...but there has to be a winner. If I had to choose between them, obviously I'd go with the M35. Being newer, and with newer technology etc it has its advantages. Lets face it - Nissan didn't go and make a worse stagea to replace the C34. The C34 is a fantastic car, the M35 is just better. However, there are many reasons you might prefer the C34 over the M35. Just because the M35 is better on paper doesn't mean its better FOR YOU. I can certainly say it is several notches up in terms of ride quality and refinement...but maybe you're the type of person who doesn't want a well-refined luxury wagon and would prefer the sporty appeal of the C34...or the superior raw performance of the 260RS.

ah yes, just looked it up and I agree with you. I've only seen the older version driving around here and they just look a bit odd. Not that the stagea doesn't of course...

I owned a neo (1999 stagea) for 2 years and averaged about 13L-14/100km when it was completely stock. I think you misunderstood my point - its not that it NEEDS remapping in order to run. But if you get it remapped, the benefit is huge, enough that I no longer see the point in upgrading the exhaust and not tuning the ecu. You're just not seeing the full benefit until you remap the ecu or add some form of tuning. Admittedly I had a high-flow (GT30 hybrid) turbo installed before I upgraded my exhaust but my results matched what most people on here said. Once the exhaust went on, boost went up to around 11psi, and my fuel economy suffered due to the extra performance potential (I can be a bit of a leadfoot sometimes). 11psi was also enough for it to run AFR's below 10:1 and hit R&R and fuel cut on occasion. This could've been due to the upgraded turbo though. Obviously if your driving style didn't change then your fuel economy wouldn't be affected much, but my reasoning was that most people after fitting a free-flowing exhaust will adjust their driving accordingly, resulting in more fuel usage. As you increase boost, your fuel-efficiency gets worse and worse - because the ecu tends to severely over-react by adding crazy amounts of fuel. The reason I recommended tuning is because of the result I saw after getting a SAFC installed and properly tuned. When I first had the SAFC installed it had only very mild adjustment - enough to stop it hitting R&R but not much else. Later I had it tuned by a more professional tuner and also the base timing was advanced to suit. The result was a decrease in fuel consumption from 13-14L/100km down to just 11.5-12L/100km and this was consistent from that point onwards. fair enough. Haha No. I'm actually a computer programmer. I only know bits and pieces that I've picked up off the forum combined with personal experience from having owned 2 stageas over 3+ years and other nissan imports for over 5 years before that.

hmmm, maybe I'm being picky, but the appeal of the stag goes a long way beyond the performance and looks. Despite this, the performance of the M35 isn't too bad - certainly on par or better than most of the wagons you listed as options. As for looks, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The looks of the stag do grow on you. In any case, your argument falls apart when you suggest the caldina. If you're gonna complain about looks, why pick that one? The whole reason for owning a wagon is more usable space. If you didn't need the extra boot space, there are many sedans that make more sense. Out of the list you've mentioned, only the Forester and Legnum (and maybe the liberty) would offer equivalent boot space along with the overall features. Above all, a wagon needs to be practical. Practical means different things to different people, but I think the common aspects, are boot space, comfort (incl rear leg room), reliability, ride quality, versatility, and adequate performance. Your choice seems to be geared very much towards performance. This is fair enough, if you want a sports car but just need a little extra space to cart objects around in. But for a family wagon, I would suggest that the stagea is the only one in that list that can tick all the boxes. Maybe the Forrester? I dont know much about them. I can see the sportswagon appeal in things like the WRX wagon and caldina, but just cant see the wife and kid really loving the sports suspension package. That and the boot space isn't that much more than a good sedan...making the whole point of owning a wagon kinda moot.

Some very good info is available here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATTESA Refer to the ATTESA-ETS section. In general its best to leave it in the middle position, but if you're driving on some really slippery surface where you need a bit more help from the AWD, you can put it in 50-50 "synchro" mode. Its not usually necessary for normal driving however, even on very wet roads...

The stagea you have is based off the R34 engine and turbo. Technically this means it should be more efficient, but obviously not in your case. The exhaust without any tuning will not help your fuel economy. You'll get more power (and the exhaust means you're running more boost - probably around 11psi) but it'll just run really rich on the factory tune. Get some kind of piggyback ecu in there and a proper tune and you'll see a huge increase in both power and fuel economy. In my case it went from ~13L/100km to 11.5L/100km just driving to work and back. Admittedly it didn't help the hwy economy much but I was getting 10.5L/100km consistently which should get around 600km to a tank (roughly 60L at the empty line - tank itself is 68L) There are a lot of people on here getting >400 (some > 450) kms to a tank in the city. I suggest you do take it to a dyno and get the AFR's checked out...and check for any error codes from your ecu - might have a faulty sensor somewhere. Other things to try is clean the AFM - remove it from the car, run some contact cleaner or metho over the metal wires that hang down inside the pipe (but dont touch them with your fingers), let it dry, then put it back in. to anyone else out there not used to the way Nissan ecu's respond on turbo cars - if you get a free-flowing exhaust, you MUST get some sort of aftermarket tuning - like a piggyback ecu (eg. apexi safc or greddy emanage). So many people think an exhaust will make their car run leaner. not true (well, not for these cars anyway). The exhaust affects boost pressure in that your boost limit increases - and obviously the amount of airflow increases too. The ecu reads the amount of air using the AFM and then adds the appropriate amount of fuel - according to its pre-programmed fuel maps. Due to the amount of airflow you're actually getting with a 3" exhaust, this causes the potential to run dangerously lean so the ecu will compensate by adding ridiculous amounts of fuel, and its not uncommon to see AFR's below 10:1 just from adding a 3" exhaust. somewhere around 9.5:1 the ecu will panic and go into R&R (rich and retard) mode to protect your engine. It feels like a sudden loss in power and you'll get it when under hard acceleration. In extreme cases, it will cut fuel and it'll almost send you through the windscreen. Short answer: If you get an exhaust, or even if you just add more boost, get it tuned. You'll never get the best from the exhaust if you dont...and it'll cost you crazy amounts in fuel.

Your M35 has power mode? Must be a 300/RX thing?

Hmmm, well for me it works like this: More boost = = more boost = = more boost = poor fuel economy I'm still getting a minimum of 13L/100kms driving to work and back (at least 40% of the trip is spent cruising at constant 50 or 60km/h - so not exactly heavy traffic). If I drive it how I like to drive it, its closer to 14L/100km. Not a big difference...and the driving satisfaction outweighs the extra fuel cost IMO.

Does it display more stats than whats in the pics?

I have definitely had the trouble you are talking about, both in my previous s2 (1999 model) and my current M35. My first thought when I read the title was the same as everyone else - "stop filling up with diesel" lol...just kidding. Different servos seem to give different results. I find most of the ones I go to regularly here are fine (all BP), but there are some where you really have to experiment with different angles to get the pump nozzle in. Then its another job trying to get it back out when you're done. I've had the most trouble out in the country when doing interstate trips. The other problem is that because its not a fantastic fit, you sit there pulling the trigger in slowly until it goes click, click, click, and keeps shutting off. Most of the servos I go to now are ok and I can pull the trigger fully in, but its very frustrating when thats not the case - trying to get a good compromise between actually getting petrol in the car and not standing there for half an hour trying to fill up.

hmmm i had yokohama's once. They lasted about 10,000kms and were completely bald. Less than 6 months. Never again. I like good traction but not that much. Maybe they have some that last longer but I've always heard of yoko's being really soft.

I think the lack of posts to this thread might be an indicator...however if you try the V35 section of the forum you may have more luck. I have a M35 stagea which shares some things in common with the V35 skyline - same auto gearbox for example (The M35 stagea is the last in the stagea wagon line-up and this model is built off the same platform as the V35). All up they'd be pretty reliable and they do share some parts with the 350z. Servicing should be pretty straightforward - should use the same oil, filters, plugs, etc as a 350z because its roughly the same engine. Nissan use the VQ35 in loads of cars (with varying power output) so you generally shouldn't have an issue finding bits for the engine at least. In any case, you can get parts from Nissan - if they dont have them in stock they'll order them from japan for you - usually within 10 business days. Another plus is that these cars were also sold as LHD versions in america so there is a lot of info from american G35 forums etc. You can get the full service manual in english for example (google it and you'll find it pretty easy - it comes as a heap of PDFs). Good luck with it

From the million times this has come up on this forum, I'd say stick to the same size rims/tyres for all 4 and you wont have any problems. The ATTESA system apparently doesn't like differing rolling diameter front vs rear OR differing tyre width...it allows enough leeway for uneven tyre wear, but thats about it.

You had tint over the top of the UV-cut glass? Damn that must've been dark. I can hardly see in mine as it is!! My first thoughts were "good luck getting rid of the 'tint' - its the actual colour of the glass". In any case, I thought you could tint all side windows except the front ones as dark as you want? Maybe its different in VIC? I know the radio antenna is in the rear window somewhere - I always thought it was built into the demister wiring there or somewhere in that vicinity...could be wrong though...there's also wiring in the back side windows on C34's too.

(re: zei20l) If I understand your problem correctly - its when you're cruising at anything say below 60km/h and the torque converter lockup occurs - it will do a single shudder as the torque converter locks. Is this correct? just the one shudder...well, one shudder each time it locks/unlocks... I was always under the impression that the torque converter should only lock when you're going faster than 80km/h, but in these cars it seems like it can happen at almost any speed provided you are at fairly constant throttle and the revs are high enough not to stall once locked... It also will lock up from either 4th or 5th gear, hence the ability to do it at such low speeds. I always thought this shudder was normal - just a side effect of the torque converter lockup happening. Its a bit annoying because for me at say 40km/h its only revving slightly above 1000rpm and most of the time it is continually locking and unlocking every time my foot touches the throttle or moves .1 of a mm. If I had to guess, I'd say that this behaviour is normal and that if it detects a problem with awd it maybe doesn't do the torque converter lockup at all? Disclaimer: This is just a wild random guess without any in-depth knowledge of the system at all.

Do you have the VIN? Try this: http://raws.dotars.gov.au/rawswebpublic/RAWPubVehSearch.asp You will need to put "6U90000" on the front for it to work (if its not already there). You only need the VIN or plate number, not both. Apparently the 6U90000 may change from time to time so if that doesn't work maybe someone else who has recently imported a stagea can help... Once the compliance plate is done your car's details should come up.

but it gets muddier... best info I could find (someone correct me if this is wrong) 180SX: 153kw @ 6000rpm 274N-m @ 4000rpm R32 GTST: 158kw @ 6400rpm 264N-m @ 3200rpm The sr20 has more PEAK torque but reaches it 800rpm later. Due to the configuration of the RB engine, it will not only rev faster than the SR, but will reach its peak torque at lower revs too. In a turbo car, peak torque is generally where the turbo reaches max boost. I believe they both run 6psi (could be wrong) so basically the R32 will spool faster. The 180sx is lighter, which may be the one thing that gives it a performance edge. However, from comments I've heard over the years, the R32 is a much better built car (in general). I have owned 2 S13 silvias and yes the tail does step out rather easily - particularly in the wet. I would own another one though - they're a lot of fun. Never driven a R32 so cant really comment on them beyond figures and theory.