The Max

Ok Chris, so how much do I owe you? I'm finally back home and flashed the newer v2.16 NISS3HT firmware in my DB-ALL yesterday. The problem is finally resolved. Takeover works as intended.

There are two manufacturers in China producing these things. I'm trying them both out so we'll see how we go when they arrive. I'm doing it primarily in the hope that Sony will eventually introduce at least Android OS 4.2 in my NW-ZX1 audio player so I can then have full control of my audio from the vehicle's touchscreen.

I don't "lol" (man, I really hate internet-speak sometimes) but it does make for an interesting conversation or ice breaker.

Better than nothing and neater than suction cup marks on your windscreen, constantly packing away and taking back out another GPS unit, etc. Now that I have screen mirroring available on my Samsung, I'm getting a mirrorlink device to plug into my video input and run it through my phone's GPS. The final step will then be to see if the elusive Mimic X2 can be obtained and see if it will work well or not. I'll be damned if I were to be expected to mark my windscreen or my dash trying to mount an aftermarket GPS display.

Exactly what he said.

You know you could always just edit your photos to fit the smaller file size requirements, right?

Maybe you should just charge consultation fees for the advice at 10 times the cost of doing it for them?

Why not use the Uprev Osiris to remove the speed limiter? Informeter should then theoretically work fine, no?

No need to be so condescending guys. But yes, I'd be looking to JDM, be it Nismo, Impul or any other made for the JDM arena. Personally, while it's cool to have and occasionally glance at when travelling at those speeds, I'd rather be focusing on how the car feels being driven to the edge without tipping over. It's a lot of effort just to admire the speed reading, in my opinion.

I can't help you there as I do all my own work. I'd go with Mr Rogers' recommendation since he knows the quality of other people's work.

What he said.

Another system won't necessarily have the same level of integration with your factory controls as the Grom unit offers though.

Aside from finding a second hand amp from another V36 or buying new from a dealer, there is nothing aftermarket that I have seen which is a direct replacement.

Silly boy.

It's a trade-off between current and physical size.

Transmitter or band expander?

Keep in mind though that the USB ports only output 0.5A maximum. That's a slow charge for the majority of phones and won't be of much help if you're hoping for a decent charge over a short drive.

That's the one. It provides 1A per output. Ideal.

What GPS do you have? If it's just a charger which essentially supplies USB power, the better approach would be to get a dual USB charger such as a Griffin one, which supplies a higher amount of current to suit hungrier smartphones and had a very low profile so you can leave it in and still be able to close the ashtray compartment after you've unplugged your devices from it. There's no reason why you can't otherwise use a double adapter for your cigarette lighter socket but it will look ugly. Alternatively, you can also get one which has a combination of USB ports and a cigarette lighter socket. That might help neaten things up a bit.

You are a much better behaved driver than I am. I get 11.2L/100km on the open road and at worst about 18L in town. As for the BP Ultimate 98, having been a long time fan of Shell V-Power since the Optimax days, I made the switch to BP after everyone I've spoken to in the performance and racing communities. They cited inconsistency in the Shell fuel from one fill-up to the next. I can't say I've witnessed any notable improvements myself but it's a damn good fuel all the same. I'm happy to stick with it.

If only the rear didn't look so incomplete. Otherwise I would've gone for that over my coupe.

Not sure what it is I'm trying to prove you wrong about. All I'm saying is that the vehicle is made for 96RON as a minimum and we shouldn't go to anything less than that. What I was disagreeing with you about was your comment about the rationale behind the availability of different fuels being driven by consumer choice. We can both agree, in accordance with the manual, that 91RON is not ideal for the vehicle and should never be used unless in a moment of desperation because of nothing else being available. Then as far as the difference between 95RON and 98RON is concerned, you say it's insignificant, I say 95RON is outside of Nissan's specifications as far as performance driving is concerned, and the V36 is a performance car. Being an engineer (albeit electronics), I'm all about specifications and working within those specifications, in order to realise the full potential of the product in question. As for the information given by Nissan to FCAI about the suitability of E10, when you pit it against the owner's manual for the G37, there is no difference. They recommend a maximum ethanol percentage of 10%. This is also something we can agree to. However, this is about the limit of my knowledge and I would hazard a guess that just because it has 10% ethanol, doesn't mean the fuel is limited to an octane rating of 95RON. With all the additives they can throw into the mix, why not make it 96RON? Is it perhaps that the performance and/or price difference then between 96 and 98 isn't as significant as between 95 and 98? Like I said, that's the limit of my knowledge. So I just look at the manufacturer recommended figures and work within them. If I'm told a minimum of 96, be it in a 10% ethanol blend or 0%, then I'll throw in the 98 and run with it until the car drops dead. Why? Because as much of a throwaway item as a car may be to you, to me, I'm a bit more of a sentimentalist and would not have upgraded from my old J30 Maxima to a V36 had it not been for the unfortunate collision all those years ago. I put the good stuff in to keep getting the good stuff out for as long as it can. But I didn't chime in to argue the finer points between 95 and 98. I chimed in to argue that this isn't even a topic worthy of discussion for these vehicles given that if one can afford a premium car, which is what these are, then one should afford the premium fuel, otherwise they should have bought something else.

Yes, so keep the use of 91 to an absolute minimum on the basis of sheer desperation (i.e. roll into a regional area where 98RON is not available) and since we don't have 96RON in any station I've come across in NSW, skip it and go to 98RON instead to realise the full capabilities of the engine. Furthermore, avoid E-85 since the components weren't designed for it. E-10 is their recommended maximum percentage of ethanol permissible. Again, not a hell of a lot of choice for what the vehicle was intended for. If you don't want to run the 98RON fuel, it's pointless buying the vehicle. We may have to agree to disagree on this.

Water is better for me than any other beverage. It's not really a fair comparison. Using 95RON as opposed to 98RON isn't recommended for the vehicle and it has nothing to do with choice. I can also choose to scratch my crotch with a cheese grater, or perhaps less severely, wash my car with a scouring pad but that doesn't make any of it a wise choice. You put in what it needs, not what you choose. A Toyota Yaris is made for 91RON so with the possible exception of slightly better fuel economy (though I wouldn't know for a fact), there'd be no benefit for 98RON. A V36, on the other hand, is made for 98RON so running 91RON would simply be deemed inappropriate. The choice we're given is what car we choose to drive and in turn what support we get at the bowser. There's not much choice with the fuel, from my point of view.

As I learned in the MoTeC training seminar back in 2004, they use lambda in their ECU software because it's a universal representation of the stoichiometry as opposed to having to remember all the different AFRs for different fuels. Therefore, a lambda of 1 in an ECU map will translate to the respective stoichiometric AFR for whatever fuel you are using. That said, not all wideband O2 sensors back then were fit for all fuels, so there were different sensors to suit different fuels. Changing the fuel type meant changing the sensor too. I'm not sure if that is still the case today. As far as I can see in the UpRev Osiris software, of what little I've looked at so far, they map in AFR terms. [Edit: Actually, I think there is a choice for AFR or lambda in the software's preferences for units of measurement. Just looked it up but couldn't confirm since I'm overseas without my Osiris cable!]