GeeDog

I tried Aztronics before I went to Jaycar, but all they could offer was LED strips.

Definitely surface mount - there are 6 LEDs arranged as 3 pairs (each pair in parallel), then each pair in series with the other 2. There is also a diode (for rev polarity protection probably, not sure why though as the LEDs will do that) and a pair of current limiting resistors. I've got the old ones here somewhere, but physically they are the same size & shape as the Jaycar tri-colours, but only 2 legs (obviously - 1 colour). It's in & working now, I'll keep my eye out for more suitable LEDs & change them if I find some.

Just to be clear it definitely wasn't Iron Chef - sometimes not "naming names" can implicate others by default, so sorry if anyone thought he was involved. I didn't get a roadworthy certificate (not required to sell a car in SA) or a copy of the "service" paperwork, just told that it was freshly serviced. I do have the import paper (CIN) which states that at the time it was complianced, it had new tyres & a new air & fuel filter. I'm wondering now if I should replace the fuel filter, flush & service the auto box, and do an oil & filter change. I'm more interested if: The faulty bits were swapped for compliance, then changed back again by the workshop or The faulty bits were there when the car was complianced or The imported swapped the bits after compliance I still think I got a good deal, and as stated I have fixed most of it & just waiting on parts for the rest. Out of pocket expenses will be a bit over $1K, but I will have new rear tyres, new slotted front rotors, new redstuff pads front & rear, etc. I just don't like being told something & then finding out it isn't true. Truth is I probably would have bought the car anyway if these things had been made clear upfront. I've run my business on a handshake & a promise for 15 years and it has worked fine, why the f*%k can't other people have the same integrity?

Sorry, no factory.... I have heard of new tyres being fitted to pass compliance, then the originals being put back on. I'm not sure what the regulations say about this, but it has to be morally wrong. I knew the rear tyres weren't new, just didn't realise just how bald they were until I took the wheels off the car.

I bought it from someone who trades as a car importer, but he drove this car himself for a short period. It was complied approx 2 months before I bought it, and covered around 2,000km. He has an ABN and a business name that suggests that he works as an importer, and he advertises numerous cars for sale, all imports.

I'll keep the importer & compliance workshop id to myself for the moment - it's only fair to give them the chance to explain the situation before naming them. The compliance sheet says the vehicle has new tyres & air filter when complianced - I can understand someone changing the tyres back afterwards, but not removing an $11 air filter & refitting a dirty one. I'll post back when I have more info.

I didn't pay for a full service as such, but was told it had been done before the car was advertised for sale. I was also told a few other things that weren't quite true, or at least not the full truth. I'm will follow this up in some form, just haven't decided how as yet. The car was probably still a good deal, even with the issues, so I'm not too pissed, just annoyed.

ZD0010 - http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=ZD0010 $4.95 each, so not expensive.

The LEDs I got from Jaycar are SMD, just not as bright as the originals. I'll try Autobahn. Did you buy a complete light panel from them? Note that my lens is clear, not red, and the existing LEDs are definately red - this is the centre light (the one on the rear parcel shelf), not the combo taillights or a spoiler mounted light. I don't have a spoiler (unfortunatly).

I bought my 2003 350GT Coupe 2 weeks ago. It was imported in early May this year, and complianced in late May. It had done only about 2,000km between compliancing & when I picked it up - the importer had been driving it. I just wonder what the compliance workshop is meant to do. I have found numerous maintenance issues that I would have expected to be fixed when the car was comlplianced, and wonder if I have any recourse on the workshop that did the compliancing. Not sure if I'm allowed to mention the name, so I'll hold off for the moment. Although I live in SA, the car was complianced in Melbourne. The issues that I would expect to be fixed during compliance / the full service that the importer assured me had been done: 1. The air filter was black & oily, and there was a huge buildup of oily "grunge" in the airbox before the filter. A new filter only cost $11, and about 30 minutes of my time, but thats not the point. This filter had done a lot more than 2,000 km. 2. The cabin air filter was growing stuff, and was also black. This also hasn't happened in 3 months & 2,000 km. A new filter was around $45, plus some of my time to install it. 3. The front disk rotors are 2mm thinner than the legal limit - ie 20mm. They have a huge lip around the edge where the rotor has worn. Once again there is no way this has happened in 2,000 km, so either they weren't checked or they turned a blind eye. I have ordered a set of RDA slotted rotors, and front & rear EBC Redstuff pads. This is the most serious issue with the car, and I am very surpirised that a mechanic could do a service & not pick this up. I would almost class this as criminal neglect. 4. The centre rear brake light wasn't working at all. To be fair, there is a small possibility that this has broken since compliancing, but given the other issues I doubt it. I assume this is a roadworthy issue. 5. The rear tyres were at or below the legal wear limit - they had been wearing below the wear markers for a while. I was under the impression that new tyres had to be fitted when an import is complianced - if this was done then the tyres were changed again after compliancing. 6. No radio expander had been fitted. This is a minor issue but I was under the impression that an expander was fitted during compliancing by most workshops. I'm not sure if I should pursue these issues with the compliancing workshop or the relevent govt department. It has left a sour taste in my mouth. All problems except the brakes have been sorted, and the brake parts should be here within a few days. I have concerns that if this is how they are delivering cars people with less mechanical ability than me may well be driving cars that are not at the standard they should be, and don't realise it. Any input would be appreciated.

2 of the Lumiled LEDs in my centre brake light are dead. Because of the way the LEDs are wired, this means that the centre brake light didn't work at all. I've tried a few places to see if I can buy replacement LEDs, and the best I can find are tri-coloured LEDs from Jaycar. These have 4 legs - one being a common, and the other 3 being for the 3 different colours. I've cut off the blue & green legs, and soldered the LEDs to the board, and they work. The problem is that they just aren't as bright as the original ones, so I've got a dull bit in the middle of the light. Has anyone managed to find a supplier of suitable LEDs in oz? Or does anyone have a broken centre brake light they don't want?

Is it possible to add to the original post: Air Filter - Ryco A360 (same as some Commodores, so cheap as & readily available)

I got a key cut at North East Lockmiths at Windsor Gardens - $120 for the key, cutting & cloning the imobiliser chip. No remote buttons, but it opens the door & starts the car, so if I lose my other key I'm not stuffed. Just need to turn up with the car & a working key - took around 30 minutes. If Tony's key works I'll get one of those as well, but it will have to have the immobiliser coded at Nissan.

Bugga - then I'm not sure what your options are.

Have a look at this page: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/184366-diy-put-av-input-for-350gt-wo-reverse-camera/page__st__20

Not sure about the no-nav option - mine has nav. In the boot, remove the spare tyre, then remove the 2 10mm nuts just to the left of the tyre. The black cover on the left hand side of the boot will pull towards the right, then lift out. Under the black cover is some electronics - on the bottom is the Bose amplifier, and on top is another box that I think is the TV unit. The aux input connects to an unused socket on the LHS of the TV unit. I would think if you've got the TV unit, you should be able to use an aux input. I'll see if I can find some pics a bit later - just heading out now. Where are you?

When you say "plug my phone into" are you looking for a hands free kit, or just want to use your phone as an audio input to the stereo? If you want a Bluetooth kit that integrates with the stereo, Chris has something. I had a Motorola hands-free kit that I pulled out of another car a few years ago, and I have mounted that. If you just want an Aux input, you can make up a cable that connects to the TV unit in the boot, and put a socket somewhere in the front of the car. I did this last week - I put a 3mm socket inside the console, and can plug any audio device with an audio out (or headphone) socket into it, choose Aux input on the stereo, and listen to music. I have to use the phone to change tracks etc - the car controls can't interact with the phone. If you want the car radio to recieve Aus FM stations, you need a band expander. Because the 350Gt has a diversity aerial, you will also need a couple of aerial adaptors - one to convert from the dual in aerial cable to the input of the band expander, and another to convert from the output of the band expander to the aerial socket of the radio. The band expander also require a 12V source to power it - you can splice into the switched power to the radio while you have it out. Note that you will have to remove the radio to put the band expander in. The band expand simply changed the frequency of the recieved signal - mine is a 20MHz model, so it reduces the frequency by 20MHz. If I want to recieve a station that is transmitting on 102,3Mhz, I tune the radio to 82.3Mhz etc. I did all 3 jobs at the same time - the aux input cable, the band expander, and the bluetooth kit. ther are how-tos available for getting the radio out, and for the wiring of the aux input cable. The parts for the band expander came from ebay - you need 1 each of the following: Nissan diversity adaptor aftermarket radio - OE antenna Nissan diversity adaptor aftermarket antenna - OE radio Japan car radio FM band Frequency Expander Converter add 20MHz to your FM dial Total cost with shipping was just under $50 If you need more info just ask - while it's fresh in my ageing brain:)

Just checked - my low beams are a blueish colour & highs are yellow. Lows have a very slight delay turning on from cold, and also take a few seconds to get to full brightness - as per sonicii but not 15 seconds, maybe 3-4. Highs come on instantly.

Uneducated response here, but don't HIDs take a half second or so to come on, while halogen would be instant on? My low beams have a delay, and for that reason alone I believe they are HIDs. The high beams, which also emit a different colour light, come on instantly and I believe they are halogen.

No, I'll leave it as is. My garage door opener fts in without the insert. I only wanted to get it out so I could clean it properly, but then I found the source of the smell - the cabin air filter was growing something. I've replaced it, sprayed some Glen20 into the area, and aired the car out. Smell has now gone (or I've got used to it), I can't smell it any more.

I think you've nailed it with the insert missing - makes sense now. See attached pic. Thanks

Then I'm looking forward to seeing the new key work, so I can order one.

I can't work out how to get the ashtray out: A PO was a smoker, and I want to wash it, but it doesn't want to detach. I don't want to break it, and have done a search. Thanks

Tony, is your current key a 3 button?

The key looks interesting, but the one you linked to says it only replaces a 4 button OEM key - mine has a 3 button key. I'll be interested to see how it goes.