MattG

After being disappointed with the waffle weave towels I bought this one recently and it's by far the best one I've ever used:

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-a ... d_362.html

You could probably do two cars without wringing it out, it's brilliant!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I just hand wash my towels in hand washing detergent. I use Woolite, but I'm sure any similar product would do. It's meant for delicates so should be fine for MF cloths and applicators as long as they're rinsed properly afterwards.

Thanks for the info Rob.

Removing the BOSE amp should have no effect on the steering wheel controls working.

Sorry I didn't mean to imply that! I just meant are those steering wheel control adapters a bit dodgy in general. Can I expect all of the functions to work as expected or is it a bit hit and miss depending on the model of HU?

When you come to replacing the BOSE amp I would not try and cable up the amp using the existing cables, IMO you are much better removing the sound part of the adapter and running RCA cables from the pioneer head-unit to the amplifier.

Why's that? Is the OEM wiring poor quaility or is it more of a technical issue?

I'm planning on upgrading my audio soon and I'd appreciate some advice.

I've got a UKDM GT with the Bose system fitted and I'm planning on swapping the head unit for my Pioneer DEH-P88RS II (single DIN) and the Bose amp for my Kenwood KAC-PS4D. For the moment I plan to keep the Bose speakers and sub although I do plan to upgrade them at some point, it depends how they perform with the new amp and HU really. Keeping the steering wheel controls is a must.

Here's what I think I need:

Facia Panel - ICT 50-229:

http://www.sextonsdirect.co.uk/facia_pa ... 0-229.html

ICT 29-674 - Nissan 350z Bose USC Loom:

http://www.sextonsdirect.co.uk/steering ... 9-674.html

ICT 29-007 - Pioneer head-unit lead:

http://www.sextonsdirect.co.uk/steering ... html?cat=0

Is this correct given I'm removing the Bose amp too? Also can I expect full functionality from the steering wheel controls or will they be a bit hit and miss?

I know that the amp will need to be fiddled with to get the speakers to the right volume and that I'll need to earth the HU but my mate who is fitting it all (does it for a living) is fine with that. I just thought I'd save him some effort by getting all the cables sorted first. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I can recommend these guys:

http://www.motoringassist.com/home.aspx

If you do some googling on them you'll see they have an excellent reputation and also came top in a recent Auto Express survey (RAC 3rd, AA 7th). £81 for joint cover is a bargain too IMO. And they encourage safe driving, so I'm sure the AA man will be pleased!

Oh, and don't go with Green Flag whatever you do. Google for some reviews if you want to see why!

The AA seems to periodically issue these type of press releases. I think it's part of their marketing strategy now... Sometimes they have merit but a lot of the time it's nonsense like this.

The BBC ceased to be a credible news outlet some time ago IMO. Inaccurate scare stories and biased reporting seem to be the norm for them these days.

If that price includes the BT adapter and the iPod cable then its a good price. As for the unit ive never heard of that model but from the pictures ive seen it looks like the DNX-5220 which i used to own. the 5220 as i said above was a very nice headunit and you probably wont go wrong with the price you have been quoted.

The 5220 is very nice indeed but has now been superceded by the 5240. It's essentially the same unit but has support for the latest generation iPods and iPhones which use a slightly different charging voltage. I foolishly decided to wait for the release of the new version as I thought it would be good to get the newer iPod support in case my 5th gen classic ever dies. That wasn't the wisest move given that Kenwood seem to have used it as an excuse to add £150 to the price!!!!

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/kenwood ... -7316.html

£769.99 for the DNX-5240BT!!!

Have you tried ringing Car Planet? Most of the RC Developments guys have moved over to there now so they should be able to tell you what was done, or at least have a fair idea. They can't have had many 350s in so they must remember roughly the approach they would have taken. Ask for Clive as he was the guy who ran the workshop.

For what it's worth, I had some work done by RC years ago and I wasn't at all impressed with their customer service or the work they did so I wouldn't assume it's been done properly. When I did some online research at the time I found complaints from other people too (on the Evo forums IIRC). And I don't just mean the guys who had their engines stolen and cars trashed.

I have a Q!

What gearbox and diff oil would you recommend for a 350Z (53 plate if it matters)? Assume the car gets driven hard and I want the best oil available!

If you have a past service tick sheet, all the bits are one there under the various headings of P1, P2 and P3.

 

Plugs should not need doing after 23k miles, thats crap! Diff oil I seem to remember is only done on non-visous coupling types, of which ours are a viscous coupling type so it doesnt need doing. Brake fluid is technically every 2 years. What I have learnt is to tell them what needs doing to make sure they do it right!!

Yeah, I saw the P1,P2,P3 stuff on the tick sheet as posted above but it doesn't seem 350Z specific as some of the things on there clearly don't apply to our cars (e.g. Cambelt).

So it's hard to know what they should and shouldn't have done! I can say for definite though that not all the boxes in the P3 section have been ticked, e.g. spark plugs.

I'd be interested in the answer to this too.

Mine had the 54K P3 service from the Nissan dealer before I bought it in Jan and on the service tick sheet I was given there is no mention of the diff oil, gearbox oil and plugs being changed. As far as I can tell the only things they did outside of a normal oil and filter service was to change the brake fluid and the auxillary belts. I was under the impression the 54K service should be more than this though.

It could be that the tick sheet just hasn't been filled in properly. It could also be that as the service was thrown in as part of the car sale they skipped a few bits to save costs. Might have to give them a bell to see if they can confirm what was done, although I'm not sure I'd believe them anyway as they haven't exactly been a model of competance up to now.

TDI North are just around the corner from work so I might just get them to change the diff and gearbox oil and the plugs to be sure....

EDIT: From checking my service book, this appears to be the first P3 service it has had! For a 5 year old car with 50,000 miles that isn't right is it?! That seems really odd considering it has FNSH and was supplied by a Nissan dealer.

For reference, I paid £10490 for a 50,000 mile 53 plate (Nov 2003) 350Z with GT pack and the Rays wheels. That was from a Nissan dealer with 12 months warranty, 6 months tax and of course a new set of mats! It was silver (Gunmetal?) with Alezan leather if that makes a difference. That was in early Jan '09.

Hope that helps.

Hi all! 1st post!

 

Just got my (53 plate) Z and within the space of a week it's already started to have issues with the boot. To open it I now have to simultaneously push the button and pull upwards on the boot (or it gets caught on the latch again) and I seem to be getting very little assistance form the boot struts when I fully open it.

 

I take it these struts will solve both problems? If so, I'm in too!

 

Less than a week of ownership and already planning my first mod.....

 

 

 

there is a counter balance weight in the boot lid that can be removed. Check the guides section on how to do it but suggest you do this before purchasing new struts

 

http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/viewtopic ... t=removing

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a whirl!

Hi all! 1st post!

Just got my (53 plate) Z and within the space of a week it's already started to have issues with the boot. To open it I now have to simultaneously push the button and pull upwards on the boot (or it gets caught on the latch again) and I seem to be getting very little assistance form the boot struts when I fully open it.

I take it these struts will solve both problems? If so, I'm in too!

Less than a week of ownership and already planning my first mod.....