A question and another rant.

[N80]

2009 Infiniti G37 coupe, 35K miles. Battery dead this morning. It is warm here. Battery is a year old. Will turn the starter over once or twice but no start. Battery has water in it. Moderate corrosion around terminals. Notice that terminal clamps are loose on terminals but are as tight as they will go. Clean terminals and terminal clamps. Get ride of corrosion.

Still no start. Can't jump it because it is at bottom of driveway. Will have help to push it up driveway in about an hour. I'll jump it then.

That does not solve the loose clamp issue. Rant #1: why in the )~*&$%)*~%$_&*@$^ would clamps not tighten on to terminal posts?????? I think this might be what drained the battery. Question #1: What the $(*#%_(@% can I do about it? Do they make spacers? Replacing the OEM clamps is absolutely out of the question. The positive terminal looks like something from a nuclear power plant or the Starship Enterprise.

Rant#2: Why are the nuts on the terminal clamps made to be inaccessible? I found it is impossible to get a wrench on them and nearly impossible to get a socket on them. I've found this to be true in most modern vehicles? It seems crazy. Batteries are perishable items. They have to be changed. Why make it hard.

Rant #2.1: To access the battery of this car there is a nice neat little panel that comes off with a few finger clips. Unfortunately the only thing this allows you to do is look at it. You cannot remove the terminals, check the water or remove the battery without removing a large trim piece from around the battery and then half of the faring around the lower edge of the windshield and wipers. (The battery is set back against the firewall to make it more........sporty......the %$^& car already weighs 3800 pounds.

Rant #3: Removing the battery terminal causes the power windows to do funky things. The driver side window went down a little bit every time I open the door. This is 'normal" for this car and many other Infiniti cars. You have to do a window reset procedure to get them to go back up. Naturally it was starting to rain. On my 350z you have to remove the door card to do this reset.

So, any help with the primary question would be greatly appreciated since I think it will take a charge. I just need to find a way to make the terminal clamps stay put.

If we can't get it up the driveway I'm calling AAA and washing my hands of it before I have a great big head exploding aneurysm.:mur:

 

[smstonypoint]

You can buy shims that fit over the battery posts. Check AutoZone, etc.

Steve

 

[zzvyb6]

Regardless of the battery accessability issues, I'd believe the key to the car's problem is the power window deal. It would make sense that the battery is being slowly drained by a bad sensor or initial condition setting that wants to change and hold a window position. When you cut power, the window motor relaxes its torque bias.

As far as terminal clamps being tightened, I'd wrap them with some copper or lead shim stock and be done with it. You have a tractor, jump it with that or push it to your starting grid.

Read the owners manual if its in English.

 

[N80]

You can buy shims that fit over the battery posts. Check AutoZone, etc.


View attachment 482718

Steve

We got it up the driveway and jumped. Wife has gone to get the shims you showed above. Same company that makes the battery makes the shims. Go figure.

 

[ovrszd]

Mechanics really frustrates you doesn't it.

 

[N80]

Regardless of the battery accessability issues, I'd believe the key to the car's problem is the power window deal.

Maybe, but I don't think so. I've had three Infinitis and this 350Z and it is an issue with all of them. But if the battery continues to drain that's the first place I'll look. Hopefully the reset will take care of it. All of these cars have crap window motors too.

You have a tractor, jump it with that or push it to your starting grid.

Read the owners manual if its in English.

The tractor is on my property an hour from here. Along with an extra battery and my battery tender.

 

[N80]

Mechanics really frustrates you doesn't it.

Yes. And no. Its usually the piddly stuff that ends up taking all day that frustrates me. Fixing my tractor last weekend was enjoyable. A number of months ago I bought some used Brembo brakes for my 350z. Rebuilt them. Tapped stripped threads. Replaced all the hoses with stainless steel. Took more than half a day but it went well and was enjoyable. And I did't die from brake failure at the race track either.

But man, when messing with modern cars these days there is so much bad engineering (for whatever reason) that gets in the way of the easiest jobs.

The truth is, I try to do too much myself because I'm tight with a dollar. More and more I think it is worth paying someone to get the fiddly frustrating stuff done.

 

[Industrial Toys]

It's the fiddly stuff that no one will do properly. If the car starts and drives away, they will consider their work done, no matter how poorly executed.

A few years ago, I took a hardly used reel to reel tape deck in to "EXPERTS" because the tape was squealing. It turned out to be the oxide on old tape, but they soaked me for repairs that didn't change anything. Among other items on the bill was "rewire motor"!

I have almost ZERO faith in the ability of anyone to repair anything, anymore and only take anything in, as a very last resort.

 

[ovrszd]

I certainly don't want to go back 40 years to the vehicles we had then. I also don't want to go back 40 years to the mechanic who only understood the basics of mechanical engineering. We as consumers have lost track of how many functions we expect our vehicle to do for us today. Simply put, power windows.

 

[k0ua]

It's the fiddly stuff that no one will do properly. If the car starts and drives away, they will consider their work done, no matter how poorly executed.

A few years ago, I took a hardly used reel to reel tape deck in to "EXPERTS" because the tape was squealing. It turned out to be the oxide on old tape, but they soaked me for repairs that didn't change anything. Among other items on the bill was "rewire motor"!

I have almost ZERO faith in the ability of anyone to repair anything, anymore and only take anything in, as a very last resort.

I can repair electronics. But I don't do it for a living any more I just repair my own stuff. And the main reason I repair my own stuff is because I pretty much agree with you, it is very difficult to find anyone to repair anything electronic. The art of using the scientific method is not taught any more for the most part. I guess no one has the time any more.