Project INFINITI Final Update!

Adios 2002 INFINITI I35
Yes, it is pollen season in SC, hence the greenish tint on the car!

We thought we were all done with Project INFINITI, but the car stalled out again. We'd already done a "LITTLE" work, like the cam and crank sensors, all 4 shocks, all 4 tires, replaced hoses, oil change, valve cover gaskets, front right suspension and CV axle, etc) but apparently something was still not right. 

Remove the passenger front wheel and a wheel well cover. 
A: Main Crank
B: AC Compressor
Belt is removed, so leave the crank alone, and loosen the compressor to get it out of the way of removing the Alternator which is UP ABOVE the compressor!

The NMS team diagnosed a weak or failing alternator, so a replacement one was ordered and the mechanic team got to work last Saturday. Through the magic of YouTube, we figured that if guys making lousy videos could do this job in their driveway, that we could manage it in the NMS-South garage! Turns out we were right!

Circled in red is the pulley for the alternator. It was just held on with two bolts. 

Getting TO the alternator involved just removing one passenger front wheel, the wheel well shield, and then loosening (NOT REMOVING) the AC compressor, and taking off the tensioner pulley and belt. Once all that stuff was out of the way, we could disconnect the electrical wires to the alternator, and then take it out by removing only 2 bolts and wiggling it down and out of the car. Oh, and we certainly disconnected the battery before starting to mess with this entire job. They good old Haynes manual we have said to also remove the radiator fan shroud to get more clearance, but we didn't need to do that step. 

Brian approaches the alternator from the top. 

Installation was the reverse process, and we had this job and a test drive wrapped up before lunch! We felt like that was pretty good for a couple of DIY'ers, and I'd hate to look up the flat rate book answer for how long it should take a real mechanic to do it. Sure, it would be easier/faster if you'd done it before, and if you had the car up on a lift, but we got it done anyway. 

You might know that the Nissan 3.5 liter V6 engine was also used in the Nissan Maxima, and the Nissan 350Z. 

After confirming that the battery was happy and getting 14 volts or so while being driven with the high beams and AC on, Brian ran into a code for something else. He diagnosed that as being caused by a bad gas cap, so he replaced the original one from 2002, and the code is now gone. 

This is the last update for Project INFINITI, and it has moved on to a new home, with a lot of stuff repaired and replaced. Our original plan was to donate this car to a young relative, but an even cooler vehicle came up for them, and the INFINITI was sold to another driver. 

What's the new vehicle for our young relative? Look for this NEW PROJECT coming soon, code named PROJECT TUNDRA THUNDER!