Q: I recently saw a man park his small foreign car and then remove and carry away the steering wheel. What is the latest concerning such?
A: Racecars have long had removable steering wheels (which allows the extra clearance necessary for drivers to mash themselves into those tight quarters crammed with all the extra safety equipment). Now somewhat more regular folks are opting for aftermarket steering wheels with quick-release kits. Usually they’re car nuts that spend some time on tracks with those cars (but some who aren’t aficionados are trying them out too).
These take-away steering wheels are a way to possibly cut down on theft risk but there’s some sacrifice, too. Think of all those things that are part and parcel of the steering wheel that came with your car, like airbag and cruise control. Gone.
Q: I have G35 2006 sedan with 78,000 miles. The Infiniti dealership checked my car and advised to change “com rod bushings.” Cost: $640. I decided to check with my mechanic I’ve used for 25 years (of flawless work). He found nothing wrong with the bushings. I trust him unconditionally. On the other hand, Infiniti employs quality service mechanics. Please advise how I can verify what is correct — good bushings or bushings that require repairs.
A: The part in question is a compression rod bushing.
Are you hearing any creaking sounds when you go over bumps or dips? Often that’s the signal there’s an issue (but absence of that sound isn’t conclusive evidence of solid bushings).
I find no Technical Service Report (which alerts dealerships to known problems) for your make and model. However, I see on Infiniti forums comments from many owners about failed compression rod bushings on Infinitis of about the same vintage as yours.
I would make an appointment with the service manager at the dealership, tell him what your mechanic said and also print out a few pages from these forums (just Google “Infiniti G35 and compression rod bushing”). A reasonable question is, “If Infiniti is aware this can sometimes be an issue, is the tech recommending this replacement as a precaution or is there evidence bushings are failing?” At least you’ll have more information on which to make a decision.
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What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email [email protected].