No more finger lines on the trunk lid! Added a leather pull handle to the Q50.

One of my pet peeves are the 3-finger marks left while closing a trunk. Not usually an issue but with the wintery spray of salt and dirt, these marks tend to affect the chrome finish or the paint finish. This issue is very pronounced on the GT-R because of the shape of the trunk, but still affects the Q50. It also leaves the fingers/gloves dirty; so here is cheap and simple fix I did.

Ugh!

I decided to order

Q50 AWD Test Driving in the Snow.

Had our first considerable snow fall last night and first thing this morning after dropping my daughter at school, took the wife's Q50 out in the snow before the plows came through and shot a little video.

This is an AWD with Tech model and stock all season run-flats. I tried to do donuts in an empty parking lot with snow, accelerated and braked as a hard as possible to see the reaction of the Q50. My objective was simple to do things beyond what a normal person would do in snowy conditions. I did all this in Sport Mode. I was deciding if I should get separate set of wheels+snow tires.

The absolute first interesting thing I immediately noticed was that when the ABS kicked in,  if the car was sliding upon hard braking, the seats belts pre- tightened quickly considerable (with the Tech Package). They wouldn't let loose for a few seconds afterwards. Definitely keeps you in snug. Hence my groaning in the video below.

DIY Engine Oil Change of the Infiniti Q50

Warning: If you are not mechanically inclined or do not have the appropriate tools and/or appropriate safety equipment, please do not attempt this. I will not be held responsible if your Q50 damages you.

Why do I prefer doing my own oil changes? Well with longer maintenance cycles and less stuff breaking down, gives me something to do on the car, and an excuse to spend time in the garage. Plus, I know it is done right - seen too many cars driving on the road with panels hanging down and heard too many stories of stripped drain plugs, too much oil, wrong type of oil, too little oil etc. While, I trust my Nissan and Infiniti dealerships, I don't trust quick change places. Lastly, I know what is oil is going in and I can usually do it a a fraction of the cost of any other place's cost of using fully synthetic oil. It is really a $30 cost of prevention.

Draining the Oil

Step 1: Buy Necessary Items:
You will need:

• 5 and 1/8qt of 5W30 engine oil are needed for an oil change with filter change. I prefer Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 5W30 Engine Oil. I pick it up at Walmart for $24.40 for a 5qt jug. It is enough for an oil change without needing the 1/8qt as not all the oil 
• 1x Nissan Engine Oil Filter Part # 15208-65F0E, that ranges anywhere from $6 to $8 from your dealership. I prefer using the OEM Nissan one to ensure warranty, and also because it contains the relief valve inside. There are better aftermarket filters, I have used Nissan ones for 15 years without an issue. Do not use 15208-65F0C, that is an old part number that has been discounted and has a cardboard end-cap and it's made in China.
• 1x drain plug crush washer part # 11026-01M02

Step 2: Gather Tools
You will need:

Understanding & Adjusting Headlights and Fog Lights on the Q50 for Maximum Visibility

Understanding the Q50's Exterior Lighting System

The Q50 has an advanced mechanism for the headlights, especially given the "auto" mode features and the steering adaptive headlights, and the auto leveling system. These are collectively called the "Adaptive Front Lighting System". Unless you test drove and bought your Q50 in the dark, chances are the dealer has been unable to show you this functionality. The working of the headlights is explored below.

The day time running LEDs (powered by 7.5W LEDs on each side) that circle the low beam projector are always on when the car is started. This is with the setting on the headlight stick being OFF.  They project enough light for the Q50 to be seen even on bright sunny days. As for the amount of useful lighting they provide, see the video, but it is not significant for any situation. The DRL LEDs do stay ON in all modes of the headlights.

By selecting the next setting on the stick which is AUTO, the systems many features are enabled. In auto mode, the LED low beams in projectors (powered by 23W LEDS each) come on, but only when the ambient light sensors detect that it is dark enough outside. The sensitivity can be set through the InTouch menu. They also go off after a number of seconds when the car is shut off or locked, again the timeout for this can be set through the InTouch menu.

Tint Film and Paint Protection Film Installed.

The Q50 got some protection done last weekend. I wanted two key things done: Window Tinting and Paint Protection Film.

I turned to the Tint Factory in Madison, WI. I have known the Owner/Master Installer, Kyle, for a number of years and his attention to detail, slow time taken, quality and technique, and perfection to each job made him my only choice and I highly recommend him as he has done all my cars in the past.

For the tint, I chose 3M Crystalline Automative Film at 40%. It has exceptional infrared reflection qualities, as Kyle showed me by placing various film strips in front of a heat lamps and the finish is fantastic.

I had it places on 7 window panes - rear window pane, two rear panes on each side, and front panes on each side. I did not have the sunroof or windshield done.

I think it adds a subtle class to the Malbec Black Q50, without making the windows look too dark and detracting from the overall color of the car.

Q50 Tinted

Here is another shot with the sunlight.