I fixed the issue. Some searches on the net led me to a g37 forum where people had the same problem.
There is a hose and white connector attached to the panel under the steering wheel. It's located in the bottom right of the panel. Both need to be connected for the AC control system to work....{I realize this is obvious, but I initially missed the fact that the white connector wasn't hooked up before snapping the panel back in place the first time. Luckily, I noticed the white connector dangling when I took it down the second time.}
The hose:
http://img. .com/d/12/12/29/qyjarupe.jpg
The white connector:
http://img. .com/d/12/12/29/vyby2y4y.jpg
Here's what it looks like when both are connected property.
http://img. .com/d/12/12/29/japusype.jpg