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Comments
Jerry
mayman- You obviously have a hose thats leaking, it could be the high pressure hose.. Thats expensive to replcae, however you can take the hose off, take it to a hydraulics shop (think heavy machinery, IE farm equipment/trucks) and they can take the fittings off and put them on a new hose... If its a low pressure hose, thats cheap to replace....
The pumps dont go bad except when you starve them of fluid!
Im impressed you got the dealer to replace all 8 coils. Its got to be nice with that sort of stuff when NO ONE has the CORRECT idea of whats actually wrong! When you have no clue, of course you can blame it on quality control or something like that.
Walis- You're not looking at a spark plug coil issue. The later Qs had problems with them to some degree, however they always get stupid owners to replace all 8 and make a killing when its probably only a couple thats bad. replacing all 8 will surely cure the problem! You most likely have a bad injector, did you perform the injector test I outlined?
Unfortuately due to the policy on this forum, I am unable to recommend you to a better source of information.
Jerry -maymanj@earthlink.net
In 2005 I recorded the sound while driving at 2,000 rpm in top gear on a smooth asphalt road. It is 20 dBA higher than at 2400 rpm. I can also feel a vibration on the floor of the car as it goes through the rpm range where the noise is the loudest. The vibration gets louder if the car has an increased load, such as climbing a hill.
My service manager told me he has done everything that they are aware of to cure the vibration and noise. There are no technical service bulletins on this problem, although it seems to affect the 2003-2005 Q45 models. We previously owned three earlier Q45’s, and were completely happy with them, as well as my wife’s present 2001 I30. My Infiniti service department has been outstanding in every way, but they obviously cannot re-engineer the car.
I had originally started a thread for my issue but someone suggested that I search for this thread, and the symptoms described by Renkema pretty much mirror what I'm expreriencing.
I started having the problems after driving for 500 miles on the new spark plugs.... So it wasn’t instantaneous.
I have taken it to Autozone couple of times, the first time they diagnosed the following codes
P0300 Random Misfire
P0325 Knock Sensor, Bank 1
P0330 Knock Sensor, Bank 2
So I took the car back to Firestone and asked them to check it out... They said the problems were not related to spark plugs - they performed their diagnostics and said everything looked fine.... So they disabled the codes and charged me $85 . This was about 2 weeks back...
But I still continued to experience the symptoms- surprisingly Firestone tech's could not see the same ???
Since the check engine light was not coming on I neglected the symptoms and drove, but few Days back the Check engine light came back on so I took it to Autozone again- this time the following codes showed up in their Diagnostics.
P0110 IAT Sensor
P0325 Knock Sensor, Bank 1
P0330 Knock Sensor, Bank 2
So I went back to Firestone one more time.... They said that they would charge me $85 one more time to perform a diagnostic AND IF the problem was not related to Spark plugs work that they had done. I decided not to get the diagnostics done until I had a better understanding of this issue, hence I'm here asking for your help and suggestions.
I also read a post on NICO CLub form that someone had a similar problem and it started after throttle body cleaning service by the dealer- but I have no knowledge of this service being performed by firestone.
My question is
1. How do i convince Firestone that the spark plugs that they used are not suitable for a Infinit Q45.
I have a 97 Infiniti Q45 with 95K miles on it. Recently changed the spark plugs on it at firestone ( I know ... Big mistake). They used Bosch Platinum Plugs...
I had originally started a thread for my issue but someone suggested that I search for this thread, and the symptoms described by Renkema pretty much mirror what I'm expreriencing.
I started having the problems after driving for 500 miles on the new spark plugs.... So it wasn’t instantaneous.
I have taken it to Autozone couple of times, the first time they diagnosed the following codes
P0300 Random Misfire
P0325 Knock Sensor, Bank 1
P0330 Knock Sensor, Bank 2
So I took the car back to Firestone and asked them to check it out... They said the problems were not related to spark plugs - they performed their diagnostics and said everything looked fine.... So they disabled the codes and charged me $85 . This was about 2 weeks back...
But I still continued to experience the symptoms- surprisingly Firestone tech's could not see the same ???
Since the check engine light was not coming on I neglected the symptoms and drove, but few Days back the Check engine light came back on so I took it to Autozone again- this time the following codes showed up in their Diagnostics.
P0110 IAT Sensor
P0325 Knock Sensor, Bank 1
P0330 Knock Sensor, Bank 2
So I went back to Firestone one more time.... They said that they would charge me $85 one more time to perform a diagnostic AND IF the problem was not related to Spark plugs work that they had done. I decided not to get the diagnostics done until I had a better understanding of this issue, hence I'm here asking for your help and suggestions.
I also read in a post on NICO CLUB that a similar problem arose after throttle body cleaning service by the dealer- but I have no knowledge of this service being performed by firestone.
couple of questions here:
1. Could this be a problem related to the spark plugs that I got changed, if so how do i convince firestone about it, and the fact that they are not supposed to be using Bosch Plugs on an infiniti Q45. I mean is there any documentation that i could show them to point that they used the wrong plugs. All i have come across is opinion based on individual experiences, but havent seen any results from test/analysis etc performed on bosch plugs.
2. If the problem is not related to Spark plugs, any suggestions/ideas/direction of why the car is experiencing this problem ?
TIA
MK
Jerry
Jerry
Nissantech, thanks for the compliments. I seem to remember seeing you somewhere, but I can't remember exactly where, something stands out in my memory about you though.
Well, now my window does not work on auto-up at all - thought I can manually put it up. While resetting the window with the reset switch, I heard a clicking sound for several raises and lowering of the window and since then, auto-up is not functioning.
Any suggestions? Do I now need a new regulator?
Any thoughts?
The car is driving fine. Any idea what this could be?
Thanks.
I managed to convince myself to embark in doing my chain guides myself. I've done the driver side guides but I'm having trouble with the passenger side. I removed the old tension guide but having serious difficulty installing the new one. I just can't get it in there. Is there any trick in getting it into place? Also, I have a hard time getting the driver side slack side guide in once I removed the tensioner...the chain was very tight. I eventually got it in by removing the water pump. My concern is not to repeat the same for the passenger side slack guide. What are the tricks in getting these guides in?
Please help!
I need to know how to get the passenger side guides in. How should I go about doing it?
Thanks everyone!
is it okay to use coil packs from a 1996 Q45t on a 1992 Q45? I noticed that the coil pack plugs won't fit exactly but with some trimming on the edges on the coil packs itself, it fit. Is there anything I should be concerned about? I haven't put them in, I just tried one. Please advise before I install them all.
Thanks!
It makes a strange noise when I am straightening up from a left turn. The noise seems to be coming from underneath the car, definitely not inside. I have had it checked by both my personal mechanic and an Infinity dealership. Both heard the noise upon test-driving, but could find nothing wrong. Should I be worried???
Thank you,
mythirdq
I would apreciate some help.
On the PS issue, my guess is the pump will probably need to be replaced. If the conditioner had it working OK for a while, it probably means it simply extended its life temporarily, but now it can't be prolonged any more.
Does the speedo work OK? Does it ever drop out? if thats the case, then theres a solenoid for the VSS (variable speed steering) on the rack on the drivers side by the steering column that sometimes fails.
You may see the tokico blues on ebay for about $260ish but Joe's includes the (somewhat expensive) dust boost and bump stops which are NECESSARY NECESSARY replacements otherwise your brand new struts will wear out in about 1000 miles. Struts are good for about 4 years/60k miles with fresh dust boost and bump stops.
www.infinitpartsusa.com
Check steering rack bushings, sway bar and end link bushings, and upperlinks for replacement at the same time.
People here should also chack out the best Q45 Forum at
www.nicoclub.com
We got what I think is an incredible price - $2900 - 126k and well maintained in and out. The man we bought from didn't speak English that well, so I didn't press for too many details - I couldn't count out those 29 Benjis fast enough, to tell the truth! He mentioned that she might need shocks and possibly a tune-up. The engine is smooth and quiet (passed smog yesterday w/below avg numbers), but I did notice every bump on the road. Pressing the TCS button seems to help a bit - I think.
Two days prior, I very nearly bought a 95 Q with higher miles, missing remote, CD changer & master key, broken driver window, dents and $1400 more - just because it was PURPLE! Yep, I'm one of those ladies!
Anyway, on the way to look at this one, I made hubby promise that I could get a paint job (no matter what condition the paint was in) and a properly working stereo - then he could have the rest of the $6k insurance money for his work van or bills or whatever would shut up his whining about how nice my car is compared to his 93 Aerostar.
I am currently shopping for a paint job, but feeling a little guilty because I really need to put the shocks first. My ex son-in-law says it's not the shocks because it's 'clunky' rather than 'floaty' (hope that makes more sense to you than it does to me) and he's the one who discovered that the TCS button seems to help. He thinks maybe I just need better tires.
Besides the rough ride, my CD changer won't play (just says 'err' whether there are CDs loaded or not - yes, I loaded it the right way), and the antenna & sunroof are groany. I think they just need to be de-gunked with some wd40 or something. When I mentioned dropping by the Infiniti dealership to have this stuff checked out, I was discouraged from doing this by the males in my life, who felt I'd be overcharged by them. Wouldn't be the first time a mechanic looked at my long blonde hair and decided that my FRIMFRAMWHATZIT desperately needed to be replaced for big bucks that I don't have!
Do you have any suggestions as to where I should take my car for a thorough check-up without getting ripped off? I sure don't want to pay $2000 for my suspension if all I really need is tires and alignment. I also don't want to ruin this beauty just because I'm too cheap to do proper maintenance on a timely basis. But we are currently supporting 8 people (kids/grands), leaving little for such luxuries as car repairs & maintenance, so every penny counts. Still, the purple paint is non-negotiable - you men have your spoilers/'dubbz'/17 gazillion hp engines - a lady can have her purple car w/o the guilt, right?
Obviously, I'm a wee bit long-winded and you are probably regretting your new 'best friend' status, but I could use a little guidance from some of you veteran Q owners. I live in the SF Bay Area, if that makes any difference.
Thanks for all the helpful advice I've read so far and for any you've got now.
Melanie
ps - I'm thinking about Earl Scheib for paint job - any thoughts?
I'm going to take a little extra time because the Q45a's hold so special to my heart that I want you to realize exactly what you have, what you're up against, and how you need to proceed. This forum is not a real high priority on my list, however Q45a's are....
What IRKS me the most is that 95% of drivers dont have any idea what a Q45 is, and exactly how great of an automobile it was back in its day.
When infiniti came onto the market in 1989, they existed to basically show the German's that the Japanese can make a sports luxury car. At the time, BMW and Mercedes dominated the sports luxury segment. BMW had their M5 and 5 series to contend with, Mercedes the 300 series, and so on.
To give you a short story on the Q45, it was undoubtedly one of the most technologically advanced vehicles on the road. The chassis was the stiffest chassis of ANY automobile on the road at the time, its coefficient of drag was on par with most super cars. The engine was a spectacular design which I could go on for YEARS about. In the early models, the steering wheel, gear shifter, and grab handles were made from the same hide of leather, regardless of the cost, so that they would FEEL the same to the touch.
The active suspension, dubbed Q45a, is easily the most advanced suspension system ever put on an automobile in America. Still, it stands its ground as cars now are starting to have a similar suspension, and they cost well over 100 grand and obviously cost much more to repair.
The active suspension is basically a computer controlled hydraulic suspension, with 9 nitrogen filled accumulators to provide the "cushyness" expected in a car like this. What is spectacular is that it can go over bumps seamlessly while providing nearly dead flat cornering. There is a video of a Q45a vs other luxury cars and its simply amazing.
The stiff ride you are describing is the nitrogen filled accumulators have lost their charge, and must be recharged. There are 4 main accumulators, and they can be recharged to restore 90% of the ride back. It will cost about $800 to recharge the 9 accumulators.
I am telling you this now because I want you to make sure you do the right thing. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT convert your car from the active suspension. PLEASE do not let anyone tell you have to do this because you DONT. Conversion can cost as much as getting your active back up to par. IF you are not up to maintaining the active suspension, please get rid of this car immediately and get something else. I will seriously lose sleep whenever an active Q gets converted.
Unfortunately, it sounds as if you are the kind of buyer that I would NOT recommend to get a Q45. They are old cars, and they dont care that you bought it for 2900, they are still a 60,000 luxury automobile. If you want the car to be well sorted, you have to start doing maintenance, regardless of what the previous owner said they did. Plan on replacing everything made of rubber on the suspension and engine (all hoses, bushings and dust boots), replacing the brakes, and many other assorted things. Also, this assumes that everything that needs immediate attention is taken care of (fuel pump probably needs replaced if it hasnt been already)
With that said, a paint job is the last thing that should be on your list. Someone I know who has a Q INSISTED on painting their car candy apple red. Well, they got their paint but the car still doesnt run as it should, and hasnt for almost 2 years now.
If you want a good paint job, expect to spend at least $4000 to have it done right. If you spend less, you are wasting your time. The factory infiniti paint is some of the best paint ever sprayed on an automobile, and if your paint is in good shape you are FOOLISH to spray some crappy $1000 paint over it. My Q has factory paint but some rough areas and I'm very torn on what to do since I dont want to repaint the car.
I take this stuff very seriously and I see way too many owners get in over their heads and give the car a bad name. The fact is, these cars are about as reliable and sturdy as any luxury car you could as for. The nice thing is that once theyre well sorted, very few random problems come up.
I dont want to say this to be haughty, but it someone reads this and thinks I'm crazy, they simply havent done the research required. Everything I'm saying is based on my experience and the experience of others.
Let me get to the bottom line and talk money. Since it doesnt sound like you are the wrench kind of person, we have to factor in labor. To get your car to feeling somewhat close to new, you will need to (all figures include a rough labor estimate)...
1. Recharge 4 main accumulators- 800
2. Replace other suspension components (bushings)- 300
3. Replace brakes- 400
4. Replace every hose in engine compartment- 1000
After all of that, youll have a luxury car thats capable of traveling anywhere you want to go, moreover its a luxury car you'll WANT to take anywhere you want to go. I have many friends with Q's over 200k miles, a couple with over 300k, and another with a 1995 with almost 500,000 miles.
The active suspension is wonderful, I have an active in my driveway right now (working on it for a friend) and its simply one of the greatest cars ive driven (his has all 9 accumulators recharged), however if you dont know someone who knows them inside and out, then prepare to be disappointed. No one knows diddly about them, so diagnosing and fixing problems, albeit usually rare, can be quite the feat.
So, I'm telling you now, if you are not committed to the active suspension and all it has to offer, please get rid of this Q and get a standard one, but do not convert it! Otherwise, the Q's have a few issues but they're usually pretty easy to fix.
I encourage you to contact me sometime, I will help as much as possible but I do not check this regularly (nor will I likely ever post something this long and thorough again).
You might consider using the tracking feature to be notified by email of new postings. We really appreciate your input here.