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Q45 Troubles

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  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Dealers sublet radio and CD repairs to audio shops. Find out which one your dealer uses from their parts department, and ask them
  • bigbrother1bigbrother1 Member Posts: 5
    I just purchases a 1994 Q45. With all of the discussion on reliability I would like to know if anyone knows where I
    can purchase a shop manual for the car.

    Thanks
    Greg

    Are they really as troublesome as this town hall makes them out to be?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    you have to remember that you are in the ER room of cars, here....you don't meet the healthy ones usually in the Repair Topic.
  • curiousqcuriousq Member Posts: 2
    In re the post I made last week: the seller asked $7400 & we settled on $6600 after I had it checked out. Within minutes of my first drive as a Q owner I knew I was hopelessly in love & would do almost anything to hang onto this car. If it turns out to be a repair hog, I will consider a second job.

    I realize we are in the honeymoon stage of our relationship. Heh, heh!

    Questions: any way to repair the small split on the left side of drivers seat? Thanks to the message board, I'll be picking up some Hide Food to maintain the rest. I've ordered an owner's manual (from Local dealer, $26. but in the meantime am clueless as to how to operate the CD changer in the trunk. It's a Sony CDX 71 w a remote: RM X43
    I've tried various combinations of tuner on/off and, yes, I did load the magazine. The in dash cassette player appears to be rolling tape but no sound. I've tried different tapes

    Finally, for now, any & all cup holder suggestions are welcomed
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/infinitiownersclub

    1181 members and about 16,000 post on this model repairs/maintenance etc.
  • hiiq1hiiq1 Member Posts: 7
    I'm an owner of a 93Q that has a persistent rust problem on the door jambs of both rear doors. Is there anybody else out there having the same problem. I was told by dealer that infinite used to repair this under warranty but no longer does unless there is actually a viable hole through the metal!! I've just experienced the failed fuel pump and opted to replace the pump only without the module (400.00)! Let me know if anybody else has gone this route.
  • rubicon52rubicon52 Member Posts: 191
    Just got the Consumer Reports 2001 annual car issue. Their reliability bar chart based on first 6 months of ownership showed Infiniti to be the most reliable make, more reliable than even Lexus. Interesting.
  • kpkmkpkm Member Posts: 2
    I am driving 1.5 hrs tomorrow to test drive a 1990 Q45. It has 105K miles and I believe two different owners. The present owners can vouch for main/repairs that occurred during the last 40,000 miles but don't have service records from previous owner (the Infiniti dealer that was used had since closed up shop).

    So from what I'm reading on the site, I need to find out 1)is it active suspension, 2) have the chain guides been replaced, 3)Fuel injectors, 4) Torque Convertor Turbine Sensor, 5) Power steering hase return and 6) can the A/C be converted from R12 to R134A (and how much will it cost).

    Have I left anything out? Should I be looking at an Accord? I love the car but can't afford to be hit with $6,000 worth of repairs during my 1st year of ownership.
    HELP!
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    This is the correct: way replace the pump before it destroys the controller.
    Make sure you change your fuel filter at least every 15-20k miles it will save you a lot of pumps. Eventually you will need to clean out the fuel tank and lines and injector rails as the dirt in gasoline from old fuel tanks will clog up the system or at least narrow the inside of lines.
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    Any 11 year old luxosport should scare you [even a 90 LS400 [most reliable of the group of 5] can need AC, PS, Display, Radiator/heater work for a quick $3400] if you don't want to spend your purchase price every two years in maintenance at least during the lets get it in shape period. How do you think a $38k in 1990 [$53k in current dollars] car gets depreciated to $6,000 [Q] because many components [not $47k worth but the car only cost $35k to make so half] are worn due to age. Low Mileage can be bad as many people don't change the oil every 3 months and some owners think once a year is ok if they only drive 7,000 miles. Plus most of the other fluids never get changed!
    Generally the Q engine internals are bullet proof if the oil is changed and the chain guides are replaced.
    Sometimes you get lucky and all the wear items get replaced but not likely since the worst period maybe from 100k to 150k.
    Generally you would be better off in looking at 94 Q models they are at least $800-$1,000 per year less expensive to maintain and can be purchased around $12,000.
    You pay up front with interest or you pay annually with repairs.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Exactly....a car is like a bank account...and some owners just make withdrawals (use the vehicle) but no deposits (no or little maintenance) and end up BANKRUPT....so you want a car like this to have a long list of "deposits".

    I have an old Benz with 215,000 miles and it runs and looks like new. But neither I nor the previous owner has been stingy with maintenance. We replace things BEFORE they are ready to break, in other words. This is the kind of older luxury car you want to buy.

    So a big folder of maintenance work is a good sign...a car with no history is, in fact, kind of scary.
  • bigbrother1bigbrother1 Member Posts: 5
    I have a 1994 Q 45 that misses for about the first 2 to 4 miles then runs fine. Any idea?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    What do you mean "misses"? Actually bucks and hesitates with an even gas pedal?
  • bigbrother1bigbrother1 Member Posts: 5
    With an even gas pedal it is only firing on about 5 out of the 8.
  • jeine2jeine2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 93 Q45 with 140,000 miles on it. Last summer it started to have a strange problem. After driving for awhile, (when taking off from a stopped position), the RPM's rev up and it doesn't shift.. The second I take my foot off the gas, the car shifts fine..... I thought it was a transmission problem - but when I took it to the dealer it turned out to be a vacuum hose. They replaced it and it ran fine all winter... Now that the weather is warming up, it is happening again.
    I took it to the dealer and of course it didn't do it when they had it...... The hose is fine now. Is there some kind of temp. sensor in the transmission that could have gone bad? The car shifts fine except for these rare occasions. They don't know what to tell me..... Help????
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Go to Yahoo and search for the Infiniti Owners Club. They have many Q45 owners/enthusiasts that can help you with the problem.

    Have you read all the posts in here and the Q45 topic over in Sedans conference? If not, you need to spend some time doing research here and Yahoo. You'll know alot more about your car afterwards.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Big brother--possibly the plug wires...I know they're not cheap, but on modern cars they often don't last that long...30K-60K or so.
  • chorneychorney Member Posts: 1
    When it is missing try to jiggle the terminal at the air flow computer (I think that's what it's called) its a small rectangular black box at the front right of the engine as you look at the engine. If this smooths out the engine then have the terminals replaced.
    (Personally, I don't know what I'm talking about just been there done that and they fixed it)

    Good luck
  • pdjohannespdjohannes Member Posts: 1
    I own this Q45a and was rear-ended (right rear side)a year ago. Asked insurance agent who quoted for repairs about future problems because of all the high tech. matters i. e. active suspension. Was assured no further damage due to accident. Now, a year later suspension leak - right rear strut area. I need help and if anyone can suggest what I can do without going to the dealer, it will be much appreciated.

    Thank you,
    pdjohannes
    p.s. Jr shiftright can you shed any light??
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I called my friend who owns Dependable Tire and Brake here in San Rafael California, a really good front end, suspension and tire shop that does a lot of work for local dealers, racers, exotic cars, etc., and he does not work on this suspension. He refers everyone to the dealer. This leads me to believe that independent shops, even the best, aren't interested in working on this system.

    You could go to the delear for a diagnosis and an estimate and then take it from there...maybe going online or calling around your area for alternatives. It would be good to know exactly what is going wrong first, though. The less info you have, the less anyone can tell you in return, right?

    So it might be worth the $100 or so to get a good diagnosis. But I'd insist that the dealer report to you IN DETAIL. Not just "yep, it's broke!"
  • brucer2brucer2 Member Posts: 157
    Try going to this forum:


    http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/infinitiownersclub


    There is a person with the screen name "texasoil", who has extensive experience with the active suspensions.

  • qy1qy1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1994 Q and it starts to give me the following problem.
    In parking gear, the idling rpm speed is around 500 rmp, also there is a
    hissing sound . When shift to drive the rpm dropped and the engine dies. Any similar experience and any idea what might be happening here?
    Thanks.
    Christine
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Sounds like a vacuum leak. Try running the engine in Park with the hood up and pinpointing the source of the hissing. It's probably a split vacuum hose.
  • qy1qy1 Member Posts: 2
    I am trying it. Try to avoid going to the dealer if I can.
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    Why do people who purchase what were once expensive but are still complicated automobiles avoid the dealers where the most competent technicans usually work, where the spare parts are in inventory, and the resolution of problems is usually faster. To save $10 to $15 an hour??? or because the dealers tell them the awful truth that their cars need to be maintained and they have to spend money. It amazes me that people don't know that old lux cars need $1,500-$3,000 per year [each and every year] for maintenance.
    Much of our work [15-25%%] on older Q is correcting problems caused by shade tree mechanics who don't have a clue as to how the complex system work! Some of these people use cheapo non factory rebuilt parts and try to make things work with tape and bailing wire. You don't want to know how many cars get towed in with the trunk full of engine/transmission parts from some generic shop which got in over its head - begging us to bail them out.
    T3 Automotive LTD .. SE largest independent repairer of Lexus and Infiniti.
  • msrankinmsrankin Member Posts: 3
    1994 Q45 with 99000 miles. Owned for 9 months. I have had struts replaced, new tires, idler pulleys replaced (with belts), transmission leak fixed, etc... I fully expect routine maintenance and upkeep for a car of this caliber. However, this ones got me stumped... The car ran perfect one day and then the next idles very rough and has a loss of power. Nearest Infiniti dealer is 120 miles so I did some investigation with the onboard diagnostic computer (lots of fun getting to that box!) Codes 51 (fuel injector circuit) and 34 (engine knock circuit). Local mechanic cannot diagnose but suggested running fuel injector cleaner through the system. Have only ran about 1/3 of a tank with the injector cleaner and have some (minor) improvement. Still pretty bad though. Is this a bad injector or fuel filter or pump or ???? What about these places that advertise a "fuel system flush"? Thanks for any input and what is anyone's luck with a Nissan dealer - can they work on Infiniti's?
  • brad72brad72 Member Posts: 3
    nteresting article on the new Q not having as much power as Infiniti advertised. Car and Driver also noted a similar problem with the new Q45. Is Infiniti doing anything to address this?


    Interesting article on the lack of advertised power in the new Q:


    http://www.detnews.com/2001/autos/0107/26/a01-254941.htm

  • interclientinterclient Member Posts: 1
    So I pass this great looking Champagne 1990 Q45 for a few weeks, see a "for sale" sign go up, and now I'm a (somewhat) proud owner. I've driven Mercedes, BMW and Jag's for years, and had very few problems (I am a stickler for frequent preventative maintenance). This thing drives better than any SDL Mercedes I've owned... and pretty close to past 740 BMW's.

    So... here's my situation: I've had the car two months, and now the brakes fade to (literally) nothing. Right from the get-go. You can't even pump them to "hard" with the engine off and parked. No leaks, plenty of fluid. It FEELS like the break booster failed, but I would think that there would still be brakes, just no power assist. The "brake shoes" indicator is on on the dash, has been since I bought it. The AS block does have a small leak (is there a rebuild kit I should know about? $1-2k seems like quite an investment for that feature... maybe not). Is there a work-around for that? What's the best self-test to diagnose this situation, prior to turning it over to an Infiniti mechanic?

    Then, about two weeks ago, a sudden ticking has shown up that appears to be coming from the left (from the rear) cylinder bank. It clatters like hell as the revs increase, then quiets down a bit at 3k PM. It's intermittent at idle and slightly above (will completely disappear about 60% of the time at idle). It also sometimes disappears after driving a bit... once it's completely warm. But cold, it sounds bad... I bought this car to take clients out to lunch, etc... it's roomy and sexy, and very nice leather, sound system, etc... It even has a "wood dash and center pod" kit installed... so it really has the look and feel of a great Euro sedan. I want to keep it (though it has nearly 150k on it, it's been very well maintained). But I don't want to sink my life savings into it.

    Any ideas are welcome. I'm a pretty good mechanic, but I'm not confident I want to wrestle with all I see under that hood.

    Also, if you're a local mechanic, please feel free to contact me if you feel you can do the fixes. I'll gladly pay to have a "personal mechanic". Thanks!
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    The only competent techs I know of in Orange Co are at MacPherson Infiniti which is in the Tustin Auto Center. I've heard from folks who have had their car serviced there and everyone's been happy.

    I assume you read Q45MAN's post # 126. You need to take this to heart. It is the absolute truth regarding the Q45. The last thing you want is some local yokel shadetree hack working on your car. It is wayyy too complex for anyone that does not have Infiniti experience. BTW, I don't run into too many Infiniti techs hanging out on the web looking to be some guy's "personal mechanic".

    Finally, you need to spend some quality time at the Infiniti Owners Club on Yahoo. There is not a better place on the web for Q45 owners - - and I belong to 3 online Infiniti clubs and/or groups.
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    As a lucky [purchased a factory extended warranty to 7 year and 100,000 miles in 1990] owner I was amazed at what didn't go wrong in the first 60,000 miles [many of the systems were replaced by dealer recalls: AC evaporator, ac compressor, alternator, ABS system, transmission, brake master cylinder, radio unit , speakers and amps, glove box, sunshades the extended warranty paid for $14,700 of replacements from 60,000 to 99,999 miles [until 6/97]. Had I been smarter I would have found another $4,000 worth! [that were bad but I didn't know it]
    During the next 4 years I ended up driving another 120,000 miles [vs the previous 7 years 100k].
    The drive shaft, the differential [whine not failure], the rear subframe [vibration], transmission mounts, engine mounts, plenum hoses,engine chain guides, the sun roof, the ac system, the radiator, the alternator, thousands of dollars in suspension parts and bushings, fuel pumps, tires, brakes, speedometer, HVAC controller, etc.
    The first 100k ended up costing [ME $6,800] around around 7 cents per mile [if you add the extended warranty and warranty cost 23 cents per mile $23,100].
    The second 120,000 miles cost ME $21,870 or 18.3 cents per mile.....almost $5500 per year average [$455 per month]was spent AT the Independent Facility I am now associated with [T3 Automotive LTD].
    Please understand that money was not a consideration and the goal of making the car like new or later 'better than new' via upgraded factory parts was used - every vibration was corrected and rigorous standards were maintained [to the point of obsession with detail].
    As a result of evaluating the failed parts and systems [every part replaced in the past 4 years was studied in detail and the root cause determined.] Wierd --thats the problem of being an engineer by trade.
    By the 1992-93 model almost all of the weak systems - parts were redesigned and the car was very reliable much of this carried over to the 1994 redesign [grill] but thousands of parts were changed to update the car again by 1995 most of these bugs were worked out.
    The more luxurious the car the more complicated system contained therein, but these are only designed to last a finite period....usually 100,000 miles or 7 years.
    Unless you have access to junk yard parts [wrecks which have not set outside too long and are a trained technican familiar with the model avoid the early model [90-91] unless spending $4-$5k per year doesn't scare you ....many decent deals are available for $4-$5-$6k purchase price.
    Engine replacement runs $6,000 for used, trans replace is $3,000 rebuilt, driveshaft $1000 new, diff is $3000 new $1000 used, AC rebuild $2500, knock sensors $1000, plenum hoses $1000.
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