Active Conversion Complete (Article?)

[silver2k2]

I wanted to create this guide to help people who want to convert their active. The topic of whether or not to convert has been addressed many times. It is really a personal decision and what you want to do with your car. I know T3 has done lots of these as has B&B so its certainly a service that people desire.

I am not writing this to promote conversion but rather to help people that are going to do the conversion avoid the many hours I spent trying to track down information, avoid spending the many dollars I spent on parts that I thought would work, and avoid the spending the time I did not trial and error to get it right.

Overall I am very happy with my conversion. I got to know the Q better by doing it and now the car handles great. I did come to respect the system and its complexity. Honestly I felt bad taking it out as I could tell that many dollars and hours where spent designing it. However in my situation I could not get it into diagnostic mode, took it to two mechanics both with real Consults and no one could figure out what was wrong with it. Without a qualified place to help me anywhere even remotely local I was left with few options. Please don’t read me riot act I can point you to many unanswered posts on here while I was trying to get it fixed.

To summarize if you can save your active do so converting is not easy or cheap. However if you do here is what I have learned I hope it helps.

Conversions

Simple Conversion

Parts to buy newConversion kit from Joe (no springs or metal parts) $262

Parts to buy usedUsed shocks and struts $450 New Boots $100Sell old parts -$100

Total Cost $1012

Estimated time 8 - 10 hours

The simple conversion requires removing all of the Active components. Then looping the power steering pump.Total Conversion with used power steering pump and springs

Parts to buy newConversion kit from Joe (no springs) $262Non Active Belt $ 19New Boots $100

Parts to buy usedUsed springs and shocks $450 Crank Pulley $ 55 Power Steering pump $100Bracket $ 25Power Steering Hoses $ 75Reservoir $25 Trim piece without active switch $25

Sell old parts -$200

Total cost $836

You can add a new rebuild power steering pump for $100 dollars more, I am not sure how long these last. Power steering lines from Joe are $440 by so I hope that used ones will work any input this would great

I was lucky enough to find a hardly used set of eibachs and tokikos for 450 adjust accordingly for what you want to do

A true full conversion would also include an ECU. Although I do not know the advantage to this as the “actsus” Light goes out as soon as the fuse is removed

ProsLess cost to maintainAbility to run lowering springsAbility to run 17s, 18’s and up without compromising the active tuningMore availability of replacement partsBetter availability Better MPG

ConsNo ActivePeople will not like you

So I completed the conversion. It was a much bigger undertaking then I had expected and probably spend close to 20 hrs removing everything except for 3 things that identify it as an active

The active cooler, fan and duct which I will use for a transmission cooler, the ecu, and the gauge cluster.

The method that I used was the first remove the lines and follow them around the car so as not to remove anything that was non active. Then took out the valves and sensors.

I chose not to loop the pump as it is super heavy, it can be used by someone who needs it, and it leaves something in my opinion rigged. That said many people have done it and had no problems. You can used the return line to the active reservoir to do the loop.

Things that I tried that do not workUsing the Active pulley on the std pump (not even close)Using the Hicas pulley on the std pump bolts up perfect and uses the wide belt but does not align with the harmonic balancer and would require shimming out the brackets with washers

You need all three brackets that connect to the std pump along with the bolts as they are shorter because the brackets are not as thick

You must then change the harmonic balancer, the water pump pulley and idler.

I used shrink rap and ties to tuck all the active wires into nice places where they would not be mistaken for unplugged components or get in the way of moving parts

I would not attempt this without a good air ratchet and a compressor that can run it. There are literally hundreds of bolts that need to come out.

One thing that I haven’t done is undercoat the sections where the bolts came out but would recommend doing that especially if you live somewhere that has road salt.

Below are the brackets you will need







Below are the hoses you will need



Be sure to get 4 new copper crush washers to avoid leaks


Modified by silver2k2 at 8:40 AM 6/6/2007

[gammer_ghn]

Soo what’s so wrong about the active suspension I don’t have one but when I popped the little tab by the traction control button and I saw that it had the harness for it so my question is that what’s wrong with it and why are so many people taking it off and that is it worth converting it to active if you have stock? im thinking about it since my shocks are making noise so im in the thought of converting to active since I would like to adjust my ride height and achieve stiffer suspension but what do I know I have never even driven the car with that option so..... Enlighten me...

[tkd_q45]

Other Pros - better acceleration, better fuel economy

[silver2k2]

the active system is very complex, thus not many places including infinity dealerships know how to work on it. Thats the main problem with it, fixing it when its broken. If all it needs is accumulators you are golden

It would cost 10k in labor and a perfectly working active donor car to convert a car from std to active.

[maxnix]

Active conversion?

Maybe active degradation.

If you don't want an active, it's best not to buy one. As TexasOil points out, it's more expensive to degrade to a standard G50 properly (no extra hardware hanging on, proper PS pump) than it is to restore the active 90% of the time.

[silver2k2]

Active conversion?Maybe active degradation.

If you don't want an active, it's best not to buy one. As TexasOil points out, it's more expensive to degrade to a standard G50 properly (no extra hardware hanging on, proper PS pump) than it is to restore the active 90% of the time.

As I said before the purpose of the post was not to discuss this. However now I feel I must defend myself against your negative comments that add 0 value to the discussion (as normal) when all I am trying to do is help others in need of information (the purpose of this forum).

I searched for months and months to find a car that had FULL service records, Orig owner with the required 3k+ spend each year documented. It happened to be Q45a. I was able to negotiate a good price based on the susp. It would have gone the auction and then probably to a junk yard since no one else wanted it. I even offerend it on here to anyone for just what I had into it and still no takers

I point out here in this post that it is not cheaper, only marginally less expensive.

zerothread?id=245635

I tried to save it No one local or anyone on here was able to help me figure out what was wrong. Search for my unanswered posts. besides the dealer wanting to replace everything for 10k.

I essentially saved an great mechanically maintainted (excluding susp) from getting sold at carmax and then then at auction.

Modified by silver2k2 at 1:12 PM 6/6/2007
Modified by silver2k2 at 1:16 PM 6/6/2007

[gammer_ghn]

sorry man but it was just on the tip of my tounge and i needed to get it out sorry if i offended you and your posts purpose....

[silver2k2]

sorry man but it was just on the tip of my tounge and i needed to get it out sorry if i offended you and your posts purpose....

My last post was not directed at you

[elwesso]

Silver thanks a bunch for the post!!! I really appreciate it, ill probably proofread this and make it an article. OF course that would mean you'll get a custom title, if maybe youd want to make sure you dont want to add anything I will just copy and paste your post....

Im personally sorry that you didnt get your other posts answered... It is certainly very hypocritical for someone to give you crap for converting if they didnt even help you try and save it... I would have liked to see you keep it active too, but if the owner is not able to work on their car themself then forget about it.

ConsNo ActivePeople will not like you

you will be shunned from the Q45 community and will wish upon you plagues of frogs and locusts.... I love it!

[silver2k2]

Thanks Wes. I think you have said many times the problem with active is lack of knowledge about it. I always do the work myself using knowledge from forums and the FSM/TSBs.

The fact that I took it to two different Infiniti dealers (and paid) says how hard I tried. I wasnt willing to just throw parts at it. Anyways I hope that I can help someone else out.
Modified by silver2k2 at 9:41 PM 7/2/2009

[maxnix]

Thanks Wes. I think you have said many times the problem with active is lack of knowledge about it. I always do the work myself using knowledge from forums and the FSM/TSBs.

The fact that I took it to two different infinity dealers (and paid) says how hard I tried. I wasnt willing to just throw parts at it.

Which is why we are gald we have Q45tech and especially texasoil to instruct those who wish to know, not mention the FSM. If only the people who understood how airplanes actually work flew, the skies would be much emptier.

Did you see a bunch of speakers displayed when you went to the "infinity" dealer? Might have explained the service.

Truth is, almost all the Senior technicians are gone or retired, and it is ultimately the responsibility of each owner to monitor his car's care, because most techs at most dealers just don't know.

As I have observed before, the active owners here who have restored thier cars to as new OEM condition prefer them to standard. Those that haven't don't know what they will never have.

Credit is to be given that unlike most, at least you removed and replaced most of the heavier unneeded equipment unlike most others who are running around in a degraded but heavier car carrying unneeded useless mass. Don't know why the extra wiring would prove such a problem to remove, but neither is the weight penalty too great.

[silver2k2]

I expect nothing more from you maxnix, you are part of the reason I (a contributing helpful member) doesn’t come around much anymore.

To use one of your favorite bash lines “maybe you should polish up on your reading comprehension”

As you had problems understanding my disclaimer:

"Please don’t read me the riot act. I can point you to many unanswered posts on here while I was trying to get it fixed."

Which is why we are gald we have Q45tech and especially texasoil to instruct those who wish to know, not mention the FSM. If only the people who understood how airplanes actually work flew, the skies would be much emptier.

Did you see a bunch of speakers displayed when you went to the "infinity" dealer? Might have explained the service.

Truth is, almost all the Senior technicians are gone or retired, and it is ultimately the responsibility of each owner to monitor his car's care, because most techs at most dealers just don't know.

As I have observed before, the active owners here who have restored thier cars to as new OEM condition prefer them to standard. Those that haven't don't know what they will never have.

Credit is to be given that unlike most, at least you removed and replaced most of the heavier unneeded equipment unlike most others who are running around in a degraded but heavier car carrying unneeded useless mass. Don't know why the extra wiring would prove such a problem to remove, but neither is the weight penalty too great.

[sancho315]

removing the active system seems to be the choice for me. im researching the how to threads and this is the best one ive found im using a set of salvaged struts to save $$$$

im wondering what other parts i need, joe sent me a list for the full conversion but its over $1500

what came in the kit you bought for $262

do you have any pics showing what it comes with or how it bolts up?