Hi to all,

I just bought a pristine 95' QA with only 68,000 miles. I would not have bought the car if I hadn't found this forum and found out what a great car it is. I have read a lot of the stuff here and the tech stuff at the Q site. I have some questions. What reccomended service should I do now? My Q has been very well maintained and garaged, everything works. It does need a front end alignment. Anything special I need to tell the alignment shop? I have read a lot about active problems, but haven't found much here about what it is that fails and makes it potentially expensive to repair. It seems from what I have read it is mostly the accumulators. Is that right? What do I need to do to keep the A healthy?

thanks,aaron

Welcome Aaron!!!!!

Basically the active system is pretty durable.. You gotta maintain it, fortunately it will be very easy to get yours back to very new condition...

Im not sure if the accumulators are flat, but by 68k Im sure they arent as new...

DEFINTEILY look into getting a fluid exchange, and then you can look into accumulators later... As long as the fluid is clean and fresh you should be good, as the accumulators only need replacing once they are flat and you get a VERY harsh ride...

you may need new upper links in front.in addtion to alignment , if you have any inexactness in steering at all, it is often caused by worn links.If yours are original, you'll likely need them.

Think about changing >all< fluids and a tranny cooler (part $50-75, plus 1-1.5 hr labor)

Fred..

PS: Welcome..PS#2 edited for typos.:oface

The steering is very tight and precise. It just drifts to the right a bit on the highway.

aaronl welcome.

A couple things to know about Your active Q. First, the main parts that allow your Active Q to have such a heavenly ride are ACCUATORS and ACCUMULATORs.

The 'actuators' (Infinity term) mean the strut cartridge with attached accumulator. Accumulators are not available separately (big mistake on their part IMHO)

The 'accumulators' are the small (2"x5") black can attached by 3 small cap screws/bolts the the mounting pad at the end of a 1/2" pipe welded to the (shock) body.

Actually there are 10 one is integral with the pump and a different design. One front center on top of the piping is a 'pump output' accumulator and incorporates a pressure switch. The switch opens/closes the solenoids that allow active oil into the pump. Solenoid closed = no pump horsepower consumption. Then there are the front and rear main accumulators. Front main is in front of right front fender well, mounted vertically, about 2"dia x 10" high. Rear main is mounter horizontally in fromt of right trunk well. About same size as front main. Front 'valve' accumulator is mounted on the pressure control valve--which is by the front main accumulator. This small (1"x 4") accumulator mounts horizontally fore-aft on the front side of the valve assembly and is easiest accessed by removing the headlight assembly and coolant overfloe reservoir. Alternative is to disconnect the valve assembly and drop it out (not a big deal really.) Rear vavle unit is mounted onto the rear pressure control valve, points to the rear,--2 styles (interghangeable) one is 1" x 5', the other 1.5" x about 4".

Each strut has an accumulator (2' x 5" approx) attached by 3 small bolts.When recharging your actuators or accumulators the strut units are ESSENTIAl. Mains NECESSARY for any active control. Pump output DESIRABLE for maximum active system performance and to protect pump solenoids from frequent cycling (could wear them out.) Valve units are helpful for maximum performance - they significantly increase frequency response (on washboards) but only then. They also dampen any 'water hammer' noise if that is a problem--that seems to depend on individual cars and piping rigidity.

The total weight of your active componets is a little over 200lbs. Your acitve oil is a mineral based oil so don't let some idiot put transmission fluid in there thinking it doesn't matter. The oil is should be bought only from the dealer or Joe. It comes in pints at $11.00 a can.

I strongly suggest that you get a FSM on your year Q so you can have pics and ideas where the parts are located and how to trouble shoot. Maybe wes can help you there.

The main problems with the active Q's are: 1) Leaking seals which leaks the fluid or oil.2) Flat or dead accumulators which cause a rough ride, but still allow your car to rise and fall. A flat or dead accumulator needs to be recharged with different fluid. 3) Pumps dying or failing4) Letting your active resivoir go dry. Always check on the active oil level.

Texasoil is perhaps the most knowledgable person in this area and he will recharge your accumulators at good rates.

Hope this helps a bit. Enjoy your active Q while you can as they tend to get a little expensive later in life. Kind in mind that you are driving one of the five most complex cars ever made!

red

Advice from a recently converted '95 Q45a owner:

Printout and save the explaination above. Its about as good as you will see.Avoid taking your car to a dealer and if you do, be wary of what they tell you.Never say the 'C' word here if you are looking for real actsus advice.

Wow what a post redman.....

I mirror what Fred said as well, tranny cooler is a really good idea... Very easy to install.....

Also, the way the alignment is designed on the Q, it is designed to drift a touch to the right.. Just a little, I just had mine aligned to factory specs and thats how it is... I guess its so that if you fell asleep at the wheel it would dump you off the side of the raod rather than into incoming traffic.....

elwesso wrote:Also, the way the alignment is designed on the Q, it is designed to drift a touch to the right.. Just a little, I just had mine aligned to factory specs and thats how it is... I guess its so that if you fell asleep at the wheel it would dump you off the side of the raod rather than into incoming traffic.....

You know, reading the past maint history on my Q I see where the past owner took it to the dealer on 3 different occassions related to the "drifting". They adjusted the sterring wheel?? all three times.... Curious if you ask me!....

red

There is a TSB regarding this.. I was wondering why my car did this, so I got on it.....

Its a long TSB too, and it lists stuff how even a 3psi difference in tires can cause it to drift a little.....

I'll have to read because I think the Q has incredible steering and it can be sensitive at times. Out of all the cars I've driven I consider it to be... Well.... Unique to say the least.

red

thanks all for the active advice. I have only had the car for a week and drove it yesterday for the longest trip. about 80 miles.

I think I need to get someone that knows what the car should ride like to check it out. I think it rides rougher than it should. You feel and hear every bump and expansion joint on the road. But, there is no bouncing, body roll on cornering, nose dive on braking etc.

aaron

Aaron, welcome to NICO! I'll echo what everyone else has said, and add that you probably have one of the rarest Infiniti's ever built.

Love to see some pics, and you should spend some time reviewing posts by NICO member "texasoil", who (like redmanfx) is an Active Q expert.

If the ride is not as soft as a Lexus, with cornering like an AMG Mercedes, you have flat accumulators.

It is almost certain they have never been serviced. Texasoil is your source. There is nothing like a functioning active.

You can still investigate whether you need any replacement parts in the suspension, and get an alignment. Before you do, check the height, and remember that the engine should be running during the alignment.

I will have to disagree on the dealer visit. Only a dealer can fully test the suspension.

And yes you must get a manual, then read the entire active chapter, twice!

The good news is that Keith Bowers (texasoil) is in Houston, so you will have a ready reference!

aaronl wrote:thanks all for the active advice. I have only had the car for a week and drove it yesterday for the longest trip. about 80 miles.

I think I need to get someone that knows what the car should ride like to check it out. I think it rides rougher than it should. You feel and hear every bump and expansion joint on the road. But, there is no bouncing, body roll on cornering, nose dive on braking etc.

Sonds like you have dead accumulators and that's exactly what was wrong with mine. The ride is still good just a little hard. The car will still rise and fall as well as compensate through the corners. There are 9 that can be recharged by texasoil.

red

does anyone know the production numbers for the "A"?

Since I live right here in Bellaire (just south of Houston galleria), give me a call and drop by for a check-up. (713) 664 8276 Keith Bowers

Hi, Texasoil,

I just bought a 94 Q45 VIP and the suspension is harsh. My car is in China, and no one here can repair it.

How can I do? I don't have the manual and I don't know where should i add the active oil. Also, how much is the accumulators? How much is the S&H to China?

Thanks,Ken

kenchoy wrote:Hi, Texasoil,

I just bought a 94 Q45 VIP and the suspension is harsh. My car is in China, and no one here can repair it.

How can I do? I don't have the manual and I don't know where should i add the active oil. Also, how much is the accumulators? How much is the S&H to China?

Thanks,Ken

Ken,

You are not likely to see any responses in this forum at NICO on this item ... please repost it in Infiniti Online Mechanic forum or the Q45 forum at NICO. If you want, I can move it there.

Z