Hello, I am new to NICO.
Anyway, let me intro self and tell the tale. My wife and I own two Q45's--a forest green '94 (135K, refuses-to-die miles) and my baby, a 1999 silver mint condition with 90K. In case you didn't notice, I love these cars.
I thought I was the only lunatic in this asylum! Long story short, a friend notices our Q45 love affair and goes out and buys herself a '92 Q45a. Car drives like a turnip truck. Takes car to dealer who says she needs new suspension and power steering, about $4,000 of work, with no warranty on the work. She comes to me for advice. I am not familiar with these a's, what should I tell her?
1992 Q45A needs TLC
Qubano,
Welcome to the forums!
You have a lot to tell her. Start by getting her to do an active suspension self diagnostic on her car:
Active Suspension Test======================
1) with the car shut down, transmission in P, turn the key to 'on' do not crank. 2) within 10 sec of key ON, turn the N/H switch from N to H and back 10 times, stopping in N
First series are 10's, second series is 1's5 followed by 5 is "55" which means electricals are fine.
Full Travel = 5"
Post up what code you get and I'll give you a hand telling you what it means (or possibly post up a table later to help).
The accumulators should have a full 5" of travel assuming they're perfect. A little less won't hurt... the less travel the worse the ride. You can test this by pushing on each corner of the car (and guesstimating).
If it's your accumulators, look up a man named texasoil here on the forums. His actual name is Keith Bowers and he'll give you a good price on recharged accumulators.
As far as the power steering goes, she's gonna have to go to the dealer for that unless you have a reputable nissan/infiniti shop around.
She got herself in a bit of a crunch it looks like... let us help her get out!
Corey
Welcome to the forums!
You have a lot to tell her. Start by getting her to do an active suspension self diagnostic on her car:
Active Suspension Test======================
1) with the car shut down, transmission in P, turn the key to 'on' do not crank. 2) within 10 sec of key ON, turn the N/H switch from N to H and back 10 times, stopping in N
First series are 10's, second series is 1's5 followed by 5 is "55" which means electricals are fine.
Full Travel = 5"
Post up what code you get and I'll give you a hand telling you what it means (or possibly post up a table later to help).
The accumulators should have a full 5" of travel assuming they're perfect. A little less won't hurt... the less travel the worse the ride. You can test this by pushing on each corner of the car (and guesstimating).
If it's your accumulators, look up a man named texasoil here on the forums. His actual name is Keith Bowers and he'll give you a good price on recharged accumulators.
As far as the power steering goes, she's gonna have to go to the dealer for that unless you have a reputable nissan/infiniti shop around.
She got herself in a bit of a crunch it looks like... let us help her get out!
Corey
Re: (MiniMan)
Here's the table.
As well, PM elwesso for a complete Q45 Factory Service Manual.
Corey
As well, PM elwesso for a complete Q45 Factory Service Manual.
Corey
Re: 1992 Q45A needs TLC (Qubano)
Welcome to NICO!!! Nice to have you here.. First off, your friend bought one of the 5 most complex cars ever made..
The suspension problem may well be Dead Accumulators or actuators. They can give you a hard ride. does the car still rise when it's started and lower itself when turned off? Please use the SEARCH button and check post by Texasoil. He is the guru of the "a" model. Also check http://www.q45asuspension.com/
That Q45a has 9 accumulators that can be recharged for 1200 by texasoil. Dealers charge up to 4000 and more just for replacing them. The car is heavenly when it's working properly and by far a better ride than anything out there, Serious!. I have a 92 Q45a and can tell you that a 92 Q45a will take some duckies to bring back the ride it was intended to have, but not as much and the dealer would have your friend spend.
The power steering can be belts and pulley's or the upper Rack.
Please check into "Chain guides" which can kill a 92Q when they fail. They were made with plastic chain guide and those guides should be replaced by the metal guides.
How many miles does it have? Does she have the maint. records? If not check a dealer and the VIN to get them. See what's been done. A must to assess what "should" be done.
The search button can be your friends biggest friend here at first.
Well that's a beginning anyway.
Don't want to give you too much right off the bat.
red
The suspension problem may well be Dead Accumulators or actuators. They can give you a hard ride. does the car still rise when it's started and lower itself when turned off? Please use the SEARCH button and check post by Texasoil. He is the guru of the "a" model. Also check http://www.q45asuspension.com/
That Q45a has 9 accumulators that can be recharged for 1200 by texasoil. Dealers charge up to 4000 and more just for replacing them. The car is heavenly when it's working properly and by far a better ride than anything out there, Serious!. I have a 92 Q45a and can tell you that a 92 Q45a will take some duckies to bring back the ride it was intended to have, but not as much and the dealer would have your friend spend.
The power steering can be belts and pulley's or the upper Rack.
Please check into "Chain guides" which can kill a 92Q when they fail. They were made with plastic chain guide and those guides should be replaced by the metal guides.
How many miles does it have? Does she have the maint. records? If not check a dealer and the VIN to get them. See what's been done. A must to assess what "should" be done.
The search button can be your friends biggest friend here at first.
Well that's a beginning anyway.
Don't want to give you too much right off the bat.
red
-
elwesso
- Posts: 30810
- Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2003 4:52 pm
- Car: 94 Infiniti Q45t 5 spd
2007 BMW M Coupe
2007 Infiniti G35 S 6MT - Location: Indiana
- Contact:
Re: 1992 Q45A needs TLC (redmanfx)
I mirror what the guys above said...
welcome to nico!!!
Anyway, like they said its most likely the accumulators.. Basically the accumulators (as I understand) are basically like the springs on a standard suspension setup... They are the things that provide the damping action.. WHen they lose their nitrogen charge, you get the harsh ride (basically riding on the rubber bushings).. There are 4 main strut accumulators (one on each strut, they look like a little can) and then 5 more throughout the system..... Most of the ride quality can be had by replacing the 4 strut ones, and then doing the rest later...
think of it this way, for a full recharge from texasoil (who by the way singlehandedly saved the Q45a) costs $1250... This suspension is as advanced if not more than the ones on the current benz's, lotus and so forth.. So really, you can either fix up the Q, or pay 100,000+ for a similar design... Believe me or not, thats exactly how good it is..... They are just now getting to the point where the suspension design is close to the Q45a....
Glad to see your a Q freak like the rest of us...
welcome to nico!!!
Anyway, like they said its most likely the accumulators.. Basically the accumulators (as I understand) are basically like the springs on a standard suspension setup... They are the things that provide the damping action.. WHen they lose their nitrogen charge, you get the harsh ride (basically riding on the rubber bushings).. There are 4 main strut accumulators (one on each strut, they look like a little can) and then 5 more throughout the system..... Most of the ride quality can be had by replacing the 4 strut ones, and then doing the rest later...
think of it this way, for a full recharge from texasoil (who by the way singlehandedly saved the Q45a) costs $1250... This suspension is as advanced if not more than the ones on the current benz's, lotus and so forth.. So really, you can either fix up the Q, or pay 100,000+ for a similar design... Believe me or not, thats exactly how good it is..... They are just now getting to the point where the suspension design is close to the Q45a....
Glad to see your a Q freak like the rest of us...