1995 J30 Timing Belt: $1,100 or should I keep looking?

[seginc]

Bought my car at 97k and it's got 101k on it now. I am driving my car from DC to California in May and I knew (thanks to this wonderful site that I was going to need to have some maintence done. I finally got around to calling the dealership today and they quoted me $1100 dollars for the timing belt, but when push comes to shove I know I will probably need the transmissioned flushed and some other things before I leave. Is this overpriced? Any recommendations as to where I should take it and what I should do?

[DAEDALUS]

It shouldn't be much harder than on a 300zx. A reputable shop locally quoted $6-700 for that job, and Pep Boys quoted around $600. I recently did it...took a weekend, including changing all the cam and crank seals + water pump and thermostat.

[J-Owner]

Sounds a little steep. You should also change the idler pulleys, timing belt tensioner, water pump, and thermostat while they have it apart. If you do all of this I still think $1,100 is steep. I had everything I mentioned above done plus a 90K mile service at the dealership for almost $1200. I would look elsewhere.

[VimyJ]

Drive belts and hoses, too.

[seginc]

I am sorry, he did mention that this included all those other things. Plus I am probably in need of a service (or two, lol) I don't cause I haven't owned it too long, but I am going to take a look at pep boys or perhaps someone else.

[seginc]

I just got off the phone with the shify a$$ infiniti dealer he said it would be $1150 to change the timing belt, water pump, and front cam seals. and depending on when the last service was it may be another $650-$1300 to for the most current XX,000 mile service. I will tell you one thing. I am not paying $2500 to fix a $5000 whip. . . what should I do?

[VimyJ]

Call a Nissan dealer and/or look for a good independent shop.

[redmanfx]

Nissan Dealers around me won't touch my Q or a J30, but if you can find a good reputable Foreign auto mechanic, they will usualy do it anywhere for 1/2 on 3/4 of the price a dealer will quote you. If you provide the parts they tend to think you know what is going on and won't stick you with allot of crap either.

redmanfx92 Q45a

[DAEDALUS]

Just FYI the parts from Scottsdale for my friend's 300zx cost just under $340. Belts, tensioner, thermostat, pump, short water hoses, sprocket, and all seals. Book labor is book labor.

[MattB]

Nissan Dealers around me won't touch my Q or a J30, but if you can find a good reputable Foreign auto mechanic, they will usualy do it anywhere for 1/2 on 3/4 of the price a dealer will quote you. If you provide the parts they tend to think you know what is going on and won't stick you with allot of crap either.

redmanfx92 Q45a

Really? My local Nissan dealer said that they'd work on any Infiniti...

[redmanfx]

Yep! They seem to be scared to work on them. I recently called to see how much they would charge for just a maint. check up and service, but they said "no way" and wouldn't even look at it or give a quote. They refered me to a foriegn import guy in town. I'm in a smaller populated area and we don't pull the best mechanics I guess. The closest Infinity dealer is 130 miles away in Raleigh, NC and I'm on the coast.

I've been forced to do everything myself or with a friend and while I've worked on cars before, I haven't had a Q with it's uniqueness. I just did the transmission(maint with flush) today and added a cooler. Now I'm going to have a cold because the work had to be done outside and it's a bit cool. I have no service guide and everything I've learned has been from here.

So I'm a bit upset I can't get any dealer to work on my car. Only the foreign auto guy, who happens to be a crook! And I hate transmission work, but alls well that ends well. I got it done and took an atf bath, but I'll live.

redmanfx92 Q45a