3N3

[rsiwicki]

Well....I think I must have set some kind of record for having 3 totally unrelated problems disable my car from driving within 3 days.

Tuesday Evening ~ Problem #1 = MAF sensor went bad (Fixed Wednesday afternoon)Wednesday ~ All is good after the fix and help of NICOThursday ~ starts out good as they say my 2 new wheels (one as a spare) are in and ready to go Thursday Problem #2 - After I pick up the new wheels and have it mounted while there in the parking lot and chatting how great the car is and how much custom speed mods I have done to it we go to crank it up and the belts only turn once or twice and then click click click....I am now like WTF? The car started up just fine on the 30 minute drive out here and I have not had any hint of problems before hand. So I get it jumped off without a problem and the car starts and runs fine with AC on and everything so we shut it off and try to restart after idling for several minutes....well all I get is click click click again. So off to get a new battery (been 4.5 years since the last one). Got new battery all is good and I am cruising home at 4:30pm. btw....I can't believe the battery died so suddenly without the slightest warning. Thursday Problem #3 - I am cruising home @5pm now and all is good until all of a sudden at 80mph my power steering goes out instantly so I am again asking my self WTF? and I am looking at everything and power is still on and all appears to be running good so I shut off the car and pull over to the side of the road and pop the hood to see WTF is going on (btw....I like the phrase WTF a lot when my car has problems) and there is my power steering and water pump belt sherdded to pieces so I am like ohh Shizzle Bizzle and check the temp gauge (car was off) and all is good as the temp had not risen yet as I turnd off the car within 30 secs or lesss when the power steering went out. So I called AAA for service and they send out a 2 wheelie tow truck after specifically stating I need a flat bed. I wait another 2 hours and finally after watching hundreds of cars go bye bye on I-95 rush hour traffic the truck arrives and we tow it to the mechanics to get the belts changed and also an alignment as I was taking it their anyway tomorrow for an alignment after hitting the curb.

Well....AAA paid for itself this year being in tow twice so I guess that is somewhat positive, but I can't believe that I had 3 totally separate disabilitating problems within 3 days (let alone 4 hours for the last two) that either required my car get towed or get a jump with the battery being totally dead.

Just had to vent and get this off my chest as I have been looking hard a newer cars and I think this is somehow my car telling me to F~off for even thinking about selling it to somebody else. Damn....the Q45 Gods are after me for thinking of ending our 7.5 year relationship.

btw....3N3 stands for 3 problems in 3 days

[3Q Jay]

it's a female curse!!!

your lady is telling you--don't mess with me boy. don't even look at another chick. don't even think about it.

btw, good call on pulling over right away when the ps died. even if you could muscle it in that condition, as you point out the water [lack of] pump woulda made for a quick meltdown.

be good to her once you're out of the shop tomorrow

[FarFetched]

My wife's NEON (POS) had 3 batteries go out in a row. One battery every year since brand spanking new until I got Optima, 2 years later Optima had not shown any problems. Cells short out. I've red top Optima in my Old Lady. I had red top Optima in my Jeep, used winch on more than one occasions no problems. I like Optimas, pricey but long-live-the-king!Cheers!I feel you man!I had similar situation, but it happened on my off-road venture in boulder, Colorado. I had 2 blow outs, P/s pump went out, I got stuck like you would not believe and broke frnt bumper mount (while winching). So I was happy to get home in one piece. Got my Jeep together and following year returned to Colorado again only that time I learned not to be fulish!Cheers!Life is biatch sometimes!

[Rex]

They hit you in spurts .

When my battery went from (what appeared) fine to dead, it was a span of about 3 or 4 starts, then bleh, not enough juice. I went with an Optima red top myself and have been very happy ever since.

I had the same belt snap on me 2 winters back, as I was starting the car. Luckily it was cold enough here, that the needle never got above 3 o'clock.

Now, I'm fearing some MAF troubles.

[maxnix]

Now, I'm fearing some MAF troubles.

Stick with OEM airbox and filters, avoid K&N like the plague.

#2 happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Car is fine, no problems, then it dies one night at 1:36 AM. Optima cured that.
Modified by maxnix at 9:49 AM 8/12/2005

[elwesso]

Rob I hear you man, this thing is REALLY kicking your a$$.. I think the Q has left you stranded more than it has anyone else here. My Q has left me stranded once, and when i did it went out with a HUGE bang...

Im about to spend another $500 on a driveshaft... SIGH!! but im sick of my butt vibrating, ive had it, i should have done it 6 months ago...

When it rains it pours!

[Rex]

Stick with OEM airbox and filters, avoid K&N like the plague.

But of course ... now that I ditched the K&N drop in .

[redmanfx]

Don't I know about problems with the Q all at once!!!

red

[rsiwicki]

well I found out that it was the tensioner pulley that freezed.....now that ain't too bad except for the fact that the Goodyear dealer knows I a F_cked as the car has to be towed to be fixed anywhere else and is trying to pull a fast one charging me $110 for a part that costs $58 at my local dealer not to mention the 1.5 hours of labor. I talked with the mechanic and after a couple of words (mainly headers, etc.) he realized I somewhat know what my way around my Q45 after I told him I just changed out the water pump and fan clutch within the last 6 months on my own (thanks NICO). He then realized that the price they were going to charge me was way out of line....so he said he would speak with the head guy tomorrow morning and for me to contact him at 8am and they would give me their options. In my mind I have option #1 for them.....go postal and blow the F'ing place up for telling me the part costs $110 and they labor is 1.5 hours. I really hate it when somebody tries to take advantage of a situation as they got me by the balls since the car has to be towed to any other place to have the problem fixed.....mind myself that I called them asking if they can do the belts since I was taking it there anyway the next morning to have an alignment done before I had it towed there last night and they say sure no problemo...Ugghh!!! I hate it when somebody has you by the balls and you are really f_cked in the situation. I am so tempted to just call a tow truck and have the car towed tonight to the dealer just as a matter of principle versus monies so they don't get any profit off of my misfortune.

I swear the Q45 Gods are after me....and to think I was going to take it up to the 1/4 mile strip tonight to get a few runs in before I let put it up for sale. Maybe next week Wednesday I do some runs for old time sake.

[redmanfx]

Rob, I know just how you feel. Giving in to the pricing that places like this is sometimes unavoidable and they know it. It doesn't matter to them that you tow your car somewhere else because chances are you won't. You are the moneymaker for these guys right now. Good thing you know what is going on and have shown them the knowledge you have learned here and other places about the Q. $110 is way out there man,.. I mean are they machining the pulley right there? I would have laughed at them without being able to stop myself.

The guys that have been working on my car are doing extra stuff on it everytime I go there now, since they know me and I've spent so much money with them. They get all kind of electronic stuff to work that never did before. Still, I'd rather do it all myself from now on. I can't spend $2000 a month there anymore. And I provide all my own parts.

Just get everything fixed before I buy your car, that's all I ask!

red

[rsiwicki]

well....after I got robbed $317 for 1 fan belt=$110 & pulley tensioner=$95 & labor $112 my car is back with me tonight so all is good..and now off to look at newer cars.

[maxnix]

Observe carefully. Few come up the the build quality of the G50. Fewer still to the level of engineering.

[elwesso]

$312 for a belt and pulley plus labor. **** that is more expensive than the dealer, by about twice.. I remember Rex saying he got all his belts and pulleys done for $200 out the door!

[Rex]

WOW, Rob, I feel for you, cause they were for sure trying to screw you. That's almost enough to drop a call to the BBB or even the local "On Your Side" TV News station consumer advocate. Might be interesting to see what kind of quote your sister would get if she calls??

[rsiwicki]

Thanks for the advice on the BBB Rex. I might just go ahead and make a complaint. They had me by the balls knowing damn well that I would need to tow the car elsewhere to get it running again and took advantage of the situation.

I think my sister would have castrated a couple of them......While I love Miami and the Latin flavor, she hates the stereo typical smaller big headed latin men saying "rubia chica...que rico, te quiero, etc".

Besides...I put my sister to good use today and went car hunting. She ended up with 7 different business cards from 3 different dealerships. I ended up with a headache from trying to decide which car interested me the most and then the color, options, etc.

[elwesso]

Rob sorry I kinda cut you off yesterday.. Call me up sometime this evening at your convenience.. The club is closed today! (w00t)

[jamesmost]

Rob sorry u got raped, should maby join a victom support group. Feeling kinda stretched out myself