3rd transmission in a month!! HELP!!!

[debraloveless]

HI my name is Debra Loveless!I purchased a 1990 Q-45 with 116k from a shady dealer, about 3 months ago. I am as we speak about to install the 3rd transmission in a month. The trannys were not from Infiniti, they were used from a "reliable" transmission company..hmmm...but now looks like this new shop wants to rebuild it! I cant afford the infiniti route, unfortunately, I spent 2800 going the route I have described. So far they have all been covered under the one year warranty. But I am starting to freak out. I told the first shop about the recommended cooler, and synthetic oil. He said there were no factory upgrades (that he could find) for my year model and not to worry about it:( So now before this new shop has a go at it, I would love any input as to what I should tell them to do, or what I should demand them to install! I love my car, it is a screamer, and I would like to keep it for as long as I can afford another Q-45! I have more questions about my car, mainly the "timing guides" that I keep hearing, (have NOT been done as far as I know) but I suppose one thing at a time! If anybody can help me, I would love you forever! (Ok I would be eternally grateful):help

[DougQ45]

Have them check for a: i) clogged heat exchanger or ii) clogged internal filter and screen. Ton's of info on this board about both!!!!

[psychic_mechanic]

^What he said. Something is horribly wrong with the heat exchanger or the filter.

[debraloveless]

I was just wondering you Q-Guru's, is it pretty common for a typical transmission shop, to screw up our Q's? ANYBODY know of a good Q-shop for my Q-ship in deep in the piney *** woods? (OK northern Houston) Sounds like they are too sophisticated for the average Joe Auto Shoppe, Looks like I am stuck with the warranty the first shop gave me (a year) I so wish there was a way I could get that transmission you guys are talking about from (Arizona?) on my warranty for greenfield or whatever their name is! I feel so compromised by what I am finding "should" be done, to what this shop is going to do via the warranty from the used transmission company. El Crappola! Sigh...wishing I had done my homework

[DougQ45]

It is very easy to replace the $24 filter. Drop the pan, replace the filter, re-install the pan. The heat exchanger can be checked by blowing air through it. Any shop should easily handle both. The heat exchanger is located on the drivers side of the radiator---2 little pipes about 1/4 inch in diameter at the end of the radiator.

[debraloveless]

That is great! Plus it sounds like something we can do here rather easily. Problem is, the last transmission blew like a BIG DOG! Huge BOOM, shrapnel, total interior distinegration of the interior transmission according to one shop. They want to rebuild it if the warrantee-er will let them. Instead of going for another used transmission. It has not been decided yet, up on the lift as we speak, At this point, I have no idea what the best route would be to do, I have never used this shop before, first shop (400 miles away) said this present shop is the only one in my area that will work with the warranty. I hope they do a better job, I asked them if they were farmiliar with working on Q-s, got the old "uh-huh sure, we will do ya right!we'll see!

[DAEDALUS]

Checking the pressure is one of the first things they should have done after the 1st unit came back under warranty. I wouldn't trust anyone to rebuild a transmission except for factory-authorized shops.

[texasoil]

A shop here in Houston does excellent work. He rebuilt the one in my wife's 92 Q45a before we bought it 4 years and 40K miles ago. It shifts crisp and beautifully. He also is the only guy in Houston authorized to put the (factory) REMAN stamp on MBZ trannys. He does it right.

He also is honest and fair. Charged me only $75 to open up a MBZ transmission and replace a broken lip seal and reverse clutch pack (all it needed), parts were <$20. Above cost was for transmission brought to him.

[PalmerWMD]

Also, adding an aftermarket transmission cooler, wont just help you stay cool (your transmission blowing was clearly not due to overheating as catastrophic as it was) but it will eliminate the factory heat exchanger as a source of clogs and bad pressures.

Fred...

[debraloveless]

Yes, we we definitely install a cooler, I will read more posts and do research as to which is the best one and favored procedure. I am a little dismayed now though, I have been told several times now by other folks, that any transmission other than a factory Infiniti will NOT work. So basically it sounds like I have been given the shaft by these transmission companies, that say "yes they "do" work on Q-45's and that a non-infiniti transmission "will" work. I am at such a loss as to what to do right now. They are going to start it today, and looks like they will either rebuild, or get another unit from the same company that provided the first (2) I sincerely doubt the transmission co. will secure an infiniti for me. :oblivion:

..oh yea..Texasoil...I tried to e-mail you to get the name of the shop here in Houston you said did good work, but not sure it got through, if you dont mind could you give me the info on that? Plus, I also have an 80 mercedes diesel with a brand new engine that is now suffering transmission problems as well. I liked what you said about that shop re benz's as well!Thanks you guys, a very sad and brokeDebra

[Q45tech]

"I spent 2800 going the route I have described. So far they have all been covered under the one year warranty. "

I suspect you could have gotten an Infiniti remaned for maybe $3,000 from a dealer if you shopped around. Beg look distraught.We charge about $2750 for the oem unit installed in ATL minus the cooler with conventional ATF.

We try to beat the dealers prices and at least match the national chains.

All you can do is hope they honor their warranty.

Some local transmission shops just get junkyard trannies, clean them up a little and hope it last 12 months [telling customers they remanned them].

[debraloveless]

Geeez, like I said, I sure wish I had done my homework. I am afraid I fell in love with the car, without doing any research on the transmission or anything. I had such good luck with my Nissan 4x4 I was hoping to get the same out of the Q. I guess I really really screwed up. Even assuming they honor their warranty, It will still NOT be an Infiniti, and just like everybody else says. It just plain wont work. I am so bummed.

[maxnix]

Dont' be discouraged. You have the knowledge on this board, and it is yours by reading the previous posts (better than an hour of TV every evening). Read all previous posts by Q45tech, for starters. Then budget your way back to Q45 health. While the 1990-1993 cars less expensive to purchase initially, they will take more $ to return to OEM new condition. I assume yours is in pristine shape, and worth the investment. If it is not, then look for a newer 1994-1995 which is (they too are getting rare with low mileage).

Read the Infiniti articles and specify that the transmission type that was in your car is reinstalled in it again. You will have an extra $400 core charge if you cannot return the correct Infiniti core to Joe.