After driving my 90 Q45, I smell coolant after getting out of the car. No drips in the driveway, just a strong coolant odor outside of the car. I have to add about a quart of 50/50 to the radiator after a couple of hours of driving.
The dealer told me that one or more of the coolant hoses under the intake is leaking slightly. The quote was 6 hours of labor and $75.00 for the hoses. This sounds excessive, especially for the labor. And at $75.00 per hour, it will be very expensive.
Has anyone removed the intake on a first-gen Q? Is it really that tough and time-consuming?
Thanks,
Carter
'90 Q45 Intake removal
-
Q45tech
- Moderator
- Posts: 14296
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 3:19 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl
The 6 hours labor is very good [they are cutting you a deal to get your business].
To avoid doing it again soon when the plenum is off another $200-$300 worth of hoses should be replaced.
The surprise will be the knock sensors and their harness [cracked and failing - another $400] and another hour.
$1200 is the usual amount to fix [under plenum] things so that they are reliable going forward..............be thankful you live in the South and have not been exposed to weird oxygenated fuels which tend to destroy the injectors.
To avoid doing it again soon when the plenum is off another $200-$300 worth of hoses should be replaced.
The surprise will be the knock sensors and their harness [cracked and failing - another $400] and another hour.
$1200 is the usual amount to fix [under plenum] things so that they are reliable going forward..............be thankful you live in the South and have not been exposed to weird oxygenated fuels which tend to destroy the injectors.
-
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:
http://infiniti.home.insightbb.com/plenum_job1.htm
Take a look with what you have to do, very detailed (I made it myself)... I am a recent graduate, so Ill be happy to help you out!
Take a look with what you have to do, very detailed (I made it myself)... I am a recent graduate, so Ill be happy to help you out!
Of all the hoses those two large coolant ones are the biggest pain! After cutting off the old ones I fought with the new ones for what seemed like forever to get them onto their mounts.
I agree that the quote is a deal, but that once there the dealer may, or I should say ought to, advise you of what else you need, which may be a longer list. And be sure to check the injectors!
I agree that the quote is a deal, but that once there the dealer may, or I should say ought to, advise you of what else you need, which may be a longer list. And be sure to check the injectors!
Wes and others:
Thanks for the good info! I could probably do the job myself but we just moved to a new house and I no longer have a garage. With three inches of snow on the ground right now, and low teens tomorrow night, I'll have a friend do it at his shop. He is very good/experienced but having your plenum info will help, I'm sure.
This is a good group!
Carter
Thanks for the good info! I could probably do the job myself but we just moved to a new house and I no longer have a garage. With three inches of snow on the ground right now, and low teens tomorrow night, I'll have a friend do it at his shop. He is very good/experienced but having your plenum info will help, I'm sure.
This is a good group!
Carter
-
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:
The way I did it was to have everything hooked up (the 2 jacket thingys with both hoses on) and twist the left (drivers side) bank thing about 90 degrees.... it fit in, then i hand tightened the bolts, then I fought with the other side.....
Dont make the same mistake as I did and make sure you have EVERYTHING alighned and ready to be tightened BEFORE you start tightening....!!!
Dont make the same mistake as I did and make sure you have EVERYTHING alighned and ready to be tightened BEFORE you start tightening....!!!
A short update...I took a copy of the write-up from Wes, to the shop. That, and the factory service manual in the rear package shelf compartment helped us see what's involved. We also looked between the intake runners with a flashlight and saw a nice, bright, pool of coolant just below the plenum. 'Not hard to figure out where the leak is, that's for sure.
We're waiting for the hoses to arrive (he's doing them all, including both heater hoses) and he says he'll have it done by Wednesday. And yes, he's using Infiniti hoses because he told me that some aftermarket hoses fit well, but do not last nearly as long as good quality hoses.
Carter
We're waiting for the hoses to arrive (he's doing them all, including both heater hoses) and he says he'll have it done by Wednesday. And yes, he's using Infiniti hoses because he told me that some aftermarket hoses fit well, but do not last nearly as long as good quality hoses.
Carter
1990 Q45 coolant leak under the intake.
So far, so good. My pal/shop owner said it has been interesting. He is very level-headed without the sometimes-seen shop-owner ego.
Getting it apart was easy enough and I'm having him replace anything that is under there, that might go bad. He showed me rubber hoses that have been softened by oil, and rubber hoses that are so brittle and stiff that they feel like metal. He tells me this is normal for a car with this age and mileage. Plus, the lack of underhood airflow (no grill on the early cars) keeps things pretty warm I'm sure, especially during our Southern summers. Any suggestions from the group for helping keep things cooler? I removed the underbelly plastic tray (was broken, and half the boltheads were broken off) to help promote cooler running, and I had him install a good B&M trans cooler from Summit Racing.
The Infiniti dealer has been very helpful, faxing parts diagrams, etc. to him. He's used to dealing with BMW dealers who are not nearly as helpful.
He tells me that 5 hours should cover the labor and his rate isn't as high as the dealer that quoted me 6 hours, so that's $225.00 in labor savings. And his parts prices should be about the same as the dealer's retail prices, after his markup from jobber pricing.
I'll post again after it's finished.
Carter
So far, so good. My pal/shop owner said it has been interesting. He is very level-headed without the sometimes-seen shop-owner ego.
Getting it apart was easy enough and I'm having him replace anything that is under there, that might go bad. He showed me rubber hoses that have been softened by oil, and rubber hoses that are so brittle and stiff that they feel like metal. He tells me this is normal for a car with this age and mileage. Plus, the lack of underhood airflow (no grill on the early cars) keeps things pretty warm I'm sure, especially during our Southern summers. Any suggestions from the group for helping keep things cooler? I removed the underbelly plastic tray (was broken, and half the boltheads were broken off) to help promote cooler running, and I had him install a good B&M trans cooler from Summit Racing.
The Infiniti dealer has been very helpful, faxing parts diagrams, etc. to him. He's used to dealing with BMW dealers who are not nearly as helpful.
He tells me that 5 hours should cover the labor and his rate isn't as high as the dealer that quoted me 6 hours, so that's $225.00 in labor savings. And his parts prices should be about the same as the dealer's retail prices, after his markup from jobber pricing.
I'll post again after it's finished.
Carter
Knock sensors and harness while you are in there. There is no way to get them out with out undoing it all again later. Also, while its all apart, it is a good time to check the resistance ratings in the injectors and you may want to change the o-rings on them. Four of the eight are bascially impossible to get to with the plenum on.
-
maxnix
- Posts: 22627
- Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2002 8:11 pm
- Car: 1995 Infiniti Q45
1995 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti Q45
The undernose tray is intrumental for managing airflow efficiency. Don't be surprised to see even greater heating.Carter wrote: Any suggestions from the group for helping keep things cooler? I removed the underbelly plastic tray (was broken, and half the boltheads were broken off) to help promote cooler running...
Did you replace the foam insulators on either side of the radiator after cleaning the debris from between the radiator and the condenser and both coils and fins? How about the alternator?
Maxnix says..."The undernose tray is intrumental for managing airflow efficiency. Don't be surprised to see even greater heating.
Did you replace the foam insulators on either side of the radiator after cleaning the debris from between the radiator and the condenser and both coils and fins? How about the alternator?"
I'll put the tray back on if it helps with airflow under the hood, and is not there just to help air flow under the car more smoothly.
And I'll check the insulators.
Thanks for the tips.
Carter
Did you replace the foam insulators on either side of the radiator after cleaning the debris from between the radiator and the condenser and both coils and fins? How about the alternator?"
I'll put the tray back on if it helps with airflow under the hood, and is not there just to help air flow under the car more smoothly.
And I'll check the insulators.
Thanks for the tips.
Carter
It's done!
And yes, it was expensive, as you guys had warned. The labor (5.0 hours) was $300.00 and the parts were $446.80. As you guys had suggested, he replaced all the hoses under there, and some of them are rediculously priced! One heater hose is $63.00 and the other is $75.00...and they don't look very special. We could have probably replaced them with braided stainless steel hoses and saved money.
He also replaced the PCV valve and plenum gaskets, EGR gasket, and all the many hoses under there. Forteen in all. He also checked the injectors and said they are fine.
So, a good dent in the wallet but it's good to know that this part of the car is in good shape.
I enjoy doing some of the work on the car but seeing that the labor was $300.00 and the parts would have cost me the same, it's worth $300.00 to not have to spend a weekend in the garage. All-in-all, it was pretty much what I expected and I saved $200 to $300 by not going to the dealer. I have nothing against the local dealer but that's significant savings. No, my pal doesn't vacuum the interior or provide a nice waiting room with Krispy Kreme doughnuts but I can do without the perks for now.
I also had him replace the front and rear pads. The dash warning was telling me they were worn and it was correct. The rears were gone (the backing plate was almost touching the rotor) and the fronts were 90% gone.
Now, the car needs a new stereo (the squealing speakers are driving me crazy) and some minor bodywork and paint.
I guess it never ends with a 14 year-old car....and the drive home was wonderful.
Carter
And yes, it was expensive, as you guys had warned. The labor (5.0 hours) was $300.00 and the parts were $446.80. As you guys had suggested, he replaced all the hoses under there, and some of them are rediculously priced! One heater hose is $63.00 and the other is $75.00...and they don't look very special. We could have probably replaced them with braided stainless steel hoses and saved money.
He also replaced the PCV valve and plenum gaskets, EGR gasket, and all the many hoses under there. Forteen in all. He also checked the injectors and said they are fine.
So, a good dent in the wallet but it's good to know that this part of the car is in good shape.
I enjoy doing some of the work on the car but seeing that the labor was $300.00 and the parts would have cost me the same, it's worth $300.00 to not have to spend a weekend in the garage. All-in-all, it was pretty much what I expected and I saved $200 to $300 by not going to the dealer. I have nothing against the local dealer but that's significant savings. No, my pal doesn't vacuum the interior or provide a nice waiting room with Krispy Kreme doughnuts but I can do without the perks for now.
I also had him replace the front and rear pads. The dash warning was telling me they were worn and it was correct. The rears were gone (the backing plate was almost touching the rotor) and the fronts were 90% gone.
Now, the car needs a new stereo (the squealing speakers are driving me crazy) and some minor bodywork and paint.
I guess it never ends with a 14 year-old car....and the drive home was wonderful.
Carter
-
Q451990
- Moderator
- Posts: 11030
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:21 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 - 118K, 2022 Toyota 4 Runner, 2004 Frontier M/T - 108K, 2012 Xterra (Mom's), 2023 Rogue (Inlaws)
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
Carter wrote:Now, the car needs a new stereo (the squealing speakers are driving me crazy)
The squealing probably isn't in the radio - it's in the amps. In the Q each speaker has it's own amp assembly. We've discussed Bose Amp repair a lot, so a quick search should bring up some threads. I think most of us agree that sending the speaker assemblies back to Bose for a rebuild ($75ea) is the best approach unless you want to build an entirely new system from the ground up.
Heath
-
Q45tech
- Moderator
- Posts: 14296
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 3:19 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl
Plenum hoses seem to have a variable life [miles vs hours] Had mine done first at 80k and 6 years and again at 120k later [200k total] but only 4 years .........now at 261k the large hose is swelling again [about halfway to failure] 3.5 years later and only 60k.............seems like a 90-100k average at least in Atlanta.
The heater hoses took 240,000 miles to leak.
Only 14 hoses in all, hope you don't have a leak in the others [5 fuel hoses common].
The heater hoses took 240,000 miles to leak.
Only 14 hoses in all, hope you don't have a leak in the others [5 fuel hoses common].
elwesso wrote:Only replalced 14 hoses.... There are surely more than that..
That also didnt include KS (im certain)... I would have taken the experience over 700 i would have forked over to have it done....!! You gain a LOT of knowledge when you do this!!!
Actually, you still would have spent the $450.00 or so to buy the parts. The do-it-at-home savings would have been $300.00.
Yes, I agree that a person can learn a lot about his car when working on it himself. I do most everything on the BMW 325ES race car, my wife's Volvo wagon, and the family 4WD Mazda MPV.
And...it's 25 degrees outside and we had 4" of snow on the ground. My one car carport won't do for a multiday winter car project when the savings is only $300.00.
Carter