94 Q45 Battery Issue

[nv310]

Hi,

I did a search on the battery issue through this site, and tomorrow am going to have my car checked out by a mechanic.

Here's my issue: New battery from Wal-Mart several months ago, seems to not fit properly and the connectors are not loose, but look like could use new ones.

Ever since I replaced the battery, my error message says "Low Battery Charge" which drives me crazy. New alternator, starter, radiator, shocks/struts, tires-now I have to jump start it......I did so much research on the Q45 before purchasing, and have now spent over 4K into it, i'm disgusted.

Sorry-just had to vent. When it runs, it drives great, but as a daily driver-its become a nightmare!

Any suggestions on what to ask for when I take it back to Wal-Mart? Prob. not the best place to take it to, but since they did the battery........

[Jesda]

I had almost the exact same problem.

When you buy a brand new battery, they are not always fully charged, and the Q's alternator (or ANY Nissan alternator) can't keep up enough to top off the battery. It can only maintain a full charge.

The solution is to exchange the battery at Wal-Mart, get another one, and put it on a trickle charger overnight. Then, install it and you should be fine.

However, if your alternator was damaged in the process of installing a partially charged battery, you might have to replace that too.

ALSO:Is your alternator a new OEM unit? If its an aftermarket rebuild you might have ended up with a defective one.

[Q45tech]

have now spent over 4K into it, i'm disgusted.

Every used car [even 4 cylinders] sold needs $3,000 in repairs just to start, a HEAVY 14 year old one with Lux accutrements often needs much much much more.Non dealer remanned alternators are repaired to very low standards and they balance probably of 12 month warranty with just constantly replacing similar iffy units.

We have had customers pay 4 times to swap their [Azone supplied] alternators. They just cannot understand you gets what you pay for in remanned or used components.

The actual rebuild cost differences may only be $10-$15 in internal parts yet it gets multiplied by 4-5-10 times in the supply chain.

We constantly see these new defective alternators that PARTIALLY FAIL within the first 2 days of installation! All alternators have 3 parrallel circuits and the weakest one fails leaving a 110 ampere unit as a 70 or even 40 unit.

Getting an alternator PROPERLY load or ripple tested is often a challenge outside of dealers or specialty shops.

[coolman]

I just found out that my battery most likely is dead on my 1994 Q45. I will try to get my work to jump start it. Now, I need to consider what I should do next like replace battery and which kind and/or replace alternator.

If I decide to replace my alternator, then what kind should I get. I need an alternator that can charge my batteries since I do a lot of short stop-and-go driving and power my laptop with GPS using the car battery.

Also, what battery, size, and etc. should I get.

Thanks,

[Q45tech]

The only alternator that seems to hold up to a stock Q is the oem Nissan remanned unit available from dealers, Inet dealers, or junkyards from wrecks.

Batterries are easy the most expensive one you can find that will fit and meet 80 ampere hours....................[$75-$100] batteries only last ~~ 3 years unless you use exotic technology which runs $150.

[coolman]

The only alternator that seems to hold up to a stock Q is the oem Nissan remanned unit available from dealers, Inet dealers, or junkyards from wrecks.

Batterries are easy the most expensive one you can find that will fit and meet 80 ampere hours....................[$75-$100] batteries only last ~~ 3 years unless you use exotic technology which runs $150.

Q45tech, please explain ghte $150 exotic technologies you mentioned. I would like to know more.

Also, how does one check if the alternator is bad or the battery is bad?

thanks,

[nv310]

*Update*

Apparently, Wal-Mart put the wrong battery size in my car, and used hose connections/clamps for the battery.

Yikes.

Never ever will I go to that ghetto swap meet store again for anything-except to return my battery.

The shop I took it to tested the alternator, and it's fine, and put in a proper battery.

$125.00 this time, and I can drive............

I'm crossing my fingers hoping I can get at LEAST 6 months of trouble free driving.

BIG mistake purchasing the Q45. It reminds me of a Jag. Classy, yet sassy, and tempermental, expensive to fix.

My 96 Acura RL with 168K miles on it (68K put on by me) drives amazing, never has left me stranded, and i've only replaced brakes, battery, belts, and a/c recharge.

The Q45?

1 year of ownership, purchased with 109K miles, now has 122K miles has over 4K invested in it within a year.

Give me a brake.

50K new, the Acura was also about 40K new and is a way better car. Sorry die-hard Q45 fans.I thought I did extensive research, guess I missed out. Even my mechanic said the fuel injectors will start dropping like flies. I've replaced 2. Aren't there 8? Can't wait to sell this p.o.s. and get another Acura.

Thank you for this site, and all advice given.

Regards,nv310

[Rex]

Sorry to hear you're having such troubles and I can understand your POV on the car, but keep in mind the 2 cars are different by more than $10k.

The sad fact is most owners "dump" their Q45 when they're faced with a huge repair or maintenance bill from years of "just driving".

Was your Acura 12-13 yrs old when you bought it? Had the previous owner had the 90 or 100k service performed? And how much had it depreciated when you bought it?

You're unhappy with the Q, due to the "after purchase" costs and that's understandable, but to make a blanket statement about all Q's after a single data point is puzzling.

As for the injectors, yes there are 8 and if the previous owner used bad/cheap gas they do deteriorate, causing other issues (idle, bucking, stalling, etc)

[nv310]

Forgive me for offending you.

I'm simply unhappy with my car. Way too much $$$ to put into it; other high-end vehicles i've had-Lexus GS300, Acura TL, I haven't had to spend this much in less then a year. Just for kicks, I totaled my receipts/parts and it's $6500.00, and that's with discounted labor.

*I'm praying my 122K mile 1994 Q45 is going to make it ! Would look great without the pie-pan wheels, but the 2K I'd spend on it is on reserve in case anything else happens soon. Just doesn't seem wise to spend money on the looks when reliability is in question.

And to answer your question, the Acura RL I purchased has only depreciated 3K since i've purchased it. Very happy with it.

The Q? I park far away from other cars when possible (hard when you live in the city) to prevent even more door dings from the coca-cola can/tin doors, and ...*sigh* I give up.....it is what it is. A money pit! Funny that I was concidering a 95 E Class Benz at the time, and was concerned with the upkeep cost. My best friend bought it, and only put in 1200.00 so far after a year.

I do however, sincerely appreciate all advice, comments, and assistance I have received through this website. Thank you kindly...!

If I was in a different financial situtation, I would purchase a new Acura RL, but after 2 failed investments, i'm s.o.l. For now.!

[Rex]

Forgive me for offending you.

And to answer your question, the Acura RL I purchased has only depreciated 3K since i've purchased it. Very happy with it.

I wasn't offended, I just was offering some "perspective". I don't believe the Q is the end all be all to all cars ever made, and I've been lucky that the 2 I've owned were very well cared for by the previous owners.

And my depreciation question was how much did it depreciate from new to you buying it? Sorry for the confusion.

The on-going cost to maintain a Q is more than a Honda/Acura, but not to the extent you're experiencing. I truly believe you're experiencing the consequence of a negligent previous owner that thought they could drive it until it broke, drop a few $$'s into it and keep driving. It's just more complex (not necessarily a good thing) than that. You don't find many V8's in stock form that rev over 6k.

[maxnix]

Apparently, Wal-Mart put the wrong battery size in my car, and used hose connections/clamps for the battery.

I'm crossing my fingers hoping I can get at LEAST 6 months of trouble free driving.

BIG mistake purchasing the Q45. It reminds me of a Jag. Classy, yet sassy, and tempermental, expensive to fix.

1 year of ownership, purchased with 109K miles, now has 122K miles has over 4K invested in it within a year.

Give me a brake.

nv310

Well, you learned the perils of the ignorant low cost provider.

Trouble free operation is available provided you have caught up on the deferred maintenance. That is why the car is so cheap. You have transmission failure and valve guide failure coming to your Acura soon. The vavlve guide failure will probably cause you to dump the car when you discover how much it willl cost to repair.

The RL is the world's most perfect Buick. About the only thing it has in common with a Q45 is number of wheels and doors. I also own a Legend, and I appreciate it for what it is, but it is not a Q45.

Q45 is much more reliable than any other imported V8 (or domestic) luxury sedan except for the Lexus, which is its equal.

The brake is by your right foot to the left of the accelerator.
Modified by maxnix at 10:44 PM 8/28/2007

[coolman]

I too bought a 1994 Q45 with 120K miles approximately. I bought it at around 2001 for $8k which was a big discount since the blue book for this is $12k. However, I did had to spend about $4k for repairs so it evens out at $12k = $8k for car + $4k for repairs. As far as repairs, I had the Infinity dealer replace 1 NOC sensor and 1 spark plug. Later, I went to the dealer parts center to get the part numbers for the spark plugs, rubber washers, and etc. so that I can buy them myself and get a low-cost mechanic to change the other 7 spark plugs which saved A LOT of money. I later changed my radiator fan, fuel filter, belts, and some pulleys that hold the belts. Later, I discovered nicoclub.com and repaired my own darlington resistor for my A/C. I also recall buying a used power window regulator assembly from ebay and had my local mechanic install it.

From my experience, it is way too costly to get the Infinity dealer to do the repairs. If you predict a car issue, then buy the OEM parts and get your local mechanic to install them which is far cheaper than going the dealer route. This is one method I use to save on money whenever possible.

I too hate to overspend on repairs.

Thanks,

[StarPD]

Well, you learned the perils of the ignorant low cost provider.

Trouble free is available provided you have caught up on the deferred maintenance. That is why the car is so cheap. You have transmission failure and valve guide failure comoing to your Acura soon. The vavlve guide failure will probably cause you to dump the car when you discover how much it willl cost to repair.

The RL is the world's most perfect Buick. About the only thing it has in common with a Q45 is number of wheels and doors. I also own a Legend, and I appreciate it for what it is, but it is not a Q45.

Q45 is much more reliable than any other imported V8 (or domestic) luxury sedan except for the Lexus.

The brake is by your right foot to the left of the accelerator.

As usual, you're right, maxnix.ALL cars need regular maintenance. As Q45tech always points out, when that's deferred, it accumulates and the cost adds up. Unless any 14 year old car has been religiously maintained by the previous owner(s), it's going to need a lot of work, sooner or later. That work will be expensive. When buying a used, especially an older Q45, it pays to get ALL of the maintenance records. If not properly cared for, run don't walk away from it.

[CINNALOCKS]

Yeah I had the same issue, I just cut off the connector and reconnected the proper size, The battery is almost 2 years old and I have had no other issues.