95 Q Problems, cooling etc

[jamesmost]

my 95 Q 150K eprom upgrade, air intake, exhaust , suspension, bosch platnum 4+ plugs etc. All fluids changed regularly, synthetic oil and brake fluid. Just flushed and filled radiator and put in new thermastat.When driving in hot temp. w/ a/c on everything is fine until I get stuck in traffic, this only first occurred this year, the thermastate gague will slowly rise above the spot it stayed in for the past 7 years (just below 3:00) heading to the red zone until i shut the air off. both fans seem to be working properly . anyone w/ similar prob. any suggestions. also i do not have an OBD II plug in how can i check the o2 sensorsthanks

[AZhitman]

James - Sounds like your best bet is to go over to the dealer, drop $100-$200 on a full diagnostic and post the results here.

This sounds more like a cooling system problem than anything else. Is there debris between the rad and condenser? Remove radiator and power wash with strong detergent and straighten any bent fins. Possibly t-stat is in upside down (or defective). Could be a blockage in a water passage (re-flush)...

BTW, those platinum +4 plugs spell IMMINENT danger for your Q. This comes from a Bosch plug engineer I spoke to personally, who says DO NOT use their plugs in a Q (T-3, Dennis, and other knowledgeable sources concur 100%). Get them out and replace with NGK platinums immediately.

Lastly, no transmission cooler? Not a bad idea to add one while you're at it. $60 beats the hell out of the cost of a new transmission.

[Q45tech]

Simple replace the radiator, 7 years and 150k is way beyond it's as new performance life!

Don't cheap out with an aftermarket radiator as the performance may be close but not 100% as oem and they get progresssively worse each year FASTER!The cone air intake will cause the ecu fits in traffic as the ecu only expects 120F air not 160-170F air..........the hotter coolant gets you in a viscious cycle of ignition advance reduction vs coolant temp. The whole system loses control as the coolant goes above 220F.

[PalmerWMD]

1) those platinum +4 plugs spell IMMINENT danger for your Q. This comes from a Bosch plug engineer I spoke to personally, who says DO NOT use their plugs in a Q (T-3, Dennis, and other knowledgeable sources concur 100%). Get them out and replace with NGK platinums immediately.

2) $60 beats the hell out of the cost of a new transmission.

1) Word2) Word2

Fred..

[jamesmost]

what is the prob w/ bosch 4+ they have been in car for 50k mi. i will replace them though the b&m mentioned in the forum is the way to go?? do ineed to go to the dealer for diagnostic or do i just replace the radiator?? also is the after market radiator really no good? is the dealer the only one to tell me if o2 sensors need replace??thanksjames

[90Q45blue]

NGK's all the way. About 3 weeks before I purchased a set BIONICQ45 had a serious problem with his engine partially caused by non-NGK plugs (autolites i think they were)

Nick

[AZhitman]

The +4 tips are NOT sturdy enough to withstand the brutal environment of a VH45DE combustion chamber, and if one "snaps off" (several documented cases), then you're left with a parts car.

I'd still go with an aftermarket radiator (despite Dennis' right-on recommendation) but only out of price considerations... That way you can do the radiator, B&M 70268 cooler and plugs, all for under $300.

O2 sensors at that mileage are shot. No need to diagnose, get them from http://www.sparkplugs.com for under $100/pair.

[elwesso]

Get your plugs from yoshi sakura........ [email protected]

47/set.......

You didnt get a once 50k luxuary car to cheap out on insuffecient parts!! Only the best!!!

transmission cooler is a must....... If your northern where its not really hot, its not as necessary if your down near the gates of hell where hitman lives!!!

[elwesso]

You also mentioned how to check the O2 sensors......

It can be done on the car through the ECU, so here's a rundown........

Take out the ECU (located on the passenger side kick panel...... Carpet covered plastic piece just left of the door speaker) by undoing the 2 screws on top of it....... Undo the big harness connector, and then take out the ECU...... Plug the harness back in, and make sure its in ALL the way........

While your at it, you need to check the ECU codes....... On the front of the ECU, theres a little plastic screw just left of a red light...... Turn the igntion swich to the ON position (dont start)...... Turn the little screw fully clockwise (dont force it, when it wants to stop, dont go any farther).... wait a few seconds, and then turn it back...... The light will then blink each code, one after the other...... The long blinks will be the first digit of the code, and the short blink will be the second........ Get a pen and paper so you dont foget...... For instance, code 34 (you'll probably get this one) will look like this

____ ____ ____ __ __ __ __

Then, just post the codes you get, and we'll tell you what they mean....... FYI, if you get code 55, that means everything is all good.......

Now, make sure the car is warmed up suffeciently....... (turn the car off after you get done with the diagnosis above)..... Turn the car on (not running) and turn the screw clockwise, wait a second, and then back...... Then start the car....... Turn the screw again fully clockwise, wait, then counterclockwise....... Run the engine at 2000 RPM for a minute or so, and make sure the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (blinks simultaneously wiht the light on the ECU) blinks 10 times within 10 seconds.........

That checks the right bank, and to chekc the left bank, just turn the screw fully clockwise, wait, then back..... Repeat again.......

[Q451990]

An interesting note on the Bosch +4s.... Over on that dead forum we got into a discussion about OEM vs. aftermarket parts on the trucks, and I mentioned the problems the Q's have with +4s - a guy there said that they also have a lot of problems with them on the Cadillac Northstar engines. Same deal, electrodes falling off.

Heath

[jamesmost]

thanks for the info-- ordered the cooler from Summitt Racing $49.00Aftermarket radiator $200 +/-gona change the plugs back to NGK, which ones are recommended IX iridium-$6.95 or iridium plug $11.71 or Double Platnum $11.71also i went to sparkplugs.com and did not see any o2 sensors!!why does the car not tell me it needs o2 sensors on the dashboard display??thanksj

[jamesmost]

my buddy at the parts store just told me he can get the o2 sensors (all 4 are identical) mfg. by NTK for $78.50 each

[jamesmost]

ok i found them on sparkplug two different models24142 - $49.95 24257- $59.95also a universal who knows the correct o2 sensor??BTW killer prices

[elwesso]

You need to get the sparkplugs PN PFR5G-11......... NGK double platinum....... Get them from Yoshi, their MUCH cheaper than anywhere else........

The DIC will only tell you a limited amount of things, and for all benefits and purposes its useless........

You are expected to replace your o2 sensors when the gas mileage starts getting bad......... You'll be able to tell if their sluggish by doing the test I mentioned above.......

The only thing the dash will diplay are if the stoplights, tail lights, headlights are burnt (or "burnt"); low washer fluid, etc...... IT doesnt tell anything of mechanical sorts (except for transmission malfuntion)........

There are ones on sparkplugs.com....... people have ordered them, and their like 50/piece.......

[jamesmost]

btw 24142 has a 16.5" lead and the24157 has a 72" lead

[elwesso]

Do a search....... There have been some recent threads about which one to use..... I cant remember for sure........

[jamesmost]

havent been able to find out which r the proper length leads, please let me know if anyone has this infothanksjames

[Q45tech]

Long enough is good , too long is ok with the loop taped up, too short is bad.

[Rex]

Couldn't you just splice a short one to the old one and solder the joints? That wouldn't change the resistance would it.

(please read with heavy sarcasm)

[jamesmost]

thats a great idea, maby i can adapt a sensor from my Harley

[elwesso]

Couldn't you just splice a short one to the old one and solder the joints? That wouldn't change the resistance would it.

(please read with heavy sarcasm)

I was thinking more along the lines of splicing it and using twist ties to connect the two ends (its metal, right)

[Rex]

jamesmost - just so my "humor" didn't come off wrong, I too wasn't sure what length to buy and after thinking about "resistance" I had an epiphany. It was funny to me.

[jamesmost]

ok ok by the way i finally got my car up on a lift to discover i only have 2-o2 sensors not 4 still i do not know the lengths

[elwesso]

You should only have 2......

Longer is better

[Q451990]

You're right... the Q had two O2 sensors until OBDII came along in the 1996 model year and they added rear sensors. The 16.5" sensor measurements (tip to harness) should be the correct size. The only difference I can see between the left and right sensor is that one has two wire tie-downs while the other only has one. I assume it's the same for your 95Q.

Heath

[jamesmost]

FYI had my computer scanned and the o2 sensors did not have an error message-still changing them though