Bought 1994 J30, Need some advice on Audio, Keyless Entry, Muffler

[Al Dave]

I am new to this forum. It looks like a great forum. This is my first infiniti experience. Just bought a 1994 J30 Black with 119000 Miles on it.

Some problems that I have

1. The CD player has no power. The first owner who sold the car to the 2nd owner around 105k told me, CD was working when he sold. My question is, is there a fuse that may be burnt or something. How frequent would the CD/radio just go bad. I really need music !!I checked the fuse, beside the brakes, they looked okay. I want to try to take it out by opening the instrument panel. I have obtained a service manual. Any suggestions, The first owner actually installed a custom made gauge panel in the middle where the A/C vents and the clock was. He put a volt gauge and a trans temperature gauge. He also put indiglo light gages. And in the ashtray, he put a Push-button start switch, which is cool.

2. The keyless entry is not working. Previous owner suggested to replace battery. Did that, still does not work. I am unsure what would be the next step. Please advice.

3. The engine make a bit of noise. I was almost postive that the muffler went bad. The first owner changed the air intake system. One of my friend says thats the engine sound, its sporty. How to check if the muffler is okay by myself.

4. The last owner ran on Regular gas NOT premium. What is the poll on that. Should I go back to premium gas.

5. It seems that when it accelerates, during gear shift I can fill it, I mean the car gives a momentary shake. Any reason for that?

Thanks !

[#1 Sailor Scout]

I am new to this forum. It looks like a great forum. This is my first infiniti experience. Just bought a 1994 J30 Black with 119000 Miles on it.

Some problems that I have

1. The CD player has no power. The first owner who sold the car to the 2nd owner around 105k told me, CD was working when he sold. My question is, is there a fuse that may be burnt or something. How frequent would the CD/radio just go bad. I really need music !!I checked the fuse, beside the brakes, they looked okay. I want to try to take it out by opening the instrument panel. I have obtained a service manual. Any suggestions, The first owner actually installed a custom made gauge panel in the middle where the A/C vents and the clock was. He put a volt gauge and a trans temperature gauge. He also put indiglo light gages. And in the ashtray, he put a Push-button start switch, which is cool.

2. The keyless entry is not working. Previous owner suggested to replace battery. Did that, still does not work. I am unsure what would be the next step. Please advice.

3. The engine make a bit of noise. I was almost postive that the muffler went bad. The first owner changed the air intake system. One of my friend says thats the engine sound, its sporty. How to check if the muffler is okay by myself.

4. The last owner ran on Regular gas NOT premium. What is the poll on that. Should I go back to premium gas.

5. It seems that when it accelerates, during gear shift I can fill it, I mean the car gives a momentary shake. Any reason for that?

Thanks !

Welcome to NICO!!!

First off, you have a diamond in the rough. Well, let's see here...

1) The BOSE radio systems are known for premature wear & tear, especially if you have it @ full blast all the time. That's why most J30 owners replace the stereo & speakers. Maybe someone else on the forums can help you w/that, but I recommend just replacing the stereo & speakers as a whole.

2) I'm not sure about the keyless entry problem. I suggest doing a search on the site for it.

3) What type of noise is your J making? If it's a "whooosh" type of sound, it's probably just the extra noise from the cone air filter. That's typical for any vehicle w/an aftermarket intake & a cone filter. As far as the muffler goes, we need more details in terms of pinpointing the noise, but be warned, there is no aftermarket bolt-on exhaust for J30s.

4) Nothing against you, but whomever decided to put regular unleaded in the J has no idea how much that screws up the engine. Regular gas in a J is a huge no-no. The next time you fill up, use the premium unleaded. The J30 was made for that type of gas & nothing more, & certainly nothing less.

5) Shaking during shifting...I could be wrong, but it sounds like your transmission is about to give up the ghost. I'd look into that, ASAP.

I hope this helped you some. If not, sorry if it didn't. Maybe some of the more experienced people on the forums here can help me a bit.

[kbflip02]

well mr sailor for someone who doesnt own a J just yet you seem to have all the bases covered....

now as far as the gas is concerened i would run some Seafoam through there with that premium just cause...also i would flush all the fluids and check the transmission fluid when you flush to see how it looks...since its about to hit 120k i would invest in a 120k timing kit(http://www.z1motorsports.com/product_in ... 0)...which should take care of everything mechanically that needs to be maintained....also when you do the transmission flush i would reccomend having the pan dropped and the transmission gsaket changed as well....these cars are slightly expensive to maintain but if properly taken care of your J will last you a long time...there are several members on here that have hit 200,000 miles in there J30s and are still running strong...lastly you will want to read all the stuck threads so you know a little more about your car especially how to check the codes on your ecu...good luck and if you have any further questions feel free to ask

[yodawill2000]

I might add when the transmission pan is dropped that the filter be replaced as well.

And the kit is a tad cheaper here.http://www.trademotion.com/par...34382

Hard to beat Joe's pricing at everythinginfiniti.com

[gr8scott72]

4) Nothing against you, but whomever decided to put regular unleaded in the J has no idea how much that screws up the engine. Regular gas in a J is a huge no-no. The next time you fill up, use the premium unleaded. The J30 was made for that type of gas & nothing more, & certainly nothing less.

It won't "screw up" the engine. That's what the knock sensor is for. You will just get crappy performance without premium.

[#1 Sailor Scout]

well mr sailor for someone who doesnt own a J just yet you seem to have all the bases covered....

Hey, that's in thanks to NICO. I love my Civic & all; wouldn't give it up for anything, but I'm a big fan of the J. Look for a thread on that soon.

I may have the J sooner than I thought.

[#1 Sailor Scout]

It won't "screw up" the engine. That's what the knock sensor is for. You will just get crappy performance without premium.

Thanks for the correction. I learned something new.

I think my first car had the same thing (1990 Mercedes-Benz 300E). When I used regular gas, it was slower than a Kia Sephia. But when I upgraded to premium, the thing turned into a sleeper beast. If I'm not mistaken, most luxury cars are like that.

[driverdriver]

regular gas will gum up the fuel injectors/rail on the J helping cause failure. Just ask q45tech.

Nice post #1 Sailor Scout, you covered things like us old timers on this site.

[yodawill2000]

Yup

Run some Redline S1 through her to be safe.It has what BG44K USED to have .Much stronger than seafoam.

[Al Dave]

Thanks to all for their responses.

I am switching to premium gas. I need to run this car for at least another 45000 miles. Now it is close to 120k. I hope the transmission is ok. Confused about timing chain or is it the belt.

1. The transmission fluid was flushed around May and all driving belts were changed at the NISSAN dealership. I called them to know if the timing belt was changed. They told me, it does not have a timing belt. There may be a timing chain and that does not need to be replaced. Advice.

2. Any recommendations from where to buy Audio head and speakers with reasonable price. Is it worth repairing?

3. Looked at the factory repair manual. Could not figure out about keyless/remote. Can I buy another controller and program it?

4. I learned that the muffler is made of stainless steel. Is there any other way to know if there is a leak beside the sound-detection?

Al

[yodawill2000]

It Does have a belt . Hard to believe they would tell you thatDon't think I would go back

94 and up had a Kevlar Timing belt good for 105K miles. You might check the underside of your hood and see if there isn't a metal plate right in the center that shows if the belt was changed and when.

[StevieRaySTL]

3. Looked at the factory repair manual. Could not figure out about keyless/remote. Can I buy another controller and program it?

-- There is a way to reprogram it and I forget it off the top of my head, but alot of times they are just burned out or incompatible or something. Mine was. I called a locksmith and they had a bunch of remotes, third one was a charm, using the same process. I'd call a locksmith, ask them for the step by step process(they'll have it in a manual), see if yours will reprog., if still no go you can try and trade your remote for, or buy one of theirs, and repeat until it works. PITA, I know, but that's exactly how I did it, hope this helps.

[GerryO]

I found this set of instructions, but have never tested them.

Programming for 1994 Infiniti J30

WhenRemote transmitter added or replaced.System malfunction.

HowNOTE: A maximum of 4 remote transmitters can be programmed.

Obtain all remote transmitters.Open the trunk.Get in the car.Close and lock all doors.Insert and remove key from the ignition switch more than 6 times within 10 seconds. (All original remote codes are now erased)

Unlock, then lock vehicle using the driver's door LOCK/UNLOCK lever.Press LOCK button on first remote transmitter to be programmed.First remote transmitter now programmed

To program next remote transmitter:Unlock then lock vehicle using the driver's door LOCK/UNLOCK lever.Press LOCK button on second remote transmitter to be programmed.

Repeat above procedure to program all remaining remote transmitters. To exit programming mode: Open driver's or passenger's door.

Check operation of all programmed remote transmitters.

[yodawill2000]

Thats just how I programmed the FOB I got on ebay.

[#1 Sailor Scout]

regular gas will gum up the fuel injectors/rail on the J helping cause failure. Just ask q45tech.

Nice post #1 Sailor Scout, you covered things like us old timers on this site.

Thanks. Nice to be on a forum where people can chat & learn without the flaming. But I will be a true NICO member soon...

2. Any recommendations from where to buy Audio head and speakers with reasonable price. Is it worth repairing?

I say go to a trusted car audio shop in your town. As far as name brands go, I recommend Pioneer, JVC, or Clarion for your head unit (if you can find one of those). For the speakers, I'd say Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, or Infinity (this is an actual brand of speakers; not to be confused with the car manufacturer Infiniti. That's just the start. My suggestion is to install 3-way speakers so you won't have to add extra tweeters. You'll also need a bypass for the Bose power amp. All of this done, assuming that you aren't wanting to add subs & amps for the subs.

4. I learned that the muffler is made of stainless steel. Is there any other way to know if there is a leak beside the sound-detection?

The only way I know of is to take your car to a muffler shop.

[carcrazyguy]

1. Any recommendations from where to buy Audio head and speakers with reasonable price. Is it worth repairing?

2. I learned that the muffler is made of stainless steel. Is there any other way to know if there is a leak beside the sound-detection?

1. Be careful as to where you take your car for stereo work...as most shops don't understand how the Bose system works (especially the chain stores), and will sell you on a "rewire" which actually just means they hack of harnesses and hack in some off-the-shelf speakers. Either way, since your deck is totally dead, it is surely a ground issue or something else (relatively) simple. Not to rag, but I would bet the problem lies in the fact that a previous owner installed a gauge panel or whatever you were speaking of...I rarely see a car with factory system problems (other than typical wear issues) when the car is totally stock, and by comparison, I rarely see a car with a correctly working stereo when DIY electrical work has been done. Keep in mind that I probably "fix" as many attempted installs as I do straight forward installs.

Anyway, the deck uses chassis ground, so it could simply be detached...or you never know...the deck may not even be connected (I have seen this several times before). Often one will simply mount the factory radio when selling a car to fill the hole, as they don't know how to restore the OE system, or don't care to bother. Either way, other similar Bose decks would work in a pinch, if you determine yours is bad. But you want to make sure the problem is the deck before you proceed.

For that matter, your first order of business should be to pull the deck and inspect the wiring, and at least pull one door panel to asses previous owner "modification". A door panel only takes about 2 minutes to pull, so it is worth your time to at least see if the OE assemblies are still in place.

Even if so, look for the typical "self wiring" running in through a port or behind the speaker frame, holes drilled, or a random speaker haphazardly mounted around the face of the enclosure (or worse a homemade/Ebay ABS or wood bracket). These are signs of lots of work to come for you if you care about sound quality at all.

FWIW, the J30's have the most durable Bose amplifiers of any of the Bose equipped Nissans of the era...but the decks are prone to nitpicky issues. Regardless, I would recommend you have the deck tested independently of the car before you rule it dead.But if you simply want a new deck...chances are your OE amps / speakers are OK however, assuming they still exist and are unmodified...and used ones are cheap if not. So you if you are lucky, you can simply run an interface with a new deck...and save yourself some $$. BTW, if you need any direct advice on stereo specifics, email me directly, as that is what I do .

2. The OE muffler is an incredibly durable unit - I've never seen a J30 with a leak - so worst case scenario you can get a good used one at a junkyard for a couple bucks. If installed correctly, it may be the last one you will need (to get the 45K you desire from the car).

[gr8scott72]

I rarely see a car with factory system problems (other than typical wear issues) when the car is totally stock, and by comparison, I rarely see a car with a correctly working stereo when DIY electrical work has been done.

I had dead BOSE headunits in both my stock 93 J30t and my stock 94 J30t.

[carcrazyguy]

I had dead BOSE headunits in both my stock 93 J30t and my stock 94 J30t.

Sh*t happens I guess, but I have never encountered a totally dead Bose head so far from any late 80's / early 90's Nissan (and have dealt with several hundred). For that matter, I have stacks of old Bose decks (mostly from Z32, 89-94 Maxima) that all work, but have various problems, mostly related to age.

[Al Dave]

Thanks carcrazyguy, #1 Sailor Quest, Gr8Scott72, Gregory0 for your detailed responses on the keyless entry and the stereo.

I will try this weekend and let you know how all of it went.

I believe that it is not the muffler but the pipes leading to the muffler may have some leak.

Al

[carcrazyguy]

I believe that it is not the muffler but the pipes leading to the muffler may have some leak.

Al

I guess I also should have noticed your location too as OE mufflers and pipes typically last seemingly forever in my area, but that is probably not likely where you are.For that matter, I have had a dozen Nissan's with the 10-20 year old original exhaust...not to mention dad's former 89 Maxima with 285K, and his current q45 with 220K (both quiet as new).

[Al Dave]

Just came from the Muffler shop. The first segment of the pipe on the right side which has a heat shield had two holes. One small hole and few perforated holes ( I guess). The mechanics fixed the hole and said for the tiny holes, he put some type of cement type material which would be rock solid in a few hours.

The sound is gone appreciably !but seems like an intermittent new 'soft clinking' sound has appeared. The muffler person fixed it in 15 mins, however charged for an hour charge: $85. And said if I go back with any problem they have to repair the whole pipe that will cost $600 I was not too thrilled with that and when he said next year I have to replace it. Should I get the heat shields back on.

Glad to have my sanity back with normal sound. The previous owner told me he had this sound since last 1 year and it is not of the muffler pipes but the engine. He spent $850 to change belts, fix A/C, transmission fluid and etc at the Nissan Dealership in May. I am surprised that they did not tell him that the pipes have leaks. It is the same dealership which told me that there is no timing belt in this car. And the timing chain does not need to be replaced. I am losing faith on this dealership.

[carcrazyguy]

The muffler person fixed it in 15 mins, however charged for an hour charge: $85. And said if I go back with any problem they have to repair the whole pipe that will cost $600

Wow, you might want to find another place...as most doctors don't make $85 for 15 minutes work...WTF?As a rule, I have had whole muffler systems (cat back) bolted on for $20-40, and that almost always included them having to cut off old bolts, etc. Also, if all they did was use some "muffler cement" you could have gotten a tube of that yourself for $2 and rub it on...it's that easy (but usually doesn't last that long). My guess is that they see a J coming, and then see many $$ coming.

Anyway, before you shell out $600 to that (questionable) place, simply go to a junkyard and get the part you will need, and have it bolted on elsewhere. Worst case scenario you might have $50 in total if you go that route. For that matter, I bought a complete OE exhaust minus cat at PAP recently for a 240 for $16 (it had a goofy aftermarket muffler on it when I got it). The place did charge me more than usual however, which was $34 + tax (they must have been in a bad mood), but still cost nothing like you are looking at.

[StevieRaySTL]

I found this set of instructions, but have never tested them.

Programming for 1994 Infiniti J30

WhenRemote transmitter added or replaced.System malfunction.

HowNOTE: A maximum of 4 remote transmitters can be programmed.

Obtain all remote transmitters.Open the trunk.Get in the car.Close and lock all doors.Insert and remove key from the ignition switch more than 6 times within 10 seconds. (All original remote codes are now erased)

Unlock, then lock vehicle using the driver's door LOCK/UNLOCK lever.Press LOCK button on first remote transmitter to be programmed.First remote transmitter now programmed

To program next remote transmitter:Unlock then lock vehicle using the driver's door LOCK/UNLOCK lever.Press LOCK button on second remote transmitter to be programmed.

Repeat above procedure to program all remaining remote transmitters. To exit programming mode: Open driver's or passenger's door.

Check operation of all programmed remote transmitters.

-- That's the same set of reprogramming instructions I had, and it just wouldn't work. Thought I was going crazy getting in & out and sticking the key in the ignition repeatedly. The locksmith went through the same motions and the third fob was a charm. Those are good directions, but if they don't seem to work, try a different fob. GL.

[Al Dave]

-- That's the same set of reprogramming instructions I had, and it just wouldn't work. Thought I was going crazy getting in & out and sticking the key in the ignition repeatedly. The locksmith went through the same motions and the third fob was a charm. Those are good directions, but if they don't seem to work, try a different fob. GL.

I have been trying these instructions since last few days. But it is not working. changed the battery as well. Do you have other recipes ?

[StevieRaySTL]

-- That set of instructions is good. Try another fob.

[GerryO]

-- That set of instructions is good. Try another fob.

Or maybe cleaning the contacts, inspecting for corrosion, sticking/bad buttons, cold solder joints or broken leads on the fob circuit board?

Do you know any one who has a known good working system (car and fob)? You could test program your fob to work with their car in order to determine if the problem is your car or fob.

[#1 Sailor Scout]

1. Be careful as to where you take your car for stereo work...as most shops don't understand how the Bose system works (especially the chain stores), and will sell you on a "rewire" which actually just means they hack of harnesses and hack in some off-the-shelf speakers. Either way, since your deck is totally dead, it is surely a ground issue or something else (relatively) simple. Not to rag, but I would bet the problem lies in the fact that a previous owner installed a gauge panel or whatever you were speaking of...I rarely see a car with factory system problems (other than typical wear issues) when the car is totally stock, and by comparison, I rarely see a car with a correctly working stereo when DIY electrical work has been done. Keep in mind that I probably "fix" as many attempted installs as I do straight forward installs.

Anyway, the deck uses chassis ground, so it could simply be detached...or you never know...the deck may not even be connected (I have seen this several times before). Often one will simply mount the factory radio when selling a car to fill the hole, as they don't know how to restore the OE system, or don't care to bother. Either way, other similar Bose decks would work in a pinch, if you determine yours is bad. But you want to make sure the problem is the deck before you proceed.

For that matter, your first order of business should be to pull the deck and inspect the wiring, and at least pull one door panel to asses previous owner "modification". A door panel only takes about 2 minutes to pull, so it is worth your time to at least see if the OE assemblies are still in place.

Even if so, look for the typical "self wiring" running in through a port or behind the speaker frame, holes drilled, or a random speaker haphazardly mounted around the face of the enclosure (or worse a homemade/Ebay ABS or wood bracket). These are signs of lots of work to come for you if you care about sound quality at all.

FWIW, the J30's have the most durable Bose amplifiers of any of the Bose equipped Nissans of the era...but the decks are prone to nitpicky issues. Regardless, I would recommend you have the deck tested independently of the car before you rule it dead.But if you simply want a new deck...chances are your OE amps / speakers are OK however, assuming they still exist and are unmodified...and used ones are cheap if not. So you if you are lucky, you can simply run an interface with a new deck...and save yourself some $$. BTW, if you need any direct advice on stereo specifics, email me directly, as that is what I do .

Good point. I should have thought of that. I do car stereo work as well. Just not for a living; it's more of a hobby thing. But you can tell the difference b/w proffesional installation & a chop shop install. I've seen both types, & believe me, not all shops (i.e. Best Buy, Circuit City) do proffesional work. Just like not all local people in a person's hometown do "chop shop" work.

[lenrobbins]

Al,

I just saw your post (a month later). Every once in a while the Bose audio system won't power up on my 1997 J30. For me, I found, by accident, that unhooking the negative cable on the battery for a few seconds reset the unit. It's worth a try anyways.

Len

[Al Dave]

Al,

I just saw your post (a month later). Every once in a while the Bose audio system won't power up on my 1997 J30. For me, I found, by accident, that unhooking the negative cable on the battery for a few seconds reset the unit. It's worth a try anyways.

Len

Thanks Len, I would look into it and post back.

[xxcrashxx]

Al,

I just saw your post (a month later). Every once in a while the Bose audio system won't power up on my 1997 J30. For me, I found, by accident, that unhooking the negative cable on the battery for a few seconds reset the unit. It's worth a try anyways.

Len

its rare to see a J with the original headunit that works perfectly, that hasnt been service. lots of times, the problems with the headunits are due to cold solder joints, so if you have the knowledge or ability to reflow all the solder connections, give it a shot and see if all the problems are solved. i had to break my oem headunit to get it outta the brackets, so i wasnt able to attempt to fix it.... but that solder reflow method worked for my headlight controller module thingie(dont know the exact name for it) when my headlights started randomly flickering on and off, and driving around 1am w/out headlights on a highway aint fun....