Cheapskates Messing With My Q45a

Post by **DiDi Dissuer** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Hi Everyone, I'm DiDi, New To The Board. I Have A Big Problem Going On. I recently purchased a 1994 Q45a in great condition. It was time to replace the belts so I had it done at the family mechanic shop (non shade tree). The pulley came off my car while on the highway one night and my car overheated thus the engine is gone. They placed me in a 2004 Murano rental and the adjuster said they would pay for a USED ENGINE because of the year and mileage 90k and if I wanted to pay the difference.....I COULD.... Well I am not going for it so I told them to do no work until I talk to the mechanic shop owner who told me and my family it was going to be a rebuilt engine.......anyone give me some advice. I feel I might have to get a lawyer. Thanks.

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Are you saying you would rather have a rebuilt engine rather than a used one? I personally would much rather have a used engine in the same condition as the old one (or better) rather than a rebuilt engine. Too much risk with a rebuild IMO. If taken care of, these engines will *easily* last over 200k. Many of us in this club are past 200k and still running strong. If you have any say in the shop, and if you can make the trip, it would really be worth it to go to T3 in Georgia.

http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....17947

Post by **Q451990** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

I agree with everything Daedalus said... You should definately have T3 in Atlanta do the work. They are the nation's expert on the G50 series Q, and they have the connections to get a good Japanese take-out and do the job right. I haven't heard of a good engine rebuilder for the Q's engine yet - so I think that's the route you want to go - Japanese take-out, or possibly a low mileage take-out from US sources if you feel comfortable with the source and have documented low mileage. I think we're both very fortunate to live so close to Atlanta!

Welcome to NICO!!

Heath

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Nobody covers over heats [on a 90k car], as it is the drivers responsibilty to turn the car off immediately.............even if the pulley came off from poor workmanship...........as it can take 10 minutes for the temperature to reach lethal levels.

"I didn't notice the temp gauge" doesn't relieve you of your part of the responsibilty.

Edmunds says private clean sells at $7,000 with your mileage and a good used JDM take out engine R&Red with new hoses lots of resealing, new water pump belts, etc should be $5,200 to $5,400 installed [by experts] with a 12 month /12,000 mile warranty.

The engines alone can be found for $1500-$1800 in Atlanta [the 94 is rarer as there is a glut of 90-93 units]. You can [shouldn't] just replace the engine without serious rehabilitation of the newer engine which has been sitting for years without being cranked.................this extra cost is FOR YOU to get another 100,000 miles not something a shop would be concerned with in giving you only a 12,000 mile warranty.

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

The power steering and active fails when the belt is not turning the water pump and the active warning light comes on not to mention impossible steering. ???

Post by **fxjackso** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

First thing I thought of. I had a pully freeze, leading to a broken belt. No PS, and the actsus red light comes on instantly, and the computer shuts down the suspension control. You know that you have a big problem. That's way before you can overheat....

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

The last time we saw a overheat engine failure was when a customer refused to replace a very leaky water pump. We all warned him! Previously 3 months previously and again that day!

Within 45 minutes he had driven 30 miles and all the coolant pumped out. He called, we said tow it back in! In 30 minutes he drove it back empty...........the cylinder heads were over 550F and the engine froze as soon as he turned it off to step inside.

He became so irate, we called the police blaming us for not forcing him [how?] to change his water pump. Written in RED on his bill was "car needs a water pump leaking badly".

Granted yours seems a different situation entirely.

The owners manual warns to turn an overheated engine off immediately.

Post by **psychic_mechanic** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

I had a lady with a brand new '01 taurus run hers hot until the elctrodes on the plugs melted and the car stopped running.

You could smell this awful burnt smell when you opened the hood. The car was a coplue months old, and the factory wanted to know why I wanted to replace the entire engine.

Post by **AZhitman** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Q45tech wrote:He became so irate, we called the police blaming us for not forcing him [how?] to change his water pump. Written in RED on his bill was "car needs a water pump leaking badly".

I think they'd have arrested me for beating his arse.

Some people deserve a good hard kick in the groin.

Post by **elwesso** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Ive talked with this individual on AIM for many months...

The active light was on previous to the belts...

I would personally have them give you a settlement, cash.. Then you can use that money to have it done right.....

Post by **DiDi Dissuer** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Thanks for all the info everyone......"I didn't notice the temp gauge" doesn't relieve you of your part of the responsibilty.Q45Tech "I didn't say this" Quote A Lady Right Or Don't Quote At All.

They will be having infiniti do the work, thus I don't have to take it to the lawyers. Oh yeah, Hellooooooowww Elwesso!I'm In! lol

DiDi

Post by **AZhitman** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Very cool!

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

It wasn't you I was quoting but myself and a discussion I have had recently...........should have used single quotes.

Glad you got it resolved. Let us know what the dealer is replacing.Again a 12 month warranty.

Please communicate directly with the dealer tech who is doing the job to impress on him that you expect the work to be done at a LEVEL of precision that will let the car go another 100,000 miles.

Post by **maxnix** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Ugh. Active Light on not good. Don't drive!

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

""recently purchased a 1994 Q45a in great condition""" quote from 1st post.

All is takes for a shop to loose a months/years profit [if they are making any other than just paying the bills] is working on a Q45a when they are not expert at the brand.

But when you get hungry any food seems good at the time.

Can you tell sometimes I feel sorrier for the ignorant shops, than the owners who try to use them.

We get HELP calls all the time.

Post by **fxjackso** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

There is somthing suspicious about the result here. Infiniti dealers rarely, if ever, use non Nissan parts, new or rebuilt, because they offer a warranty of 12-12,000. To my knowledge Nissan does not sell rebuilt engines. But, think about the price of a new engine, with install, and the other work to be done to make it good for 12,000 miles of warranty, on an active, no less! We are talking $10,000? We don't have information here on the roles of the Adjuster, or your family's relationship with the shop. But unless one of the parties is doing this as a huge favor, it would make much more sense for him to let you sue, spend $5,000 in legal costs, and end up settling with you for a used engine! Good luck on the engine front, we hope it works out, but be careful.

Glad that one problem will be resolved, but it is fair to say a Q45a with the actsus warning light on is probably not in "great condition." The range of problems that warning indicates can be from a loose wire to a broken sensor, to a failed pump.

Unfortunately the engine has to run before the suspension can be tested. But, ask the dealer to pay particular attention to the pump that they will be taking off of your old engine and installing on your brand new one. If that's your problem, you will be looking at another $1000 bill on the day you get the car back, if you want it to be in great condition.

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Dealers will use JDM or junkyard engines or long or short blocks as the pocket book dictates. They even rebuild engines.

Unfortunately they charge more than T3's $5500 so they get no business..[they try to gross an extra $1500 to cover warranty work]........heck they send us business, because they really don't want to mess with some customers trashed cars.

There are even shops who swap Q engines without R&R, we get them all the time when the newish engine doesn't run right, had a J30 yesterday where the owner wanted us to fix a botched job.

Post by **PalmerWMD** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

DiD:

Welcome to our humble board!

Hope you enjoy your stay and please keep us posted on your car!

Fred..

Post by **DiDi Dissuer** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Well thank you Palmer for such a wonderful welcome, finally a relaxed individual........lol I am not concerned about anyone suspicions (fxjackso). I am not on trial here but it is expected when you have so many PROFESSIONALS who would rather question you than give opinions or suggestions like you asked for in the first place (can we stop abusing the red bull, decaf please lol. Nevertheless I was told the board was fun and informative so this is why I came. I tell you what, (lol) let us all stop threading to this particular post here and when I get my ride back I will give a shout out to exactly how PHOENIX is running. ON TO THE NEXT TOPIC....OH YEAH IAM GOING TO TRY AND MAKE IT ON THE 20TH BUT IF NOT IAM GOING TO MEET SOME FOLKS AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY WITH SOME OF MY GIRLS.

DiDi.................

Post by **PalmerWMD** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

DiDi:

Please excuse the serious nature of many responses we all take our cars very seriously here, perhaps a bit too seriously at times.

And meticilous maintenance and recordkeeping has become a religion for many of us.

This is still the single best place for hard information on your car and we have more espertise here than even large dealer.

Dont forget to check out our memebrs ride section check my sig in this thread for a link ( here is also a sticky in Infiniti General).

I agree with another poster who said if you have a chance to hace T3 do it.Possibly the best case in the country for thses cars and reasonable to boot.

Fred...

Post by **elwesso** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

Fred is right.... We take better care of our cars that probably anyone else... We replace and think about replacing things that NO ONE else thinks about till its too late...

Partly why we can drive our cars 250k and still run in as new condition.....

I suppose you dont HAVE to do all this stuff we said, and go with what your dealer wants to do, but heres how I justify the cost...

I get a car thats equal OR BETTER to a BMW, Lexus or MB of similar years, and I pay 5000+ yes (paid 5500 for mine, similar ones of those cost 10k+).... I dont mind spending a few extra thousand on my car, because any way you look at it, im STILL ahead of the game.

I take pride in what I drive... Some consider cars just transportation and a status symbol... Not me

Post by **szh** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:52 pm

elwesso wrote:I take pride in what I drive... Some consider cars just transportation and a status symbol... Not me

A hearty agreement from me!!!

Z

Cheapskates Messing With My Q45a

Cheapskates Messing With My Q45a

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