Help! NEED Advice on my '93Q45

[LuvinMyQ]

Hello I am a new member here @ NICO and I would appreciate any advice on my used Q45. I previously owned a '90 Maxima SE but have always eyed the Q from afar for various reasons. Finally bought one (shiny black with min. dings even though I swore I would never get another black car) with approx. 187,000 miles on the engine(closer to 193,000 now)and no a/c. however, this car was very well maintained. Have lots of maintenance papers on parts replaced or serviced. (And chain guides HAVE been replaced whew!) Other minor problems with car for example is the passenger side door lock has a glitch which will make it impossible to use keyless entry for a friend to enter (unless I reach over to let them in of course). Trunk doesn't pop open...the release function DOES work (I can hear it and see it move with the trunk open) but for some reason it won't release the trunk unless I use the 10 lb. key (hey, I am not complaining, just amazed at the detail and innovation of Infiniti.) Recently the car has stalled on me...as in died while slowing to a stop at a light. Would start up again once I put the car in park. Had someone look at the engine he works at a nissan dealership...& was told to use fuel injector cleaner that I might have some luck with it. Car no longer stalls but am wondering if I am putting a "band-aid on a broken bone" type thing. He also noticed that the fuel injectors are a little noisy and noticed what I think he called a "butterfly" in the idle. (I think he was referring to a type of "murmer" when the car is parked and running. The car runs quietly but every now and then you can feel a hard vibration in the idle.) Suggested I take to the dealership (uh oh) so they can do a diagnostic test on the engine by shutting down the cylinders one at a time. Car shifts from 1st gear to 2nd a little hard but other than that it runs fine. The car is basically all stock. Am thinking about putting on oldschool Jag wheels or newer Q wheels on it (I hate chrome but I can make exceptions). Oh, also the leather on the driver's side seat has very heavy wear along with the arm rest. and for some reason even a small spot the door panel like where you would rest your arm but I will probably replace them from a parts car or something instead of using liquid leather. The most I have done to the car so far was replace the rear suspension...why u ask? Hmmm. The car would jerk really hard when put into reverse...all the mounts were cracked and were pretty much gone. And B/c the Infiniti no longer carries just the mounts for the car since it is now over 10 yrs old - you have to buy the whole kit...which was not cheap at all. I realize this is not a Honda and I don't mind paying a little to restore the car (engine/transmission). Know of any good mechanics or private shops in the Orlando area? However, I know you guys take this stuff seriously and would appreciate all of your help. Thanks for all the info. you can supply me with.

[Jesda]

Leather repair kits ARE THE DEVIL. I tried it on my 92 Q, horrible results. And I couldnt remove the stuff to go back to where I started.

A lot of things can cause an imperfect idle. I'm sure someone else will chime in on keywords to search for on the forum...

Orlando's not ridiculously far from Atlanta (440 mi). It might be worth your time to prepare to spend a couple thousand, then drive to a shop called T3. You'll get more work done for the money than you ever will anywhere else.

Here's their number:404-794-7700

They quoted me very low for a lot of misc R&R as well as heavy engine work (chain guides). For the most part, theyre 50-70% lower than the dealer.

-Jesda

[elwesso]

1. Hello I am a new member here @ NICO and I would appreciate any advice on my used Q45. I previously owned a '90 Maxima SE but have always eyed the Q from afar for various reasons. Finally bought one (shiny black with min. dings even though I swore I would never get another black car) with approx. 187,000 miles on the engine(closer to 193,000 now)and no a/c. however, this car was very well maintained. 2. Have lots of maintenance papers on parts replaced or serviced. (And chain guides HAVE been replaced whew!)

3. Other minor problems with car for example is the passenger side door lock has a glitch which will make it impossible to use keyless entry for a friend to enter (unless I reach over to let them in of course).

4. Trunk doesn't pop open...the release function DOES work (I can hear it and see it move with the trunk open) but for some reason it won't release the trunk unless I use the 10 lb. key (hey, I am not complaining, just amazed at the detail and innovation of Infiniti.)

5. Recently the car has stalled on me...as in died while slowing to a stop at a light. Would start up again once I put the car in park. Had someone look at the engine he works at a nissan dealership...& was told to use fuel injector cleaner that I might have some luck with it. Car no longer stalls but am wondering if I am putting a "band-aid on a broken bone" type thing. He also noticed that the fuel injectors are a little noisy and noticed what I think he called a "butterfly" in the idle. (I think he was referring to a type of "murmer" when the car is parked and running. The car runs quietly but every now and then you can feel a hard vibration in the idle.) Suggested I take to the dealership (uh oh) so they can do a diagnostic test on the engine by shutting down the cylinders one at a time. Car shifts from 1st gear to 2nd a little hard but other than that it runs fine.

6. The car is basically all stock. Am thinking about putting on oldschool Jag wheels or newer Q wheels on it (I hate chrome but I can make exceptions).

7. Oh, also the leather on the driver's side seat has very heavy wear along with the arm rest. and for some reason even a small spot the door panel like where you would rest your arm but I will probably replace them from a parts car or something instead of using liquid leather.

8. The most I have done to the car so far was replace the rear suspension...why u ask? Hmmm. The car would jerk really hard when put into reverse...all the mounts were cracked and were pretty much gone. And B/c the Infiniti no longer carries just the mounts for the car since it is now over 10 yrs old - you have to buy the whole kit...which was not cheap at all. I realize this is not a Honda and I don't mind paying a little to restore the car (engine/transmission).

9. Know of any good mechanics or private shops in the Orlando area? However, I know you guys take this stuff seriously and would appreciate all of your help. Thanks for all the info. you can supply me with.

1. Welcome to NICO... thanks for coming here2. Great find on teh guides being done!3. I would guess one of the internal rods is binding (minor). Does the lock assy work with power locks, or does it sorta vibrate nad then return to open?? Could you explain tihs better4. Mine does the same thing. If you look down at the trunk latch (looking down on the car, where the latch would latch onto the car) youll see a little flap thingy, that will flip up and hit the latch. I took a pair of plyers and bent it a little so it will catch it. There is adjustment procedure, but you gotta take a lot of stuff apart, and so far mine has worked flawlessly this way!5. Most likely an injector is gone... I would take it to a dealer for further diagnosis.....6. Id look at a set of infiniti take off rims, G35 rims look great, as well as any newer infiniti 17 or 18in...7. Great plan. I suggest going to a trim shop and see what they would charge to do it in leather/vinyl.8. I think you got taken. I was able to buy the stuff and have it done, as the rear suspension is the same on 90-96. The front shocks are only slightly different.

[LuvinMyQ]

Wow, you guys are fast. I'm Chris by the way.

Thanks Jesda...yes. I am willing to put a few grand into the car, however I'd probally have to bribe a friend that much to drive me to and from atlanta...but I will consider it.

Thanks ELWesso am glad to be here. Ah, I also thought I was taken however I have been to these guys before...to overhaul the transmission on my maxima. Plus no one else I talked to could find mounts for a 93Q. They threw in a free oil change and transmission flush haha. how could I resist. No I guess you are right though. I saw the fax that Infiniti sent to these guys and it all seemed legit however it was a total waste since I only needed mounts...not the whole suspension. Regarding the passenger side door lock...hmmm just say all the doors are locked and Im sitting in the drivers seat with the car running. When I turn the car off and take the key from the ignition the doors automatically open right but the passenger side will stay open and return to the lock position thus causing all of the locks to...well lock. Sometimes it cant decide if it wants to open or stay locked and they all simultaneously open and close (rarely) but this is starting to get annoying!

[elwesso]

I see what your saying now, Chris (BTW Im Wes, youll be seeing a lot of me!!!!!!!)

You need to replace the front suspension now! Its most likely dry rotted to hizzle!!

I didnt know that the doors unlock when you take the key out.. NO FAIR, my car doesnt do that!

Before I go on any further, how much of a DIYer are you?? Will you be willing to takle some things we suggest on here?? I have an idea on what needs to happen here but I wanna get a game plan...

[LuvinMyQ]

Hmm DIYer...took me a while. Do It Yourself-er right? HA. I know a few basics...very few. LOL, are you sure the doors don't unlock when you take the car off? Maybe you've just become used to the fine engineering, I didn't realize that until a few weeks ago. But I have the aftermarket viper alarm...maybe it is a feature or somethin. A wrench you say...hmmm was thinking about that but I wasnt sure if I would damage the "actuator" or whatever the thing is called.

I do not trust myself or a friend to do them. Plus would rather have a warranty on the work that gets done just in case I decide to sell it to upgrade to a newer Q. As far as the front suspension goes, they replaced the front mounts because it came with the kit...but not the suspension itself. The pass. control arm will need to be replaced along with the shocks in front. As far as taking the paneling out to fix the annoying door lock problem I can handle that myself. The guy I bought the car from also gave me the bra along with the manual for the car. Took me forever to find out how to remove the panel. Yea, so I am not really willing to do any major work to the car myself, but it will come in handy to let the mechanic know what I want done. I know a guy who can work on the car (he knows foreign cars) but Im a little wary about letting him do engine work.

[elwesso]

Bring it up to me!!! Ill work on any NICO Q......

I would recommend making a trip to T3 in atlanta. The Q45 mecca!! Consider it your pilgrimage!

[AlabamaDan]

I hear that replacing a tensioner pulley cures an idleing problem sometimes.

[nuQ]

" Bring it up to me!!! Ill work on any NICO Q...... "

can i quote you wes??????? LOL

[elwesso]

YOU can quote me Jeff!!!!!

Danny, I dont think an idler will help in this case. not a bad idea to do anyway but not a cure for this cause, IMHO.

[LuvinMyQ]

Hey, you guys come on down to FL - we need more ppl who can work on the Q down here. Took it to this one place and they said we don't wanna mess with the car. Well, will take it to the dealer on Mon for the diag. test and hopefully they find something. Wait...they will find many many things that need to get fixed. Im not gonna say anything about the trunk cos Im looking at the maintenence records right now and they charged the prev. owner $23.50 in labor alone just to ADJUST the deck lid striker of the trunk. total for that came out to $31.42. There no parts involved at all! The labor alone will kill me. Price of luxury my ***!

[LuvinMyQ]

Hey if anyone has any 90-91 Q and have pics of the interior post em. I like the different styles of trim that they had.

[elwesso]

Ask them to inspect the car and make a list of things wrong with it... We will tell you in what order they need to be adressed!

[Jesda]

Bring it up to me!!! Ill work on any NICO Q......

Wes is going to wake up in the morning and end up with a NICO meet in his driveway!

[redmanfx]

the prev. owner $23.50 in labor alone just to ADJUST the deck lid striker of the trunk. total for that came out to $31.42. There no parts involved at all! The labor alone will kill me. Price of luxury my ***!

Just think, You'll have one of the most advanced (working)electric trunk opening systems ever made!!! HA! LOL. Welcome to the club. Just pull up a chair and read about all the fun times you are going to have! We bond quickly due to us all going through the same things!

red

[elwesso]

Quote »Wes is going to wake up in the morning and end up with a NICO meet in his driveway![/quote]That would be great, any time! However, i dont do my work there!! I have about 6 tools at my house...

[Need4Speed]

Welcome to the best place for Q's

Alright another 93 Q owner!

If your budget is limited like most of us here, you will find that you will become a DIY'er real quick. Most jobs are not really that hard just way more involved as you are dealing with a very complex vehicle....just think of it as a Japenese Ferrari.

Your stalling problem sounds like your fuel pump may be starting to die. Can you hear a buzzing sound when sitting in the rear seat? Open the trunk....is the buzzing louder? There should be no sound from a properly functioning pump. If it's bad (buzzing), you will want to R&R it ASAP as a bad pump will fry the pump controller and will add almost $400 to your parts costs. For the best prices on parts check out "Everything Infiniti" on the left side of your screen....nobody beats Joe's prices.

Spend some time searching through this site as there is a ton if info here..it still amazes me.

Good luck,

Andy

[nuQ]

" Hey if anyone has any 90-91 Q and have pics of the interior post em. I like the different styles of trim that they had. "

luvinmyQ,,,,,,,,,if you click on "forums", then "featured rides" click on NuQ........... that's my 90Q with a few shots of my interior. i really love the two-tone black/grey interior!jeff

[LuvinMyQ]

Hello all. This is an update After a month (maybe more) of stalling, I finally took my Q in to the Orlando dealership for the inspection. Nice people. The bill however, not so nice. They pulled up the history on the car and transferred my name onto the profile. Good news is - is that the engine was "fine". Runs extremely smooth which surprised the service consultant who said he could barely tell the car was on. No codes showed up but Im not sure if they did a thorough inspection of the engine like I asked...even tried to bribe him with some green but he said his techs knew what they were doing. A few of them own the older Qs he said. Anyhow after waiting (yes I waited) for 1.5 hours I finally got my car back with the following summary:

TECH NOTED BOTH TENSION RODS LEAKING.......490.00 (yes, I know)UPPER LINKS LOOSE..........................500.00 (did not know)AC COMPRESSOR LOCKED UP....drum roll.....1,286.00 (see below)LEFT REAR STRUT LEAKING....................292.00DRIVE BELTS DRY & CRACKED..................149.00RADIATOR LEAKING...........................666.50 (started the day b4)REAR MAIN SEAL LEAKING.....................707.00BRAKE FLUID DIRTY...........................69.95 (see below)TECH RECOMMENDS TUNE UP SERVICE............899.00

TOTAL...............................over 5 grand.

Ok. I know that most of the bill is based on labor. Got a really good quote @ Firestone for the a/c. approx 900 which is not too bad. The dealership also wants to convert the a/c from the R12 to the newer stuff. Kit and dryer is included in price shown above. Damned radiator! Luckily I check my fluids and noticed it was low. And the puddle of antifreeze under the car. Will be looking for an all aluminum radiator @ Napa. Oil leak is minimal but will replace the seal. Hey, I Just got new brakes at Firestone...dont they flush and bleed the line on all brake jobs or am I crazy. Will investigate that one.

The problem is that none of this will be to repair the engine. With over 190k miles on an engine there has got to be something to work on. Plus I also want to get rid of the hard 1st to 2nd gear shift in the transmission. Any advice on what I need to get started on?

[DAEDALUS]

WOW You know, for a mechanically inclined person, a lot of that is *really* DIY. Tension rod bushings are like $20 each. Upper links are about $100 each and take 15 minutes. Strut is around $80, but is a bit more work than the other 2. Belts are easy, maybe $40 for all 3. Radiator is fairly easy, if messy. Not sure what a "tune up" is, but probably not too much more than replacing the plugs. Maybe an injector flush and intake cleaning too?Don't expect Firestone to bleed the brakes unless you ask them to. Most shops just top off fluid usually.

[LuvinMyQ]

Jeff, Thanks for posting. Checked out your Q way back when I was not a member. I like how well you've taken care of your Q. Nice wheels and yes, the 2 tone is awesome. Makes the car look sportier and is current with the present styles of interiors today. Am not sure if I can handle the labor of replacing my panels to get the 2 tone, but I really want to get my hands on the whole wood grain dash and one of those cool clocks. Will provide a link if I can find a pic of one. Hah, I don't think my car needs a sway bar just yet.

[LuvinMyQ]

By the way, it is now 3:00 here. AM. I am going to bed now cos I hafta be at work at 6:30.

[Jesda]

I bet if you called T3 and compared parts and labor costs, you'd more than save the cost of a hotel stay and gas to get to Atlanta!

[LuvinMyQ]

Thanks DAEDALUS. Yea, will try to do some of the stuff myself. Luckily the stuff I cannot do I have some good friends who can for me. As far as the radiator, that should be cake for me because I've reaplaced one on the maxima I had RIP where ever she is. Messy but at least I can have a hand in my car's restoration. Yea really, whatever that tune up is I know for sure that it really isn't worth 900 bucks of my blood, sweat and tears hard - earned money lol.

[HeavyDuty]

Drop me a line & I can save you at least 33% on that radiator purchase, or come by my work & I can show you my new Modine radiator being installed today.

407-299-4345Jason

[maxnix]

Firestone didn't flush your brake fluid while doing a full brake job, but you are going to trust them to replace the AC compressor?

Might do a read about what it takes to truly convert an R12 AC to R134a in the previous posts by Q45tech. Not recommended unless you have cash coming out of the kazoo.

[PalmerWMD]

Most conversions dont include condensor and if they do, you will notice a much bigger bill.The $130-220 conversions dont include new condensor designed for the R134a and as a result AC performance will suffer.

Yes R12 is more expensive to recharge, but once you have a new system it might be years until it needs a recharge and no net savings are ever realized from a conversion IMO.

Fred..

[LuvinMyQ]

Hello again I've been having problems with my comp. so I couldn't post any replies.

Maxnix & Palmer, the dealership quoted a total of $1,286.00 for the new a/c compressor, dryer and conversion kit. Suposedly that is all I need since the a/c compressor locked up. I told the rep. that I'd rather keep the R12 instead and would search for a shop who still had some. Yes, I understand it is more expensive (and not environmentally friendly) but it will last far longer. Thanks for the posts.

[SFBayQ45]

Yea really, whatever that tune up is I know for sure that it really isn't worth 900 bucks of my blood, sweat and tears hard - earned money lol.

I wouldn't laugh at that "tune-up" cost and dismiss it so quickly. When I inquired about my fuel injector replacement, the shop I currently bring my car to recommends a tune-up be done at the same time. Why? They said that the tune up work involved overlaps in labor so it's ideal to have the work performed at the same time. I'm not too clear on what that means, since I'm not mechanically inclined, but based on that statement I assume it's extensive and more complicated than one might think (like removing and replacing injectors). I think what it narrows down to is all labor (not necessarily parts) for that $800+ quote for a tune-up...

Q45tech or anyone else - Can you shed some light into this statement?