i need some advise!!!!!

[gss90443]

i just bought a 1990 Q45. When i put it into drive it goes right in without any problem. It also goes right in reverse. It will down shift in 1st, but it won't shift out of 2nd. The car sat for 8 or 9 months with a dead battery. Do i need to get the brain booted. Is there a brain just for the transmission and where is the diagnogstic port. The car has 140,000 on it and runs perfect i love the car. Can someone give me a heads up on what i should do.

[maxnix]

Won't upshift out of second to third when in 3 or D? I am not following.

Regardless, be sure to go to the Infiniti Articles Forum and read about timing chain guides before you even start the engine again!

[gss90443]

it won't sift from 2nd up. if you floor it, it down shifts to 1. and it shift's back to 2nd. But it won't shift to anything above 2nd.. It will not up-shift no matter if i shift it manually or from drive.. the car has 140,000 on it.

[gss90443]

maxnix, I need to get this car on the road. a/s/a/p. PLease give me some insight to this matter. Thank...

[szh]

it won't sift from 2nd up. if you floor it, it down shifts to 1. and it shift's back to 2nd. But it won't shift to anything above 2nd.. It will not up-shift no matter if i shift it manually or from drive.. the car has 140,000 on it.

Check the transmission fluid (ATF) level when it is hot. Is there enough ATF in there? Is it dark or burnt (or with a burnt smell)? That is usually a sign of a dying or dead transmission.

Is it bright red? Essentially like new? That should be your minimum standard for normal operation. If the ATF is still red and looking like new, you could try a transmission flush (with a pan drop to remove any particles in the fluid) but I am not sure if this isn't already too late!

If the ATF is all right (level and color) then, to be honest, it really looks to me like your transmission is dying/has died. Have you any recourse with the seller (since you just bought it, right?)?

Replacing the transmission on a Q45 is about $1800 (with core return) for an Infiniti rebuilt unit (from Joe Tesensky at http://www.everythinginfiniti.com - see link here at NICO) and $600 - $900 for the labor, unless you do it yourself. Getting a used one from a junk-yard will probably be cheaper, but you will end up doing it again soon if it is not in good condition.

Sorry to be the bearer of this news ...

All old Q45's purchases should be carefully thought through - particularly if the car has not been well-maintained! It usually takes between $3000 to $5000 (sometimes more) to bring the car back to normal - depending on the degree to which you want it to feel like the original car!

Another thing to worry about are the chain guides - as maxnix said, please do your research here on that topic (read this: zerothread?id=127509 immediately)! If they have not been replaced on your car, it is an engine looking for a breakdown to happen - it is just a matter of "when".

If you do not change the guides, when they go completel, it is generally catastrophic (they are interference engines) and it is a significant cost to replace the engine.

Z

[Q45tech]

We have seen people buy old Q that need more than $12,000 to restore to near 100% functionality.............as new might be $20,000 [with a professional to spec paint job and interior/glass/headlight fixes]!

I like to point out the $36,000 [documented] a 90 LS400 owner spent in dealer repairs/maintenence over the 13 years she owned it, then selling it to T3 for $3,500 then the $6,000 [at dealer prices] we spent to restore it to near new. [no glass, no interior, no paint replacement].

$3,000 per year is cheap to drive a V8 lux car.[plus payments, insurance gasoline].

Someone else paid the $35,000 in depreciation [$38k MSRP] and all the interest .

When you buy an old [10+] used car always have at least the purchase price [double would be safer] in ready cash to fix the things that the car got sold for - [why it was for sale].

I tried to explain that to my son for the hundreth time with his new purchase of a 99 MB AMG.........have another $10,000 at the ready.

A 5 year loan on a 6 year old car means trouble down the line when the $6,000 transmission goes...........be thankful the Q's only cost $3,000.

[gss90443]

thanks for the advise. I will give it a try. i hope it work's. i really love the car. Could it be anything to do with the brain. does the transmission shift electronicly. if so can you tell me where the diagnostic plug is.

Thanks again.

[Q451990]

I don't think it has anything to do with the ECU... the Consult I plug is near your fuse box, but to read codes you need to access the ECU under the right kick panel and follow the instructions in the service manual to put it in diagnostic mode... then you can count the flashes of the LED and pull codes.

Heath