Knock Sensor DISASTER

[qship96]

Based on your response,looks like I am correct......you were NOT a customer of any dealership,you were paying an INDIVIDUAL,under the table,to work on your car who just happened to use the dealerships space to perform the work......at a much reduced price than had you of gone through the dealership like a normal customer does and pay the higher labor rates the dealer charges,some of which no doubt,goes to them paying for liability insurance in case things like this come up.......YOU made the decision upfront to bypass going to a licensed,insured shop to perform the work and decided to have the work done "off the books"- you took a risk,and sadly,it didnt workout in your favor.....but it was YOUR choice to do so-even if you spent the $$$$ and took it to court,your chances of winning are very small-any judge is going to point out what I just outlined,and take in to consideration the cars age and miles and throw out the case- sad but true.Hopefully if anything,you learn that trying to save a few bucks on a job by not using a licensed insured shop can come back to bite you.

[Q45Owner]

A "specialist" would have the experience and knowledge of covering up the exposed intake runners to avoid dropping anything in.

I know. And he did stick rags into the runners, but it was after he removed all of the bolts and lifted everything off. The bolt dropped while he was removing the rear section of the plenum. I was standing right there when it happened. To me, it would make sense to stick a rag in them after each bolts are removed, but I wasn't about to tell him how to do his job and figured he knew what he was doing. But I was definitely worried that it fell in there.

Did he at least admit to his mistake or did you find it out yourself?

He admitted it. He was upset about it. He even tried to look inside the runners to see if he could find the bolt but couldn't find it. He then assumed that it fell down somewhere else. But it obviously didn't. It was a careless mistake on his part. I know it wasn't intentional, but it is what it is.

[Q45Owner]

Based on your response,looks like I am correct......you were NOT a customer of any dealership,you were paying an INDIVIDUAL,under the table,to work on your car who just happened to use the dealerships space to perform the work......at a much reduced price than had you of gone through the dealership like a normal customer does and pay the higher labor rates the dealer charges,some of which no doubt,goes to them paying for liability insurance in case things like this come up.......YOU made the decision upfront to bypass going to a licensed,insured shop to perform the work and decided to have the work done "off the books"- you took a risk,and sadly,it didnt workout in your favor.....but it was YOUR choice to do so-even if you spent the $$$$ and took it to court,your chances of winning are very small-any judge is going to point out what I just outlined,and take in to consideration the cars age and miles and throw out the case- sad but true.Hopefully if anything,you learn that trying to save a few bucks on a job by not using a licensed insured shop can come back to bite you.

Oh trust me, I'm not worried if this goes to court. In fact, your comments are making me really annoyed cuz the suggestion in your tone is that this is somehow MY fault? You do not know all the details of the situation and I will just leave it at that for now. But rest assured, the work was done, by a mechanic, in a licensed insured shop. I REALLY don't think this person wants this situation to go this way, but like I said in my previous post, I will do whatever I need to do to recover any of my financial losses. This person is a mechanic and he took on the job as a mechanic. If a surgeon takes on the job to perform surgery and something goes wrong, it is the responsibility of the surgeon, NOT the patient. If this mechanic felt he was not qualified to do the work requested, then he could have easily declined to do the job. But the responsibility does not lay with me, it lays with him. So get that straight.

[qship96]

The difference is the surgeon carries millions of dollars worth of liability{malpractice} insurance,which he pays well over six figures for each year { I come from a family of MDs}

The dealership also pays a hefty insurance premium which covers them and THEIR customers,which is one of the reasons their labor rates are what they are........the individual,working on your car ,has no personal insurance to cover himself when moonlighting.I am not saying its your fault,but sadly,it is your problem.The dealership will certainly not assume any responsibility,and if the shadetree tech tells you he doesnt have the $$$$ in his own pocket to give you {a very very likely scenario} you will have to sue to try and recover a dime,and chances are it will cost you more in legal fees than the value of the car-and still will lose the case.

[BCC93QT]

Was this a documented business transaction with any sort of paperwork? Was there any sort of guarantee or warranty on any work? I don't know ALL the facts but I think qship MAY be right You're at a loss on this one.

[qship96]

Was this a documented business transaction with any sort of paperwork? Was there any sort of guarantee or warranty on any work? I don't know ALL the facts but I think qship MAY be right You're at a loss on this one.

He is dancing around this issue,despite my direct questioning,which leads me to my conclusion stated earlier-

[Q45Owner]

The difference is the surgeon carries millions of dollars worth of liability{malpractice} insurance,which he pays well over six figures for each year { I come from a family of MDs}

The dealership also pays a hefty insurance premium which covers them and THEIR customers,which is one of the reasons their labor rates are what they are........the individual,working on your car ,has no personal insurance to cover himself when moonlighting.I am not saying its your fault,but sadly,it is your problem.

Your confusing having insurance protection with liability. Him not having insurance does not mean he is not liable for the situation. If I drove my car without insurance and crashed into someone, would I not still be liable for the damages? Of course I would. Again, I'm not going into specific details and I'm still trying to settle this situation amicably, so that it doesn't escalate into something else. But he is liable for the damages to my car and that is all.

[qship96]

only if a judge says so.......

[Q451990]

I think you already know what's being said here... recovering from this mechanic is going to be difficult. Going through the legal system to do so is a process that will take literally years... and who knows how long to collect on a judgment if you get one. That process doesn't align with the fact that you have a few days left before your car has to leave the dealer's storage area. So for now, the choice (and expense) is yours... not because it should be, or because you did something wrong, but because life sucks sometimes.

Heath

[Q45Owner]

To whom it may concern:

I know you are reading this.. I need to hear back from you at some point this afternoon or I will be left with no other choice but to pursue other avenues. I am urging you to do the right thing here. You ruined my engine and you are responsible for the damages. I am trying to be nice here and work with you, but I have not heard back from you since Tuesday and I am assuming you are attempting to sweep me under the rug and hope that this issue goes away. It will not. I will do WHATEVER I need to do to get my car repaired and make sure you are held responsible for your actions. I've already emailed you twice and left you a voicemail, with no response from you. I need to hear back from you no later than 4pm today.

[dnudelman]

some important lessons learned reading this board before making any purchase.
1. Locate an experienced independent mechanic.
2. You need to be able to afford this car before your buy it. If dropping 3k in repairs is outside your budget, you shouldn't own this car
3. Need to be resourcefull. There is a jdm motor dealer in NY that advertises on EBAY. That would be someone I would talk to about a replacement engine with installation.
4. Even if you never turn a wrench, you need to read up about how do do any repair job, and this is the place.
5. Work hard on sourcing parts yourself. If you are careful and deliberate, you can buy good parts cheaper and replace more critical parts at the same time. I believe one would be nuts to try to replace the knock sensors without also the replace the injectors, the harness, the plenum gaskets and even the valve cover gaskets and spark plugs at the same time. The labor is almost the same.
6. Don't tell every potential mechanic about your tales of woe. You'll lose all respect and they won't want to help you out.
7. If you own an older car, ALWAYS sign up for AAA

[elwesso]

I guess what i don't grasp here is that so far, at worst, the OP is out $1000. $1000 on a car that's barely worth $1000 doesn't seem like that big of deal to me, I mean you can barely buy a set of good and have them installed for $1000. This thread was started 10 days ago, so IMO waiting any longer to try and get people to make amends is just going to delay the fact that the OP still doesn't have a functioning vehicle.

I could understand if we were talking about $100,000 or even $10,000, but for a grand? I know $1000 is a lot of money, but still, it's not something that's impossible to recover from in a reasonable amount of time.. If I was in a position where I couldn't afford to fix the car and I didn't have the ability of place to fix it, i'd probably just call the Infiniti dealer that it's sitting at and tell them to keep it.

[BCC93QT]

4 catalytic converters from the early 90's. $200. 400-500$ to scrap the car, getting close!

[paranoidjack]

Based on your response,looks like I am correct......you were NOT a customer of any dealership,you were paying an INDIVIDUAL,under the table,to work on your car who just happened to use the dealerships space to perform the work......at a much reduced price than had you of gone through the dealership like a normal customer does and pay the higher labor rates the dealer charges,some of which no doubt,goes to them paying for liability insurance in case things like this come up.......YOU made the decision upfront to bypass going to a licensed,insured shop to perform the work and decided to have the work done "off the books"- you took a risk,and sadly,it didnt workout in your favor.....but it was YOUR choice to do so-even if you spent the $$$$ and took it to court,your chances of winning are very small-any judge is going to point out what I just outlined,and take in to consideration the cars age and miles and throw out the case- sad but true.Hopefully if anything,you learn that trying to save a few bucks on a job by not using a licensed insured shop can come back to bite you.

Oh trust me, I'm not worried if this goes to court. In fact, your comments are making me really annoyed cuz the suggestion in your tone is that this is somehow MY fault? You do not know all the details of the situation and I will just leave it at that for now. But rest assured, the work was done, by a mechanic, in a licensed insured shop. I REALLY don't think this person wants this situation to go this way, but like I said in my previous post, I will do whatever I need to do to recover any of my financial losses. This person is a mechanic and he took on the job as a mechanic. If a surgeon takes on the job to perform surgery and something goes wrong, it is the responsibility of the surgeon, NOT the patient. If this mechanic felt he was not qualified to do the work requested, then he could have easily declined to do the job. But the responsibility does not lay with me, it lays with him. So get that straight.

Qship and I stated the exact same thing, separately, for a reason: our responses are fact. My friend, your interpretation of liabilty in this situation is not entirely accurate. Though he may be a mechanic, HE is liable for his mistake, NOT the dealership...so yes, in moral law, you are correct. He is liable (if he told you he could do the job WITHOUT ruining the engine). So, he does it of his own volition, or a court forces him to. End of story. Apparently you are going to court and spending months and more than the car is worth to resolve this, since he is not responding to you affirmatively. However, you're learning a valuable life lesson here, if you allow yourself to think more logically. Sometimes life gets in the way of life. Personal liability vs. business liability are entirely different things, and nothing is free in this world. As the owner of two small business and someone that spends $5,000/year in liability insurance, I can tell you BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE INSURANCE TO PAY FOR THINGS LIKE THIS. Individuals do not. So this was done legit, or not. Only you and he know that.

To qship's point - WHY have you not called the dealership and demanded action from the GM? I think all of here trying to help you deserve to know that answer. You can maintain his anonymonity (interesting you are trying to protect this individual, how civil of you...?) and answer that question for us.

We all feel for you, but when you roll the dice.......please read the third quote in my signature. I have good judgment for a reason. I've made more than my fair share of mistakes, and learned from all of them. Sorry to hear about this situation pal....really sucks.

[paranoidjack]

Furthermore, something here doesn't make sense to me.

You just wrote you were there when the bolt fell into the motor. You (and he) noticed it and realized the gravity of the issue.

But...you both allowed the job to finish and turned the key? Hoping the bolt would vaporize or something? Also, why was there no mention of this moment and realization in your first post? We want to help you but you have to be honest and forthright about what happened.

That makes no sense to me. None.

[qship96]

Any updates to the outcome of this ordeal?

[BCC93QT]

Any updates to the outcome of this ordeal?

You know why there hasn't been any updates. Unless he picks up another Q45 I seriously doubt we will see him again

[Q45Owner]

Any updates to the outcome of this ordeal?

You know why there hasn't been any updates. Unless he picks up another Q45 I seriously doubt we will see him again

Wrong. This has turned into a legal matter, so no updates until that is settled.
But yes, I have picked up another Q45

[paranoidjack]

Glad to hear you got another Q. What kind?

[Q45Owner]

Glad to hear you got another Q. What kind?

Well, I couldn't really bring myself to replace my '94 with another G50. My car was in mint condition in and out and to try and find another 94 in the same or better condition would have been too difficult and time consuming and honestly, I just couldn't see myself in another one
So I decided to go a different route and ended up getting a mint condition single owner '04 F50 w/ Premium Package. It's so completely different from the G50 in every way. I gotta say, this car is a beast! It's so fast and I love the smoothness of the acceleration. It definitely has that "newer car" feeling when driving it. It's also one of the best handling cars I've ever owned - And I've had the Lexus GS4, Lexus LS4, Maximas. I drive it in Sport mode about 95% of the time and it's really the perfect blend of luxury and sport. The laser cruise and the climate controlled seats are pretty awesome. It has the backup camera, automatic trunk, etc. I really love it. I loved my G50 too, but I love this car in a very different way. I know the F50 doesn't get a lot of love around here, but it really is an excellent car. So at the end of this disastrous situation, I ended up in something that I'm happy with and I'm moving on with life...

[HollywoodJackson]

The F50 get's love... Just in a different NICO Forum!

I have a shop down the street replacing my knock sensors right now. Hope it goes well!

Happy Holiday Season!
HollywoodJackson

[HollywoodJackson]

And the knock sensor disaster continues, on my ride!

... replacing my knock sensors right now. Hope it goes well!

All did NOT go well. I was driving my Y33 to a party Saturday night. Smelled gas, got to the next light, stopped. Seen smoke. Pulled over, seen flames. Cut off engine, got out, called 911. Fire dept had to come and extinguish the flames! I believe the shop damaged the fuel rail (fuel line) and over the next few hours of random driving it got worse and worse.



Now I'm driving a 2002 Q45. I love it though!

All the best,
~HollywoodJackson~

[paranoidjack]

Oh NO! You poor bastard. That sucks.

Must have been those fuel lines...those f&*&*(ing things are so hard to get on and off, when reinstalling, I slid over 2 of the 3 barbs and said, "God, that must be good enough." Fortunately being the anal prick I am I continued to struggle to get the hose to slide over the 3rd barbs...I anticipate this is what happens when people say 1 or 2 is enough....sorry to hear it!

Make sure you get the TSB addressed with the gas pedal on that 2002! I hear they are a real rocket once that TSB is fixed.


*awwhhhh!* the vultures come in...

Soooooooo still got your '00????

[HollywoodJackson]

The '99? It's at the shop still. I'm taking my tile up there and exchanging it for some cash and then that car will be gone. None of the salvage yards around town will give me any money for it. Does anyone want to come and get it for parts?

~HollywoodJackson~

[OwnerCS]

Last winter I found a fuel line that the dealer had removed and partially reconnected on my Maxima. They forgot to tighten the hose clamp. I'm glad I caught it.