necessary maintanence?

[My President is Black]

well i just bought my first car a infiniti q45, and someone told me that i NEED to first do $3000 of maintenance before anything else and i was like sure of course like any other car thinking id change all the fluids, new spark plugs and wires, fuel pump, belts, run some fuel system cleaner, etc. and im good to go. So i was just wondering if this was accurate the $3000 is broken down as follows: $1000 for changing the timing chain guides to metal and $2000 for all injectors, knock sensor, harnesses, and hoses. Thanks for your input
Modified by My President is Black at 9:31 PM 6/9/2009

[TellarHK]

If the car still has the plastic timing chain guides, you absolutely want to have those done first. Those are a ticking time bomb on a 90-93 model Q45. As far as the injectors, knock sensor, harnesses and hoses go, that's all going to depend on how the car runs now. Is it in good shape, is it a bit of a beater?

There will be a lot of people here telling you to spend that $3,000 and then some - but to be honest, there are a few people around here that can be rather elitist about these cars and the upkeep. They're great cars, and they'll last you a long time if well tended, but they're definitely going to cost more to keep up than some people expect.

The biggest no-BS work you should have done is the chain guides. Beyond that, check the hoses, wires, and anything that's the most likely to be worn out with age. Once you've driven the car a little, you'll probably start to get a feel for what seems "off."

The first questions people need answered to know how best to advise you, are mileage, location, and general condition. Post up some pictures in the appropriate thread, and link them here if you can.

[maxnix]

You have a well informed friend. There is no further discount beyond the price you paid for parts or labor. The price you paid reflects deferred maintenance not performed.

Start by reading in the articles sticky above, first of all about timing chain guides.

Second, download the FSM and study it, especially concerning the problematic spark plug wires.

Then start reading all posts by Q45tech. All of them, including following the linked URL provides.

Then you will understand along with the maintenance history you obtained prior to purchase and the pre-purchase inspection report from the Senior Infiniti Technician you hired what needs to be done to restore the car to as new condition.

You will find that owning a luxury imported V8 is a little more time and money involved than a 4 cylinder Civic, but so much more rewarding also. If you neglect any of the above steps, you will find how expensive it is to repair major systems as they fail from neglect or lack of preventative maintenance.

Welcome to NICO!

Class starts whenever you are ready.

[BLACKonBLACK98]

didn't believe me huh?

all the info is here, you'll see. the g50 is really a car you have to want and work for just to drive. the low cost of these cars is very quickly offset by the initial repairs/preventive maintenance. i'm personally at about 15x the purchse price (bought cheap since i knew what i was in for... somewhat) with a majority of that being repairs (labor included since i didn't have suitable space to diy at the time).

i would decide how dedicated you are to the project before you start. if you're going to do it do it right, if not cut your losses and sell. knowing that you want to modify the car makes this even more critical. you definately dobn't want to have thousands of dollars in parts on a car that doesn't run.

[My President is Black]

a lot of great information, so i definitely do understand i will need a lot more maintenance then i first realized but i love these cars and style so i am prepared to try to tackle all of it. However it wasn't that i don't want to spend the money on all of the maintenance but the fact i work a minimum wage part time job and would have to save for a year+ to get $3000. So what should my first steps be if i simply don't have that much money? Like Tellar said would i be good just changing the timing chain guides for a while and slowly do the other things like hoses and sensors etc. ?

[My President is Black]

Is it in good shape, is it a bit of a beater?

The first questions people need answered to know how best to advise you, are mileage, location, and general condition. Post up some pictures in the appropriate thread, and link them here if you can.

to answer some questions its a 1993 Q45a black on tan with 183k miles. It was bought in Ohio and drove down after some years to where it is now Orlando, FL. And overall its actually in amazing condition its very clean the only exterior issues are one rust spot the size of a quarter on the hood and a dent/cracked spot on the back passenger corner of the car and very minor rust on each side skirt i am planning to just use some "stop rust" stuff bondo and paint all of these spots and hopefully they will turn out well especially since they all are very small spots. engine wise it drives great its been a few weeks and i have been driving it every day since i got it with no issues once so ever. The interior as well is actually in great shape just need to clean it up a little. Things i have done so far:

-waxed it/polished the wheels-got a Galahad rear view mirror and air freshener-new rear tires-replaced the fuel pump-new belts-ran fuel system cleaner-new windshield wipers

and am going to do all the fluids and hopefully spark plugs/wires in the next few days if i can figure out how to. As well as get the windows tinted have some questions on that as well but ill get to that later.

My biggest problem with the car right now is that the a/c doesn't work and i sweat every single time i go in it It blows but just not cold i bought a recharge kit for $40 that had like stop leak and uv stuff to test for leaks i couldn't find the slightest leak anywhere and a gauge i tried recharging it 3 times and no luck at all. Anyone got any ideas on that?

Anyways i went a bit off track so ill stop there.

[qship96]

17, first car, minimum wage, an old Active Suspended Q with plastic chain guides, 183,000 miles??????

Good luck- sounds like a life lesson is headed your way.

Be afraid, very very afraid.

[Q45tech]

By now almost every 90-96 Q45 has had a total AC system replacement expecially those with more than 150k. The Oem parts retail for ~~$2800 [Scottsdale sells at 25% discount to out of staters].

If you are HVAC certified and experienced and have all the $10,000 in test equipment you can substitute some generic parts and make them fit somewhat. Still these will cost $1,000. The cooling will be degraded a little ~~4F.

The most critical is who and how rebuilds the oem Calsonic CWV-617 WITH NEW CLUTCH compressor. You can get a cheapo for $275 [no clutch] and up to $600 most require you send back core for pay $150 extra.

[NightRiderQ45]

There are a couple of things that could be happening with your a/c system. You probably need a new compressor, the a/c belt is missing, or you have a serious leak that you can't detect. When you tried to recharge the system, did it blow cold temporary (when the freon was going thru the system)?

[AlabamaDan]

Don't let these guys scare you off. The Q is a great car, but requires alot of maintenance. It probably needs $3K+ in maintenance, but not all at once. Do the chain guides 1st, then just make a list and work you way down. Oh, and you're gonna have to learn to do the work yourself - you can't afford to have it all done. Besides, it's difficult to find anyone who is qualified or cares enough about the car to do it right. You're probably just as likely to screw it up as the next guy. That's my motto anyway.

I've got a maintenance schedule that I put together that covers alot of routine stuff I'll share. I end up spending about $1k per year on mine.

Last year it was suspension parts replacement.

The year before it was plugs, valve cover caskets, belts, hoses, etc.

Soon it will be injectors, KS, under plenum hoses, etc.

It's part of owning any 15+ year old car, whether it be a Q or a Ford Torino. My QX4 gets about the same.

Got Tools?

[AlabamaDan]

Here's the tread on Q45 Maintenance I discussed...

zerothread?id=96011

[Haitian_King]

well i just bought my first car a infiniti q45, and someone told me that i NEED to first do maintenance before anything else and i was like sure of course like any other car thinking id change all the fluids, new spark plugs and wires, fuel pump, belts, run some fuel system cleaner, etc. and im good to go. However he said that to make it reliable i have to drop $3000 into it i thought this is quite ridiculous that's more than i paid for the car itself but maybe hes right so i was just wondering if he is or not his reasoning for $3000 is as follows: $1000 for changing the timing chain guides to metal and $2000 for all injectors, knock sensor, harnesses, and hoses. Thanks for your input

Something I haven't seen anyone post about is the valve cover job. When I changed my guides over to metal, I also did the spark plugs and resealed the valve covers.

I have the same issue with my A/C and it turns out it's the compressor gone bad.

Good luck.

I was 19 when I first got my 92 Q. You'll live through it. Trust me. With the board here to help, you'll be fine.

[BLACKonBLACK98]

a lot of great information, so i definitely do understand i will need a lot more maintenance then i first realized but i love these cars and style so i am prepared to try to tackle all of it. However it wasn't that i don't want to spend the money on all of the maintenance but the fact i work a minimum wage part time job and would have to save for a year+ to get $3000. So what should my first steps be if i simply don't have that much money? Like Tellar said would i be good just changing the timing chain guides for a while and slowly do the other things like hoses and sensors etc. ?

Like I said before, if your car is running well right now take care of the chainguides and start saving. I personally would cross my fingers, hope it holds out, save a nice sum (gonna be hard at 17 on minimum wage if you're anything like I was, I know I couldn't have done it), try and buy all the under plenum parts, and DIY everything at once. It's understood that not everyone's budget will allow them to tackle it thoroughly, but if you truly love the car struggle through it and do what you can (with some common sense, do not mod a car that is up to par mechanically). If you don't love it then cut your losses and find something else.

Either way you are definitely going to learn some things, but nothings says they can't be dedication, prioritizing, mechanics, etc.

[TellarHK]

Consider this a second to the "do not mod a car that is up to par" mindset. I'm not going to be going to extremes to keep my car OEM, but I have to say the best way to treat a Q is to keep it clean. No bling, no tricks. Not unless you're really able to do those things correctly, and most people aren't.

[BadQ45t]

Listen to alabama on this, very good advice....do what you need now and take the rest later as it comes.

[jimbyjimb]

17, first car, minimum wage, an old Active Suspended Q with plastic chain guides, 183,000 miles??????

Good luck- sounds like a life lesson is headed your way.

Be afraid, very very afraid.

Just run, as fast as you can. Really. But since you probably won't my advice is don't go throwing parts. Squeeze as much life out of a dollar as you can on this machine because it will eat your entire wallet if you're not careful. No need to replace hard parts if they are undamaged and in good working order. Do the chain guides, and for God's sake don't pay a shop.

[My President is Black]

ton of great feedback greatly appreciated. I now feel much more able to tackle these maintenance issues by doing what several of you were saying do the chain guides and the rest as it comes, i had the mindset that it all had to be done right now and that's why i was so overwhelmed but that is a good point if its working why change it, i guess common sense hadn't really hit me. So as far as the chain guides go whats the best way to go about it? I was reading up on a lot of the threads about them but the diy way seems quite challenging and i have no idea where to find all the parts and exactly what parts ill need because i've read several different things that say something different. Also does anyone know any good franchises that work on a/cs its starting to really kill me in this 90 degree humid weather. Thanks.

also noobie question whats plenum i keep hearing that. it sounds like another word for oem parts but im not sure lol.
Modified by My President is Black at 9:55 AM 6/5/2009

[My President is Black]

when i was doing at one point in time i felt it got slightly colder but i had it set on 65 and it wasn't nearly that so i might have just been wanting it to be cold so bad i imagined it

[jimbyjimb]

Visit Q45.org and see the chain guide section under tech help. We support Infiniti of Scottsdale, and as a result they offer us discounted pricing on most goods. They have chain guide kits special for us that come with all you'll need. Cheaper to buy the kit even if you have a shop do it because they'll mark the parts up.

[My President is Black]

Something I haven't seen anyone post about is the valve cover job. When I changed my guides over to metal, I also did the spark plugs and resealed the valve covers.

I have the same issue with my A/C and it turns out it's the compressor gone bad.

Good luck.

I was 19 when I first got my 92 Q. You'll live through it. Trust me. With the board here to help, you'll be fine.

how did you find out it was the compressor and did you replace it yourself?

you also did the guides plugs and valve cover job all yourself how was it?

[My President is Black]

Visit Q45.org and see the chain guide section under tech help. We support Infiniti of Scottsdale, and as a result they offer us discounted pricing on most goods. They have chain guide kits special for us that come with all you'll need. Cheaper to buy the kit even if you have a shop do it because they'll mark the parts up.

ah very cool thanks a lot while looking through that i came across this

"Tech Note: It is believed that 1993 is the first year to get updated guides as no '93 with plastic guides has been seen on NICO, but this cannot be 100% confirmed."

so im gonna see if i can try and confirm if i have metal or plastic. if plastic tough im actually really considering taking it to T3 instead of ordering the parts and hiring someone or trying to diy it seems like it would be the same price to just have them do it $1200 if thats is parts and labor is an awesome price. Has anyone had theres done here? I live in Orlando, FL so Atlanta is not too far in fact my brother just drove up there for work. So im gonna keep that as an option. thought?

Modified by My President is Black at 10:15 AM 6/5/2009
Modified by My President is Black at 2:00 PM 6/5/2009

[BLACKonBLACK98]

plenum refers to the silver aluminum piece on top of the engine. this is usually reffered to as an intake manifold, not sure why q45 guys call it a plenum but that's the accepted terminology around here. the issue is that there are lots of hoses and sensors underneath it which constitute a healthy portion of the reliability issues that plague the q.

check out the "chain guide replacment" article on q45.org to get a visual idea of whats going on. there is also a link to a thread concerning the plastic chain guide cut off date. i didn't read the whole thing since it doesn't concern me but maybe your answer is there.

[BLACKonBLACK98]

so im gonna see if i can try and confirm if i have metal or plastic. if plastic tough im actually really considering taking it to T3 instead of ordering the parts and hiring someone or trying to diy it seems like it would be the same price to just have them do it $1200 if thats is parts and labor is an awesome price. Has anyone had theres done here? I live in Orlando, FL so Atlanta is not too far in fact my brother just drove up there for work. So im gonna keep that as an option. thought?

anytime you can have a mechanic with g50 specific experience work on your car it's a good thing. my guy down here has some years under his belt with these things and has done an excellent job getting me to this point.

[AlabamaDan]

.

What a great looking engine bay! Like the Nismo stuff.

[Haitian_King]

how did you find out it was the compressor and did you replace it yourself?

you also did the guides plugs and valve cover job all yourself how was it?

I found out about the compressor when I asked a mechanic to tell me why there was a rattling sound any time the compressor was on. He used a mechanic's stethoscope and told me it was bad. It works intermittently, blowing cold air when it feel like it.

I PAID for the guides, plugs, and valve covers myself. I didn't have the time or the space to attempt it myself. If I screwed anything up, I would have been up the creek.

All of that labor ran me about $1400 and parts were like another $700.

[lino]

...However he said that to make it reliable i have to drop $3000 into it i thought this is quite ridiculous....

The Q45 can be quite ridiculous when it comes to maintenance costs. As long as you understand that you will need to spend a lot of money and you think it's worth it for you to do that, than you should be ok.

that's more than i paid for the car itself

I've spent over $10,000 in maintenance on my car so far and the car still requires several thousand more to meet my standards. That's just for maintenance and parts replacement not big wheels and a big stereo system.

Have you considered setting any money aside for the Active suspension system?

[maxnix]

Have you considered setting any money aside for the Active suspension system?

To get completely correct with all 9 accumulators and 4 actuators, budget $6K, then $3K /60K miles thereafter.

T-3 is an excellent choice.

No 1993 G50 has ever been verified as having the metal backed guides from the factory. One owner had them but he was not original.

[BLACKonBLACK98]

knowing the op's intent, the money would be much wiser spent removing the active suspension than refurbishing it. the only problem is both will cost a good amount amount of cash to do correctly.

[qship96]

knowing the op's intent, the money would be much wiser spent removing the active suspension than refurbishing it. the only problem is both will cost a good amount amount of cash to do correctly.

I agree- 1st change the chain guides, then convert that overcomplicated expensive suspension to conventional using tokiko shocks and standard springs....then you just have the ongoing $3,000 per year in normal Q crap.

[maxnix]

knowing the op's intent, the money would be much wiser spent removing the active suspension than refurbishing it. the only problem is both will cost a good amount amount of cash to do correctly.

With Keith's help, it's less expensive initially to keep one of the most sophisticated suspensions yet produced.