New Owner - 1996 Q45

[NPNK]

Hello! Proud to announce that I'm the new owner of 1996 Q45. Black on black. 140K. Picked the car up for $1100. The car was originally from Maryland. I just purchased it here in Colorado, making me the 3rd owner. Previous owner bought the car with 136K from Infiniti of Denver for $4000 and only drove it for the past year. Car came with all service history. Most of which was performed at various Infiniti dealerships. Car is very clean with the exception of hail damage (I hope to learn DIY PDR on this car). The car needs the following:

Power steering pump (I'll probably replace rack too. Can't guarantee that grenaded pump internals aren't in rack now)
Speedometer
3 out of 4 window motors (driver window is the only one that goes up and down smoothly)
Valve cover gaskets

I was hoping that someone could point me in the right direction for these repairs. I'd like to replace entire ps assembly and incorporate some kind of cooler. I know that it is stressed to buy OEM parts where applicable. Are off-brands acceptable for ps assembly? I've read that the speedometer goes out on these cars. I will purchase entire used cluster and swap out speedo. Can't confirm that window motors are the culprit. I will know more when I open up the doors and diagnose. All switches work. They just move down about an inch or two and die out. Could track/regulators be gunked-up? Valve cover gaskets seem straight forward. I would like to perform compression test and replace spark plugs while I'm in there.

Thanks in advance for all the help! Can't wait to get started on this car!

[Q451990]

to NICO!

Windows are likely a regulator problem... the motors rarely fail.

Power steering pump and rack... kind of unusual, but anything is fair game at this point. Do you trust the diagnosis? I think the feedback from the speedometer cluster could have some impact on the power steering assist... working off of memory here, but it's worth looking in to. The factory service manual for your car is available at www.infinitiservicemanual.com - and would be a great place to research how the cluster and p/s system interact.

[NPNK]

Power steering pump is definitely shot. I've downloaded all service manuals. Will certainly use those come time for repairs! Hoping that it is the window regulators and not motors. Any recommendation for valve cover gasket supplier? Has anyone integrated ps cooler?

[ZiprHead]

I had my PS pump and rack replaced on my 99. Also found that the PS fluid reservoir was clogged. Direct infiniti replacement was unavailable so my mechanic found a BMW/Mini replacement part that worked. You can look back through my threads if you need to replace the reservoir for the part number.

Glad to have you on board.

[Q451990]

Assuming they haven't gone non-stock, I'd get the valve cover gaskets from a dealer. There are several online discount suppliers online, like www.orderinfinitiparts.com www.infinitipartsusa.com etc. If it's a small order, sometimes it's cheaper to order off of ebay... shipping costs for small orders from the online suppliers are high for small orders.

I think there's a few fins on the metal P/S pipe as it crosses behind the front bumper. I'm not sure that anyone has seen a need for a p/s cooler, especially with frequent (I do it every oil change) partial fluid changes.

[PetersQs]

I would sell it and buy the 94 on autotrader. It looks brand new, with 47K miles! They are asking 4,500 or so. You will spend far more than this on your 96 repairs.

PetersQs

[Style]

Start looking for pdr tools at ultra dent tools first you need a pdr light...

[94Q45Beast]

I have a shop opening up in Gainsville, GA, feel free to bring it on by for your mechanical and/or body repair