opinion of 1997 q45

[benjimatt]

hey you guys seem like the infinity experts.

here is my situation. these dealership is selling this 1997 infinity q45 for 2400 dollars. but the car has 185,000 miles on it and it has a salvage title.

so im hoping i can talk them down to 2000 dollars and i would drive it until that motor started messing up and just get a whole engine replacement.

does this seem like a good deal

[greenwar]

hey you guys seem like the infinity experts.

here is my situation. these dealership is selling this 1997 infinity q45 for 2400 dollars. but the car has 185,000 miles on it and it has a salvage title.

so im hoping i can talk them down to 2000 dollars and i would drive it until that motor started messing up and just get a whole engine replacement.

does this seem like a good deal

I think this is a great deal. Here is what I would check on the car:

1) Shocks - they tend to go bad in 75K miles. That car should be at the end of its 2nd set if replacement was made - new shocks are not that expensive it seems for non-touring models. Others can chime in here.

2) Check for pick up of the car - make sure its not sluggish, that it does not idle rough

3) Check for fresh transmission fluid. Transmission is the weak part of this car. Make sure fluid looks cherry red - take a white tissue paper and wipe the atf gauge to inspect color of fluid

4) Check for tires - tires can be expensive.

5) Take the VIN and try to pull up a maintenance record of the vehicle through an infiniti dealer. Or may be try to get that dealership to get the service records for you. This is a free service provided by the infiniti dealers.

From what I read being here for the last year here is what goes bad in the FGY33:

a) Knock sensor/harness - symptom sluggish pickup. b) Shocks/struts and rubber bushings in the suspensionc) Irratic idle - possibly bad injectord) hesitation - not sure what causes it

Otherwise they seem to be solidly built luxury sedans. I had owned one for a year now and its been great. BTW, know that gas mileage is going to suck.. I get 14-17 mpg in city. Please keep that in mind. Also Q45Tech - a respected senior tech recommends that you keep aside at least $250 each month for expected repair in future. You can choose to save less if you are handy and do your own work.

Gurus will chime in, but here is my 0.02.. Good luck.

BTW, 185K miles is nothing for a well maintained Q45 engine. We have a member here with 232K and he drives it on a regular basis without issues. Just make sure engine is not filled with sludge - take off the crack case oil filler cap and peek through to see how the inside looks. Too much black stuff is bad!! Also listen for lifter ticking. That seems to be a common issue as well.

[Q45tech]

At that mileage just budget for the eventual replacement of transmission, diff, and drive shafts.

I would expect that you can get another 115,000 miles for less than $15,000...........$2k + $13K in repairs and replacements............12 cents per mile will be cheap driving for a V8 luxomobile.

[qwertyz]

what i think is. if your looking for a cheap deal (and it is)the car is worht it. the engine will last you another 100k easy.(shocks and any other minor maintnance is up to you, and your budget)i dont know about trany on this car at that milage but as far as i know nissan fixed their probs with tranys in 1994so i think if you get it cheap 2000 or less you got your self HELL of a dealand dont woory about engine if it dies at 300k (it will not any ways) tow it to junk yard...for that price it worth it

[maxnix]

hey you guys seem like the infinity experts.

does this seem like a good deal

I'll say no because you have no service history. Read the how to buy sticky.

Why throw 6 or 8 times the money into a bad investment?

You can so better and reading the posts on this board will teach you how if you invest the time.

Our limited expertise is limited to the marque, not the concept.