OwnerCS 91 Q45 Still Going Strong - 10 years later

[OwnerCS]

Time flies when you are having fun. It was this time of year back in 2010 when I joined Nico and bought my 91 Q45. I can say with all certainty that it has been the most reliable car that I've owned to date. In January, I sold the car to our neighbor and friend who knows the history and is a proud new owner. My only conditions for the sale was that it went to someone who would love and care for it. I see him getting as much enjoyment as I had owning it over the past decade. It still turns as many heads as it did back in 2010 and maybe more in 2020. I collected so many cars that I could not park them all in the driveway.

The Q45 project was my first real automotive restoration project. I've had several people tell me that most people don't start out by tackling a major project car restoration on a car like a Q45. I've always liked a good technical challenge. One important part is my kids learned a lot about cars from the Q45 project. It was a family project. We all learned a lot on that car project.

Looking back, I must have done a lot of things right since it is still on the road and a a lot of for whoever drives. I usually see it once a week. The new owner is a real mechanic with access to lifts, tools, and many resources than I had available during my first year of ownership

The major thing that happened to me with Q45 ownership and joining NICO, is I learned a wealth of best practices for how to properly restore and care of a car. I took the knowledge I gained with the Q45 and went on to buy and restore many other Japanese vehicles from the same period. Since the Q45, I've owned and restored 8 other vehicles. Over the years, I've had five 4th gen Maxima/I30 cars with one being a rescue operation among friends to save a 5-speed from destruction. We sill have two 4th gen Maximas in the family along with a newly purchased 2014 Titan Pro4x. Properly cared for, Nissans from these generations just won't quit.

One issue that I'm trying to help the new owner resolve is the sunlight sensor stopped working. If I recall the conversation correctly, the diagnostic code is 25.

With that issue, the AC compressor will not engage. I understand the sunlight sensors are no longer available. Has anyone here found a way to get around this problem?

I've used resistors on other Nissans to stand in for sensors that I could not replace. I think we could do that once I could measure the resistance from a good working sensor to know which resistor to buy.

Does anyone know the ohm value for a resistor to stand in for the sunlight sensor to register something like 85 degrees, or know how we might locate a replacement?

In closing, I want to post some pictures of the Q today that were sent by the new owner. It just received a new head unit. Amazingly, it sounds great with the original Bose speakers.

Its been good to post again. I'm still around.

Craig

No idea how to get a PhotoBucket image to display. I should not be blocked from sharing images.

[Q451990]

Hey Craig - it's good to see you! That new radio looks great. If I ever start driving mine more often, that's an upgrade I'd like to do.

I've never heard of the sunlight sensor issue before. I would wonder if something was damaged, unplugged, or otherwise messed with when the new radio was installed? According to the self test, that code 25 is a short in the circuit. It also notes on HA-66 that you'll get a code 25 if the test is conducted indoors and the sensor isn't seeing enough light - so be sure he's checking it outside in direct sunlight.

I did some reading in the FSM. As best I can tell, you should measure the current at the sensor (between 0 and 0.5ma) and then see if the correct voltage is showing on the pins coming out of the controller. That's on HA-129 of the FSM. It also has a check for approximately 5 volts at the sensor on page HA-105.

[OwnerCS]

Howdy Heath - It turns out the 4th gen Maxima/I30 uses the same sun load sensor. We installed one from a 99 I30 and it worked.

Sun load sensors for 4th gens are as common as corn. He converted it to R134 and got it running. It does need a new high pressure switch to be replaced soon. The sunroof and everything electrical still works.

[3Q Jay]

Thanks for the tip! remarkably, I owned a new A32 (9/94 build, an early SE-5spd). Sold it way back in 2002 prior to first G50 acquisition. It didn't dawn on me until you mentioned it that they did look exactly the same from the cabin.
I remember you had one of the sweetest looking engine bays I had seen. even the yellow-zinc bolt heads were shiny!

[Q451990]

Good to know. Thanks for the update!

[AZhitman]

Welcome back, brother! Good to hear from you!

[98_Q45]

Pass some of the reliability on to me lol. Just not having such fate on mine. I thought my restore was just going to consist of paint, a/c and suspension/rack and pinion. That turned into brakes, etc, etc, etc lol.

But I'm well aware that reliability is a mixed solution of climate, whether it's been sitting for extended periods, preventive maintenance, driving habits, and if the car just goes around the block, or around the country...like mine does, when it's not leaving me stranded somewhere lol.