Park it, sell it, push it, seek charity?

[she11ey]

From my earlier posts, you guys already know that I bought this 1991 Q45 in April, not anticipating that it would need maintenance and repair that I simply cannot afford. Also, I haven't found a mechanic in Houston that I can rely on.

I'm thinking that I have no choice but to SELL this car so I can get cash for something that won't require $$$ work. (Wishful thinking, yes, I know, I know.) The vital statistics are below. What do you guys think? If I do try to sell it, what's the best route? Ebay? And what do you think it's worth?

:rolleyes The GoodIt runs!Rides smoothlyInterior looks pretty good (tan leather)Installed two new tires in May (not hi-quality, though)Dealer records show the chain guides have been replacedAlthough the hood is a replacement, I don't see evidence of an accidentThe rest of the body is in good shape (NOT the paint - keep reading)

The BadShows 141,000 miles... but the odometer "sticks" intermittentlyAlternator needs replacingDoor switches are temperamental, set off alarmA/C compressor may be badBrakes are wornMysterious engine clicking hasn't been diagnosed!

:bandit The UglySunroof doesn't work (opens but won't CLOSE)Original 10-CD player is deadOriginal key is worn, won't open driver and passenger doorsOriginal paint (dark emerald) has oxidized on top and trunkHood was replaced with mismatched color (pearl)Hood arm is missing (came with a custom-sawn broom handle?!)Windshield chip has spawned a long crack

If I can get a good shot of it with my camera, I'll post a picture for you here tomorrow.

Thanks for the next round of advice, gentlemen! :bowdown

[rsiwicki]

no offense shelly....but your pic and posts remind me of some sunday paper dear abby column

don't know what to say....if you were in Miami I could arrange to make it disappear for you

[elwesso]

I honestly dont see how you could get anything from that car.....

It does sound like a really fun project car with someone with a lot of extra time ...

The guides being done is a HUGE HUGE thing for me.. That makes the car worth it IMHO..... And also the interior.....

So basically to get this going back decent, it would need an alternator and a new set of brake pads... I think there should be a decent way to bypass the factory alarm... I will try and play with some things on my Q and make sure it doesnt render it stranded.....

Whats this about the enigne clicking?? Can you describe it (hopefully not a valve related ticking)...

[elwesso]

honestly if you try and sell it on ebay, you might get like $30... Ebay Q just get taken for nothing, but they are most likely junk.....

Honestly, my assessment of the car is that you wont get much...

However, I think I can speak for the rest of the guys and you need to stay in the family... you deserve a good Q, as I think you've had a real bad taste of what a Q is really like..... Remember mine is still for sale

[pito11213]

ShellyI believe the bottom line is that with the problems it has and the condition it is in you are looking at $500 -$800. The only thing holding your head above water is the chain guides. But that is some serious body work required plus the other things needed.

It will probably be sold as a mechanic's special and that is the 500 range.

You have to remember some of the things that you have wrong are big ticket items.

[rsiwicki]

shelly....if you are in a 25% tax bracket...you can donate the car to charity for a value of $4,000 and then you got your $1,000 coming back to you next spring when you do your taxes. You will not have to worry about selling the car and the federal gov't does not know what condition the car is when you turn it in to charity. The only thing I don't like about charity car donations is that I hear all they do is auction them off for monies. I would rather see the car go directly to a family or somebody else in need....that is if it runs.

[she11ey]

Wes, the "clicking" is hard to describe. Maybe "rattle" is a better word. I hear it when the car is still in Park; it gets louder when I put it in Drive and am idling, like at a stop light or at the french fry window. It's kind of like a slow pulsation of sound, and it seems to disappear when I start moving at least 10mph.

When I turn on the A/C, I get a whole new set of sounds... and smells. That's a recent problem! It started blowing hot air about three weeks ago, and when I found someone who still had R12 (not easy), he said it would only take one can. He suspected the compressor was going out. About a week later, the cold air turned warmer and had a sickeningly sweet smell, and shortly after that it started clattering. Using the fan alone works fine, but even driving with the windows down, it's 110 degrees in here during the typical August day. That's the HARDEST thing to tolerate right now.

I'm not a heavy brake user, and I haven't heard any noise or felt anything unusual there. However, the instrument panel shows Brake Pads Worn. My all-purpose mechanic (not an Infiniti specialist) said they'd probably be fine for at least another 1k miles... but I've probably driven about 2k since then. He also said I should consider getting all of the transmission fluids changed.

I might take it to a stereo/alarm store on Saturday and see if they can disable the alarm. I just want to make sure I can still use the remote entry. I haven't tried to get a new key made yet because I was starting to doubt keeping the car.

Pito, the body work doesn't bother me that much, even though the "two tone effect" of the white hood makes it look kind of like a pimpmobile. I have encouraged my daughter (age six) to name our last two vehicles. I thought Spats was good for the Q, but she has named her Domino. (Prior to that, the old purple Nissan Quest was named Petunia.) I figure that I can get her repainted (the Q, not my daughter) within a year, if I can just afford what's going on UNDER the hood in the near term.

rsiwicki, I'm closer to the Food Stamp tax bracket! Temporarily, I keep telling myself. And yeah, the picture does look like a dear abby shot, doesn't it? Even worse, perhaps, is that there's a gardening columnist somewhere in the midwest that shares my name. I know even less about begonias than I do about automobiles, though, so hopefully our identites will never get confused. Sorry if my posts are too long and ignorant!

Ask me about HTML, e-government, marketing, or software usability, and I'm your expert. Ask me about an Infiniti Q45, and I'm dumbfounded. Although I have to say I've learned an enormous amount here on the NICO forum!

I'm exceeding the word limit, I think...

[Jesda]

I always enjoy your posts! Theyre well-organized and amusing.

At minimum, to drive comfortably anyway, the AC compressor and receiver need to replaced, the AC system recharged (not fully, assuming the remaining R12 can be recovered), the alarm disabled, brake pads replaced, transmission flush, bilstein or envirolution engine flush, a few other things like hoses, radiator, water pump.

All of these little things could add up to a few thousand over the next year or so -- which isnt that bad compared to what I've spent. However, as a student I have few living expenses.

And the other big mystery is the transmission. It could sputter out next week or last another 50,000 miles. And when that goes, there's no such thing as a cheap fix.

rsiwicki's charity donation idea sounds pretty good. You may be able to sell it for $1000 if youre patient, but the paint and AC would turn people off more than anything else. And during that wait, who knows what else could go wrong?

-Jesda

[MiniMan]

Ahh... did NICO get hacked again? Last I remember there were a few more posts than this in this here thread!

Corey

[she11ey]

Some posts are DEFINITELY missing here...

Hacked AGAIN? I didn't know that has happened here.

[Rex]

It's not a "common" thing, but it does happen . The board gets set back to the last good backup, which is usaully from about 6am eastern.

[elwesso]

Yeah NICO got hacked last night at about 830.. They had it back up within the hour!!

GO TODD AT TEKSOLVERS!!

Lets try and recap what happened..

[she11ey]

Guys, I just got back from seeing Curtis The Mighty Mechanic, and believe it or not, he says the car is not in bad shape!! Brakes and compressor needed, yes.

I will come back and post the details... right now I have to get to the other side of town for a meeting... perhaps for a web development project that will bring me enough cash for that compressor! ;]

- Shelley

[maxnix]

Yeah NICO got hacked last night at about 830.. They had it back up within the hour!!

GO TODD AT TEKSOLVERS!!

Hope he updates the security patches. Even Microsoft's own servers got hacked when security updates were not done!

[elwesso]

Yes... They are working on updating the security holes, as apparently there was a fairly large hole that could have got us in deeper doo-doo than it did!

[she11ey]

Recapping my morning with Curtis, the Houston mechanic who's been working on Q45s since they were introduced... but FYI, he followed his Infiniti service manager to a Volvo dealership almost three years ago. Says he misses working on "great cars."

He confirmed that the compressor is out and its clutch is burned up. He says I can look for a refurbed compressor that he can install, preferable the "older" model (or the newer version, which will also require front and rear hoses). He will "check his attic" for one, too. I will check online (everythinginfiniti.com, right?) and contact him Monday to compare notes on prices. I'm expecting that to be at least a $1k project.

He believed that some of the noise I've been hearing in the engine came from a pulley in front of the compressor. I was able to stand under the car with him to watch him remove it and replace it with a new one. He also removed a belt on the clutch. He explained why, but I think I'll fail miserably if I try to put it into words here.

He confirmed that the chain guards have already been replaced. (Do I hear thunderous applause?)

He said the key assembly in both doors are probably shot. I guess I won't bother getting a key made! But turning the key in the TRUNK recycles the alarm just fine, anyway, which is the only reason I was needing a key.

Curtis can replace the brake pads for around $125.

More than once he said that this is simply a great car and that mine is "not in bad shape." I said something about the mismatched hood, and he smiled and said it was a great racing effect.

So... if I can sell a kidney, wait tables or get a web project going, I can fund the a/c repairs and keep the Q. That's my goal, and I'm sticking to it!

What I'm learning from all of you, and from Curtis, is that the early model Qs are extraordinary and deserve a lot of respect, and that you guys will go to great lengths to help other owners keep them on the road. Curtis met me at the dealership on his day off and did all of this stuff at no charge. And here YOU are, reading this thread at odd hours and taking the time to offer your own thoughts and suggestions. [Sniff.] I'm so touched!!

[Jesda]

Good to hear another original Q is in the safe hands of a loyal owner and an experienced tech.

[texasoil]

There is another great independent inHouston LaRue Automotive neaar Beltway 8 and Hwy 90 on the southwest side. Both Jack (LaRue) and Andy Holden are familiar with Q45's and very honest guys. Had them do all the chains, chain guides, valve covers, and plenum work on my wife's car a few years ago--and they were so neat you could not tell they had been there except for new hoses all over.

[she11ey]

Thanks, Tex, I'll put Jack and Andy into my rolodex!

[bbdaines]

Good Evening, the attached site has tons of A/C compressors, while you are having the work done I would suggest having the system changed over to R134.. Mine had a simple leak, the system had already been replaced, but the R12 cost $200. to refill and wished I'd changed over!!

http://www.car-part.com/

[elwesso]

I agree..... It wont cool as well but it is the cheaper route.....

Even a little cooling is better than what you have now!!!

[texasoil]

The first thing to do is leak test the system to find the leak. It may well also have a leaking evaporator "sweet smell inside car" in addition to the failed compressor.

[Jesda]

Some call it a sweet smell. I call it rotten eggs.

[SFBayQ45]

Good Evening, the attached site has tons of A/C compressors, while you are having the work done I would suggest having the system changed over to R134.. Mine had a simple leak, the system had already been replaced, but the R12 cost $200. to refill and wished I'd changed over!!

http://www.car-part.com/

Does anyone on this forum have a successful conversion done? If so, what's the cost difference in terms of parts and labor? What's the recommended manufacture to use. Does Infiniti provided such a A/C conversion kit? If it's going to reduce my current freon refill cost, it's definitely worth considering the next time around.

[Q45tech]

A proper conversion consists of a almost total replacement of parts.........the evaporator may be reused if taken out and cleaned. but all $2500 worth of other components will need to be scraped.............also the condensor fan will be to be changed to higher speed units etc..................and still you will not get the same vent temperatures as with R12.

$100-$200 worth of R12 per year is cheap compared to a REAL conversion.

Careful of shade tree butchers who promise anything, even Infinti WARNS in the conversion $2000 TSB that owners should expect 4F warmer air to save the enviroment.

The major problem is the R12 condenser design and it's efficiency losses with R134a.........notice the 1994 [R134a system] has big auxillary electric fans to try to make up for the R134a!

[elwesso]

You can get R12 on ebay!!! Ive seen and it may be cheaper than getting it otherwise...

[psychic_mechanic]

I might have to pick up some for the fiero...

[HeavyDuty]

R134 blows, or, rather, doesn't.

Yeah, chlorine based refrigerant is much better than that old R12 stuff. :rolleyes

BAH! My a/c sucks now, but new & better than none, Florida in August now requires two motions when entering the car, one for cruise control, the other for recirc on the a/c.

The only thing I didn't do on my recent "upgrade" was replace the condenser, upgrade the fan, or "replace" the evaporator.

Yes, Virginia, that includes a new HVAC controller unit in the dash.

ACK! Has anyone priced a new evaporator?!?!?!??!??!?!?!?

[maxnix]

Sorry HD, as Q45tech has posted before, you will lose about 10° F in cooling power (evaporator temperature).

Your other recently completed work sounds well worthwhile, though!

[she11ey]

I'm not convinced that the $100-200 per year cost of R12 is as much an issue as being able to FIND a shop that can still recharge with it. I expect it'll become harder over the next few years, too.

When the first a/c mechanic tried to add R12 to my [dying] compressor, the equipment he used didn't look all THAT complicated. If you avoid the R134 conversion, would it be smart to set up a do-it-yerself R12 kit? Or do you have to be a card-carrying, anti-environmental, gun-loving parolee to have access to such contraband?