Q45 steering noise

[ducman]

Greetings all. I have a Q45 noise, most noticable when cold, coming from the right side of the engine. Listening with a rod, it is mostly in a pump on the bottom right. Even when the car is warm and the rattle is gone, there is still what sounds like a failing pulley bearing (metal-metal) that responds to the steering wheel being moved. I assume this to be a power assist unit for the steering. The car is a '97 Q45 with 70k miles. The dealer quoted $700. I am a decent wrench with access to a lift. How hard would this be for me to change? The only source I have found is 'Pinnacle' for $350. Would any of the sponsors of this site be of use to me? I have not yet acquired a shop manual for this car. Should I have one for this operation? There are two pumps listed with a cross-over at '97. One is for 'active suspension', the other not. How do I know if I have this (maybe if I have to ask, I don't) ?

Thanks in advance.Ducman

[DAEDALUS]

You can download the manual for $20 from Infiniti's tech site. The PS pump is pretty easy to change. I assume you mean the driver's side of the car (left), unless the '97s are really different from earlier models. Could be the tensioner pulley bearing. That's a lot cheaper. Remove the belt first to narrow the problem down, and feel the bearing while you're in there. If your car has the standard coil spring and strut suspension, you don't have active.Welcome to NICO!

[Q451990]

Didn't think the 97 had an active option anyway... I'd check the nearest pulley with a mechanic's stehescope - even if you hear it at the pump it may be transmitting the noise down the belt to the pump. Pump failures are fairly rare.

I just noticed that Pinnacle is also sponsoring our site, but we've gotten excellent service from Joe at Infiniti of Scottsdale for years, so I'd highly recommend him.

http://www.everythingnissan.com or http://www.infinitipartsusa.com (one place, two websites)

The service manual Daedalus recommends is the best deal going - get the TSBs while you're there too. Just make sure you have a high speed connection and several hours to play. http://www.infiniti-techinfo.com

Heath

[ducman]

Thanks for your response! This belt is small (not the big serpentine guy) and is low on the passenger side. Above it, on top of the engine is the reservoir. Your idea of slipping the belt is a good one. I assume I will not trigger some computer problem via a sensor. If you would please give me more direction on the manual, I will make that purchase. A link that gets me REAL close would be nice

Newbies do suck down a lot of info without much return, but sometimes they become useful later on.

Thanks in advanceDucman

[DAEDALUS]

http://www.nissan-techinfo.com/infiniti/

We are all newbies at some point.