Q45- stop/tail lamp sensor notification

[drsjpdc]

The trip indicator says "stop/tail lamp inoperative" when all lights are working.... I have changed the stop/tail lamp sensor (per the workshop manul) and I still have this maddening warning???? Any ideas??

[DAEDALUS]

Change all bulbs with either factory ones or Sylvania LL bulbs (#1157 I think, but verify).

[Q45tech]

Different bulbs on left and right will create different currents which might be interpreted as a blown bulb on the low side.

Very tricky circuit..........the engineers never assumed owners would buy junk bulbs and not use oem quality.

Since in Japan the salesman picks up the car and gets it serviced leaving you a loaner. He decides how many thousand in services you will buy [he gets a commission for this service]. After all it is a 6 Million Yen car.

[drsjpdc]

I bought a full set of bulbs from the dealer's parts department and installed them FIRST.... this is after that AND replacing the sensor?

Help!

[Q451990]

Assuming the dealership sold you good OEM bulbs (some may have aftermarket bulk bulbs sitting in a drawer in the back), I'd say you have something else going on. Have you checked the socket assemblies for corrosion or signs of overheating? Maybe the next step is replacing the socket assemblies - they're about $15 each from Joe at Infinti of Scottsdale (1-888-216-5328).

Heath

[DAEDALUS]

Did you do the center stop lamp as well?

[Rex]

Did you do the center stop lamp as well?

Took me a while (and the help of an 11 yr old) to figure out 1 of the 2 bulbs in the center stop lamp is out. I'm gonna pick up both this weekend and the order the rest from Joe soon.

[elwesso]

I just replaced the bulbs, and I had the stop lamp inoperative message... With OEM bulbs it went right away, cost me $2 for both.....

I had perfectly good bulbs in mine (sylvania i think) and it still made the message come up...

Ironically, I had a tail light out, and it DID NOT display the tail light inoperative message!!!!

[qship96]

I replaced every working bulb on the exterior of the q last year,even though they seemed fine,many were found with darkened globes,and,get this,the ones in the center mounted stoplamp worked,but the glass was distorted like it had melted! seemed impossible,how hot can those little suckers get?

[Q45tech]

Why would you think Sylvania are "perfectly" good bulbs.If the problems go away with new oem bulbs. Obviously a current draw difference.

The marketing trend towards BRIGHTER has made many push the envelope on specs,also the can save a penny each on less pure Tungsten and use less.

A classic example of cost cutting in the aftermarket.

[elwesso]

Especially on something like bulbs. I could replace EVERY bulb in the Q45 with OEM (sans headlights) for less than $20 from scottsdale...

Why must people be so cheap, wait the extra 2 days for Joe to ship bulbs!!!!

[Q45tech]

We have good luck with German made bulbs and fuel hoses from BMW supplier [he supplies the local dealers]. There are twice as many BMW dealers [and many knowledgable independents] in US for those that live in the boondocks.

They have the same problems on the bigger expensive models [which Infiniti used as models in designing/feature copying] on the 90-93 Q.

Same with MB dealers and shops. These guys are use to quirkiness. They have a good technical basis to start working on Q.

Nothing was copied from Jag or Audi so skip these boys as potential sources.