Questions about '98 Infiniti Q45

[nbogle]

Hey there folks!

So, around 12 years ago, my dad rebuilt this totaled 1998 Infiniti Q45 for someone who bought it at auction with 56,000 miles. The guy that hired him never paid him entirely, and disappeared off the face of the earth, so we ended up getting it titled, and he is giving it to me. What a wonderful car! So comfortable, and quite beautiful. However, after sitting for 10 years, some of the golden trim seems to have worn off, with a chrome finish under it that looks quite good as well. (Just a note, the thing fired up without any effort after sitting since '2004). We tried to remove the golden finish that was wearing out using really fine steel wool and some chrome finishing, which took some of it off, but it didn't come off all the way in some areas. It just looks chrome on some accent pieces, and in others, it just looks like a very faded golden chrome finish. Any ideas how to get this off?

The other thing is, I live in Washington, where a front license plate is required, (They will grant waivers in most cases if they were never manufactured for them). Are there any OEM front license plate brackets for the 98 Infiniti Q45, or any decent 3rd party ones that we could by, or should we try and apply for a waiver?

Last question, and this could be related to the accident that this car was in, but the Seat Belt light is always flashing, even if the seat belts are buckled. Do any of you have these issues? And/or do you have any ideas how to fix it?

Thanks! I will post some pictures in the next day or so.

[MovieMaestro10]

Just a thought, but I've noticed it's not that hard to find trim pieces online, esp Craigslist and ebay, for pretty cheap if its easier to just replace the pieces. You could even search other areas beyond where you live and offer to pay for shipping.

And the junkyard isnt a bad place to look either.

[BadQ45t]

The seatbelt lights are not a comment issue, I think that the issue must have been something around the accident.

[Q451990]

to NICO! I would try to diagnose the seatbelt issue by researching it in the factory service manual - available at www.infinitiservicemanual.com

[nbogle]

Just a thought, but I've noticed it's not that hard to find trim pieces online, esp Craigslist and ebay, for pretty cheap if its easier to just replace the pieces. You could even search other areas beyond where you live and offer to pay for shipping.

And the junkyard isnt a bad place to look either.

Yeah, we've looked through the local junkyards, but to no avail, actually, haven't seen a 97/98 on the road since I've been looking, (past 6 months or so). I looked for trim pieces, but to find all of the trim pieces I have found difficult. See pictures to see what I am talking about. (PICTURES: http://imgur.com/a/0msne)

I don't suppose you know about the license plate bracket do you?

Thanks.

[nbogle]

The seatbelt lights are not a comment issue, I think that the issue must have been something around the accident.

Thanks for the info. Had a feeling, but it doesn't beep, so I am not worried about it, and the seatbelts work fine, other than the occasional sticking, but that's pretty normal with any car.

I don't suppose you know anything about the license plate bracket? And if you want to see pictures, the link is in the post above.

Thanks!

[goody90q45]

.....Last question, and this could be related to the accident that this car was in, but the Seat Belt light is always flashing, even if the seat belts are buckled. Do any of you have these issues? And/or do you have any ideas how to fix it?

Unless there really is something wrong with the system then I think you may be in the DIAGNOSIS mode and need to be switched back to the USER mode. In a nutshell, with the drivers door open, turn the key from OFF to ON (don't start engine) and then depress the driver door switch 5 times within 7 seconds and the light should stop flashing.

See page RS-45 of the FSM for more detail and the self-diagnosis procedure if there really is something wrong with the system.

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Q45/1998_Q4 ... Q45/rs.pdf

[MovieMaestro10]

If you cant find parts locally, I would check craigslist or ebay in other cities. You'll usually find at least one guy who's parting out his non-running car. Piece a few of those together and you might get all the bits you need.

Also, if you want to really make your 2nd gen Q45 shine, I've found that cleaning the film off those huge crystal headlights does wonders. There are several kits that you can get for 15 bucks or so that only take half an hour and can be done by hand. Does wonders for the look of the car.