trans malfunction and no parking brake

[666-g50]

im new to owning a newer nice car. i had a 78 continental and thought i knew luxury but after recently purchasing a 92 q45 i realize the scope of my ignorance.i got the car from a junk yard for 900, it had been wrecked and had body damage on the passenger side. it does still drive, and well but sometimes when i start the vehicle i get a trans malfunction on the readout, i turn the car off and back on and its fine. the parking break is broken so the car is always using the park gear as its only parking break, i do park on a hill, could this have anything to do with the trans malfunction? thanks in advance for the advice.

[slybydesignq45t]

im new to owning a newer nice car. i had a 78 continental and thought i knew luxury but after recently purchasing a 92 q45 i realize the scope of my ignorance.i got the car from a junk yard for 900, it had been wrecked and had body damage on the passenger side. it does still drive, and well but sometimes when i start the vehicle i get a trans malfunction on the readout, i turn the car off and back on and its fine. the parking break is broken so the car is always using the park gear as its only parking break, i do park on a hill, could this have anything to do with the trans malfunction? thanks in advance for the advice.

You my friend made a big mistake purchasing this car. From my heart I wish you came to this forum. See if you can sell it back to junk yard for at least half your money and I promise you that will be the most money lost. Get rid of it period. Unless now, you have $30,000 sitting and LOVE the G50. Don't push it any further, and don't fall in love. Get as much of your money back, save up if need be and purchase a G50 from some one else.

These cars purchased in pristine conditions still need oddles of dollars put into them. Cut your losses NOW. I am only talking from experience.

[Infinitiguy19]

Well that may be true,But we have yet to see any pics. but no the parking brake has nothing to do with the trans malfunction screen.

To check the transmission codes go here: http://www.nicoclub.com/articles.php?id=217453

I doubt you will need $30,000 to restore unless its a Q45a or maybe a Q45t

Welcome to NICO

If you love it then you will keep it good luck

[slybydesignq45t]

Well that may be true,But we have yet to see any pics. but no the parking brake has nothing to do with the trans malfunction screen.

To check the transmission codes go here: http://www.nicoclub.com/articles.php?id=217453

I doubt you will need $30,000 to restore unless its a Q45a or maybe a Q45t

Welcome to NICO

If you love it then you will keep it good luck

Your totally right, the 30k ref was a bit extreme. If he has the know how, money time and patients it takes to do a restore then he's in good shape and can tackle this project. If he doesn't I would suggest to him to purchase another G50 in better shape for a couple 100 extra not to scare this new guy away, but there are plenty of safety reasons I posted so aggressively. I guess he may be able to get way with about $10,000 in repairs that includes body, transmission and other parts.

[Q45tech]

Q45t are almost never more than $1,000 extra expensive to repair than typical Q45 standard as the rear steering rack is bullet proof unless the steering fluid is never changed..............a few hoses maybe.

Of course typical owners can destroy anything.

My $45,000 expenditures include 10 sets of tires and their mainteance and alignments so that's about $5,000 and brakes were roughly the same. 5 sets of shocks

Unlikely that one could spend $20,000* at one time rehabilitating the worst Q unless you waste money on paint or body work or seats or interior trim.

* Dealer prices labor and parts are higher and the $45k was a progressive spend since 1990 so that might cost $58k in todays dollars but you must discount repeats like tires, brakes, suspensions, transmissions, etc, etc.

$10k will get a JDM engine, properly rehabed, a remanned transmission, drive shaft and a used rear diff. Misc plus AC would have a hard time exceeding another $7k at least initially.

[666-g50]

ive been reading other posts on the site for a few weeks, so im now aware and have excepted the cost factor. the car has 131,000 on it and the wreck was into a ditch, it broke a support arm and the guy didnt want to shell out a few hundred to fix it, so i did and it drove great, i took it on a four hour trip and when i got home and filled it up it started with the trans stuff. but the damage to the body is minimal.

what if i just drop a different transmission in it? ive seen them for around a grand

[Infinitiguy19]

I am sorry but you must have missed the link in my post so here it is again: http://www.nicoclub.com/articles.php?id=217453

Do that first before you decide to shell out the money for something that may be smaller and eaiser to fix.

[maxnix]

You can get a Nissan rehabbed AT for ~$2300. A used one is just buying someone else's problem.

Run the AT diagnostic in the FSM.

Please keep reading the FSM and Q45tech's posts. Acccepting what you will have to do will help a lot to restore the car if it can be done economically.

[Q45tech]

For years I was acussed of understating the cost to maintain and repair Q - back to as new standards and keep it that way. Many newbees thought after spending $5,000 and needing $5,000 more that somehow they had been suckered into Q ownership. Blame anyone but themselves.

Now some think I am overstating...............unfortunately the financial histories of hundreds of Q customers don't lie, they just change with inflation of labor and parts................in 13 years T3 has gone from $40 to $85 per hour and many oem parts have increased by 50%.

Even our service manager and 2 techs have sold their Q [MPG and parts costs]................dropping down to G20.

[jmorasch]

ive been reading other posts on the site for a few weeks, so im now aware and have excepted the cost factor. the car has 131,000 on it and the wreck was into a ditch, it broke a support arm and the guy didnt want to shell out a few hundred to fix it, so i did and it drove great, i took it on a four hour trip and when i got home and filled it up it started with the trans stuff. but the damage to the body is minimal.

what if i just drop a different transmission in it? ive seen them for around a grand

I own two Qs and I got into one went to the store,came out started it up and got the same reading as you did.trans malf.I thought what the ????.I wasnt a member of nico yet.I drove the car and noticed no diffrence in shifting,so I kept driving it the next day I went out and started it up and the display was gone...Ive since changed the filter,fluid,cleaned the cooling unit fins out...Im at 198k now and havent had a problem since.I bought the car with about 140k.you could have some problems with your trans,not saying you dont.just dont rid yourself of what you thinks a major problem(selling your car)without being sure of what the problem actually is. youve got some kinda mechanical skills youve made it this far,Id hate to see someone miss out on a car unlike any other driven.Im at 198k thanks to everyone here at NICO,and these guys wont ever steer you wrong far as Im concerned.If your Qs running well and mechanically sound,ID KEEP IT !!!!!!!!!!

[666-g50]

i am glad to get so many honest opinions. i am not letting this one go. the previous owner was a car guy as well, he just lost his way. a few months before he wrecked it it gos new kokico blues, and the chainguides replaced, the trans mal has stopped after a fluid change. i still havent run the diagnostic. but ill post the results when i do.