Where to start?

[Christine_Tampa]

I own 2 1991 infinti q45s. One I have had well over a year and the second I just got this weekend. The second one is the one I need some tips on.I purchased it off of ebay for 455.00 interior is immaculate looks brandnew don't think seats have ever been sat on in the back, Paint is good with the exception of the hood clear coat has bubbles and is pealing in some spots. I had intentions of just swapping stuff with the other car since the 1st one has seen better days, Oh but then when i went to pick up #2 I feel in love she is perfect and I cant see tearing her into parts. The lady I bought her from was a compulsive organizer and was 1st owner she had ever receipt from infinti( she took it there everytime it had a problem) She gave me a 45 page print out dating back to 1991. So anyway 3 years ago she moved to Florida and left the q45 sit in TN it sat for three years untill November when a family member towed it to her over Thanksgiving. Then it sat again untill 2 weeks ago when she was moving. Her story was she started it up and it ran a little rough and a little over 1 mile down the road ran real rough and then stalled. So anyway I picked her up this weekend she started for a second then quickly stalled again, Where do I start by getting her back in driving condition, btw there is a little under 1/4 tank of gas... Think its sludge after 3 years? Any help is great appreciated

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...73304

[ceningolmo]

Wow congrats on your purchase... I'll let the experts offer advice. But, I just wanted to say welcome to the club!

[MattB]

Chain guides. If they haven't been done change them.

[maxnix]

Welome to our forum. You have a lot of reading to do.

You are lucky you have the service history on the car, so first review it and see if the chain guides were ever replaced.

Secondly, it the car was towed over ten miles or over 30 mph, the transmission is probably trashed.

At only ¼ tank for 3 years, you probably have a lot of condensation and corrosion in the tank, and now through you efforts to start it, your fuel system.

So in short, plan on replacing all fluids and filters, and probably a lot of rubber hoses and suspension parts. If you can't find confrmation of the new metal back cahin guides, read the appropriate article in the Articles Forum.

I would expect that the hood was repainted at some point, hence your trouble with the bubbles in the clear coat.

[Christine_Tampa]

Ok I found a few things in the service log. There are quite a few factory recalls performed but they don't give a description it will say say something like "Recall performed P5117 Recall" Where the chain guides ever a recalled item?

[Jesda]

I bet its pumping muck through the fuel pump and injectors. Top off the tank and add some fuel additives (BG44k, B12 Chemtool, Techron, etc).

[Skibane]

I would definitely drain the old gas out - At 3+ years, you don't want any more of THAT being pushed through your fuel system. Next, the fuel filter has to be replaced - even with fresh gas, there's going to be some serious crud inside the filter, which may hinder fuel flow. And, the rest of the fuel system probably needs to be flushed out. These items should be done BEFORE you attempt to start the vehicle again.

With a fresh tank of gas and a clean fuel system (and hopefully, the engine now running without stalling), you can turn your attention to the chain guide replacement, which will have to happen just as soon as you can swing it - Sudden, catastrophic engine failure is common, if the vehicle is driven any significant distance without it!

The bad news: If the chain guides had already been replaced by the dealer, your service records would almost certainly show it.

The good news: Many of the other common-wear items (i.e., belts, hoses) are easy to replace while the engine is torn down for chain guide replacement. So, you might look at the guide replacement as the perfect opportunity to take care of most other items that are likely to be worn out.

[Q451990]

To answer your question, chain guides were not a recall item. As far as I'm concerned, Infiniti's biggest corporate sin has been burying the guide issue.

As far as towing... if it was towed rear wheels down - the transmission could be toast. If it was front wheels down, it's probably fine.

I would absolutely drain the fuel tank and try fresh gas. There are so many things to suspect. From the description in the eBay Listing and the comments in the seller's reply to "Dave" it could also be a bad fuel pump and fried FPCU.

Could be guides too... but I would start with the basics first. Check for fuel pressure after you drain the tank, refill with fresh fuel, replace the filter, etc...

Good luck and please keep us posted!

Heath

[maxnix]

Where the chain guides ever a recalled item?

No, they were replaced only if they failed under warranty. The numbers to which you refer are TSB numbers.

I'll be a little more precautionary and say plan on pulling and steam cleaning the tank and the metal fuel lines while replacing all the rubber ones. If the injectors ohm out correctly, I would considering sending them to Deatsch for cleaning and calibration.

But without documented evidence to the contrary, you need to start with the front timing covers first and check the chain guides, being aware that if they are not all there, then the sump will have to be removed.

You might feel a little overwhelmed right now, but if you proceed in the correct sequence, you will eventually have a near new Q45 that will last you a couple hundred thousand miles provided the engine is not yet fatally damaged. If it is, there is even a plan for that. So hold on and start reading the previous posts starting with the articles.

[Skibane]

You might feel a little overwhelmed right now, but if you proceed in the correct sequence, you will eventually have a near new Q45 that will last you a couple hundred thousand miles provided the engine is not yet fatally damaged.

+1.

For the small amount of money you have invested so far, this car sounds like it has a LOT of potential.