WTF?! Did I jinx myself?

[brymax]

I think maybe I jinxed myself when I bagged on some o ya'll for always working on your busted up cars.

Friday I get in my car and start it up and the thing is tappin like there ain't a drop of oil in the engine anywhere. Checked the oil and.... Wadda-ya-know? There wasn't! I had to add 3 1/2 quarts to bring it back up to normal level. I just had the oil changed a couple of months ago and everything was cool. Where the hell did all that oil go? It's not leaking.

Anyway, it get's worst.

Polishing the car today with my 2 year old little girl in the car pushing buttons like crazy. Key's were in my pocket, so I figured no big deal.

Start driving down the road a few minutes later and all of the sudden the radio is cycling itself from Radio, to CD, to Tape, over and over. Press the OFF button, only to have the radio come back on by itself and start the same thing over again. The climate control button won't turn the air on anymore either. The dial will adjust temp but buttons do nothing.

I've had the air and radio do a couple of freaky things before, but nothing like this. And turning the car off and restarting seemed to fix it. Not this time. I turned the car off and the radio off may times. It just keeps doing the cycling through thing.

Anyone know what this could be?

I'm thinking I should take it to the dealer cuz my mechanic doesn't seem to be as high tech as may be necessary to deal with this kind of issue. Not to mention you'd probably have to have the Infiniti software and computer port to tap in a diagnostics system to right? I'm just assuming.

At Mercedes, they just roll out this computer tool box thing and plug a cord via a Parallel port under my dash and run diagnostics that way.Is Infiniti the same?

Don't suppose maybe this is covered under a service recall or something eh?

I didn't opt for the extended warranty!

[audtatious]

At Mercedes, they just roll out this computer tool box thing and plug a cord via a Parallel port under my dash and run diagnostics that way.Is Infiniti the same?

Yes, Infiniti can connect into the port and run Consult diags against the system.

[Haitian_King]

Daaaaaamn.

Either you've got a poltergeist, or something is up with the car. Hope it wasn't built on an Indian burial ground and powered by dead orphans.

Go to the dealer ship. Let them do it. Sounds like an electrical problem. As far as the oil goes, that's weird. No visible leaks, and nothing on the dipstick? Crazy.

Is your neighbor siphoning out your oil while you sleep?

[qship96]

The 2002+ q45 series are beginning to show their design flaws-the big ones seem to be a oil burning issue, wheel bearings,and electrical gremlins so far.....

[Q451990]

Any chance there's a stuck button that cycles through the different audio modes? I would also try disconnecting the battery for a while and see if that resets something.

Good luck!

Heath

[brymax]

Gee thanks everyone for the technical and very helpful answers and guidance!

But fear not, cuz I figured it out.

See I had the self-destruct button stuck in the "Initiate" mode, but had forgotten to enter a time delay. So it was just cycling waiting for the next command.

After becoming completely frustrated Sunday, I decided to get into the mind of my daughter to figure out the problem. Kinda that whole put yourself in the place of a 2 year old having fun pushing buttons, only in reverse order.

That's right! I just started pushing buttons. Yeah, all of them! Every god damn button in the car!

It was so simple. Push the VCD button twice. The active suspension button thrice, and depress the window lockout button once......

And then I said the following;Hoakus, Poakus, Flippity-Flam, Razza-ma-tazz and Alakazamm!

Everything went back to normal.

I have no idea what that was all about, but everything is ok now.

As far as the oil goes.... Who knows! Maybe this is one of the problems this model has and it's starting to show now @ 41K miles. I'm just going to really keep an eye on it, I guess.

And as far as going to the dealer......Eh, what for? Ain't nothin wrong with my car!

[mhoepfin]

I was going to say that maybe the "Mode" button on the steering wheel was stuck.

I feel your pain though, on my 02 on Friday, something hit the windshield and cracked it.

Called this morning and the "aftermarket" windshield replacement, which she assured me is the exact same one the dealer would use is $250, while the Infiniti brand replacement is $1250.

I'm still not sure because I don't know what the black area behind the rear-view mirror is for or whether it will be on the new windshield. Is that the antenna for the GPS? Thoughts?

Mike

[brymax]

I was going to say that maybe the "Mode" button on the steering wheel was stuck.

I feel your pain though, on my 02 on Friday, something hit the windshield and cracked it.

Called this morning and the "aftermarket" windshield replacement, which she assured me is the exact same one the dealer would use is $250, while the Infiniti brand replacement is $1250.

I'm still not sure because I don't know what the black area behind the rear-view mirror is for or whether it will be on the new windshield. Is that the antenna for the GPS? Thoughts?

Mike

Yeah, DAMN! Mode button.

You know, now that I think about it, another thing that was happening was the steering wheel volume control was actually changing channels, and the up & down buttons were changing the mode. Then I pushed the mode button and think everything was cool after that.

That must have been it.

I pushed so many buttons I forgot which one rectified the situation.

I tried to involve my little one in the resolution process and pleaded with her to tell me what she did, but she just stuck to her story.....

"Da-da buttons" "Da-da buttons" Over and over again.... "Da-da buttons".

Gotta hand it to her, she didn't break.

[mhoepfin]

LOL.

Don't worry, once she is about 5 she'll stop pushing all the buttons.

I remember when my kids noticed they could raise and lower the rear sunshade from the back seat armrest, the shade motor would get a workout 3 or 4 times a trip!

[Haitian_King]

I wanted to suggest burning oil, but wouldn't you smell it? Or notice a change is exhaust color?

[brymax]

I wanted to suggest burning oil, but wouldn't you smell it? Or notice a change is exhaust color?

No, no burning smell or funky exhaust color or smoking.

I was thinking it could be a leak up higher in the engine compartment somewhere and perhaps the oil was just bleeding all over the block or pipes somewhere. I've had that happen on American cars before.

But there are signs of oil leak anywhere.

EEHH, I'm sure it's it fine! What could go wrong?

I'll check the oil in a month or so to make sure everything is cool.

[Haitian_King]

I hope everything works out for you man. I think I just made some headway with a Q problem of my own. If it checks out, I'll be a smiling man.

[cccpman]

karma She is always playing her little games

[Jesda]

If this all results in lower resale, I may be an M45 or Q45 owner in the near future.

[brymax]

If this all results in lower resale, I may be an M45 or Q45 owner in the near future.

What!? "Near Future"?!

What the hell, man?! You don't own an Infiniti?

Well, what are you doing here, slummin it?

Do you need to borrow mine?

Hey, check it out. Let's swap cars for a while and live vicariously through each others cars.

My wife will be so pissed! Let's do it.

[Jesda]

What the hell, man?! You don't own an Infiniti?

I'm a boomerang man. I sold my '90 and '92 Qs, but I'll be back!

[yodawill2000]

Yeah you will .These forums and the almighty Q needs your Bitchin' pants . hehe

[paranoidjack]

Scary to say, but are you sure when they changed the oil, they put oil IN?

[brymax]

Scary to say, but are you sure when they changed the oil, they put oil IN?

I thought of that too. It is possible they didn't put in enough, and honestly the last time I looked at it I recall being slightly confused by this type of stick as to what exactly is full.

That little ball nubby thing on the end is stupid. I think it kinda grabs oil on the way back down the tube and gives you a false reading.

You basically gotta sit there for a while and let the car settle and the oil in the tube to fully go back down to get a true reading of what you have.

So much for the days of just pulling out, wiping off, sticking back in, pulling out and reading real quick while at the station.

Did that not come out right?

Anyway, I be watching that schizel like close now, fo sho!

To think I drove 70 miles to work and back possibly a couple times with virtually no oil in there!

I just wonder what kinda damage I might have done?

AHH Well, I'm sure it's fine!

I'm sure if there was a problem a little light would come on, right?

[Haitian_King]

Yeah. I hate the dipsticks.

[Q45tech]

We should have a rule that your post body must be larger in word count than your signature.

[Haitian_King]

Hmm. Depends on the occasion. Sometimes short and to the point is best, n'est-ce pas?