Infiniti Repair & Service in Colorado Springs | Westco Automotive

The VQ engine

Most Infiniti models we see are built around a version of the VQ V6. It is a strong engine and it is why these cars drive the way they do. The items worth knowing are oil consumption on some versions and the timing chain tensioners and guides on higher mileage examples.

From what we have read on these, a rattle at cold start that fades as oil pressure builds points toward the chain side of things more often than not, and it is worth looking at rather than living with.

Oil consumption

Some VQ versions have a reputation for using oil between changes. The mechanism usually described is the piston rings and the way oil is drawn through the crankcase ventilation system rather than an external leak.

The owner's job is straightforward and unglamorous: check the oil. An engine that quietly runs low does far more damage than one that leaks visibly onto a driveway.

Cooling and heat

These engines make good power and put real heat into the cooling system. Radiators, hoses and the thermostat housing are all worth inspecting rather than assuming, particularly on a car that has been driven hard or sat for long periods.

Going off what comes across our lift, most cooling failures give some warning first, usually as a weep or a slow loss that nobody chased.

Electrical and module work

Infiniti packs a lot of electronics into these. We use factory-level scan tools and read every module, not just the engine, because a complaint that looks mechanical often turns out to have a sensor or a module behind it.

We will show you what we found before recommending anything.

Booking

Westco Automotive & Truck Repair, 1130 Valley St Ste A/B, Colorado Springs, CO 80915. Call (719) 591-7743 or book online. Female-led, ASE-certified, gas and diesel, all makes. We do not perform delete work on emissions equipment.