Need help :(
07-07-14, 10:37 PM
#3
Fuel level sender in the fuel tank is likely your problem.
Oil sender is likely either bad or the connector plug to the sender unit is gunked up and needs to be cleaned. W/the oil sender unplugged and key to on you can briefly ground the wire and the oil gauge needle ought to rise to the top of the gauge indicating the gauge is still good.
Make sure the Green/Red wire of the TPS reads 1 volt w/key to on w/the engine as hot as it can possibly get (20 minute drive should suffice).
Oil sender is likely either bad or the connector plug to the sender unit is gunked up and needs to be cleaned. W/the oil sender unplugged and key to on you can briefly ground the wire and the oil gauge needle ought to rise to the top of the gauge indicating the gauge is still good.
Make sure the Green/Red wire of the TPS reads 1 volt w/key to on w/the engine as hot as it can possibly get (20 minute drive should suffice).
07-07-14, 11:30 PM
#4
Yes I test drove it. Lol
I bought it for less than a grand so I know what I got myself into.
It has 173k and its bone stock. Im the 3rd owner.
New alternator and battery.
"Rebuilt" diff. When I do hit gas it feels like it jerk crazy in the back. I let the gas go and press pedal hard and thats when it does it but when I dp it softly it wont make that jerk, cousin says it may be a worn u-joint or something.
I know when you cold start the fc the car revs to 3k and shuts off by itself. This one doesnt do that? :o
Gauges are a concern but I wanna know the other things first.
I bought it for less than a grand so I know what I got myself into.
It has 173k and its bone stock. Im the 3rd owner.
New alternator and battery.
"Rebuilt" diff. When I do hit gas it feels like it jerk crazy in the back. I let the gas go and press pedal hard and thats when it does it but when I dp it softly it wont make that jerk, cousin says it may be a worn u-joint or something.
I know when you cold start the fc the car revs to 3k and shuts off by itself. This one doesnt do that? :o
Gauges are a concern but I wanna know the other things first.
07-07-14, 11:50 PM
#5
Yes I test drove it. Lol
I bought it for less than a grand so I know what I got myself into.
It has 173k and its bone stock. Im the 3rd owner.
New alternator and battery.
"Rebuilt" diff. When I do hit gas it feels like it jerk crazy in the back. I let the gas go and press pedal hard and thats when it does it but when I dp it softly it wont make that jerk, cousin says it may be a worn u-joint or something.
I know when you cold start the fc the car revs to 3k and shuts off by itself. This one doesnt do that? :o
Gauges are a concern but I wanna know the other things first.
I bought it for less than a grand so I know what I got myself into.
It has 173k and its bone stock. Im the 3rd owner.
New alternator and battery.
"Rebuilt" diff. When I do hit gas it feels like it jerk crazy in the back. I let the gas go and press pedal hard and thats when it does it but when I dp it softly it wont make that jerk, cousin says it may be a worn u-joint or something.
I know when you cold start the fc the car revs to 3k and shuts off by itself. This one doesnt do that? :o
Gauges are a concern but I wanna know the other things first.
Trending Topics
07-08-14, 10:32 AM
#10
As a general rule, whenever I get a new car the first thing I do is rebuild the brakes.
Not only is it relatively easy and cheap but the process gets you to all four corners and underneath the car, so a general inspection is gathered.
You may well have bad u-joints or CV joints, it'll be easy to check while you do the brakes.
As for the electrical issues, well, that's more difficult.
Much like the brake system, I take a scorched earth approach and just attack the electrical as a whole.
Reading the forum for a few years reveals that electrical problems seem to manifest in small ways ("My fuel gauge doesn't work...") but like rust, slowly reveal themselves to be all pervasive.
Screw this chasing down myriad small problems, just go over the whole thing.
Yeah, that means pulling the dash, a seemingly fearsome task that's actually quite easy and one you should master.
Remove every bulb, wire brush the socket and smear with dielectric grease.
Undo every connector, inspect for corrosion and sketchy wires and coat with dielectric grease.
And sure, go ahead and do an engine tune up.
While you're at it, redo all the vac/fuel lines.
Basically, if you spend a few weeks and a few hundred bucks before driving the car, life will be much simpler.
07-08-14, 01:18 PM
#12
His described issues aren't engine related, they're drivetrain and electrical.
As a general rule, whenever I get a new car the first thing I do is rebuild the brakes.
Not only is it relatively easy and cheap but the process gets you to all four corners and underneath the car, so a general inspection is gathered.
You may well have bad u-joints or CV joints, it'll be easy to check while you do the brakes.
As for the electrical issues, well, that's more difficult.
Much like the brake system, I take a scorched earth approach and just attack the electrical as a whole.
Reading the forum for a few years reveals that electrical problems seem to manifest in small ways ("My fuel gauge doesn't work...") but like rust, slowly reveal themselves to be all pervasive.
Screw this chasing down myriad small problems, just go over the whole thing.
Yeah, that means pulling the dash, a seemingly fearsome task that's actually quite easy and one you should master.
Remove every bulb, wire brush the socket and smear with dielectric grease.
Undo every connector, inspect for corrosion and sketchy wires and coat with dielectric grease.
And sure, go ahead and do an engine tune up.
While you're at it, redo all the vac/fuel lines.
Basically, if you spend a few weeks and a few hundred bucks before driving the car, life will be much simpler.
07-08-14, 04:32 PM
#13
I think it's sad that "fettling" has morphed into "****".
Lost in translation is the fact that machines require upkeep and we suffer that loss in the condition of the average used car today.
If you're lucky, the PO(s) changed oil and looked at the coolant once in a while but you can tell right away when you do brakes that the calipers never budged.
If a car hasn't been conscientiously maintained, stripping it down to perform comprehensive overhaul is not "****", it's necessary.
It's what machines need.
Besides, it's not like you do this annually or anything...get the car, spend some quality time going through it and you're done. From that point on not only is reliability improved but when something does go wonky, you're working on a much smaller diagnostic tree because you know the condition of the car.
What you would consider over the top maintenance, I'd consider a great timesaver and the bare minimum required.
Lost in translation is the fact that machines require upkeep and we suffer that loss in the condition of the average used car today.
If you're lucky, the PO(s) changed oil and looked at the coolant once in a while but you can tell right away when you do brakes that the calipers never budged.
If a car hasn't been conscientiously maintained, stripping it down to perform comprehensive overhaul is not "****", it's necessary.
It's what machines need.
Besides, it's not like you do this annually or anything...get the car, spend some quality time going through it and you're done. From that point on not only is reliability improved but when something does go wonky, you're working on a much smaller diagnostic tree because you know the condition of the car.
What you would consider over the top maintenance, I'd consider a great timesaver and the bare minimum required.
07-08-14, 04:53 PM
#14
His described issues aren't engine related, they're drivetrain and electrical.
As a general rule, whenever I get a new car the first thing I do is rebuild the brakes.
Not only is it relatively easy and cheap but the process gets you to all four corners and underneath the car, so a general inspection is gathered.
You may well have bad u-joints or CV joints, it'll be easy to check while you do the brakes.
As for the electrical issues, well, that's more difficult.
Much like the brake system, I take a scorched earth approach and just attack the electrical as a whole.
Reading the forum for a few years reveals that electrical problems seem to manifest in small ways ("My fuel gauge doesn't work...") but like rust, slowly reveal themselves to be all pervasive.
Screw this chasing down myriad small problems, just go over the whole thing.
Yeah, that means pulling the dash, a seemingly fearsome task that's actually quite easy and one you should master.
Remove every bulb, wire brush the socket and smear with dielectric grease.
Undo every connector, inspect for corrosion and sketchy wires and coat with dielectric grease.
And sure, go ahead and do an engine tune up.
While you're at it, redo all the vac/fuel lines.
Basically, if you spend a few weeks and a few hundred bucks before driving the car, life will be much simpler.
As a general rule, whenever I get a new car the first thing I do is rebuild the brakes.
Not only is it relatively easy and cheap but the process gets you to all four corners and underneath the car, so a general inspection is gathered.
You may well have bad u-joints or CV joints, it'll be easy to check while you do the brakes.
As for the electrical issues, well, that's more difficult.
Much like the brake system, I take a scorched earth approach and just attack the electrical as a whole.
Reading the forum for a few years reveals that electrical problems seem to manifest in small ways ("My fuel gauge doesn't work...") but like rust, slowly reveal themselves to be all pervasive.
Screw this chasing down myriad small problems, just go over the whole thing.
Yeah, that means pulling the dash, a seemingly fearsome task that's actually quite easy and one you should master.
Remove every bulb, wire brush the socket and smear with dielectric grease.
Undo every connector, inspect for corrosion and sketchy wires and coat with dielectric grease.
And sure, go ahead and do an engine tune up.
While you're at it, redo all the vac/fuel lines.
Basically, if you spend a few weeks and a few hundred bucks before driving the car, life will be much simpler.
clokker
Because Streetcar!
5 Year Member
clokker's Avatar
Trader Score: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mild High
Posts: 7,768
Fixed!
07-08-14, 06:34 PM
#17
I can't vouche for the OP's problems but I do support Clokker's idea of giving the whole car a once over. His method of operation is a good idea with cars and transcends cars to apply to just about every aspect of life...and here is why.
It's much easier to maintain a current condition than it is to let something go and then try to catch back up. It's true of fitness, finances, home ownership, car maintenance. You get fat and you have to work twice as hard to burn it off. You go into credit card debt and you pay 20% more just getting back to zero. Etc, etc.
Seems prudent to me to go over a 20+ yr old car when you don't know the history on the car or the previous owners. More work now, but it'll pay off in less "OMG why isn't my car running?" surprises.
And for the record...I do not get the reference.....
It's much easier to maintain a current condition than it is to let something go and then try to catch back up. It's true of fitness, finances, home ownership, car maintenance. You get fat and you have to work twice as hard to burn it off. You go into credit card debt and you pay 20% more just getting back to zero. Etc, etc.
Seems prudent to me to go over a 20+ yr old car when you don't know the history on the car or the previous owners. More work now, but it'll pay off in less "OMG why isn't my car running?" surprises.
And for the record...I do not get the reference.....