Some things I've noticed in the month I've had it
07-06-10, 01:20 AM
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Some things I've noticed in the month I've had it
Hey guys, I was hoping somebody could diagnose some things. I've had a '91 convertible with 133k on it for a little under a month now, (here's my introduction thread) and I've noticed some things that worry me slightly and I'd like to make sure it's nothing terrible or urgent, you know what I mean?
Anyway, I've got a pretty big wall of text here, I'm just trying to fish out any quick/easy/simple repairs to any of these issues for the time being.
- In third and fourth gear I hear this grinding sound, metal-on-metal-ish, like a grindstone sharpening a knife, sort of. And it only happens when I press on the gas, and kind of gets less noticeable at higher rpms.
- Reverse is often hard to get in to. You have to really jam it in and really kind of punch it to get it back out* and when I start going in reverse there's another sort of grindstone noise, but this time it has a frequency, not a continuous sound like 3rd and 4th.
- Occasionally when I'm shifting, I'll hear a clank from what I assume is the transmission. I haven't been able to pin down under what conditions it usually happens yet, but it does seem to happen more in lower gears.
- The electronics are a little wonky... The voltmeter on the dash is pretty high, to where it seems like it could be around 15 volts.
The clock kinda goes in and out and flashes like those creepy abandoned hospital lights, I'm not sure how else to describe it.
Also the airbag light flashes continuously, but the guy I got it from told me that it was a defective part and that the airbag still works fine.
Occasionally the radio will cut out, but I'm not sure if it's the radio itself, the xm radio gadget that's transmitting to it, or just things in the environment blocking the signal, like bridges do sometimes.
My reverse lights also come on in 5th gear as well as reverse.
The overhead light doesn't work well. On a few occasions it has actually come on and worked properly but it hasn't for a while now.
- It idles pretty low, around 6-700 usually. I have managed to get it rolling without using the gas though... anyway sometimes when the a/c is on, the engine will just shut down from idling too low, seemingly when I let the rpms go from high to low suddenly - not sure about that one though
- There's also a big hole in the leather upholstery in the driver's seat, it's probably 6-8 inches long, bunch of the stuff on the inside has been strewn on the floor.
- There's one more rip, and it's in the vert top...
- When it rains, if I don't park it facing uphill pretty good it'll leak in from what seems to be the doors on the top.
I think that's about it. Oh and it creaks sometimes when it turns or goes over bumps. And the vert top rattles a lot but i'm not so worried about that.
Anyway yeah, any help on any of these would be greatly appreciated, don't feel obligated to answer this whole long list
* that's what she said
Anyway, I've got a pretty big wall of text here, I'm just trying to fish out any quick/easy/simple repairs to any of these issues for the time being.
- In third and fourth gear I hear this grinding sound, metal-on-metal-ish, like a grindstone sharpening a knife, sort of. And it only happens when I press on the gas, and kind of gets less noticeable at higher rpms.
- Reverse is often hard to get in to. You have to really jam it in and really kind of punch it to get it back out* and when I start going in reverse there's another sort of grindstone noise, but this time it has a frequency, not a continuous sound like 3rd and 4th.
- Occasionally when I'm shifting, I'll hear a clank from what I assume is the transmission. I haven't been able to pin down under what conditions it usually happens yet, but it does seem to happen more in lower gears.
- The electronics are a little wonky... The voltmeter on the dash is pretty high, to where it seems like it could be around 15 volts.
The clock kinda goes in and out and flashes like those creepy abandoned hospital lights, I'm not sure how else to describe it.
Also the airbag light flashes continuously, but the guy I got it from told me that it was a defective part and that the airbag still works fine.
Occasionally the radio will cut out, but I'm not sure if it's the radio itself, the xm radio gadget that's transmitting to it, or just things in the environment blocking the signal, like bridges do sometimes.
My reverse lights also come on in 5th gear as well as reverse.
The overhead light doesn't work well. On a few occasions it has actually come on and worked properly but it hasn't for a while now.
- It idles pretty low, around 6-700 usually. I have managed to get it rolling without using the gas though... anyway sometimes when the a/c is on, the engine will just shut down from idling too low, seemingly when I let the rpms go from high to low suddenly - not sure about that one though
- There's also a big hole in the leather upholstery in the driver's seat, it's probably 6-8 inches long, bunch of the stuff on the inside has been strewn on the floor.
- There's one more rip, and it's in the vert top...
- When it rains, if I don't park it facing uphill pretty good it'll leak in from what seems to be the doors on the top.
I think that's about it. Oh and it creaks sometimes when it turns or goes over bumps. And the vert top rattles a lot but i'm not so worried about that.
Anyway yeah, any help on any of these would be greatly appreciated, don't feel obligated to answer this whole long list
* that's what she said
07-06-10, 01:13 PM
#2
Your transmission sounds pretty trashed. I'd start looking for a replacement soon.
The alternator should be putting out about 14.0 to 14.4 vdc. Check it with a multimeter. 15 vdc is starting to get into the danger zone, and could lead to blown fuses or damaged electronics.
The clocks almost always have cold solder joints, which will cause flickering.
Check the wiring to the 5th gear/reverse switch on the rear of the transmission. The switch should have 4 wires, with 2 dedicated to each side. Maybe someone wired everything to the reverse lights. The 5th gear side of the switch runs to the ECU and is used for emissions purposes.
The overhead light gives me trouble too. I think I need to redo some of the solder joints to get it to work 100% again.
For the idle, read up on adjusting it. It should sit at 700-800 RPM under all conditions. You should also check for vacuum or metered air leaks in the intake piping or at vac connections.
And it sounds like you need a new top. Expect $700- $1000 for a replacement w/ labor.
The alternator should be putting out about 14.0 to 14.4 vdc. Check it with a multimeter. 15 vdc is starting to get into the danger zone, and could lead to blown fuses or damaged electronics.
The clocks almost always have cold solder joints, which will cause flickering.
Check the wiring to the 5th gear/reverse switch on the rear of the transmission. The switch should have 4 wires, with 2 dedicated to each side. Maybe someone wired everything to the reverse lights. The 5th gear side of the switch runs to the ECU and is used for emissions purposes.
The overhead light gives me trouble too. I think I need to redo some of the solder joints to get it to work 100% again.
For the idle, read up on adjusting it. It should sit at 700-800 RPM under all conditions. You should also check for vacuum or metered air leaks in the intake piping or at vac connections.
And it sounds like you need a new top. Expect $700- $1000 for a replacement w/ labor.
07-09-10, 09:21 PM
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well, first i would worry about the tranny, it sounds like you need a new one or a complete rebuild of one. that lights and clock flicker could be from bad connections on the wire harness, try to check all the connect. and see what happens. and fine tune your carb as the book says it should fix your idle problem.
07-10-10, 01:16 AM
#4
Your transmission sounds done for. Time for a replacement or rebuild.
Stalling with the AC on at idle MAY be caused by a faulty/dirty BAC valve. You should check it out.
The clock is a very common issue. Repairable by taking that whole assembly out and soldering the joints.
The interior light may be just a loose connection.. it is very common on FCs. Just start fiddling with the wires and connectors until you find the culprit spot.
The airbag light may or may not be an issue. It is possible it was deployed and not corrected or it may just be malfunctioning or the light may just be retarded. Ionno much about the airbags in these cars to be honest.
Satellite radios will cut out due to bridges, very tall big trees, etc... anything to cover its signal up.
While replacing your top is probably your best bet, it is possible to find and repair the leaks on your top with a little creativity. My 91 leaked as well and we soon remedied without replacing it.
It would be best to get the car on a lift or on some jacks and do a complete under car inspection for any loose or worn parts/bushings etc... That could be the cause of your creaking.
Stalling with the AC on at idle MAY be caused by a faulty/dirty BAC valve. You should check it out.
The clock is a very common issue. Repairable by taking that whole assembly out and soldering the joints.
The interior light may be just a loose connection.. it is very common on FCs. Just start fiddling with the wires and connectors until you find the culprit spot.
The airbag light may or may not be an issue. It is possible it was deployed and not corrected or it may just be malfunctioning or the light may just be retarded. Ionno much about the airbags in these cars to be honest.
Satellite radios will cut out due to bridges, very tall big trees, etc... anything to cover its signal up.
While replacing your top is probably your best bet, it is possible to find and repair the leaks on your top with a little creativity. My 91 leaked as well and we soon remedied without replacing it.
It would be best to get the car on a lift or on some jacks and do a complete under car inspection for any loose or worn parts/bushings etc... That could be the cause of your creaking.
07-13-10, 01:49 PM
#6
You can probably get it rebuilt for 250+ somewhere. If they remove and install tack on a couple hundred more dollars.
If you do it yourself it's not terribly hard at all to do the transmission removed and installed. All you gotta do is find a good non-grinding used transmission somewhere for a hundred or two hundred bucks. Depending on your skill and tools available you can get it done in half a day +/-
If you do it yourself it's not terribly hard at all to do the transmission removed and installed. All you gotta do is find a good non-grinding used transmission somewhere for a hundred or two hundred bucks. Depending on your skill and tools available you can get it done in half a day +/-
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07-13-10, 04:15 PM
#8
If you continue driving on it, it will not affect other components, but it could leave you stranded somewhere.
And $250 for a transmission rebuild is pretty optimistic. When I had one done I was billed for 10 hours of labor + parts. You can do the math on the depending on the hourly shop rate. Given the option again, I would just find a good used transmission. I would not rebuild an NA transmission due to the fact that they're just so damn fragile.
And $250 for a transmission rebuild is pretty optimistic. When I had one done I was billed for 10 hours of labor + parts. You can do the math on the depending on the hourly shop rate. Given the option again, I would just find a good used transmission. I would not rebuild an NA transmission due to the fact that they're just so damn fragile.
07-14-10, 01:37 PM
#11
If you continue driving on it, it will not affect other components, but it could leave you stranded somewhere.
And $250 for a transmission rebuild is pretty optimistic. When I had one done I was billed for 10 hours of labor + parts. You can do the math on the depending on the hourly shop rate. Given the option again, I would just find a good used transmission. I would not rebuild an NA transmission due to the fact that they're just so damn fragile.
And $250 for a transmission rebuild is pretty optimistic. When I had one done I was billed for 10 hours of labor + parts. You can do the math on the depending on the hourly shop rate. Given the option again, I would just find a good used transmission. I would not rebuild an NA transmission due to the fact that they're just so damn fragile.
I was quoted $200 by my shop neighbor at Rotorsport to rebuild my transmission off my NA that I did a TII swap into. I just figured I was getting a $100 discount at most. You are right though NA transmissions are so fragile its not even funny.... I have yet to own or drive an NA that didn't have at least one thing wrong with the transmission.
07-15-10, 10:30 PM
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you can find used trannys at the classified section in the club, or go to http://car-part.com/ it is a junkyard, but it is all orginized very well. there might even be a tranny near you that you can pick up easy.
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