just picked up an fc and was wondering what are the commen probs with them? I have an 88 gxl. I know the door handles are a problem, I.E. have a broke one. thanks Ray

 

I'd say these are the most common problems people have: 3800 rpm hesitation, cold solder points in the cpu or warning lights & leaking fuel pulsation damper.

 

...ok...
1.oil leaks, primarily from the oil filter pedestal 0 rings
2.20+ year old sensors take ****
3.creaks and groans, again age
4.bushings,ball joints, anything that can wear and break, probably has
5. cooling is a majpr issue
6.omp's going bad and killing your engine
7.carbon buildup
8.cheap interior plastic breaking
9.drivers seat side bolstering rips
10.headlights arent bright enough
11.fuel consumption

thats all i can think of atm

if you have any questions post them up ill gladly answer

 

The tps can get dead spots, thats been common for me.
Vacuum leaks, I get a new one all the time. I'd recommend replacing ALL vacuum lines, one at a time of course, with new line.
Wiper switch has a tendency to only work on one speed.
And then you get the same issues you would with any 20 year old car.

Welcome to the family

 

• Minor electrical systems including logicon, wiper controls, grounds (especially ECU
  
  grounds), etc.
• Old fuel pulsation dampeners, the dtss, oil cooler lines, engine mounts and rubber in
  
  general tends to go. Not that the stock items aren't reliable, it's just that old rubber
  
  is old rubber.
• The most common causes of engine failure is an overheat, typically from not performing
  
  regular cooling system maintenance. And don't forget to go OEM on the thermostat. A
  
  distant 2nd is a blown apex seal (turbo models only), typically from poor boost control
  
  and/or not tuning properly to handle raised boost. An even more distant third is sudden
  
  catastrophic loss of oil, usually from a loose drain plug falling out or an oil cooler line
  
  popping off. The warning is a sudden drop in oil pressure to 0psi and/or the low oil
  
  buzzer; you have 30 seconds to shut down after that. Overheat prevention is similar.
• In general, doing basic scheduled maintenance will prevent a lot of problems.
• When you have a bad alternator, it's common for the replacements to quickly go bad too.
  
  Could be common to all old cars, since it's from unreliable replacement alts. Keep your
  
  warranty and buy it somewhere close, and not online.
• It's common for people who run the tank dry to not be able to start again when they do
  
  get gas later. Whatever the original cause, the car usually won't tart b/c the fuel filter
  
  and sometimes the fuel injectors end up clogged after this. Our old gas tanks have a lot
  
  of crud in them, so I'm gonna guess cleaning them is the way to prevent this.
• Stuck auxillary ports. See www.aaroncake.net to diagnose.

I'm sure there's a couple more I missed, but I think that's most of them. Search forums

for more information on anything.

 

• Minor electrical systems including logicon, wiper controls, grounds (especially ECU grounds), etc.
• Old fuel pulsation dampeners, the dtss, oil cooler lines, engine mounts and rubber in general tends to go. Not that the stock items aren't reliable, it's just that old rubber is old rubber.
• The most common causes of engine failure is an overheat, typically from not performing regular cooling system maintenance. And don't forget to go OEM on the thermostat. A distant 2nd is a blown apex seal (turbo models only), typically from poor boost control and/or not tuning properly to handle raised boost. An even more distant third is sudden catastrophic loss of oil, usually from a loose drain plug falling out or an oil cooler line popping off. The warning is a sudden drop in oil pressure to 0psi and/or the low oil buzzer; you have 30 seconds to shut down after that. Likewise you gotta pull over when overheating.
• In general, doing basic scheduled maintenance will prevent a lot of problems.
• When you have a bad alternator, it's common for the replacements to quickly go bad too. Could be common to all old cars, since it's from unreliable replacement alts. Keep your warranty and buy it somewhere close, and not online.
• It's common for people who run the tank dry to not be able to start again when they do get gas later. Whatever the original cause, the car usually won't tart b/c the fuel filter and sometimes the fuel injectors end up clogged after this. Our old gas tanks have a lot of crud in them, so I'm gonna guess cleaning them is the way to prevent this.
• Stuck auxillary ports. See www.aaroncake.net to diagnose.
• Hooking up the battery backwards is a common mistake. Blows a fuse, and sometimes damages other electrical components like the ECU.

I'm sure there's a couple more I missed, but I think that's most of them. Search forums for more information on anything.

 

All common problems are found in the how to buy guides, which you can find in the FAQ stickies at the top of this forum.

 

Thanks for the all reply's, only problems so far are door handle, and the old trim peices falling apart.

 

www.aaroncake.net WOW, that is best write up on a Car that I have ever seen. very detailed. Nice job.