97 2.4L Convertible Running Rich and Other Problems

[Ryan Shirk]

I bought this car for $800 CAD from a Home Hardware and I'm trying to fix up the problems it has. I'm afraid I may have gotten burned. It past safety but I experienced brake problems right away that resulted in $600 work and apparently the brake lines are rusted out too ($1100?).

Aside from all of that the car seems to be running quite rich and we estimate it is getting 1/3rd less MPG than it probably should. In addition the car hesitates and kind of jumps into gear and there is a periodic rumble of the engine. At higher speeds (above 80KPH) the shaking of the engine and steering column becomes quite severe.

I know very little about cars except what I've learned in the last few weeks. But I'm looking at MAF, IAC, Ignition Coils, Battery, Plugs, Wires, Injectors? Has anyone experienced this problem or can point to a good place to start diagnostics?

Also getting E20 on the CD player and I'm guessing this just means its dead. I tried cleaning it already but it would not read the cleaning CD. Rear 6x9s are not working and I'd like to know how to get into the panel on the 2dr convertible so I can fix/replace them and one of the rear interior lights.

Any help is appreciated this car was supposed to be on the road, safety certified and e-tested for $1500 and is now running upwards of $3000 just in the brake work alone.

 

[Ryan Shirk]

Here are some images the second mechanic took for me to demonstrate that it should not have been safety certified (and if it had not been safety certified I would not have purchased it):

Cracks In Shoes

Chunk Out Of Shoe

Front Rotor

Rear Brake Line

Front Brake Line

Green Fluid On Frame (Coolant?)

Hole In Muffler Seam

Punctured Tire

 

[1997]

The vibration in the steering wheel could be the upper motor mount, at least that has been my experience.

 

[Ryan Shirk]

The vibration in the steering wheel could be the upper motor mount, at least that has been my experience.

Thanks, I asked the mechanic who safetied it to check the mounts because I was concerned. He said they were okay, but he's also the guy who safetied it with the brakes in that condition.

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[Ryan Shirk]

Well I pulled the MAF sensor and it seemed to operate slightly better until it warmed up then it was worse.

 

[Ryan Shirk]

Oh god! There is a leak over the driver's window the driver's seat is soaked through to the bottom and water is running down into the instrument cluster!

 

[Ryan Shirk]

I guess I got a pretty bad leak in the header bow seal too. It's dripping onto the driver's seat pretty bad. $240 for a new seal? Or has anyone used anything like RTV Silicone Gasket Maker?

 

[melsg5]

have you used a computer scanner tool to determine if there are any codes?

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[Ryan Shirk]

have you used a computer scanner tool to determine if there are any codes?

Not yet. The instrument cluster was clear up until I removed the MAF sensor and put it back in. After removing it the ETS and Check Engine lights came on and I expected these to disappear when I reconnected the MAF sensor but they didn't and upshifting is chunky.

I have a friend with a reader but he lives out of town and I'm waiting for an opportunity to visit him.

 

[Ryan Shirk]

Instrument Cluster Normal

My girlfriend said that when she drove the car to work this morning all of the lights were on in the dash. About half way to her job (4.4 KM) all but the ETS and CEL were left on. Then when she started it up to go home the ETS and CEL were off.

Since posting about that issue I learned that I may need to disconnect the battery's negative terminal in order to clear the codes on the ECM. I had not done this when it cleared itself. Should this have been expected behavior or does this signal another problem?

With the MAF disconnected there was a recognizable clunk every time the car shifted up but never when it shifted down. Downshifting is more characteristic of a rumble (feels bubbly/combustion related?). Rumbling is apparent sometimes with high RPM just before upshifting and prior to the clunk. The car is still hesitant when accelerating and seems to to vary a lot in gas consumption. If I hammer the gas for a few seconds I'll burn through a quarter of the tank, but if I slowly accelerate gas consumption seems normal. I understand that gas consumption will vary with acceleration but at this rate I would actually consume the whole tank of gas within a few minutes by flooring it. With the MAF connected the clunk is gone but everything else persists with or without the MAF.

I'm being led to think IAC or TPS, any thoughts? I still have not got any codes, but the mechanic who safety certified the vehicle is going to take another look at it as a result of the brake work I had to get done elsewhere. I am going there tomorrow and will ask him to hook up his scanner to see if there are any codes.

I was also reminded that it had rained a number of times in the days prior to the roof leaking. Perhaps something changed within the last few days that caused it to start dripping. I'm not sure what that could be though. We have not touched it in fear that it would malfunction before winter and the car would be unusable. Now we may have to open it to diagnose the leak or the car will be a pile of rust before spring. I think perhaps there is some reason that the top is not properly closed as if it had been opened recently because the water is precariously entering the vehicle at the same spot on both door windows.

Cheers and thanks

 

[Guest]

Check the compression, and the operation of the o2 sensors. No engine is going to be efficient with low compression, and as long as an o2 sensor is sending a signal to the PCM, the CEL will not come on. But, one cause for loss of fuel mileage in older cars is a lazy o2 sensor.

As for the leak, I located the area where the water was entering and formed a piece of old weather strip to fill the void. A little glue, and all is dry. This repair may not work so well in your location, due to the ice and snow scraping, but its worth a shot.

 

[Ryan Shirk]

Thanks Guest I'll have the O2 sensor and compression tested

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[Zimgxp]

Disconnecting the battery will not clear the codes. They need to be cleared with a scanner.