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This might sound silly but are you sure there is plenty of oil in the engine?
Corollas of a lot of years are horrible about burning oil. I know this, I have a 95 corolla. Don’t rely on the oil light alone.
One quart per 1,000 miles is not unheard of. Has something to do with the oil drain holes in the pistons being too small and clogging or something.From my research, the 1.6 and 1.8 with belts are both non-interference engines.
So basically, if the timing belt or tensioner is the problem, replacing those should be all that is really necessary.Corollas did switch over to timing chains at some point but 94 has a belt so that is all that matters here.
A car is NOT always just a “thing”. It is part of who you are. Some cars are with us during major life changes. Their worth cannot always be summed up by a dollar sign. Though it was not my own car, my dad used to have a 79 thunderbird when I was a kid. I used to love riding in that car, sitting in the back and watching the rain or semi trucks on the highway on the way to Gandma’s house for the holidays…
[quote=”erikslow01″ post=160003]All in all I am excited about a getting a newer car! I still love my old one and I just might drop a few tears when it gets taken away, but I can always hold on to the memories. As you said DaFirnz, “But their still just things” and yes certainly they can be replaced. Within the next week I may have a new car! :lol:[/quote]
Let me tell you my story. I had a 99 cougar. It was not in good shape, needed numerous repairs but it ran EVERY time. One day I got side swiped. Even after the wreck (most damage was to the driver door.) It took over a month before i decided to follow through with an insurance claim. Totaled, of course.
So I scheduled for the insurance company to pick it up. The very last trip I made in it, coming home from work one night, I was almost in tears. I felt like I was giving up on an old friend, but honestly, the car had so many problems that it would not have been practical to fix everything.So this is your first car? Yes, one’s first car does hold a special place. For me, the first car I had for any length of time was an 81 aries. Had two cars before that, one got stolen (later recovered) and the other was an 83 escort which was a real POS. So really, the Aries was my first. I had it for years, it saw me through a couple trips 1/2 way across the country, had it when I married, and when my kid was born. It was also the car I learned the basics of car repair. To this day I wish I could somehow find and buy back that car.
You will have several cars over the years. Some you will love and shed tears when you say good bye, and some cars you will hate with a passion.
Of course it wasn’t the point of the viedo but one thing that could have been mentioned was –
the water pump should be replaced only if it is driven by the timing belt. Some novices might wonder, “what does the water pump have to do with the timing belt?” and get the idea that in all cases it calls for a new water pump.On another note – if the timing belt (or chain) IS broken, how would it even be possible to do other tests anyways?
I guess replacing the belt first goes back to that rule about “fix the known problems, THEN investigate further if necessary
Honda and acura are pretty much the same car anyways.
So here are a few causes.
First thing that comes to mind when you mention honda and acura is if a PS hose was leaking fluid onto a hot exhaust part. Not sure how common Honda PS leaks are but my 97 Acura CL with 3.0 had a hose leak. Replacing it was a horrid job, but getting back to the point –
When there is a fluid leak, it tends to go everywhere since there is a ton of wind blowing around at highway speeds.Not likely but maybe if someone flung a cigarette out the window and it found it’s way to the back seat.
Some cars have wiring problems that can cause a fire. Sometimes insulation rots away or maybe someone was careless in remounting the wires if they repaired something else under the hood.
If the cars belonged to some kid who didn’t know what they were doing when “upgrading” for performance, only God knows what they ended up doing.
Fuel system leaks can obviously cause fire.
OH HERE IS A FUN ONE –
In some engines, if the fuel pressure regulator leaks internally, it can let a ton of gas into the intake. I had that problem with some 94 grand prix with the 3.4 DOHC, what a POS engine. :angry:
EDIT – The car never caught fire but one night I went out to start it and heard what sounded like water pouring on the ground. It was gasoline. I am lucky the car never blew up.The PCM’s I saw were just by googling “2005 Mariner PCM” and seeing what came up first on the top of the page. It wasn’t deep research I I know not what they might really cost.
Anything (parts and/or labor) at a dealer is going to cost 2 to 3 times what non-dealer shop would.
$2100 for all that at a dealer “seems” about right.
Talk to a couple other shops first to see what they charge.Before doing any kind of brake work, just have the spare set of drums resurfaced and ready to go so when you do the brake job, you can just swap.
Suppose the spare set cannot be resurfaced. Now suppose you need the car, you have no other ride. Just put that set on temporarily while the non-spare (and hopefully resurfaceable) is in the shop. A couple days of driving on the spares should not hurt, but of course be real careful with braking. Also, if the spare set of drums is chewed to hell on the friction surface, do not use them at all even for a day.
Only AFTER you have a good set (new or reconditioned) of drums should you bother with new brake shoes and whatever other stuff you want to do. No use in ruining good shoes with bad drums
One thing with drums or discs – some people never even bother with a resurface. It is not the most professional way to service brakes but most brake jobs can at least get by. Pads and shoes wear out but drums and discs usually don;t unless brakes get worn metal to metal or end up warped from abuse (like riding the brakes)
Get a second opinion.
First, $2100 for a new “Computer” sounds way steep. A brief serach for “engine control module (the so-called “computer) shows proces in the $200 to $300 range. He wants $1800 labor?
Second – This chain of events just sounds bogus.Engine rotation triggers crank and/or cam sensors to control the ignition timing (and therefore the coils) but mechanical problems in the engine are not going to fry the electrical unless a broken engine part destroyed a sensor but even then…
I think he is trying to rip you off
Cleaning up any kind of automotive grease or oil is as simple as using mineral spirits. $5 a quart at walmart. Just make sure you use some rags you do not mind ruining. Gasoline works even better but is dangerous and has strong fumes.
For cleaning off light rust – “The works” toilet bowl cleaner does a fine job but be real careful using it. Safety glasses, gloves etc…
If there is hardened deposits on the rotors friction surfaces, maybe try to clean it off with a razor scraper.
After removing grease (which will decrease brake efficiency ), make sure the pads are clean. Install everything. Any ugliness will be forced off the rotors after just a few good brakings.
Found some video about this – it is specific to the 92 dakota.
You probably have a common failure on this truck. This may give a better idea, read the comments on the video too.This is pretty unlikely given the age of the car but maybe crawl under it where the gas filler neck is and see if there is excessive rust or any apparent damage to the neck or rubber hose connecting the neck to the tank.
I had some 97 acura CL that i think had the same code (or something real similar, EVAP related) come up time to time but in my case, that small vent hose next to the filler neck was leaking. It was leaking bad enough to cause puddles of gas if I overfilled the tank but it took a while before the CEL came on.If your car was NOT under any kind of warranty, i guarantee they would find the problem. Maybe take it to a shop to be inspected but make NO mention of warranties. It may cost a buck or two for the diagnosis but at least you will get a solid answer.
The truck needs head gaskets (at least that) and the seller wants a couple grand?
Look, it likely needs serious engine repairs and yes when the oil is in that shape, it definitely can cause lower engine damage.
If he REALLY wants this truck, offer $500 for the thing cause that is about all a car or truck is even worth if it needs big time engine or transmission repairs.
Even if the rest of a vehicle is A-1, A bad engine or trans drives down the value considerably. It would be like buying a mansion but then learning the foundation is about to cave in. All that glitters is not gold.
Also look into what it will cost when you replace the engine.You could replace just the head gaskets along with the other upper gaskets (which will have to come off during teardown anyways) and hope for the best. That is if you are planning on doing the work at home. A shop probably wouldn’t do JUST the head gaskets.
I would not think the cam rotating a little bit would cause a bent valve. It is possible a valve may have touched the top of a piston but not slammed together like when timing belt or chain breaks.
If you have not finished this repair already, maybe “engineer” a way to attach the other end of the wrench to the water pump pulley or whatever to keep the rear cam from rotating when you are trying to situate the belt. Of course try NOT to situate things where you cannot route the belt cause something is in the way.
Maybe even have an assistant hold the wrench in place as you wrap the belt over the rear cam.You didn’t mention what kind of car you are dealing with.
With codes –
The bad news here is more often than not, you will notice driveability problems long before any codes decide to pop up.It sounds like there are internal seals leaking, seals that control the pistons for the clutch packs. I bet this problem is worse the colder it is outside.
Long story short – It is time to take it to a shop that can properly diagnose it. This is probably not just “an easy adjustment” or other wishful thinking.
Meanwhile, you need to decide if it is practical to spend anywhere from $2,000 to $2,500 if it needs a rebuild (pretty much count on that)I imagine it is probably solved by now but my first thought –
When doing brakes, make sure the caliper guide pins move freely. For some reason they tend to seize in their bores and make brake feel pretty bad.
Mine is a toyota but when i got it, there was that spongy, almost to the floor feel. During pad replacement, I came across a seized pin. Spent an hour trying to work it out, clean it, clean bore, regrease, and then finish brake job. Brakes work excellent now. Just barely tap on the brake pedal and the car screeches to a halt. 😀May not likely be the problem you are having but these pins are often overlooked.