'89 900 turbo auto trans

just bought this car and it looks great and the engine seems sound enough for a car it's age (about 120,000 miles) BUT:

  1. it doesn't accelerate very well, seeming to stay in low gear for too long, and is hesitant when changing. it's great at about 30 or 40 mph and picks up speed well, but between 0 and 30 and at 50 it is sluggish.
  2. the interior of the car smells strongly of coolant (i think?).
  3. there is a squeeling sound when it's cold and raining.
  4. it seems to consume a lot of fuel.

i know the guy i bought it from had a problem with some diaphragm staying open somewhere and flooding the engine with fuel, but this was fixed.

this is my first so any help would be gratefully received.

thanks.

Reply to
steven
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Reply to
steven

I think I missed the original post. Seems like all the details are in order.

Eh, 120k is pretty young for these cars, though maybe not for an automatic transmission in a turbo.

That is typical of the classic 900 automatic transmissions. Not really so great compared to a manual. If you're mechanically inclined and looking for a big project, you could swap in a manual transmission. Theoretically.

Could be a leaky heater control valve, or possibly heater core. Is there coolant dripping on your feet (or the passenger's feet if you're in the UK)?

Make sure the belts are tight. Otherwise, it could be a problem with the crankshaft pulley (120k miles is a typical lifespan for one). If it is the crank pulley, you'll want to get that fixed.

That might be related to the automatic transmission. Otherwise I don't know what to say, other than make sure the spark plugs, oxygen sensor, distributor/rotor, etc. are in good shape.

Hope this helps,

John

Reply to
John B

Thanks, so save for a few little things I can tend to, you reckon this car runs pretty much as you'd expect? Does a weak crankshaft pulley have the effect of causing hesitation in the acceleration? Mine seems to pick up quite well but just as it starts to pull nicely it backs off and stops speeding up until i ease off the accelerator and then it changes up a gear and seems OK again. The temperature guage, which indicates cold at start up, shows that the engine is very hot (not quite up to the red, but definitely in the top fifth of it's range), even in heavy traffic. There are no other signs of over heating but it is a worry.

Thanks for any > >> ANYONE THERE? Should I be more specific?

Reply to
brando

No, that is probably due to the automatic transmission.

Yes, that is a worry. Things to check: thermostat, radiator fan switch, radiator fans. If those things are OK, the radiator itself. My 1992 used to have that problem until a faulty radiator fan was replaced. In that case, the fan was mostly working, but wasn't coming on reliably when it was supposed to. The problem was finally identified when the fan shorted out and blew its fuse, resulting in overheating (hot summer day in traffic).

By the way-- if the car in question has air conditioning, try turning that on when the engine is running hot. That will activate the A/C radiator fan, and (assuming that fan is working normally) you might see a rapid decrease in engine temp. Such an observation would point towards a problem with the fan temperature switch or the auxillary fan itself.

John

Reply to
John B

Reply to
brando

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