Dodge Shadow maintenance

Insulation on the outside breaks down due to heat and airborne contaminates. Causes leakage which reduces amount of power that reaches the plugs. The conductor itself develops micro-cracks which will increase the resistance of the wires, also leading to reduced power to the plug.

Spray carb cleaner and a brush for the throttle body. Water won't dissolve the deposits.

Timing belt, accessory belts, idler pulley(s), distributor rotor and cap (if not electronic ignition with coil packs), PCV valve and filter, fully flush brake system, flush cooling system, flush steering fluid, flush trans fluid and replace filter. May also be a good time to repack the wheel bearings.

I'm sure Mr. Stern will also suggest other items.

Ghazan Haider wrote:

You don't mention the PCV system in this list. It needs periodic service, and almost never gets it. NOT JUST THE PCV VALVE! You have to remove and disassemble the air cleaner assembly (bottom plastic housing comes off main metal housing) to access the PCV inlet air filter.

It's not metal, in factory form it's carbon string, and over the years the conductor, the insulation and -- in this application -- the distributor end terminals, which also serve as distributor cap contacts, all deteriorate.

Likewise the distributor cap and rotor ought to be replaced.

Of course you cannot use water. What made you think so?

Because they're not wires in the conventional sense. They're cables, the cores are typically fibergalss strands impregnated with carbon.

The equipment for checking the insulation value is highly specialized.

I seriously doubt that the throttle body needs cleaning. The throttle body injector tends to bathe the throttle body with gasoline while the engine is running keeping the throttle plate and the adjacent throttle body squeaky clean.

At 11 years old, regardless of mileage, you should give serious consideration to replacing the timing belt. Cooling system maintanance would be another item that may need attention (flush, belts, hoses). Transmission service also. Re-pack the rear wheel bearings.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm taking the recommendations here seriously, and going by the maintenance manual book. By cleaning with water, I meant the air filter housing which seems to be soaked in oil....

Today I replaced the dist cap and cables, and I can notice its more responsive. The old distributor rotor had a deteriorated tip.

I took out the air filter housing, cleaned it all with tissues and replaced the two small filters. In the process I think I broke a T-tube joint below the PCV valve. The PCV valve itself tested fine (blowing and sucking) with no leaks, but apparently oil leaked over time and went into the air filter housing soaking everything. With the tubes below the PVC valve disconnected, I started the engine, and it gives a small amount of smoke, but not from any of the tubes going into the air filter housing.... Now the PVC and its tubes are a high priority to change. The idle RPM of the engine is also really high all of a sudden. I wonder if the combination of using 94-grade fuel, replacing the sparkplugs, ignition, dist cap, air filter is the cause, or the broken PCV pipes.

Repacking the bearings was mentioned twice. What are its symptoms if things are going wrong? Or is that just regular maintenance?

I can hear a click in the timing belt housing once for each complete rotation. So thats another priority.

Whats the difference between PCV system, valve + tubing, and PCV filter? Does the PCV system include all?

It's the broken PCV pipe. And quit using 94-octane fuel, you're wasting your money. Regular gasoline is plenty; there's no advantage in your car to using 94.

Thanks. I blocked the throttle intake of the PCV, and the idling has returned no normal. I'm sure it wont pass emissions anymore. Gave the car a spin on the highway, didnt know it had that much power. I did notive significant power increase with 94, but will get back to 89 after this refill.

A previous poster suggested flushing all the fluids, and I tried to reach the power steering outlets, its just impossible. I can see it but I'll either have to lift the engine or get jackstands (which I will) and try from underneath.

I've cancelled working with the rear brake drums and the fuel filter for now. Theyre both rusted shut and any attempts brings big rust flakes down. I'll still try to force open the fuel filter when the tank is empty, replacing it should fix things more. Everything is in great shape, but I'm still wondering why the idling sounds a bit uneven, even on an 11 year old car that has seen quite a bit of salt in Canada. ... Back to the throttle body....

The fuel filter will be equally easy/difficult regardless of how full the tank is. If it's rusty enough to be difficult, replace it NOW; it is stressing your fuel pump -- which is much more expensive and difficult to replace than the fuel filter.

Two reasons: (1) You've got a broken vacuum hose that hasn't been fixed, and (2) Chrysler never paid much attention to the idle quality of the 2.2 and 2.5 litre TBI engine.

Which must mean you're using Sunoco gasoline. You'll have better results with a brand that is NOT blended with alcohol.

DS

And the TBI is very succeptible to "dirt". Get the injector cleaned and the idle quality will likely improve significantly. The alcohol in Canadian gas does not make a huge difference in idle quality or general running in my experience.

I'm not sure what part of Canada you live in, but it must be a very interesting part where there are all those myriad "different" Chrysler ballast resistors and ethanol-adulterated gasoline *doesn't* affect how an engine runs or the economy it provides...as happens everywhere else in the world, incluing the part of Canada I live in.

DS

Last night I replaced the fuel filter. Wasnt easy... the connector had the plastic ring broken and was completely rusted so I had to loosen the filter from the base. The drive feels much better now.

PCV lines were also replaced. At any rep above idle, it sounds perfect and the car otherwise runs quite smooth. I'm thinking I must be very picky on idling now...

I'll get back to petrocanada here in Toronto. Tried Sunoco for the performance boost and it was fun, but time to get back.

So I'd say its like a new car now except for the throttle body parts like the EGS (or something) and other emissions parts. I dont know if replacing the catalyst will help things, but I'll try flushing the transmission fluid. This car has 130,000km and is a 93, I can reasonably expect another 100,000km easy on it. Hey should I be using synthetic oil in this one? Heard too many mixed reviews.

After many, many years of selling the filthiest, highest-sulphur gasoline, Esso as of a couple of months ago now has Ontario's cleanest-burning fuels.

There is no performance boost with Sunoco.

Well Dan, whether I use the ethanol blended fuel or regular unleaded, both my 88 Chrysler and 94 Pontiac give the same performance - a very minor decrease in fuel mileage with the same octane rating with ethanol - hardly enough to notice. If I run mid premium, ethanol or not, the OBD scanner on the pontiac drops from roughly 40 knock sigs on a common trip to about 13, and going to full premium, ethanol or not, makes no further difference. Idle quality is NOT affected. Note - I NEVER stated there was no difference in economy - and I never said it made NO difference in general running - only that there was no "huge difference". By that - not enough difference to be distinguishable without instrumentation. I am in Central Ontario - midway between Toronto and London.

What comes after your "-" above contradicts what comes before it.

Daniel - it's obvious your definition of "performance" and mine are different. Your definition of "huge" and mine are also different. It's also obvious that regardless what I say, on any subject, you will find fault and bitch about something.

The original point was poor idle on a 2.2 / 2.5 Mopar with TBI is NOT a fuel composition problem. Now you'll tell me injectors are not a problem on these engines and cleaning them will make no difference. You are free to believe that - but anyone who has owned one for over 2 or 3 years knows better.

An engine's performance includes its power output, its driveability and "manners", and its economy.

That's your opinion. My experience contradicts it.

The injectors, to fulfil your prophesy, seldom need cleaning on the TBI

2.2/2.5. They are of a very effectively self-cleaning design that practically never clogs. If they leak, they get replaced.

DS

When you quit saying stupid stuff I'll quit finding fault.

It's fair to say, however, that they DID make an attempt to smooth things out over the 2.2L's idle by adding balance shafts when they came out with the 2.5L design. And the improvement was noticeable.

--Geoff

That's a different matter *entirely*. The balance shafts are to cancel

2nd- and higher-order reciprocal vibration, not to address the actual (firing) smoothness of the idle. There is less vibration to a TBI 2.5 equipped with the balance shafts than to a TBI 2.5 or 2.2 not so equipped, but the idle *quality* is identical. Listen at the tailpipe with the transmission in Neutral!

DS

My bad. Didn't understand the 'idle quality' term. They made a 2.5L without balance shafts? I thought they all had them.

--Geoff