How reliable has your DSM been?

[silver bullit]

No they get that reputation cause its a turbo car (ask a suby or evo guy about breaking crap not to mention look how they treat them) and people beat the shit out of them and then when shit breaks they dont wanna fix it. So they pass it off to someone else to fix.

All i am saying is if you bought it as a project alot of the car is a project and needs to be fixed. So try to find one that in not needing anything, chances are it was taken care of.

 

[97MitsuEclipse]

It all depends on the owner. If you keep with regular maintance and small mods you'll be fine. It's not a new car so it will take some work (like any other early 90s car). But be warned once you start with these cars it's hard to stop.

 

[97gsx_zeclipse]

That's so true. At first I wanted a gsx for years while I was in high school. Right after got a job and a loan and bought a 2g gsx. I didn't know anything about them, just that they are awd turbo's. Starting looking on the forums and next thing you know it. I invested thousands of dollars in it, istalling my own parts, and still got a long ways on the wish list. I actually wish I can work at a dsm shop. I could do that all day, everyday and not get tired of it. Its too bad that the 2g's have the worst after market body kits known to man. I say just get a front lip and call it a day. Do they have cf rear diffusors for the 2g's?

 

[terminaltsi]

proper maintenance is key. also, remember you're dealing witha 10+ year old car. stuff is going to break no matte rwhat it is. i've had 7 turbo dsm' and they've all been reliable for me. never left me stuck on the side of the road. of course i do all my own work and maintenance too, so that makes it easier. to own a dsm, you should be able to work on it, or it will get expensive. of course that goes for all other old cars too...

they use many of the same electrical parts as toyota, honda, nissan etc. pretty much everything is made by denso which is very high quality stuff. the engine itself is as reliable as durable as anything i've ever worked on. certainly more so than a german or american car of the same age, mileage and power output.

 

[RedTalon95]

I disagree. My DSM didn't make a mechanic out of me because of maintanence issues. It made me a mechanic because the car was so much fun to drive and the modifying/wrenching to make it faster turned into an exciting hobby.

Will stuff break? Hell yes, it is a 15 year old car. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from wrenching your own car and a pride that comes from not letting anyone else touch your car. And yes it will consume your life, but in a good way Its a passion, not a curse.

Hey, I meant in a good way, hence the smiley face. Wouldn't trade my DSM for ANYTHING.

 

[acexxxoasis]

I really dont know how to answer this... both my DSMs are uhh DEAD but I will DEFINATELY not knock that against them, the previous owners of my DSMs beat the hell out of them, one the balance shaft belt was cut, causing the balance shaft to seize, the other was overheated beyond belief because they ran straight coolant no water and it rotted the radiator inside out.

 

[Project2G]

I have had two DSM's thus far and both have had there share of problems. I bought my 95 RS in October of 2000 and with that car I went through 3 motor's, 2 clutches, water pump, door handle, electrical problem... Now I picked up a 97 gst 5 months ago and the night I bought the car my t25 blew! I replaced it with a FP big t28 and since then my water pump, starter, master/sale cylinder have gone out =( Oh and my clutch went out last week. With my DSM's it's a love hate relationship. When they are running I love them they are fun and when they are down I always say I want to sell them and get a new car. But at the moment it's still down due to clutch.. 2nd year in a row my car has been down on my birthday (12/6) due to clutch...

 

[voodoogsx]

Originally Posted by Laysher91 View Post
My DSM didn't make a mechanic out of me because of maintanence issues. It made me a mechanic because the car was so much fun to drive and the modifying/wrenching to make it faster turned into an exciting hobby.

I couldn't agree more with this comment...

As far as reliable...The failures I've had I can only attribute to the poor maintenance of the previous owner and what this car (I can surmise from the damage I've found ) has gone through has been quite rough...

Aside from those issues, Ive used the car as a daily driver for most of my time owning it.(3+ years)
I've taken it to the track and I've run it hard on the road. My daily drive to and from work isn't the greatest either(405 to 101 if you know socal you know these freeways and how bad they suck).

I've only had to get it tow'd twice. Both of those cases were due to my own mistake when working on the car. They were also within 2 weeks of each other(I thought I fixed it the first time).

 

[pj91gsx]

I bought a jdm swap, and it has been so unreliable, that I constantly work on it and I havent got it on the road yet. Bad alternator, bad starter, ecu went bad, and finally it spun a bearing. I messed that motor up though. Had at least 20 problems. Its been a year later and now Im going to rebuild the motor. Still love it though.

 

[DSMLoverFromUA]

Everycar is reliable. It just depends on the person who owns it. You beat on it then things break. Due to age and milage things break and wear out. But is proper maintenance is done and the owner is not beating on it daily then sure it will last. You just dont know how it was driven before you. My luck was good for a year until crankwalk, after that everything went down hill. Good Luck

 

[gijoe985]

I read some other threads and they say that engine life/rebuild time is somewhere around 100k for these engines. Is that about right? If I were to buy an older one with 150k+ should I just be expecting a rebuild.

If so where should I look for a good rebuild kit? Preferably with decent pistons that can handle a moderate build. I'd rather go safe than sorry.

Also, I've gathered that the trannies seems to lose 2nd gear synchros. Where is a good place to get rebuild parts for trannies?

THanks

 

[95CarbonEclipse]

All depends on how the previous owner(s) took care of it. I haven't read anything though that suggests a motor with 150k+ miles on it will need to be rebuilt soon. In fact, if you're referring to crankwalk, that usually happens to the 7 bolts before 75-80k... once you get around 100k you don't have to worry about your crank walking off on you.

 

[gijoe985]

Well I know where I can get a long block for $250. I figure I could rebuild that for when I am ready to start anew. I can get a tranny from the same guy if need be. If I got the one with only the clutch cylinder problems, it shouldn't be a big deal. I wouldn't mind spending a weekend on the car...

Suggestions on where to get tranny and engine rebuild parts?

 

[ProjectTalon92]

Any vehicle is reliable if you take care of it. If you don't, or bought a vehicle that someone hasn't taken care of, then you may be in for some trouble. Even diesels can go out quick if they aren't taken care of properly. Also, depending on what the car is used for, and what MODs you have on the car. Cars with just a few simple bolts on wont need babying, but cars with major work beyond bolts ons will need much more attention.

 

[tkstoygsx]

in my opinion, DSM's are only as reliable as the owner makes them. When you do a half ass job replacing and installing parts , then not really. As for myself, I always do everything to the best of my ability and havent had too many problems yet. I have owned 11 dsm's over the last 4 years and i still love em'!

 

[ProjectTalon92]

Any car is reliable if you take care of it. end of story. it you abuse it, it will give you nothing but problems and you'll have no one else to blame but your self.

 

[Matt4g63]

From my opinion if you buy the correct parts and know that certain part compliment others and work together much better you will be safe. The main reason I feel that DSMs are considered unreliable because owners dismiss maintenance and with a boosted car accessories tend to break easier if not tended too.

 

[m3etr]

To have this much fun with these cars cant be FREE!!! Happiness comes at a price. Every car has its problems, how many times it breaks down depends on how you drive it and treat it.

 

[lil_d's_talon]

i have had my 17+ year old awd talon for 5 years now its been a trip the first 2 years i drove it had to rebuild the engine, transmission, turbo crapped out on me, it was going strong for about 8 months and i spun a rod bearing. Spent about 2 months taking the engine out and replacing the bearings, replaced the crank, got it back in the car and drove it for a week... and the engine locked up which i believe was caused by the copper bushings to the turbos oil supply... Now its been sitting for about two years which will be changing soon...hehehe

But that was with me being 17 owning my first fast car and not being able to keep my foot out of it...

 

[StockBiotchs]

Oil changes every 1500 to 2000 miles, tranny flush every 3000, kiss it good night, hug it in the morning, and slap it on the ass when its been bad...

oil changes for me at 1000 to 1500 miles, ( 192,000 on short block)

trans and transfer 3 times a year ( I drive it about 12,000 a year)

And I slap her on the ass every time we go anywhere...........
its rare that i don't bounce her of the rev limiter at least once, every time i drive her. I would really hate to have her decide to break, while I was pampering her......

i have had her for 3 years and put 32,000 miles on her, she was stock to start with

 

[2geclipse565]

There as reliable as you treat them. Its really a love hate realationship.

 

[D's GS-T]

Depends on what your doing. So many people mod these cars its hard to say. The car stock, or lightly modded should be just fine. If you want to push out mad power than be prepaired for some problems. just read up, search, and be on the cautious side when modding.

 

[91dsmeclipse]

let me see i have a history of owning 2 of these lovely cars
ECU went bad
went through 4 transmission's
Timing belt broke(Rebuild)
Starters 3 of them
MAF sensors went bad
power transistor went bad
TCU went bad in my non-turbo
Calipers went bad
master cylinder went bad
slave cylinder went bad
e-brake cable broke
fog light switch went bad
passanger side weatherstripping went bad
wiper/headlight switch went bad
speed cable went bad
turbo went bad
exaust went bad rusted out
cam angle sensor went bad
headliner ripping had to replace
clutch pedal went bad thanks to dsmtuners i was able to fix
alternator went bad
BOOST LEAKS they stink

Well i think that raps it up

 

[andrmitch]

I have a 96 TSi AWD. Bought it new. Now has 99k miles. I have done all the maintenance at dealer and reputable service stations. No mods. Car cost me about $26K. I have put AT LEAST $13,000 in repairs. It has broken down on me too many times to count. I drive it hard but I warm it up and cool it down. I have down the Water Pump twice, Timing Belts, Transmission Replaced, Transmission Work that cost me thousands, Rebuilt the Trannie, Head Gasket, Alternator, Head Lamp Covers needed to be replaced, I don't know how many sensors - must have done the O2 Sensor alone 3 or 4 times, All the recalls, Crankshaft, too many too list off the top of my head....It's to the point now where my check engine light is always on; I just ingore that....But it's tough to ingore when every time you drive more than 20 miles the RED ENGINE WARNING light goes on....Also, I think my turbo is going.....It is an amazing performance car $ for $ but it ain't no economy car.

I want to be able to continue to drive it to work but I won't be able to if it keeps breaking down. IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE THIS THIS MORE RELIABLE I AM ALL EARS? It would be worth spending a few grand on the Talon vs the price of a new car........Thanks!

 

[Redmachine]

I'd say they are very reliable but only if regular maintainence is performed. Mine finally died however with 178,000 on the clock.... thats pretty good with dodge motor under the hood.