Newbie with a few questions about 95 GST

[95GS-Tguy]

Hey, so today is the first day with my new car.

Some of the problems i need help with..

Starting.. It takes 3 or 4 times to get it started when cold.. what causes this? it doesnt even try to turn over... and apparently the previous owned got anew starter put on it...

Clutch is sticking.. it wont pop back out all the way.. previous owned said something about a master cylinder leak? and it seems to be leaking on the inside..

Some electrical issues like the interior lights coming on only sometimes when i open the doors.

If any one has a solution to these problems i would be gratefull.. this is my first turbo car..

 

[H@xtGSX]

Well friend, if these problems are puzzling you now, you are in for one hell of a steep learning curve. Welcome to the world of forced induction, where the cars are fast, the money goes faster, and all your high dollar performance parts break the fastest.

This is my 1st DSM also (but not my 1st turbo), and I must warn you: these cars are dangerously addictive. I can say quite honestly that this car is more fun than any other vehicle I've owned, and I've owned 1 of just about every type (4x4, truck, family car, van, & muscle cars). It looks cool, its cheap (relatively speaking) to upgrade, and tough internally. It isn't the easiest thing to fix and maintain, but that is the price of admission.

As for your questions:

A new starter with the issue you are describing is quite possibly just a bad ground connection. Check your starter ground that goes down to the lower left side of the motor and ensure it has good metal to metal contact. It could also be a bad capacitor, but since the starter is new, that is unlikely. If that doesn't fix it, get it over to a parts store and have them test the alternator and battery. If it is cranking, but just not firing up, that can be several things in the fuel and ignition systems that there's a library of info about on here. Just search your exact symptoms and you'll be dog piled with good information.

Your clutch sticking might be the master cylinder, but I wouldn't jump to that conclusion first. These clutches are self adjusting, meaning the slave cylinder adjusts it's position relative to the clutch fork, so as the clutch disk wears the pedal feels the same when pushed regardless of the disk wear. The clutch pedal must be adjusted correctly or the part of the hydralic system that allows the slave cylinder to adjust itself will not function and the pedal will stick to the floor occasionally, or recover slowly after a gear shift. People frequently back the pedal adjustment out too far trying to increase the pedal travel or clutch pressure and wind up messing up the clutch's ability to function correctly even further. I suggest you search the tech section for how to properly adjust you clutch pedal first. Then, if that doesn't fix it, bleed the hydralic system (how-to also in the tech section). If it still doesn't work right and you don't have any leaks in the line to the slave cylinder, THEN suspect the master cylinder. They can break in such a way that they shunt fluid internally and you will not get any outwardly visable signs of failure. The easiest and fastest way I know of to test if the master has failed is clamp a piece of the rubber section of the hydralic line to the slave cylinder shut with a C-clamp. Then, lightly step on the clutch pedal. It should feel rock hard and move very little if any. If it feels very spongy and slowly continues moving toward the floor with light pressure, the master is shunting fluid and will need replacement. Pick a section of tubing you don't mind replacing if you do this, because if the rubber is old and heat worn, this trick may very well crack the tubing, blow hydraulic fluid out at high pressure into the engine bay, and the clutch will not function at all until the tubing is replaced and the hydraulic fluid replaced and bled free of air. Just use some good judgement and don't clamp it so hard you shear off the rubber.

The interior lighting issue makes me think your door switch is either sticking or broken. Check the little plunger switch on the bottom rearward edge of each door frame and make sure they function correctly when you push them. Those switches are being hit with the door everytime they are shut, so if the prior owner was one of those annoying people that insist on slamming the door shut everytime the get in or out of the car, the switch could easily be broken inside from the repeated abuse.

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy your new addiction. You'll both love it like family and want to send it to hell in a fiery cloud of shrapnel with a brick of C-4 at the same time fairly often. It is going to force you to learn how to be a mechanic also, unless you have an endless supply of money. The upside to all of that is that these cars will smoke most "fast" cars with a few basic upgrades and a little effort to tune it. Enjoy!

 

[LiquidX]

Explain more on your starting, does it sound like it wants to start, does it just click? I would first just test to make sure the battery is good and providing enough juice during your cold mornings/nights.

You said there is a leak into the cabin? If yes then your master cylinder which is attached to the clutch pedal arm needs replaced or you can rebuild it. Replace the slave cylinder on the transmission too. Followed by a bleed and lastly adjust your clutch throw according to this video.
Proper Clutch Adjustment - YouTube

As mentioned it sounds like the door switch has corroded contacts. You can either get new ones, find them at a junk yard, search the classifieds, take yours apart for free and clean the contacts.

 

[H@xtGSX]

Good call. I didn't think about the contacts being corroded. Mine sometimes turns off abnormally slow, so now I have something else to look at today while I am figuring out how to stuff this Supra IC into my bumper...

That video is how I learned to adjust the clutch. He explains it very well.

 

[95GS-Tguy]

I'm pretty sure i fixed the starting problem.. (although not sure - havnt started up again because when i try to the car starts to move when i have the clutch engaged as far as i can push it)
When i push the clutch a little bit.. it goes almost all the way to floor by itself.. the previous owned told me it was leaking.. I didn't know how badly..the resivior was empty when the clutch started sticking like this... Maybe its air locked or something? is this possible?? is there any seals in the master cylinder i can replace?

Turns out the battery cable was very lose on the positive terminal and also the main cable going to the starter was not clamped on well at all i pulled it out easily.. Also about the light only sometimes working.. that fixed that as well.. i check all the fuses as well and none of them are blown..

Other things i found..
- vacuum line to boost gauge was cut.
- power to boost gauge wire was disconnected...
- Oil on top of valve cover


Still having problems with the clutch... The fluid seems to be leaking on both sides of the fire wall... at Canadian tire they want 150 for a new one.. is this worth it.. to just replace??

** i Need an online manual for my vehicle.. if anyone knows a site where you can download them for free or has a copy themselves it would be greatly appreciated **

 

[crash89]

Just go to a local parts store and get a new master cylinder. They can range anywhere from 60-130 bucks from what Ive seen. While you're there just pick up a Chilton book! It will definitely help you a lot. Also, take a look at VFAQ.com. Good stuffs right there!!

 

[LiquidX]

If it's leaking then it's shot, simple as that. You can attempt to replace the seals but I would just replace the whole unit.

 

[H@xtGSX]

Yea, if it is leaking outside of the system, time to replace the master.

Don't bother with those seal replacement kits. They never match the barrel well enough to be as good as an normal working unit IMO. Adjusting for US to CD currency, $150 is on the upper end of what a master costs, but not outside what you should expect to pay. You can probably order one online cheaper.

Make sure you get those vacuum lines replaced too. Don't forget about them and then wind up wasting time searching for a boost leak. Just replace them now while you have it fresh in your mind.

The oil on the valve cover is probably from a crack in the casting. Our valve covers SUCK in terms of durability. One over torqued bolt and you hear *snap crackle pop* as the crack runs down the nearest corner fillet. Then they leak under boost pressure. I usually cheat and remove the cover, slather on some Corrning high temp rtv on the underside of the cover on the crack, do the same but lighter (so it doesn't look sloppy) on top, let it harden up for 48 hours, and reinstall it with some good VC gaskets. If you haven't changed yours and the car has been neglected like you are alluding to, the gaskets around the bottom edge of the VC and the spark plug holes are probably compressed and cracking from age. Just order some new ones. They aren't expensive and trying to make old VC gaskets work with gobs of black rtv looks like amatuer crap.

...... Or your oil cap just may not be sealing.

You can credit Ludachris for this: Here is your FSM, or at least the majority of it. http://www.scribd.com/mobile/documents/8635457 <--- Read it, know it, love it. You will be using it a lot.

 

[95GS-Tguy]

Okay.. so it seems to be wet down by the slave cylinder and also below the reservoir.. and my clutch petal is stuck to the floor if i press it..

 

[LiquidX]

It doesn't raise back up because there is air in the line from the leak/s.

 

[H@xtGSX]

There is no quick fix or cheap trick that is going to fix a blown out clutch system, so don't goof around with it. Get new parts, get them in right, and make 100% sure the air has all been bled out. If you take any shortcuts, you'll find yourself grinding gears and slipping the disk until you have a much bigger problem. Personally, I would replace the entire system, master, slave, and swap the clutch line for a steel one. You want as little flex in the hydraulic line as you can get.

 

[95GS-Tguy]

Hmm yeah well i still dont know where its leaking from.. but i bled the system and i have use of my clutch back.. now its up on blocks and when its in neutral the front drivers side wheel is turning.. when i dont have the clutch engaged..

wtf is going on here.. is my gear box messed up?

 

[crash89]

No, your clutch is still dragging.

 

[H@xtGSX]

He is right. If it is in neutral and dragging, you may have a bigger problem.

Do you know if the clutch was recently replaced? If it is new, a clutch disk that is a bit thick from the factory will drag a bit until it wears just enough the clear the flywheel. My jeep clutch was like that. I had to intentionally slip it for a little bit to get it worn down to clear of the flywheel. It has been fine ever since.

If it is old, either the throwout isn't going all the way back or the pressure plate isn't working right anymore. If that is the case, you will likely need to replace the clutch assembly itself. If you are handy, mechanically inclined, and can follow directions exactly you can replace it yourself with the right tools. You should look for a complete clutch kit with an alignment tool included. You'd need a good floor jack with a transmission rack and a full set of 2.5 ton or bigger jackstands. The transmission will be dropped out under the car, so it has to be high up enough for the jack and transmission housing to clear the lowest obstruction in the way of rolling it out from underneath. You'll need a puller to get the pilot bearing out, but Autozone usually has a slide hammer puller you can borrow. You will really want to have pneumatic tools (impact wrench, air ratchet) because some of the mounting bolts will be stuck hard. If you can't get pnuematics, you are going to need a good 18" breaker bar with a half inch drive and some impact sockets. I have shattered normal socket wrenches on bolts like that. With impact sockets, you will break before they do.

If that is outside of your capabilities or you cannot afford to be wrong and have to drop it a second time to fix a mistake, you're looking at a $800+ USD clutch replacement. BUT, before you do anything drastic, have someone who has replaced a clutch and knows how to diagnose one look at it first so you know for sure what you are up against before buying anything.

 

[LiquidX]

OP, I didn't post that video for my own amusement.

If the master cylinder is leaking on the inside, it's only a matter of time that it will all go back to how it was.

 

[pauleyman]

the input shaft still rotates while in neutral. It has to. Our transmission are constant mesh. The wheels will rotate all on their own when the motor is running. The gears run on needle bearings so you should be able to stop the wheels from turning easily if you hold them. If not then you have bigger problems and they are inside the transmission. Clutch would obviously be fully engaged in this situation.

 

[95GS-Tguy]

Yeah i'm going to replace the master cylinder tomorrow. 126 bucks from Canadian tire..

Okay good i guess i just never saw that happen before on any of my previous vehicles..

 

[ryztriumph]

Just make sure you get the clutch master cylinder and not the brake! Had that happen to me and my dad once on our tr6. It didn't take us too long to figure it out....

 

[H@xtGSX]

the input shaft still rotates while in neutral. It has to. Our transmission are constant mesh. The wheels will rotate all on their own when the motor is running. The gears run on needle bearings so you should be able to stop the wheels from turning easily if you hold them. If not then you have bigger problems and they are inside the transmission. Clutch would obviously be fully engaged in this situation.

Good catch. I was thinking like partial engagement. If it is just slowly and gradually starting to spin and is slow enough that you can grab it safely and stop it, that is normal.

Just make sure you get the clutch master cylinder and not the brake! Had that happen to me and my dad once on our tr6. It didn't take us too long to figure it out....

That sucks... Especially if you then have to go back to the same parts store to get the right part. It never fails that if I do something like that, it is always the same clerk too, so I basically am admitting I am an idiot when I ask for the right part. There's always that split second when he realizes what you did and has to prevent himself from laughing or making a comment.

 

[95GS-Tguy]

Haha, ya ill be sure to ask for the clutch master cylinder.

 

[Anubis_4_99]

Haha, ya ill be sure to ask for the clutch master cylinder.

If they ask if you have ABS, dead give away, . Had that happen to me last week and almost walked out with the wrong part.

 

[H@xtGSX]

If they ask if you have ABS, dead give away, . Had that happen to me last week and almost walked out with the wrong part.

<--- seriously.

This is apparently a common mishap. That is fing hilarious... It always makes me feel a lot better knowing I'm not the only person to do that kind of crap. I have made Darwin award candidate mistakes buying used sh*t off eBay. I learned that if you have a weird foriegn car that you have to scrounge parts for and you don't speak the language of the place the car came from, get rid of it immediately. FYI, unless it is a Veyron, stay the hell away from Buggatti's. They are heaping piles of sh*t.... Or at least the one's a working man can afford to get are. That POS nearly killed me on several occasions.

 

[95GS-Tguy]

So i replaced my Master cylinder.. i watched the video on how to adjust but i'm having problems finding that point.. where you can still push the salve cylinder button and have the rod out..

I have the rod about in the middle of the threads like it was on the old master cylinder rod.. and i cant push the button... this is after i bled the system.

Also when i am driving it, and put the gas pedal 3/4 way down in say 3 or 4 gear it seems to skip.. like sudden jolts of loss of power.. but then i regain it... its not like its uneven power loss with the revs being high... etc (accelerating and no going anywhere) Does this mean my clutch is gone? / going?

 

[blkgst97]

Thats a sign of your master cylinder rod being adjusted improperly. Its pumping up and barely holding pressure and that is your clutch slipping. Readjust your master cylinder as per the video.

 

[95GS-Tguy]

I keep trying to adjust it like in the video, i bleed the system first. then adjust the master cylinder rod. i either go to far so that i can move the slave cylinder button or no enough and the pedal doesn't come up.. I'm getting super frustrated the shop that installed the master cylinder for me didn't know how to bleed it properly.. so they just backed the rod almost all the way out.. leaving me barely able to get home.
I bought a Haynes manual for my car today and i read the clutch section and it showed a picture of the master cylinder.. and it looks like they gave me the one for the non-turbo model.. does this matter.. here a pic of the difference..

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Sorry that the pic is side ways.. i dont know why it uploaded like that.. the diagram that is circled in red is what my old one looks like and the blue one is what i have now. Do you think it will make a difference?

I also went to the dealer and talked to one of the techs and he didn't know what i was talking about.. arhh i wish one of you guys that have owned 4 of these vehicles before lived around here X D