ugh.... Who else has a DSM from hell??!!

[AnewDSM]

Anyone else just have that DSM that you want to drive off a bridge?

This would be my one..

My 1994 Eclipse has been a constant headache since I bought it...... I got it for a steal, and usually that means problems. I shold have had a light bulb turn on and warn me of this but... I'm just dumb.

Get the car for $400....

Get it home, change out the Coil pack, o2 sensor, and put in a few other sensors. I checked the wiring and fixed a few that were badly repaired...

Car starts right up and then the other problems just piled on top..

Turns out the car was in a fire and almost the entire engine harness was melted and botched back together by someone who obviously didn't have any idea what they were doing with a crimper and connectors...

After a whole lot of trial and error, I ripped the entire harness out and replaced it with one that i had in my shop.

Once again the car fired right up and then I was able to drive it for a while, then it started getting an inconsistent rattle sound that noone could figure out where it was coming from.

Thought it might be the hydraullic tensioner giving out and letting the belt slap around.. (turns out it was the problem)....

The other day I was on the freeway and the car just shut down completely... I am not reading any oil on the dipstick but the gauge says i have pleanty of pressure.. I just did an oil change about 100 miles ago.... but i think it might be the wrong stick for the car anyhow....
I Added some oil and now I have a knock in the lower end when it tries to run... It only will run with a crappy idle right now and has 0 power under load which makes it turn itself off.... awesome right?

So when I was changing the upper/front motor mount for a new one I decided to check the tensioner and the tensioner pulley... I loosened the pulley and re-tightened it ... I cranked the motor over by hand at the crank pulley with the 1/2 socket.... the belt now gets tight then loose... tight then loose... tight-loose, tight-loose.... And surprisingly enough this is when i actually realized that the tensioner was bad officially... (i can press down on the timing belt between the cam gears and it depresses the tensioner like a hot knife through butter.)
I am so surprised that it never skipped time or lost the belt completely on the road....
Now the car sits in the driveway waiting for the "awesome" non-knowledgeable people who work at the auto-parts store to order me the correct tensioner and pulley for the car.. (why do people who know barely anything about any car end up being the people who work at the parts store?????) makes no sense.... it's like their hiring process goes like this.:

a) Do you know what a car, truck, or suv/van is?
...
b) yes..
...
a) That's awesome.! Good good... now, do you know the numbers 0-9?
..
b) yes..
...
a) amazing. you're doing great... ok, final question, do you know what good .
customer service is?
...
b) uhhhh..... n....
..
a) oh! it doesn't matter... welcome to the team!...

.....

anyways, back to what i was saying...
This 1g is the root of all evil...

No matter what I do... I cannot fix the idle surge when it does run... and i replaced the sensors and checked for leaks.... (that's what we all say)



Anyone else just have these nightmares of 1g's or 2g's?
I want some opinions if the problems are ever going away or if once they start, it just is like a revolving door... fix one ---- another one is swinging around to kick you in the. @**....

 

[Boug]

I do and that's why I'm trying to sell it.

 

[spyderdrifter]

I'm sorry for your pains and definately know how you feel.

I bought a 1995 GS-T for 1500, couldn't pass it up. Bought it knowing it had a starting issue. So after having it for 3 weeks, and replacing the starter, starter cables, battery, battery cables, & repairing multiple locations on the engine harness, and ECU harness, the car still wouldn't start, but I finally got it toat least crank whereas it wouldn't before. I ended up having the new battery recharged since it had been used for testing the electrical system and what do you know, it finally started up and I got to drive it for 2 1/2 days.

I decided to help a friend move and we planned to take my car for the final run so he could grab his motorcycle and within the first 5 min, all engine power dropped and the car wouldn't run over 3k rpms and wouldn't go faster than 40mph, and struggled to get there.

So after limping my car back to the garage, I again tore crap out, and replaced the ignition coil, after going to one place that 'had' the right coil. Lucky for me I've owned a non-turbo 2g talon and knew what it's coil looked like as that was the part they tried selling me, and said it went to the F-code engine. I ended up going to an import parts store where th ey had it but was expensive. Also bought a fuel pump from said place that didn't match either.

So I got the new coil in and tested my original pump and power supply wires and all was testing good, yet now it wouldn't start.... again....

I've since ordered a Walbro fuel pump that I'm swapping out tonight, after 2 weeks of waiting for it to come in. I know I need a new wire harness but due to the price of a new one, I gotta make due with what I got for now.

Dude I bought the car from needs to be sh ot after jacking up the harness this bad. He used drinking straws and zip ties as heat shrink and put in a crappy push start button to bypass the starter relay and never worked til I pulled it out and repaired the wires.

Hopefully it starts tonight, if not, I think I'll go insane. Any advice is welcomed.

 

[95talongirl]

"Turns out the car was in a fire and almost the entire engine harness was melted and botched back together by someone who obviously didn't have any idea what they were doing with a crimper and connectors"

^^ This is the reason mine s torn apart and getting the harness from my other car.... from the engine all the way to the tail lights.

As far as the parts store problem; it is because they are corporate companies that do not give a crap about anything except for their bottom line. The people WITH actual automotive knowledge and experience do not want to work for minimum wage.... and they shouldn't have to.

 

[tsd123]

One of my close friends just bought a 1990 talon for 3 thousand. It is a pretty nice car with a good turbo setup, and all. A day after he got it it started having over heating problems. It ended up not having any water in it. Well we figured out the head gasket was blown, and that is why there wasn't any water. It was kind of sluggish to. He got the motor apart, and he decided he was going to put new rings and bearings in it. He took the pistons out, and they all had cracked at the ring lands. When he took the pistons out they fell apart. So he bought new ones, and put it all back together. It runs really good now. I'm just glad that i paid 500$ for mine instead of paying 3g's for the same deal

 

[thec1arity]

I bought mine for 2200 about a week ago and I've already put about $300 into it. All the normal wear and tear stuff was basically neglected. Here's a list of what I've done and still have to do:

1.) Catalytic converter was plugged. Punched a hole through it as a temporary fix so that I'm not getting exhaust backed up into the engine.

2.) Because of the fact it was driven with a plugged cat, the pressure shot oil into the spark plug holes so I had to replace the plugs. No oil since.

3.) The cat gaskets are shot. Any extra power I gained by bypassing the cat is going right through the the gaps where the gaskets should be.

4.) Harmonic balancer was shot. I was getting wobble from it plus it had chips in it w/ rust.

5.) The left front shock needs to be replaced as it's leaking hydraulic fluid.

6.) The bushing for the left front shock is shot.

7.) Replaced the switch for my turn signals...they didn't work.

8.) Before I bought it, the speedometer was off. Had him replace the speed sensor + a chip in the console.

9.) Basically anything that was rubber...any bushings are shot including the ones for the engine mounts.

10.) Brake rotors need to be replaced as theres uneven feeling to them when you brake.

$2200 sounded like a great deal until you find out that it wasn't well maintained minus the normal crap anyone (including me) can do...IE air filter, oil change, oil filter, spark plugs, etc.. I love the car since it really is fun to drive and the body/interior are in great shape. I'll end up spending the money on it just because I DO like the car. DSM or not, a car that's older than 10 years old is going to have problems unless it was very well maintained.

 

[toubaby2]

I once had a 1g Talon the was a 5 speed, I swear that thing was possessed. Two seperated Pinks events I get to the starting line and the f***ing car won't start. Sold that thing to a friend and eventually he realized that it in fact is really possessed. He strips all the mods and sells it too.

I now have a new 1a Talon that is auto and I am in love. Actually I think the car loves me. As I said it is new to me but it has been traileed to the track once and driven to and from the track a second time; made a total of twelve, 12 to 13second passes and have had no breakage. Thanks to Shawn Brown, Jeff Bush, English Racing, Metro Treansmissions for making me one happy dsm owner. "Wendy's Wings" and Sandra will be coming to a track near you.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

I wouldn't say my car is possessed or evil spawn or anything like that. I just know that I have been slowly over the past 3 years fixing all of the issues and abuse this car has taken by it's previous owners. I think my most hateful thing are all the consistant leaks I have. If its not one thing its another. But soon, soon it will be ok!

I originally purchased this car for 1000 with a blown engine (huge holeS in the block). It also came with a second block and lots of extra pieces. the car had been sitting for a couple years before I got it. Rebuilt the engine once, spun a rod bearing at 1,000 miles, ripped it apart, rebuilt it again, 20K and running good... minus other small issues and parts I have replaced along the way.

 

[2gTSIFZone]

i feel your pain!!! i bought a 95 TSI AWD back in early june, with just a overheating problem (or so the previous owner said) figured out the hard pipe from the turbo had pinched the main fan wire... drove it for 1 week at half throttle.... mainly because if i went half past throttle it would choke the car out (assuming boost leaks) anywho driving home one night and my i notice a knocking sound *_* put a quart of oil in and BABYED it home... didnt even make it all the way home when (so i soon found out) the battery boiled and "popped" and this was at 10 pm... FINALLY at 330 am the tow truck shows up and guess what... wasnt a flat bed... after SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR A FLATBED he shows up with a standard tow-truck he asks.. So this thing fwd or rwd? i kindly told him that it was AWD... so he goes to work only lifting the front end up... so i casually ask... so you remember that i told you its awd right AND its got LSD in the rear? so this isnt going to work... his EXACT words were " Trust me son, ive been doing this a long time, its gonna work" sure enough 100ft down the road rear end locks out... i looked at him and said told you so ya jacka$$

So anywho went and bought a new alternator took about 5 hours for that and a new "wiring harness" for the alternator... turned it on and it fired up like a champ!!! though it was a little bit louder than normal... kinda sounded like a lawn mower... my friend and i were confused... i even remember saying... hmmm this doesnt seem right... Famous last words of my talon... Eh it should be all right... xD

took it around the block once then KABLEWWY!!!! rod through my block :*(

been a 3,000lb paper weight since 6-25-10... in the process of building a new block and almost done CP Pistons Eagle Rods you name it

welcome to the club

 

[DSMTyson]

I would have told that tow truck driver to leave as soon as he started lifting the front of the car off the ground. Are people really that stupid?(refering to tow truck driver, not you )

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

i feel your pain!!! i bought a 95 TSI AWD back in early june, with just a overheating problem (or so the previous owner said) figured out the hard pipe from the turbo had pinched the main fan wire... drove it for 1 week at half throttle.... mainly because if i went half past throttle it would choke the car out (assuming boost leaks) anywho driving home one night and my i notice a knocking sound *_* put a quart of oil in and BABYED it home... didnt even make it all the way home when (so i soon found out) the battery boiled and "popped" and this was at 10 pm... FINALLY at 330 am the tow truck shows up and guess what... wasnt a flat bed... after SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR A FLATBED he shows up with a standard tow-truck he asks.. So this thing fwd or rwd? i kindly told him that it was AWD... so he goes to work only lifting the front end up... so i casually ask... so you remember that i told you its awd right AND its got LSD in the rear? so this isnt going to work... his EXACT words were " Trust me son, ive been doing this a long time, its gonna work" sure enough 100ft down the road rear end locks out... i looked at him and said told you so ya jacka$$

So anywho went and bought a new alternator took about 5 hours for that and a new "wiring harness" for the alternator... turned it on and it fired up like a champ!!! though it was a little bit louder than normal... kinda sounded like a lawn mower... my friend and i were confused... i even remember saying... hmmm this doesnt seem right... Famous last words of my talon... Eh it should be all right... xD

took it around the block once then KABLEWWY!!!! rod through my block :*(

been a 3,000lb paper weight since 6-25-10... in the process of building a new block and almost done CP Pistons Eagle Rods you name it

welcome to the club

Did that battery acid eat through anything in the engine bay?

 

[2gTSIFZone]

a few vac lines and the material under my hood but all in all not so bad... minus the rod HAHA... oh and there is some "dust" on my tranny but a little engine de-greaser and all was well

and i got his tow truck number and his name and other info so if my lsd is messed up i know who is getting the bill

 

[thec1arity]

i feel your pain!!! i bought a 95 TSI AWD back in early june, with just a overheating problem (or so the previous owner said) figured out the hard pipe from the turbo had pinched the main fan wire... drove it for 1 week at half throttle.... mainly because if i went half past throttle it would choke the car out (assuming boost leaks) anywho driving home one night and my i notice a knocking sound *_* put a quart of oil in and BABYED it home... didnt even make it all the way home when (so i soon found out) the battery boiled and "popped" and this was at 10 pm... FINALLY at 330 am the tow truck shows up and guess what... wasnt a flat bed... after SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR A FLATBED he shows up with a standard tow-truck he asks.. So this thing fwd or rwd? i kindly told him that it was AWD... so he goes to work only lifting the front end up... so i casually ask... so you remember that i told you its awd right AND its got LSD in the rear? so this isnt going to work... his EXACT words were " Trust me son, ive been doing this a long time, its gonna work" sure enough 100ft down the road rear end locks out... i looked at him and said told you so ya jacka$$

So anywho went and bought a new alternator took about 5 hours for that and a new "wiring harness" for the alternator... turned it on and it fired up like a champ!!! though it was a little bit louder than normal... kinda sounded like a lawn mower... my friend and i were confused... i even remember saying... hmmm this doesnt seem right... Famous last words of my talon... Eh it should be all right... xD

took it around the block once then KABLEWWY!!!! rod through my block :*(

been a 3,000lb paper weight since 6-25-10... in the process of building a new block and almost done CP Pistons Eagle Rods you name it

welcome to the club

That's crazy man...I would have called him an f'n moron.

 

[Achelea]

^^ I would have told him, "you tow it like this, you're buying me a center differential."

 

[thec1arity]

^^ I would have told him, "you tow it like this, you're buying me a center differential."

I guess I would have been more pissed that he was so sure he know what he was doing...even to the point of calling him "son".

 

[DSM_IKE]

Bought my 90 TSI AWD on the 8th for $900, So far ive probably spent another $600 into the car and still have more to spend on it.. .. Found that the car had been in a front accident as the sub frame is bent up in the front a bit, luckily it didnt effect anything past the rad support so the car is still drivable.
I've had to replace the exhaust mani
the exhaust to turbo housing gasket 3 times
the turbo housing its self
had to replace the bumber cover and the hood and a fender as well so i just did a 92 conversion so no more pop ups
oil pan and valve cover gaskets
front crank seal
oil send unit
rear trunk struts

I have been tearing out all the ugly ass tan int and putting in black int.

The car still needs;

Possible coil packs
possible ICM
have but not installed the drivers cv axle
Have but not installed new oil pressure gauge
Possible o2 sensor
OEM fogs put back in

I think there is a couple more things, but i cant think of them at this time, but yeah..

 

[Achelea]

^^^ I had to do that before. Turned out the turbo to exhaust bolts were stretched. Got new hardware and haven't seen a leak yet. Pity I gotta pull it off to replace the turbo. XD

 

[DSM_IKE]

Yea, as soon as I get the cash, I'm going to be putting on a Turbo header,Turbo housing and o2 housing. so it will be yet another gasket set.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

Yea, as soon as I get the cash, I'm going to be putting on a Turbo exhaust manifold, Turbo housing and O2 housing. so it will be yet another gasket set.

fixed

 

[DSM_IKE]

Oops. Thanks

 

[theslab]

make sure you replace youre capacitors in your ecu theyll go bad soon if they havent already

 

[AG 305]

mines the son of the devil no ones been able to tell me whats going on with my car.

NOTHING ON MY CAR WORKS UNTILL I TURN IT ON.

 

[ryan90tsiawd]

Yes!!!!! just know this...... all DSM cars came from the factory with little mean Gremlins. you can't let water fall on its back, and remember... Never ever feed it after midnight.

 

[donnie2783]

I know exactly what yall are saying. I have owned a couple of 1.8 92 eclipse before and never had the problem I am having with my 90 eagle talon tsi awd. I traded my layed down street bike for (2) eagle talons. Well one was a parts car and I didnt pay any mind to it. Well it had some nice aftermarket parts. The main talon had just been rebuilt form top to bottom. bigger turbo,bored 0.50 over pistons. rebuild head and several other goodies. So the guy says right. Well it would take about 5 minutes ,and 2 batteries to start it and he said its a boost leak thats the problem. He is just fed up with it. Ok fine no problem. My first turbo car. Well I get it home and find out this was a northern car and the bottom of the car is history. I found out the side mount intercooler was swiss cheese. So I took the one off the parts car and same thing. Leaving my friends house the brakes go to the floor and some how or another the ebrake dont work so I had to make a blinde corner at 20mph well there was a nice bump and the bottom of the passenger side of the car literally fell out. Where the front passenger seat bolts up was rubbing the ground. So I took everything out and swapped it all into the other car. I took the head off and filled it with PB blaster and the intake valves leaked like a stuck pig. Ok well no problem I have another head as a spare. I put it on the car this morning and took a few minutes to figure out why it wasnt starting. The chts was bad. So I changed it then it started right up. Ran beautiful for 5 seconds I was happier then a tornado in a trailor park . well after about 5 or 6 seconds it does... Ok wth I hit the key to start it back up and theres an extremely loud backfire. It scared my brother haha. and after that it was a flat no compression spin?? Ok wth now. I took the valve cover off and looked at everything.. Ok it's still on time. so i had unplugged the coil and had my brother hit the key and the exhaust cam didnt turn????. Some how it sheered the pin clear off the camshaft and made it look like the pin was still normal. Well the cam was really a quater turn away from top like it was supposed to be. I'm honestly thinking I should have never got this car, and my girlfriend said my shot gun is looking lonely and wants to play with the talon haha. I found that funny. Hey I have a qiuck question. where in the world could I find some good aftermarket parts like besides ebay and summitracing and the basics. Places that have alot of 4g63 parts. Well I hope tomorrow will be a better day for my talon. oh and the funny part about the first talon was.... Almost all of the bolts were loose or missing. and this guy owns a mechanic shop. thats truely sad.It's funny how some people can let a car get in such bad shape then when they can't fix it they don't mention everything like they forget ,and let it be the next persons problem.

 

[Boug]

I know exactly what yall are saying. I have owned a couple of 1.8 92 eclipse before and never had the problem I am having with my 90 eagle talon tsi awd. I traded my layed down street bike for (2) eagle talons. Well one was a parts car and I didnt pay any mind to it. Well it had some nice aftermarket parts. The main talon had just been rebuilt form top to bottom. bigger turbo,bored 0.50 over pistons. rebuild head and several other goodies. So the guy says right. Well it would take about 5 minutes ,and 2 batteries to start it and he said its a boost leak thats the problem. He is just fed up with it. Ok fine no problem. My first turbo car. Well I get it home and find out this was a northern car and the bottom of the car is history. I found out the side mount intercooler was swiss cheese. So I took the one off the parts car and same thing. Leaving my friends house the brakes go to the floor and some how or another the ebrake dont work so I had to make a blinde corner at 20mph well there was a nice bump and the bottom of the passenger side of the car literally fell out. Where the front passenger seat bolts up was rubbing the ground. So I took everything out and swapped it all into the other car. I took the head off and filled it with PB blaster and the intake valves leaked like a stuck pig. Ok well no problem I have another head as a spare. I put it on the car this morning and took a few minutes to figure out why it wasnt starting. The chts was bad. So I changed it then it started right up. Ran beautiful for 5 seconds I was happier then a tornado in a trailor park . well after about 5 or 6 seconds it does... Ok wth I hit the key to start it back up and theres an extremely loud backfire. It scared my brother haha. and after that it was a flat no compression spin?? Ok wth now. I took the valve cover off and looked at everything.. Ok it's still on time. so i had unplugged the coil and had my brother hit the key and the exhaust cam didnt turn????. Some how it sheered the pin clear off the camshaft and made it look like the pin was still normal. Well the cam was really a quater turn away from top like it was supposed to be. I'm honestly thinking I should have never got this car, and my girlfriend said my shot gun is looking lonely and wants to play with the talon haha. I found that funny. Hey I have a qiuck question. where in the world could I find some good aftermarket parts like besides ebay and summitracing and the basics. Places that have alot of 4g63 parts. Well I hope tomorrow will be a better day for my talon. oh and the funny part about the first talon was.... Almost all of the bolts were loose or missing. and this guy owns a mechanic shop. thats truely sad.It's funny how some people can let a car get in such bad shape then when they can't fix it they don't mention everything like they forget ,and let it be the next persons problem.

This was very comical and the visuals you used were right on point. I 100% agree with you about the integrity of people these days is not like it was about five years ago. People are easily to take the easy way out by lying or telling half truths. I was burned twice by fellow DSM'ers that told me the "race" tranny I was buying did not have any issues. Wrong! Now my car sits with me contemplating the next route.

 

[cruisin']

I know, old thread, but reading it has left me with a sinking feeling in my gut and I felt
I had to comment.

I recently purchased a 1997 Talon from a used car lot. The car was not at all what I
was looking for, but it caught my eye and I fell in love with it during the test drive.
The car appears to to have been well maintained, it looks great, clean, no accidents, has
good mileage for a 15 year old car (164,500 kilometers or approx 100,000 miles) and the
mechanic who had worked on it assured me it was a good, reliable car. The salesman agreed to
a 30 day warranty and I bought the car... against my better judgement... for $2500.

2nd day driving it and I could smell something burning, like melting plastic or
something then the car stalled out dead at a major intersection. I called the dealer, they
sent a mechanic (after I blocked rush hour traffic for 2 hours with no hazzard lights) who
installed another battery and got the car back to the lot. Somehow the battery cable/clamp/
terminal had melted- there were drops of molten metal down the side of the old battery. They
replaced the battery, the cables and clamps and sent me on my way.

About a week later I made a quick stop at the store while running errands and the car
would'nt start for me. Tried for almost an hour before calling the dealer, who once again,
sent out the mechanic. He determined that the fuel pump had failed and the car had to be
towed back to the lot. The fuel pump and the relay had gone bad and both were replaced,
under warranty.
Foolishly, I decided that there was nothing else that could go wrong so
I went out and spent almost $700 for new tires for the car. I think I may have jumped the
gun a bit.

I set out yesterday morning to drive my daughter to school before starting a busy day of
errands and the car was dead-again! talk about frustrating! Called the lot-again-the mechanic
got right back to me and arranged to come out within about an hour.
This time the starter was the culprit, and after replacing it, the car is once again,
running beautifully... or so it seems...

I can't fault the lot, their service has been great, but with days left on my warranty I am
starting to feel uncomfortable. I haven't gotten 10 straight days of reliable use out of this
car yet and I a can't help but wonder what is going to fail next.
Did I buy a lemon? Is this the car from hell?

I really love driving the car but if the first month of ownership is any indication of what
I have to look forward to, maybe I should just trade it in for something more reliable now,
before anything else has a chance to go bad. Or has it just been bad luck?
I don't know what to expect with this car anymore, the mechanic says it's good but parts do
get old and wear out. Are these known to be reliable cars?

*Update* Ok, now I really am worried. left to drive my daughter to school and the car wouldn't start again! Called the lot and they sent the mechanic out again- with only 2 days left on my warranty. He determined that the battery was dead and replaced it with another new one- the 2nd brand new battery in 28 days!
He mentioned something about a possible parastic load? and suggested that I may want to keep an eye on it. I'm afraid to even try starting the car today but I need to go speak to someone at the car lot about extending the warranty or replacing the car, considering the endless problems the Talon has had over the last month. I love driving the car, but I need something reliable and I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be able to depend this car.

How do they check for a parasitic load? and would that have caused 2 batteries, the fuel pump relay, fuel pump and the starter all to fail within 28 days? is it something that can be easily fixed? Does anyone have any advice??