Well, it kinda started on Wednesday...

I bought 2 new brake hoses for my 91 RS. I started the car up to listen to my fresh new/used 3 inch flowmaster exhaust. Shut it off and the remembered I had to move the car forward a lil bit (to keep from sitting the tailpipe on the stinkin parking block/stopper thingy). I went to start the car and NOTHING. I noticed that ALL the dash lights dimmed when I hit the key, more than normal. I kept trying and heard POP! Blew a damn fusible link. "AWW SCREW IT!!!" I shouted. Later that night while Im driving my 98 GTP, the fricken transmission goes out with a loud crunch. OK. What else can go wrong...

Thursday, I put in a new fusible link, traced the short to the starter solenoid. Well, at least thats what I thought it was. Thats what the schematic and my voltmeter said at least. So, I replace the starter. All is OK at this point...

Friday I have the same problem all over again. Mess around with it for a while but it was dark outside. "AWW SCREW IT!!!" I get a push start from a buddy I was hanging with at the street race spot and drove it home.

Saturday I pull the starter solenoid trigger wire out of the electrical harness and checked the wire for signs of damage. None. Check everything with the voltmeter and saw no short. "OK, its fixed" is what I thought. I proceeded to install my left front brake hose. Went to install the right front but decided I was too tired to mess with it. Went in the house, cleaned up and went out riding. I stopped at a gas station, filled up and went to start the car, SAME SH*T! WHAT NOW!!! Hit the key several times and heard POP!. OH NO! Wait... the dash is still on! Hmmm. Hit the key and now NONE OF THE LAMPS DIM! Uh oh... Too many hits on a shorted circuit and FRIED THE VATS RELAY!!! Dammit!!! Opened up the relay and saw the damage. Wasnt too bad so I soldered up the open connection (luckily I had my butane soldering iron with me). Push start the car again and drive to the race spot and start tearing the car apart again. Followed the wiring to a point where 3 WIRES tie into the start circuit. One wire goes through the firewall and to the starter. Apparently no short there. One wire goes to the fuse box and the fuse its connected to is labeled CRK. Well, cant be shorted there. No wire damage and if there was a short after that it wouldve blown that fuse. Now, theres one more wire and I cant tell where it goes. So, I take a chance and cut it. NO MORE SHORT! Car starts and all is OK. Now for the next event which takes the cake!!!

Coming home after going up to Glen Burnie and Baltimore MD (street racing spots) and I get close to home when I hear BOOOOOM! RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE. The right front drops to the ground then the car starts pulling hard right. DAMMIT! The fricken right front tire blew! Pull into a gas station and start changing the tire. Get the lug nuts loose when Ali Habibi (station attendant) yells out across the loud speaker (middle eastern accent) "You cannot be changing your tire there!" OK... So I drop the car on the ground, move it, and proceed to change the tire again. Put the donut spare on and its flat. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Of course this station DOES NOT have an air pump, so I drive to the NEXT station and air up the tire. As Im driving I notice the car is STILL pulling to the right. Air up the tire and its STILL pulling. AWW NAW, HELL NAW! So, I drive to the 24 hour used tire joint. Luckily they had a 245/50/16 BFG Comp T/A VR4 just like my tire. They put it on and when I went to pay, I hear "We dont take credit cards". Ummm, yeah. So I walk to the ATM machine, get money, pay the cashier, and come home. I dont get gome until Sunday 6am.

Is this what I have to look forward to as a proud owner of a 3rd Gen?

Im about to get drunk and go to sleep...

PS... After I replaced the left front brake hose to resolve the "pulls to the right when braking" problem, I notice that the car now pulls to the left. Why didnt I just put both on at the same damn time? Oh well, I guess I will be getting dirty again today...

 

That doesn't sound like a ThirdGen specific problem. The same thing could have been written on a Corvette board, Mousetank board, Honda board, etc. I'll bet if you search some of those you'll find similar episodes of misfortune.

Get into perspective. At least you made it home. Some of Ali Habibi's relatives are probably buried in shallow holes in the desert somewhere. You don't realize just how lucky you were last week. Some of our troops in Iraq weren't nearly as lucky as you are.

 

Maybe it's me, but I don't think this was the sort of pep talk/encouragement he was looking for. What next? An anecdote about walking 5 miles to school one-way, in waist-deep snow, uphill, both ways?

As an afterthought, our "troops in Iraq" volunteered - they knew what they were getting into.


-Ray

 

So where exactly was the short in the wiring? wow some people have all the luck. I sympathize with you, I've had days like that as well. In fact, I just had one like that over the weekend, but I'm not going to delve in to it. Just saying I feel for ya. Good luck with everything.

 

i love the saying "i had to walk to school up hill both ways". Even though this is physically impossible if there was the option of walking up hill both ways there must have been the option of walking down hill both ways and your a total moron for not taking the easier route. Anyways man thats ****ty. I sympathize ive had my first third gen and at that my first car for 2 months now and its only been in working condition for 2 days. Cars suck. But theyre oh so much fun.

 

Hey JAYDUBB......Don't worry aboudit !!! Gotta take the Bad days with the Good ones, Dude !! Eventually it'll just be a vauge memory that you will have learned a few valuable lessons concerning your ride. Chaulk it up to gaining experiance, Keep your ski- tips straight, and your powder dry.......... i'm sure you'll fight again another day !!!

 

I didn't know replacing the brake lines would fix that. I'm gonna try that this weekend. Thanks.

 

I think the point was when J-Dubb asked "Is this what I have to look forward to as a proud owner of a 3rd Gen?" it was mentioned that many neglected vehicle can suffer the same problems. It isn't just a "ThirdGen" phenomenon...

The issues have to be faced and conquered one at a time, just like any other project.