I didn't feel like posting these in 4 different forums just to be politically correct. I just bought this 87 T/A Sat. afternoon. These are the problems and I hope you guys have some answers for me. I'm a new F-body owner so I'm not quite completely sure on all of these problems.

1. The fog lamps do not work with the parking lights on. They are run in series, correct? Where do I need to start looking for the cause?

2. Where were the RPO codes put at? I'd like to check and see what this car has.

3. Is $150 for a ported & polished stock intake a good price?

4. What all can I do to lower the overall temperature of the car? Why does it need the airdam on the car to help keep it cooler? Does it keep lower pressure air at the base of the radiator to help cool the coolant?

5. When does a radiator flush start to hurt a radiator?

 

well to start off with. on my GTA there is a button on the left of the steering wheel, well theres two buttons, an on and an off button, make sure its pressed, and im guesisng ur talking about the white fog lights on the bottom right? mine come on both when the regualr lights are on and the parking lights. the RPO codes should be in the compartment thing between the seats, well thats where mine was at. and for the airdam, u HAVE to have that, cause it is wut directs air to the radiator when ur going above 40 MPH or when the fans cut off. install a 180* thermostate and a fan switch to cut the fans on ealier. and as far as radiator flush, i flushed mine about 4 times and now i have a bottle of flush in right now that i was supposed to flush out about 3 weeks ago. but as long as u get it all out it shouldn't matter,

hope this helps, and welcome

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88' GTA 350 MODS---> air foil, K&N, Shift Kit, 180* therm, TB bypass

 

87,

Welcome aboard!

As for posting questions on the correct board, if you have items that are not directly related to a particular fuel system or scheme, the Tech/General Engine Board is a safe bet. Then again, I'm somewhat biased on that one...

I'll try to answer your qestions in order.

1. The fog/driving lamps are interlocked with the high beam headlights through a relay. Whenever the high beam lamps are on, the fog lamps are designed to be inoperative. If the high beams are not on, you might want to check the relay to make certain the normally closed contacts are closing. If your TA is like mine, the relays are arranged like this:



You can meter the relay contacts, open the relay and visually inspect the contacts, or replace the relay for about $15.00.

2. There are two common locations for the RPO labels in ThirdGens. Most cars built in Ohio and in Van Nuys before 1989 have the label in the right side of the center console compartment. Some cars built then and after have the label in the small storage compartment in the left side of the rear cargo well. In case your label is gone, you can often find a copy of the factory build sheet hidden somewhere in the vehicle interior. All RPO codes and some additional information about the assembly of the vehicle are listed on the sheets. Favorite locations for the finishers to hide these are under carpets, inside kick panels, in the spare tire well, and under seats, or stuck into the seat springs. I've heard of them in other places, but these seem most common.

3. $150.00 is not too much, depending on what is being done for the service. A complete porting for that price is a bargain. If only the throttle openings of the plenum are ported, that's not a great deal. Incidentally, there is no practical airflow advantage to polishing an intake maifold, plenum, or runners. Porting with a machined finish alone seems to be just as effective.

4. (Actually, this should be numbered 4 through 6) There are many things that can be done to cool your engine. If the cooling system is operating at design temperatures (195-220°F), you can change the thermostat and fan control to lower the design temperature. If the cooling system is not maintaining the design temperature, you need to repair the problems first.

The lower air deflectors and baffles (some call the parts an "air dam") are used to deflect air upward and through the radiator instead of around it. You'll note that the T/A has no openings in the nose of the car to provide radiator cooling air. These pieces are crucial in providing cooling air for the radiator and engine comnpartment. Your question is somewhat correct. The air deflector raises pressure in front of the lower radiator support and lowers pressure behind the radiator support, effectively causing some air to flow up and through the radiator to satisfy the pressure differential. The baffles help seal the other openings around the radiator and body panels to help force all deflected air through the radiator instead of around it.

A quick look under the nose of the car shoudl reveal these pieces:



5. Radiator flush "hurting" a radiator? I suppose that could happen if the flush were corrosive enough and were allowed to remain in the system too long. It could also happen with acid-based cleaners if the solution was not neutralized after flushing. Aside from that, it is generally accepted that flushing a cooling system should be a good thing, as long as you follow the directions.

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Later,
Vader
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"Let the bodies hit the floor!"
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[This message has been edited by Vader (edited August 06, 2001).]