Hi, Im new to the site and kinda stumbled on it thru google. My last car (1st gen neon) has just bit the big one and now I need something just to get to and from work for a few months. I hope you guys here can help me out, I know nothing about cavaliers. I found a 96 4-door cavalier with 179,000 miles on it for only $550. The price and my need for transport alone make me want to pick it up. I have personaly checked it out and it dose infact make a ticking sound, and all of the dash lights are on, just like the description states. Is the price justified? What kind of repairs (besides tune-up) am I looking at if I buy this car. Of course you guys cant tell me exactly what would need to be done, a ball park idea would be fine with me. Thanks
The ticking sound is probably the lifters. Mine does it when its cold sometimes and my old truck did it all the time. Its usually no big deal.
Asides from the standard maintenance I dont see much that would need to be done. Flush radiator since it has probably never been done. Change oil, spark plugs, stuff like that.
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Madjack wrote:Like I said before, building an engine like ours (2.2 or 2200) is a painstaking chore , since there is so few custom made parts. It's frustrating to me too, but that's what I like about doing this engine, it's the challenge.
Well I did buy the car and I do have to say its been thru hell and back. I had to fix the power window (the window motor was hanging by its wires inside the door) and fab my own gehtto mounting system because it looks as though the previous owner striped just about ever screw and bolt inside the damn thing. I do have some issues with the car. Your insight will help.
I am having a really strange electrical problem, the dome light is very dim and so are my headlights, also ALL of the dashbord lights are either on on come on and off when they feel like it, the lights inside the dash also dim once in a while. I had the battery checked and as well as the alternator (which has been replaced) at my local autozone and they both checkout fine.
There is something really wrong with the pully at the very bottom of the engine because it sounds like its scraping and there is metal shavings on\around it.
The coolant is bone dry, would it be ok for me to just add coolant or should I get it flushed or something?
The temp gauge on the dash also dosnt work.
Dose any of this stuff sound fixable or should I just take this car into a mechanic and have them do a tune up and fix my problems? Sorry if my questions sound really dumb but I really dont know too much about cars
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I am having a really strange electrical problem, the dome light is very dim and so are my headlights, also ALL of the dashbord lights are either on on come on and off when they feel like it, the lights inside the dash also dim once in a while. I had the battery checked and as well as the alternator (which has been replaced) at my local autozone and they both checkout fine.
If its not you battery or your alternator then its either something up with your wiring or your fusebox. Make sure all your fuses are either not blown or pushed all the way in. If that doesnt fix it then it needs professional help.
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There is something really wrong with the pully at the very bottom of the engine because it sounds like its scraping and there is metal shavings on\around it.
Could be scraping your fender well or the bearing could be shot. Again professional help recommended.
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The coolant is bone dry, would it be ok for me to just add coolant or should I get it flushed or something?
I would flush it since you just got the car. Change your thermostat and fill it up to the line. Then your good to go.
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The temp gauge on the dash also dosnt work.
Again its either the wiring or a fuse.
Hope this helps.
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Madjack wrote:Like I said before, building an engine like ours (2.2 or 2200) is a painstaking chore , since there is so few custom made parts. It's frustrating to me too, but that's what I like about doing this engine, it's the challenge.
For the electrical problems make sure all of the grounds in the car are good.
Fast05 wrote:For the electrical problems make sure all of the grounds in the car are good.
that's my thought. Get the battery checked out too wal-mart has a tool that can tell you if the battery has some bad cells in it, or you can take it to a pep-boys and they can put it in "the box"
Sounds like a grounding issue, dead battery, and possibly some blown fuses.
-Chris
