JATCO

[Guest joeworf]

Yup! Just Another TC Owner has joined the hallowed ranks! :D

Okay now that the applause has subsided... back to reality. I've got a 1991 TC / red / black interior in pretty good cosmetic shape but with a few mechanical issues.

1st up is the steering/front end. While making right turns (sometimes left and when decelerating I hear a distinct "clunk" and can feel a twitch like a joint popping loose. I had assumed it was a CV joint (and may still be) but am leaning towards something in the area of a ball joint or linkage now. No noticeable play or shimmy while driving. Is this a generic issue or is there something going on that is documented as an issue with these cars? I'll take it to a shop but want as much upfront info as possible.

2nd is the usual pull down motor problem. I could hear the motor cycling the first six or seven times... then nothing. No response. Used the manual override to secure the hardtop, but can't get the softtop to secure or latch in the rear. Is this also an in-line fuse issue or is my motor likely shot? Remember now that it wouldn't catch even when motor was active.

3rd may have been self-correcting or a fluke. Took it to a brushless car wash one evening and as I pulled out on to the road the speedo needle hopped a little, twitched a little and croaked. Now, previously it had ocassionally jerked about momentarily when first fired up but settled down almost immediately. I sighed and drove it home and parked it. I assumed I got some wiring wet or maybe the speed sensor. Let it sit for a few days and VOILA!, it worked again. Now, is my sensor about to go bye-bye or did I just **** it off by feeding it after midnight and getting it wet? Just would like to know so as to avoid future blunders. Thanks. JOE

[Bill Reichert]

CV joint AND Odometer Gears - WELCOME They just break.

Installing the gears is easy getting the unit out is I*UE%$@&^Y(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some one just posted about getting the headlight knob off. The directions in the factory manual are 1/2 wrong that makes them 1/2 well you know.

Make sure you get a rebuilt axle WITH the TC abs tone wheel on it. Save you core unit till you see that they are identical.

[Digger914]

Yup! Just Another TC Owner has joined the hallowed ranks! :D

Okay now that the applause has subsided... back to reality. I've got a 1991 TC / red / black interior in pretty good cosmetic shape but with a few mechanical issues.

1st up is the steering/front end. While making right turns (sometimes left and when decelerating I hear a distinct "clunk" and can feel a twitch like a joint popping loose. I had assumed it was a CV joint (and may still be) but am leaning towards something in the area of a ball joint or linkage now. No noticeable play or shimmy while driving. Is this a generic issue or is there something going on that is documented as an issue with these cars? I'll take it to a shop but want as much upfront info as possible.

2nd is the usual pull down motor problem. I could hear the motor cycling the first six or seven times... then nothing. No response. Used the manual override to secure the hardtop, but can't get the softtop to secure or latch in the rear. Is this also an in-line fuse issue or is my motor likely shot? Remember now that it wouldn't catch even when motor was active.

3rd may have been self-correcting or a fluke. Took it to a brushless car wash one evening and as I pulled out on to the road the speedo needle hopped a little, twitched a little and croaked. Now, previously it had ocassionally jerked about momentarily when first fired up but settled down almost immediately. I sighed and drove it home and parked it. I assumed I got some wiring wet or maybe the speed sensor. Let it sit for a few days and VOILA!, it worked again. Now, is my sensor about to go bye-bye or did I just **** it off by feeding it after midnight and getting it wet? Just would like to know so as to avoid future blunders. Thanks. JOE

For your CV joint find yourself a quiet parking lot near a building with a lot of concrete wall and make slow wheel locked right and left turns, the sound echo will tell you which axle is bad and if both are bad which is worse.

The top pull down is a hands on deal and after you check the fuse and find it good you will have to get power to the motor to know if it's bad, from what I've read here TC's most often eat the gears and my experience with GM trunk pull down is the gears are almost always good and the switch is usually bad and bad GM trunk pull down assemblies are a dime a dozen at the bone yard. Some great pictures of what you will be working on were in a posting link a couple of months back, to get to what you need to work on without making a mess you're going to need the book and the wiring detail you will need to know about to fix without replacing the assembly is online as 90's Buick, Cad, Olds, trunk pull down circuit.

Speedo is the speed needle and the cluster contains the odometer, these things get confused as one can work without the other, but the other can't work without the first. If you didn't know how fast you were going after getting your wash it is probably the sensor or wire connection. If you knew how fast your were going but not how far you had gone, it's probably the gear and unless you washed with your top off it has nothing to do with getting wet.

[Hemi Dude]

It's so nice to have DIGGER914 to answer all these questions. I can truly retire now

[Guest joeworf]

Appreciate the responses, guys! Whereas I do suspect the CV joints, I'm not sure and was trying to get feedback as to other likely causes of the sound (unless you're saying that it IS likely the little buggers). As far as the speedo goes, I had already determined the gears were shot in the odometer as it was DOA when I bought the car. The speedo worked fine except for the occasional hiccup and is now working again. I just wondered what I got wet to cause the temporary failure. It's all good though and I'm now armed with enough info to do some diagnostic work. Hemi, don't quit on us just yet... I've got lots more questions for ya later. I've got a MOPAR menagerie including a Crossfire, Rampage, Scamp (Rampage version) and a Caravan that will need to be ministered to at some future dates. Thanks much gentlemen! JOE:cool:

[Digger914]

It's so nice to have DIGGER914 to answer all these questions. I can truly retire now

Hemi,

You can't retire quite yet. I can help a lot with the under car mechanics, but when it comes to under the hood I only know enough to be dangerous. Growing up my dads family was filled with farmers and car dealers and a family reunion had so many cars with dealer plates that it looked like a Sunday auto auction. The competing cousins renamed Hwy 12 the Ford Chevy line, the Dodge boy's got teased by both sides and the Tucker Dealership that never really happened was a story that changed every time it was told. I was once under the hood of a Chrysler when I was a kid, it was a Turbine and everybody looked. Though I know a lot about what it takes to bid a car for trade, what it takes to get one ready for sale and spent a lot of time under the car doing shocks, then struts and brakes, the old man always wholesaled anything that might need tranny or major motor work, so I am really light on experience in that area. My TC is a V6 auto, if it weren't for the thousand miles between us you could OJT me on these Chrysler Turbo's and settle back in your rocker with your pipe and paper. Until that happens there are a million and one questions that I will won't be able to answer.

[Guest joeworf]

Oops! Forgot one other thing. When I first start the car on any given day I just turn the key and it cranks right away and idles normally. After a shutdown and after an hour or so passes (sometimes more, sometimes less) when I go to start it, it just cranks until I apply the gas and I have to pump it to get it to settle down at idle or it'll sputter and stall immediately. After an overnight rest it fires without the gas being applied as it's supposed to and is fine until the next restart. If I shut it off immediately it starts fine with no priming needed. Ideas? JOE

[Digger914]

Oops! Forgot one other thing. When I first start the car on any given day I just turn the key and it cranks right away and idles normally. After a shutdown and after an hour or so passes (sometimes more, sometimes less) when I go to start it, it just cranks until I apply the gas and I have to pump it to get it to settle down at idle or it'll sputter and stall immediately. After an overnight rest it fires without the gas being applied as it's supposed to and is fine until the next restart. If I shut it off immediately it starts fine with no priming needed. Ideas? JOE

I can lighten the load and cut down on his keyboard time, but it's questions like this that prove that can't replace Hemi,

[Guest joeworf]

Okay, one last question (trying not to be a pest or use up my newbie mulligans). This one is subject to interpretation... The TC is really slooooow to warm up according to the temp gauge and lingers in the lower quadrant. After a while it gradually creeps up at protracted idle (long stoplights) and lowers once underway. Now i know the airflow is a factor and so far I've never it seen it go over the midway line when sitting (even in 90 degree weather), but I'm unacustomed to the wide swings in temperature except when something is possibly amiss. Radiator is full. Guessing it may be a failing thermostat or possibly the fan isn't engaging. I haven't been able to detect any fan noise nor does it run after shutdown. (I have a Dodge Rampage that has an electric fan that runs for an annoyingly long time after turning off... Gawd I miss belt-driven fans). Or is this needle swing typical for this car? Like I said, so far have never seen it creep over the half-way mark, but then again I haven't really pushed it either. JOE

[Digger914]

Okay, one last question (trying not to be a pest or use up my newbie mulligans). This one is subject to interpretation... The TC is really slooooow to warm up according to the temp gauge and lingers in the lower quadrant. After a while it gradually creeps up at protracted idle (long stoplights) and lowers once underway. Now i know the airflow is a factor and so far I've never it seen it go over the midway line when sitting (even in 90 degree weather), but I'm unacustomed to the wide swings in temperature except when something is possibly amiss. Radiator is full. Guessing it may be a failing thermostat or possibly the fan isn't engaging. I haven't been able to detect any fan noise nor does it run after shutdown. (I have a Dodge Rampage that has an electric fan that runs for an annoyingly long time after turning off... Gawd I miss belt-driven fans). Or is this needle swing typical for this car? Like I said, so far have never seen it creep over the half-way mark, but then again I haven't really pushed it either. JOE

I can't answer your specif starting problem, but knowing about that problem I'll "SWAG" this one. Most likely cause of this would be that the last owner, or maybe the owner before the last, removed the thermostat looking to fix your starting when warm problem. Get yourself a new one and put it in , it won't change your starting problem, it will get your motor running at the right temp and your emission system will thank you with better mileage and longer life.

[Guest joeworf]

I can't answer your specif starting problem, but knowing about that problem I'll "SWAG" this one. Most likely cause of this would be that the last owner, or maybe the owner before the last, removed the thermostat looking to fix your starting when warm problem. Get yourself a new one and put it in , it won't change your starting problem, it will get your motor running at the right temp and your emission system will thank you with better mileage and longer life.

Thanks Digger! I'll start with the obvious and replace the thermostat, see if that works and then proceed to root things out from there. If I give it a little gas on subsequent hot starts it pretty much fires up right away. Took it in for it's emissions test and after they pulled it in the bay I heard them trying to crank it three times. Uh, kinda/sorta forgot to mention that to them. After I got it back (it passed, BTW) I just hopped in, goosed it and it fired straight away. I can live with it for right now, but would ultimately like to rectify the situation.

[Digger914]

Thanks Digger! I'll start with the obvious and replace the thermostat, see if that works and then proceed to root things out from there. If I give it a little gas on subsequent hot starts it pretty much fires up right away. Took it in for it's emissions test and after they pulled it in the bay I heard them trying to crank it three times. Uh, kinda/sorta forgot to mention that to them. After I got it back (it passed, BTW) I just hopped in, goosed it and it fired straight away. I can live with it for right now, but would ultimately like to rectify the situation.

Wish I could help you with the starting problem, couple weeks ago I answered a post and when Hemi came back from his vacation he touched my reply with a little helpful info. The part I would have you touch first is used by other manufactures, but not found on domestic Chrysler.

I don't know if the Chrysler turbo is an an electronic or mechanical choke, so I honestly don't know if unplugging the MAP sensor will work the same way as a MAS and make the car start when it's hot and if it does start, does it mean that the MAP is bad and all other electronic sensors that can be affected by heat are good.

This funky hot starting is a common problem on Fords from the mid to late 90's and older intercooled Volvo turbos. From other engines I can tell you when it's not something carbon cruddy in the intake or an electrical problem, which are the easiest to find, it's usually a vacuum check valve sticking and sometimes your summer gasoline blend.

[Hemi Dude]

Hemi,

You can't retire quite yet. I can help a lot with the under car mechanics, but when it comes to under the hood I only know enough to be dangerous. Growing up my dads family was filled with farmers and car dealers and a family reunion had so many cars with dealer plates that it looked like a Sunday auto auction. The competing cousins renamed Hwy 12 the Ford Chevy line, the Dodge boy's got teased by both sides and the Tucker Dealership that never really happened was a story that changed every time it was told. I was once under the hood of a Chrysler when I was a kid, it was a Turbine and everybody looked. Though I know a lot about what it takes to bid a car for trade, what it takes to get one ready for sale and spent a lot of time under the car doing shocks, then struts and brakes, the old man always wholesaled anything that might need tranny or major motor work, so I am really light on experience in that area. My TC is a V6 auto, if it weren't for the thousand miles between us you could OJT me on these Chrysler Turbo's and settle back in your rocker with your pipe and paper. Until that happens there are a million and one questions that I will won't be able to answer.

Good story Digger. I'm not quite retired yet. You being in Minnesota, you might want to run over to the local Railroad Yard and check to see if they have any snow blowers that they clean the tracks and switches with in the cold, cold Minnesota wintertime. Let me know what you find out.

You can always send me a private email reply to my address below. I'll tell you what I have in common with the RR and snow blowers.