Teach me how to maintain and repair my car.

[Ultima]

I just bought this car a couple days ago. It's a Dodge Shadow 1988. Now, for an old car, it seems in good shape. However, like any old car, there are things here and there that have to be done. Here's my list of gripes:

Engine oil is a little low and black. Does it being black mean I have to change it? I don't know when it was last changed. I'd like to change it myself because I'm rather low on cash right now.
Auto tranny fluid is pink.. that's good right? The tranny was replaced at 100000km and the car's at 142000km right now. I thought the coolant was really low but when I checked the markers on the side of the reservoir it was between min and max. I don't even know where the power steering coolant goes, or if I'm confusing it with the brake fluid or something. This is my first car... :frown:

The muffler completely rusted off the car (the muffler itself is okay, but the part of the car it was attached to rusted through completely and now the muffler's just dangling there with part of the car attached to it). I don't think it's a good idea to drive around with my exhaust system clanging around so I want to fix that, but I have no idea how to reattach it. Can't just use a wire hanger.. what am I gonna attach it to? lol.

There's minor problems here and there that I'd like to iron out. The paint is peeling off in places.. I asked a guy and he said to clean the metal, use primer and spray paint it over. I guess I'd have to use off-white (the car's white). I somehow managed to make the front right window stuck and now it won't roll down. The back left never would roll down. They're all power windows. The power steering doesn't work when the car's moving very slowly (ie: parking) but that doesn't bug me so much. My friend noted that it's easier to turn the wheel left than right when barely moving but I only notice that when the car is practically still. Doesn't seem to be a concern but I thought I'd mention it. The right flasher sometimes flashes, sometimes not. For some reason the engine sounds like a diesel when idling.. that what it's supposed to sound like?

Other than that... the front shocks seem to be worn out but the car tracks straight on the highway and is controllable, so I don't think it's worth getting replaced. My friend's dad thinks the car's leaking something though cause it stinks up the garage, but I didn't notice any spots on the ground. I'm probably gonna swap the wheels around (back to front) because the fronts don't have much tread and skid WAY too easily in the rain. Even with the ground is wet and it's not raining. I almost rear-ended a civic yesterday (the first day with the car) because I locked up the wheels and didn't know to pump the brakes or anything.. I wasn't thinking. Anyways...

So.. I'd appreciate your advice and help. Thx in advance

 

[mithrandir2001]

Originally posted by: Ultima
I just bought this car a couple days ago...Engine oil is a little low and black. Does it being black mean I have to change it? I don't know when it was last changed.

Change it immediately. Whenever you buy a car used, change the oil. Very inexpensive insurance.

 

[ohtwell]

Engine oil: You should probably change the oil and the filter. I think black oil means that the car is burning oil.

You could probably find a muffler harness (I'm not sure if that's what it's called) at a junkyard. The bad thing about the muffler dangling is that it could fall the rest of the way off or it could scrub the ground and cause some sparks. I would definitely get that fixed.

: ) Amanda

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: ohtwell
Engine oil: You should probably change the oil and the filter. I think black oil means that the car is burning oil.

You could probably find a muffler harness (I'm not sure if that's what it's called) at a junkyard. The bad thing about the muffler dangling is that it could fall the rest of the way off or it could scrub the ground and cause some sparks. I would definitely get that fixed.

: ) Amanda

The muffler won't scrape the ground because the frame of the car is in the way, but it still moves around a lot and clangs around and just from that I'm afraid the pipe will break or something and the whole exhaust system will fall off. So like I mentioned in my original post how would I go about changing the oil myself? I'd like to do it that way if possible cause that'd be cheaper. Does anyone know what I could do about the rest like the windows etc? It doesn't matter so much that winter's coming, but there's still some hot days left and it sucks when the window's stuck :frown:

 

[Ultima]

I just looked at the area around the muffler again and that whole area of the car is rusted really bad.... I'm afraid to put too much pressure on any of the metal there in case my finger goes through. I noticed that the bumper is held on by two metal beams and was thinking of looping the hanger around well of those.. well, when I touched one of the beams it started crumbling in my hands :Q

 

[Ultima]

Just looked at the frame closer.. and it has some holes in it around the muffler area. The holes look round so I'm not sure if they're supposed to be there or not, I'm gonna have to take a closer look :Q

 

[Ultima]

Anyway I looped the wire around the bumper bolt. It's pretty rusted too but I don't think the muffler's so heavy that it's gonna rip right through the bolt. I hope I'm right...

It's weird, because the front of the car has practically no rust on it at all. It's the back of the car that's rusted to hell (underneath anyway. The body itself is in good condition).

 

[GasX]

Man, I hope you didn't pay a lot for this thing...

Definitely change the oil, but first smell the dipstick. If there is a strong smell of gasoline, your seals are shot or dying... (this is not a good thing...)

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
Man, I hope you didn't pay a lot for this thing...

Definitely change the oil, but first smell the dipstick. If there is a strong smell of gasoline, your seals are shot or dying... (this is not a good thing...)

I paid $380 US. The car seemed a great deal compared to the other cars selling for that price...

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: Mwilding
Man, I hope you didn't pay a lot for this thing...

Definitely change the oil, but first smell the dipstick. If there is a strong smell of gasoline, your seals are shot or dying... (this is not a good thing...)

I paid $380 US. The car seemed a great deal compared to the other cars selling for that price...

Right on! I just sold my beloved brown beauty that I had paid $300 for originally. I made a profit, believe it or not.

 

[Ultima]

Just smelled the oil dipstick. No strong odor of gasoline.. perhaps a very faint one, and a rather slight burnt smell. However, I don't know what it's supposed to smell like normally. Well, I know what gasoline smells like and there was barely any of that coming from the dipstick.

 

[XCLAN]

I have a 1988 dodge shadow it has 190k miles on it and never had a rebuilt engine or tranny. i love the car...{actually my ex is driving it...but its still mine}. I am no mechanic. So i dont wanna advize you of any mechanical work....but i can say this....
I though this car sucked ...cuzz it stalled, had steering problems, made funny noises....and with a lil common sense and just lookin around the car a bunch of obvious problems came to mind.

1 the steering rack and pinion had 1 bolt in it. supposed to have 4.....this made steering horrible and delayed. I drilled large holes in the frame{bwahahahaha}....put large long grade a bolts through and bolted the bad boy down........BOOM instantly i liked the steering improvement.

2 the car stalled all the time....i had vacuum hoses eerywhere that werent attatched at the ends....i ripped a bunch of em out....plugged up a few things they went into....then my car stopped stalling......used to have to hold the brake down and rev engine at stop lights to keep it running.

3 there was a bunch of ticking comming from motor. i replaced all the plug wires...the plugs{with bosche platinum +4s} and distributor....and the ticking dropped dramatically.......not sure why....but i can tell the ticking is from plug wires cuzz one wire jumps everytime it ticks....lol

4.....my all time favorite!....motor mount went out.....i got a big chunk of rubber from a tire....crammed it in the motor mount and wrapped it with bailing wire{omg im gunna die in that car....oh wait my ex drives it ).......the shifting is so much smoother.

omg as you can see i am in no way a mechanic.....but i am not afraid to work on my second cars...lol

I wouldnt recommend any of the above...as they can lead to accidental death or dismemberment...of yerself , loved ones, or other. Please take the car to a real mechanic before you attempt to reinact my professional foolishness. i do not accept any liability for the above statements and offer no warranty.

ps the car drives...........real smooth right now....but i have heard a slight knock in the engine for the last 10k miles.....but she keeps chuggin.....she has 1000$ stereo in her and new custom rims....i painted all the black trim around the windows with some black paint......wax it often and keep it clean......the car looks nice believe it or not....although not as nice as my 2 news cars.

 

[XCLAN]

what size motor do you have in it? you need to look that up...then go to walmart...get the right size oil filter for ther car.
mine is a fram ph 3614? i am not sure its been a while anyways.....jack the car up...{by the frame and not the body} or pull the car up on ramps....there is a plug under the oil pan.....pull the plug out{watch out oil will leak all over, you need a oil pan to catch it. and let it drain......all the way out....then put the plug back in...make sure its snug...but dont torque down too much cuzz the pan is thin and ya dont wanna strip the threads.Then take the oil filter off.....with a oil filter wrench...3$ from walmart. Put a new oil filter on it{fill it 25% full with oil...and rub a lil oil around the rubber seal with yer finger}. tighten it to where it is hand tight. yer done under the car now. poor 5 quarts{depends on motor size}....of good quality oil in it...i use 5w30 or 10w30...and i always use good oil....Castrol gtx...Mobil.....Quaker State....etc. check yer dipstick it may tell you what weight to use. after you have drained.....replaced oil plug....removed and replaced oil filter, and refilled oil...check dipstick and double check to make sure nothings leaking. place the oil cap back on the motor...and fire the car up....let it run for a minute and double chek everything else{only recommending this cuzz you might have overloooked something}. no leaks...no oil lights? oil level good? yer all set.

 

[Ultima]

Thx for the replies, XCLAN. I'm not sure what motor is in there, but I think it's the 2.2. I don't even know how much HP it makes, lol.. there's conflicting info out there. MSN's carpoint says it makes 100hp but other sites says it makes only 93. Hmm..

My friend's dad has ramps I can use, I'll probably change the oil this weekend. I'll let y'all know how it goes.. then I can get started on all the other little problems of the car

 

[cremator]

um, just spend the 20$ to get an oil change, change + filter + oil.

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: cremator
um, just spend the 20$ to get an oil change, change + filter + oil.

no money for most of this month, that's the problem. Got some 10w30 synthetic here, it's my friend's dad so I dunno if he'll let me use it, but if I do then all I need is the filter.

 

[Evadman]

Synthetic is probably a bad idea on a car with that many miles. You will burn it up.

If you do use it, make sure to check your oil level frequently. If you end up with some smoke you know what it is.

 

[cremator]

sounds like its got some miles on it...id go with 20w50, a thicker oil...

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Evadman
Synthetic is probably a bad idea on a car with that many miles. You will burn it up.

If you do use it, make sure to check your oil level frequently. If you end up with some smoke you know what it is.

The car only has 142000km or around 90K miles. Not bad for a 14 year old car.... But synthetic would still be bad for it? They probably didn't use synthetic either, maybe I should stick to mineral oil? Or would that even make a difference? Well, I'll see what you reply with

 

[white]

when you check your coolant level, also check under the radiator cap to make sure the water level is right there. do this when the engine is COLD. it wouldnt' be a bad idea to change the coolant and brake fluid either. take the wheels off and check your brakes too. you could also check your outer cv boots for cracks in the rubber. are the tire treads worn evenly? if not, you might have an alignment or inflation problem. when was the timing belt changed? change the spark plugs and maybe even the wires if you have the money. there's only so much you can do if you have few tools, but maybe your school has an auto shop. (i'm assuming you're in HS since it's your first car)

 

[Ultima]

Nope, 3rd year of college actually, 20, and I don't get my license for another two weeks (just have learner's).

Might seem strange to Americans, but I lived in the city and didn't need a car or I couldn't afford it (how about some of both?). Now I'm older and I do more stuff, work part-time job, live farther away from the city, so I decided to buy a car.

 

[amdskip]

Don't run 20w50, don't run synthetic oil.

 

[ObiDon]

My friend's dad thinks the car's leaking something though cause it stinks up the garage

Have you looked in the trunk yet? Fat Tony might have left a corpse in there. :Q

 

[Ornery]

"I just bought this car a couple days ago. It's a Dodge Shadow 1988. Now, for an old car, it seems in good shape. However, like any old car, there are things here and there that have to be done. Here's my list of gripes:"

How long do you plan on keeping it? I think you made a mistake buying one in this poor shape, if you intend to keep it. If it's just a beater, you "repair" it differently from a "keeper". Start buying tools. You'll need them from now till forever, so buy good ones. You'll be using these same tools decades after this car is gone.

"Engine oil is a little low and black. Does it being black mean I have to change it? I don't know when it was last changed. I'd like to change it myself because I'm rather low on cash right now."

Buy a filter wrench and funnel. Sears sells one with a red handle that is made by "Proto". The handle swivels, which is VERY handy. Yes, it's twice the price of your average filter wrench... about $15.00.

"Auto tranny fluid is pink.. that's good right? The tranny was replaced at 100000km and the car's at 142000km right now."

Just keep it topped off with the proper fluid for that tranny. You may need a long funnel with a small outlet made just for that application.

"I thought the coolant was really low but when I checked the markers on the side of the reservoir it was between min and max. I don't even know where the power steering coolant goes, or if I'm confusing it with the brake fluid or something. This is my first car..."

You really ought to get an owner's manual for it. If somebody else has a similar car, copy their manual or perhaps buy one. If you were keeping the car, I'd buy the Service manual for it, but I see Helm doesn't list Chrysler. Buy a Motor, Chilton or Haynes manual instead.

"The muffler completely rusted off the car (the muffler itself is okay, but the part of the car it was attached to rusted through completely and now the muffler's just dangling there with part of the car attached to it). I don't think it's a good idea to drive around with my exhaust system clanging around so I want to fix that, but I have no idea how to reattach it. Can't just use a wire hanger.. what am I gonna attach it to? lol."

Wire hangers are perfect for beaters. Otherwise, take it to a muffler shop. They can get the job done cheaper than you can buy the parts for!

"There's minor problems here and there that I'd like to iron out. The paint is peeling off in places.. I asked a guy and he said to clean the metal, use primer and spray paint it over. I guess I'd have to use off-white (the car's white). I somehow managed to make the front right window stuck and now it won't roll down. The back left never would roll down. They're all power windows. The power steering doesn't work when the car's moving very slowly (ie: parking) but that doesn't bug me so much. My friend noted that it's easier to turn the wheel left than right when barely moving but I only notice that when the car is practically still. Doesn't seem to be a concern but I thought I'd mention it. The right flasher sometimes flashes, sometimes not. For some reason the engine sounds like a diesel when idling.. that what it's supposed to sound like?"

Whew. How long do you plan to keep it? I wouldn't go crazy trying to fix all this if you're gonna dump it in a year or so. Bottom line... buy tools and manuals for now.

 

[Zenmervolt]

The right flasher sometimes flashes, sometimes not. For some reason the engine sounds like a diesel when idling.. that what it's supposed to sound like?

About the flasher, probably either the relay going flaky, or a bad ground somewhere. Regarding the sound, that's a pretty normal sound for those old Chrysler four-bangers. I've got a friend who drives an '88 Shadow and it's always sounded like a diesel at idle. A kind of knocking sound is common.

ZV