PDA

View Full Version : New SW20 owner in need of some help



Dillon
12-10-2009, 10:27 AM
Hey there...new guy here, I was linked to this site from the MR2.com forums. I've met aquarius briefly at a car meet before, but don't think I know anyone else here. Anyway, over the summer I bought a '91 N/A needing some help, as a project. I guess I didn't realize what I was getting into :lol: Long story short, my car is finally drivable, but still quite a ways from being able to daily drive. So I turn to you hopefully generous folks.

Main issues:

- No 3rd or 5th gear. And when I say that, I don't mean that it's grinding and won't go into gear...I mean that I can't find the gears at all. In fact, the shifter feels sloppy in general; very hard to find all gears. Sometimes pops out of 1st gear when taking off. When I bought it, it wouldn't go into ANY gear, the shifter cable was apparently broken. I had a mechanic I know fix it for me, but it's still not right. I have a hunch he just "made" a cable rather than buying a factory one. I'd rather fix it myself now, just to learn. Could someone link me to info on how the shifter cables work on these cars? I have only ever owned cars with an FR layout so I've never had to deal with shift cables. If I need to replace the cables, where's the best place to get them (preferably locally), and how much do they cost?

- Car runs great at first, but after a while of driving, it struggles to accelerate. Sometimes it even dies when I step on the gas. If I start it back up, it's fine, for a while. I was told the ECU was replaced, so maybe the ECU is bad? Or maybe it's the wrong one? I'm thinking I'll change the fuel filter and spark plugs and hope that helps. I just find it odd that it only does this after a certain period of time. It pulls really hard for an n/a car, when it works.

Lastly...would anyone be willing to come help me out? I live in Littleton. I have garage space and am mechanically inclined, but lack the knowledge on these cars. Or, does anyone know of any good shops / mechanics in CO, that know about MR2s? I would love to fix this thing and daily drive it, but if I can't get some help, I'll probably end up selling it.

Any help would be appreciated...I've done a bit of searching, but couldn't find much. Thanks in advance!

tiutis
12-10-2009, 11:02 AM
Welcome!
A very good mechanic I trust/ know is in Wheat Ridge!

Fubba
12-10-2009, 11:21 AM
I have one up in fort collins but that's quite a drive if the car doesn't run right

Dillon
12-10-2009, 11:35 AM
Wow thanks for the quick replies :) tiutis, is he on here? If not could you pm me some contact info?

Yeah, foco is a bit too far I think, without a 5th gear anyway...hopefully new fuel filter solves the sputtering issue, then maybe I could make it. Thanks though!

tiutis
12-10-2009, 11:57 AM
No, he is not on boards.
His name is Ramone 303 528 1115, He is Parfet and 44th.
Drop your car off, if you can leave for a few days. He is pretty busy usually!

bret
12-10-2009, 12:12 PM
here's the tech specs on the cable
http://www.mr2-tech.com/bgb/mechanical/volume2/manual_transaxle/17.htm

replacing the line should be pretty simple, just remove the arm rest and, remove the linkage from the shifter and the pins and clips from the shifter and tranny side... it's not a cheap part though. ~200-300 bucks new from the dealer.

here's a good, simple write up http://mr2.com/TEXT/RepairShiftCable.html

Dillon
12-10-2009, 03:08 PM
Awesome, thank you!! That helps a lot. I'm planning on pulling the console off this weekend and taking a look at it...hopefully I don't need a new cable, and it just needs some adjusting.

killermillermr2
12-10-2009, 08:37 PM
Welcome aboard~!

dux
12-10-2009, 10:47 PM
Make sure to buy brass shifter bushings from twosrus.com while your at it. You'll love the direct feel

tred
12-10-2009, 11:06 PM
are you sure the shifter linkage is your problem? how many miles on the car? have you drained the tranny oil at all and seen any metal in it? you may have broke your fork, when that happens its very common to loose 3rd and 5th {i know, ive broken two of them} which means its time for a new tranny, and to be honest thats not all that bad, you can find one in good condition for a few hundred dollars, if you have around 4-500 to spend you could get a 93+ tranny which was built a whole lot better and doesnt have the drinkding issues. while tahts out do a clutch. doing the tranny swap sounds really scary, however its actually very easy, than again nothing seems all that hard when the engine has been in and out 15+ times :)


as far as the car issues, its always good to replace cap, rotor arm, plugs, wires. if the ecu was swapped make sure it wasnt from a 93 mr2, the wiring is different which may cause some fot eh problems, it is a direct plug in so many people think it will jsut work. the nest is to check your map/maf whatever it it is behind the intake manifold hooked to the body on the passanger side. if you are behind the car and look right its right by the corner on top, a little black box with a vacume line hooked to it, you also may have to check your tps/iscv for any issues- that is a common issue with the 5sfe engine as well.


littleton is a bit of a drive for me, however feel free to pm me and i will toss you my phone number, i have done a lot of work on the 5sfe when i was younger and shoudl be able to help you with most things over the phone.

bret
12-10-2009, 11:13 PM
... i have done a lot of work on the 5sfe when i was younger...

lol dude can you drink legally yet? :)

miaxix888
12-11-2009, 09:44 AM
Welcome !

tred
12-11-2009, 12:13 PM
lol dude can you drink legally yet? :)

haha yeah a few months away from 22. we should get a beer sometime!

Dillon
12-11-2009, 12:27 PM
Thanks for the welcomes!

Tred: No, I'm not sure what the problem is, haven't had time to look at it yet. Car has unknown mileage. Odometer reads 182k, but the PO told me that the gauge cluster had to be replaced for some reason. Probably was just talking out his ass though. I haven't checked the tranny fluid, but I'll do that this weekend when I'm looking at stuff. I have a feeling the shifter itself might have been put together wrong too. Is there any way to tell if the shift fork is broken without taking the tranny off / apart? I was reading about how to change the clutch on these cars and it looks like a total PITA. It definitely feels like it'll need a clutch soon, though...I'm guessing the forks on the PP are worn out, if you even just barely push the clutch in, it slips.

I've never owned a car with a MAP sensor (yeah pretty sure 5S-FEs have a MAP not a MAF, I know Camrys are this way) but I'll take a look at it. Does anyone know how to troubleshoot it electrically? (i.e. if I use a multimeter where should I probe and what values should I see?) Same goes for the TPS.

I have no problem driving up to broomfield if you'd be willing to help take a look. Or if you don't mind driving down here I'll pay you for your time. I plan on taking a look in my garage this weekend anyway. I'll send you a PM shortly.

killermillermr2
12-11-2009, 12:53 PM
5sfe does run off a MAP. Not MAF. To do diagnostic checks, use a jumper (paper clip, short strand of wire) and connect different terminals in the diagnostics box next to the MAP sensor. Also, getting the trans off and out is not that bad.

http://www.mr2-tech.com/

Here is an old pic. I am pointing to the MAP and the diagnostics is the little gray box next to it.
http://www.rmmoc.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=513&stc=1&d=1260561080

necolorado
12-11-2009, 04:06 PM
welcome.