Car mysteries

[cjsmith]

1. When my PCV valve got replaced, my engine began developing power a bit better right off the line (low speeds and heavy acceleration) but the battery/alternator warning light began to flicker.* There is a wormhole in the space-time continuum linking the PCV valve and the alternator in my car. Scientists believe this previously unsuspected phenomenon may hold the key to interstellar travel.

2. All that red stuff pooling on anything under the hood. My transmission fluid level is correct, despite the fact that it had been months since I'd checked it. However, there is unquestionably a large amount of transmission fluid all over my engine and the floor of my garage. Evidently my car is producing new transmission fluid in its bone marrow. I had to fight off a leukemia researcher who was trying to steal it this morning.


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* Yes folks, looks like my car is eating another alternator. If this follows the usual pattern, the problem won't be bad enough that the mechanic can detect it until at least autumn. It'll be the voltage regulator again -- it usually is.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Responsive would be nice, but it's got worse problems than being slow when I twist its tail. Sadly, it's one of the last cars made that doesn't have some other annoying features inside the cabin. I'd like to keep it if I can.

[harpwolf.livejournal.com]

Ah. Technically speaking there's several ways to do that.

One way is fix as much as possible. Typically several things are marginal or bad, so fixing everything possible makes the one remainder much easier to identify. Get a Toyota or Haynes shop manual that shows all the underhood gadgetry for that particular model year. Identify every underhood gadget like EGR, thermal vacuum valves etc. and improvise a way to positively test each one. Most gadgets are vacuum operated. I recommend a small hand vacuum pump, and a DVM. Actuators should actuate, sensors should do something different when their state changes. Nothing should leak vacuum. Be ruthless, when in doubt replace. Buy only from the dealer, as Kragen etc. will happily sell you the wrong, miscalibrated part. Vacuum line is cheap so I recommend swapping all of it. I found 3 ruptures in vacuum lines on my '82.

Another way is replace it. Your year is right on the cusp of fuel injection for Corollas, so other 1989-1992 Corollas may have the features you like and be fuel injected.

Then there's the kit airplane (http://www.armory.com/~greymage/resume/lt1.html) method, but I'll speak more highly of that after I finish mine :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

The "kit airplane" method looks mighty nice to me, but then I know so little about what's involved that I am a very poor judge. I see the benefits and can't correctly estimate the costs. :-)

I'd love to become more knowledgeable, though, and puttering about with things on a car that still has user-serviceable parts does sound enjoyable. I already have the service manual for my make/model/yr. What vacuum pump would you recommend? I'd be cool with getting one and frobbing with things until I gain enough clue to see how difficult the problem is.

[harpwolf.livejournal.com]

On crazy projects like mine, nobody else can correctly estimate the costs either :) A lot of them never get finished.

Yeah, cars are a lot of fun :) More fun is not paying $250 repair bills :)

The hand vacuum pump I'm referring to is like on a cupping set, where you can finesse how much vacuum you want... now add a gauge and a nipple for attaching ordinary vacuum hose. Kinda like this (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92474) but ignore all the stuff about brakes.