mr2-digest Thursday, January 1 1998 Volume 02 : Number 046 Re: MR2 MKII electrical failure Re: no MR2 content, Fiero debate Re: MR2 MKII : Summary of noises over bumps MR2 85 SC for sale (supposedly) Re: MR2 MKII electrical failure MR2 Re: MKII questions Re: Tow Vehicles (not MR2 specific) MR2 MKIIWheel sizes? MR2 Instrument Cluster Re: MR2 Instrument Cluster Re: MR2 Instrument Cluster MR2 MK1 getting air through vent MR2 MKII wierd noise MR2 MK1 HYPERREV Re: MR2 Squeal No MR2 Content at all MR2 Mk1 Timing belt MR2 TRD catalogs, Redline oil, LA auto show. MR2 MkII rattle.... MR2 MkII : Brake Pad Sizes, Differences? Re: MR2 MKI: Stereo upgrades ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 14:33:28 EST From: MR2Turbo91 Subject: Re: MR2 MKII electrical failure In a message dated 97-12-31 12:13:50 EST, joe@aaec.com writes: << Hi, folks! I've been a proud '93 MKII NA owner for about three months now, but I've had a VERY mysterious problem with which hopefully you can help. On two occasions, I have hopped in the car, put the key into the ignition, turned, and .... blackness suddenly envelopes me. Complete electrical shutdown. After that, no courtesy lights, no dash lights, no warning chimes, no nothing. Everything is completely normal up until the instant of the failure, and it is again completely normal after I get a jump from a kind-hearted passerby. No amount of waiting, cursing, or asking the car nicely will bring it back. After connecting the battery for the jump, everything turns back on (but the clock and radio memories are reset) in a snap. I don't even need to keep the jump connected for more than a second. I can even disconnect it before starting the car. >> I'll put my money on a weak batery connection.... pull the cables, clean the connections, and then put it all back together tight... if need be, shim them up to make a good connection... one of the best shims I have had was a lead fishing weight that I took a hammer to and flattened it and shapped it into a ribbon.. the lead makes a good "Form-a shim".... Austin T ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 14:39:33 EST From: MR2Turbo91 Subject: Re: no MR2 content, Fiero debate In a message dated 97-12-31 14:28:26 EST, camr187@rocketmail.com writes: << >wasn't the Fiero built by GM at the Fischer Body >plant in Flint,Michigan..... Nope. Fiero was made at a plant in Pontiac, Michigan. You must be thinking of the old Monte Carlo / Regal / Cutlass Supreme that were the last cars made at Fisher 1 in Flint before it got turned into an office building (circa 1988-89). >> um... actually, when I said "correct me if I am wrong" I was joking around.... look at the door sills of all of the Fiero's, they have a label with an old carrage on them that says "Fischer Body" and I also have a poster here that shows the last two Fieros that came off the assembly (both went to factory workers who won a raffle) at the bottom it reads "Pontiac Fiero: 1884-1988 Fischer Body, Flint, Michigan" and is signed by all the design members Austin T ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 11:53:28 -0008 From: TerrySaltzman@home.com Subject: Re: MR2 MKII : Summary of noises over bumps > The general consensus seems to be that the sway bar bushings need lubrication > or replacement. It is only 28 degrees here in Lexington, KY today and I don't > have a garage so I won't try the repair yet but if anyone else that has > experienced the same problem and fixed it could tell me what kind of lubricant > to use I would appreciate it very much. > just to make you feel worse read my signature ; ) when i head back to the dealer soon (new egr tube#2) ill ask what type of lube they use. > I have been told not to use WD-40 or any other lubricant containing solvents > which may damage the rubber bushings but no one has said what lubricant would > be appropriate. Also will I need to remove the bushings to lubricate them of > can it be done on the car. Thanks again yep its a bitch when ones told not to do something but no alternative is presented (im guilty of this, on this one,sorry). i wonder if there is a relation between the .72 in our gas price and the current temp of 72 degrees? paying $1.72 a gal. for this weather - terry ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 13:51:08 -0600 From: "Chris King" Subject: MR2 85 SC for sale (supposedly) Just browsing through some ads and ran across this one on mr2.com. THought someone might be interested... 1985 Silver MR2 Supercharged - Ad placed Monday, December 29, 1997 EST VIN: JT2AW15CX FOO15912 Features: 5 speed, A/C, Alarm Modifications: performance engine Mileage: 157,000 Miles Asking Price: $500.00 Comments: Must sell ASAP.....going away to school Contact: Tammi Taylor - Apple Valley, CA USA Email: gfwitt@mscomm.com Phone Number: 760-240-4422 If it was really a sc engine, it might be worth it. I mean $500 is next to nothing! Chris K. 91 NA ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 12:03:33 -0008 From: TerrySaltzman@home.com Subject: Re: MR2 MKII electrical failure > << Hi, folks! > I'll put my money on a weak batery connection.... pull the cables, clean the > connections, and then put it all back together tight... if need be, shim them > up to make a good connection... one of the best shims I have had was a lead > fishing weight that I took a hammer to and flattened it and shapped it into a > ribbon.. the lead makes a good "Form-a shim".... austin my money is with yours . i had the exact same problem at our most receint rally (remember the trouble i had in borrego?) and we all gathered around to listen to me cuss at the batteryfor 30 mins? this was the problem: new battery with slightly smaller terminals that needed a shim. have yet to deal with it since (no problems) but with this fishing weight thingy ill get on it pronto. thanx a hunchback terry ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 14:32:19 -0800 From: "David Hawkins" Subject: MR2 Re: MKII questions > I remember reading somewhere that Toyota improved the stock intercooler but > can't find the article anymore. Can anyone verify this? I'm almost 100% positive that they have not done this. My Japan spec part manual only shows one intercooler, and it goes through the 96 model year. > For some reason, I thought I had seen a few white 93 turbo's w/ blue > leather. Does any year have blue leather as an option? Never seen one. Positive it wasn't available in 93 and later cars. My suggestion would be: Find a tired 91/92T, boost it up to around 250-275HP with an mbc, exhaust, and intercooler (roughly $1200) until the motor gives up the ghost....then spend that $3000-$4000 that you were going to put in the Japan spec motor and rebuild the engine with a stronger turbo and whatever mods you can afford. Granted, this is my opinion, and I can see the allure of having a Japan spec engine in your car, but for the money, I think you're better pounding the hell out of the stock engine, then rebuilding it when it tells you it won't take the beatings any more (which, with the 3S-GTE, could be a very long time). We've already proven that you can reliably run 16psi on the stock engine...that bump alone should put you at 245HP (crank). Add a good intercooler with a high flow fan, and you're up around 260-270...... > - Biggest prob is by far finding one of these engines That's easy...getting it to the states is the problem.... > - Possibility that you do need a new ecu Which is almost a definite. > - Also, spending the time to actually do the whole thing, could turn out to > be a big job IMO Engine swaps usually are.... Good luck with whatever you decide. David H. otgrouch@twosrus.com 93T FIPK/RMS S.P/RMS MBC 89SC Cupholder 66 Corvair 96 Cannondale R900 Spinergy ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 15:27:22 -0400 From: bagdon@rust.net (S and K Bagdon) Subject: Re: Tow Vehicles (not MR2 specific) >Another vehicle I'm considering is an Astro van. It has a lot more room >inside than any of the SUVs, especially if you get the extended version, >and the Vortec V6 gives V8 power and torque with V6 economy. AWD was >also available on them. I've heard they tow pretty well, too. The big >advantage of a van is that I could sleep in it comfortably if I wanted >to. The disadvantage of the Astro is the GM crap quality, and they >don't have the comfort or ride of the SUVs. Plus, they're ugly. The Aerostar isn't that bad, either. The in-law's have an extended van version, and with the seats removed you can insert a 10' board with about 3" to spare (flat, with the rear door closed!). I'ved towed a couple of cars with it, but because of it's age (165k miles) and condition (165k miles) we don't like to drive it outside of the radius of their road-service towing (100 miles). Well, it's better then nothing, and I don't have to pay for anything but gas to borrow it... :) Steve B. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Jan 1998 12:32:36 -0800 From: Mike Chou Subject: MR2 MKIIWheel sizes? Hi everyone. I think I will be getting new rims soon and am looking at either 16" or 17". Anyone have any comments on which are better for hard driving? I mean are the 17" too stiff.. or just really stiff? Or just stiff? I already have H&R springs and don't want a super harsh ride. It seems like there's more tire sizes available for 17" too.. But maybe the 16" would be lighter? Any comments welcome. Thanks. Mike C ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 12:41:03 -0800 From: "T. Guy" Subject: MR2 Instrument Cluster Hey Everyone - I'm curious about something. I've owned a 92 NA and presently own a 93 T and their instrument clusters were identical (with the exception of the turbo gauge between the speedo and tach). Are the instrument clusters the same on all models? (you too MK1 owners). Don't you think it odd that a car that is built with such sporty aspirations doesn't have full instrumentation? Where is the oil pressure gauge? The Volts? Why just speedo, tach, temp, fuel? My 95 4Runner has more info in it's cluster than either of my MR2s. I find this strange. C Y A ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 14:39:21 -0600 From: "Chris King" Subject: Re: MR2 Instrument Cluster > I'm curious about something. I've owned a 92 NA and presently own a 93 T > and their instrument clusters were identical (with the exception of the > turbo gauge between the speedo and tach). My experience has been that the tach's and speedo's are swapped from NA to turbo. At least that is what I have found with 91's... Chris K. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 13:06:03 -0008 From: TerrySaltzman@home.com Subject: Re: MR2 Instrument Cluster > Don't you think it odd that a > car that is built with such sporty aspirations doesn't have full > instrumentation? Where is the oil pressure gauge? The Volts? Why just > speedo, tach, temp, fuel? My 95 4Runner has more info in it's cluster than > either of my MR2s. I find this strange. this is all you REALLY need (S,T,T,F & B gages), no? i really dont think you need all these "gagets" with our fantastic motors. in relation to the boost gage, how accurate would they (other gages/factory) be. if were jackin up the motor its nothing to put in "real gages". personally i like the bare bones look of the mk2 cluster...less clutter (back to the basics). a factory compliment of gages, bells and whistles just gives the driver that "sporty" feel (in addition to more "stuff" to deal with). ive got that with my turbo and mid-engine config. these opinions may not be those of my employer, educator, friends or myself for that matter ; }- terry ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Jan 1998 13:29:33 PST From: "Todd klosnick" Subject: MR2 MK1 getting air through vent Hello, This is probably stupid but I will ask anyway. Is it possible to get more cold air to the engine by taking off the side vent and running pipe to the intake? Also will driving w/o the vent on hurt anything? What is the purpose of this vent anyway? Todd 87 MR2 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jan 1998 09:00:43 +1100 From: Chris Dimo Subject: MR2 MKII wierd noise I have a MKII 1997 Bathurst Model. It has only 13,000 km's on the clock. It seems to make a tapping type noise which comes from the motor when I hit 3000-3500 revs. It then ceases once I get passed that point. The vehicle is still under warranty, but it would be nice to have an idea what the problem may be. dimo ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Jan 1998 14:07:10 PST From: "Todd klosnick" Subject: MR2 MK1 HYPERREV Hello, Just wondering if the Hyperrev book has anything to do with MK1's? Todd 87 MR2 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Jan 1998 14:16:56 -0800 From: Brian Jackson Subject: Re: MR2 Squeal R Knutson asked: > I have a '93 MR2, non-turbo with 100,000 miles. When starting, I > sometimes experience a squeal (like a loose belt) which will usually > go away with engine acceleration. I live in Minnesota and the problem > seems worse with cold and is getting worse. The belts have been > checked by Toyota mechanics (but the squeal refused to occur) and > pronounced OK. Any ideas, experiences, suggestions? Try replacing the A/C idler pulley. I went through this a lot (in the cold and wet of Philly) and while tightening the belts would cure it for a short while it would always come back. Even washing the car would produce it. After someone on the list suggested the idler pulley I had it replaced while doing an oil change and the problem has been gone ever since (about a year now.) The cost of the complete pulley is about $45 if I remember correctly. Apparently the thing wants to stick and the squealing is the belt slipping because it's cold/wet and has lost "traction". Revving the motor quickly heats up the slipping belt which now grabs the pulley and breaks it free. Brian 92T - -- - ------------------------------- Brian Jackson uva uvam vivendo varia fit ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 16:44:53 -0600 From: "Steve Hoult" Subject: No MR2 Content at all M Go Blue! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 17:30:39 -0800 From: "Joe Shutte" Subject: MR2 Mk1 Timing belt Hey group All this talk about timing belts I have learned a couple of things but what I am wondering is if I can easily inspect the timing belt by taking the black cover off. Will I be able to see it well enough to know whether or not it needs to be changed or maybe if it has already been replaced. Also my motor is still shaking though I haven't checked to see if the motor or tranny mounts are loose. Also I have noticed that my wifes Geo Prizm is doing it and I know that it hasn't had any major work done to the motor to make anything loose. Just one more thing I drove my 2 for the first time in the snow and ice and it did pretty well, but I have about 200 lbs of paper in the trunk, but had one mishap when playing around a little the tail end spinned around and before I knew I was way off in the grass. Pulled right out though and kept going. Just to add to the GM stuff I have a 79 Olds Cutlass with 198,000 miles on it, but have replaced a lot of little stuff. The only motor work done was changing all the gaskets and lifters and the other stuff you change when you have the heads off. Also rebuilt the carberator twice. Bought that car with 130,000 on it. Joe Shutte tjw@one.net 1988 Mk1 89,000 miles ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 14:32:45 -0800 From: Greg Dimas Subject: MR2 TRD catalogs, Redline oil, LA auto show. Thanks again to everyone who helped me with my tight trans oil drain plug. Turns out that I just needed a little more leverage. I backed my 2 up on my ramps loosened the bolts and then pulled it off the ramps to drain the oil and put in new oil. I used the IV method: hung a funnel off the engine cover w/ a long tube going to the filler hole this worked very well. I know I got 95% of the old oil out because it took almost exactly 2.7 qts to refill, just as the book says. I noticed an immediate improvement using the Redline MT90 (SAE 75w-90) gear oil. Smoother shifts and less gear noise. The engine doesen't seem to be working as hard and tends to rev more freely. I would say the Redline oil is well worth the $7.50/qt I paid. I am going to the LA auto show this Saturday I believe I will meet Patrick S. there too. I recommend this show to annyone in the area. I think Toyota will have more TRD catalogs there. So I'll get as manny as I can. The aftermarket accessories section promises to be bigger than ever this year so bring your money. Last year there were many vendors there (HKS etc...). Bring you camera and plenty of film too. Speaking of TRD catalogs I have all the addresses now and I'll be mailing them out COD tomorrow (Jan 2nd). Sorry for the long wait. See ya at the show. Racer X ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 15:44:25 -0800 From: Troy Pummill Subject: MR2 MkII rattle.... Happy New Year, all.... Over the last couple of weeks, I've notice that the E brake handle is rattling on rough roads. It seems to stop when I depress the button. There doesn't seem to be a way to take handle off. Any ideas how I can resolve this rattle? thanks... Troy 94T, Super Red mailto:trop@hitachi.com http://members.aol.com/tropsmr2 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Jan 1998 16:33:54 -0800 From: Karen or Jeffrey Subject: MR2 MkII : Brake Pad Sizes, Differences? Hey all, I was about to replace my front brake pads w/ the TRD/Performance Friction pads -- to my dismay the pads appear to be smaller than the ones on my car. So they won't fit! I checked the part # w/ my TRD catalogue and it matches. I also checked my OEM Toyota parts catalogue here's the findings : there's two kinds --> 91- Jan 92 and 92-95. This makes sense, since 93-95 had the bigger brakes. Also the 5S-FE 91-95 is listed as one pad. BUT TRD lists all 85-95 MR2 w/o regards to turbo, NA, SC as the same front pad!! So I know someone in SoCal put TRD pads on front of a 5S-FE MkII -- question is : has anyone put the TRD HP-Z pads on a Turbo MkII? I'm trying to figure out if some joker put the wrong pads into the right box -- or this is a problem w/ TRD/PF parts. Thanks. - - Jeffrey ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Jan 1998 17:37:55 -0800 From: Steve N Subject: Re: MR2 MKI: Stereo upgrades > H-E-Double-hockey-sticks. Don't know if this is real or perceived... More than likely, just precived. > The question is, what size are the two speakers in the dash of the MkI? 4 inch. > Are they hard to get at to replace? Real easy, just pop of the cover with a flat blade. > Also, anyone have any experience with dropping a small subwoofer into > this car, maybe under the seat or something? Yes, a small high quality sub will do wonders to a sound system. Your best bet right now is to replace the 4's in the dash with a good pair of coaxials, or buy a 2 peice system. Because to the way the front speakers are aiming, a good set of coaxils are about equal to a 2 peice system. As far as sub, if you have the factory 4 inch sub (a little black box underneath the front seat that puts out a little bass, but is mostly a joke) a good budjet mod would be to take the amp out, build a small box and put a 6x9, 6, or mabye even an 8 under the seat. The next step would be a seprate amp, and either a single or dual sub set up. You can push that up to 10 inchers, but it will be REAL tight. ------------------------------ End of mr2-digest V2 #46