Ahh Acclaims..Arn't they just peachy..

[Amandah01]

I have a 1990 Plymouth Acclaim.. I got it last March or Feb and it has been driving me crazy lately. I only paid $800 for it but I have put more money into it then I paid for. Right now there is no heat. I live way up north so its around -20*c right now. I was thinking my heater core has gone on me but there is nothing coming on the floor. I am not exactly sure if the heater core would leak there anyway..it did on my moms desiel..but that is a ford-totally different. I am fogging up inside but I don't know if that is from me breathing too much since I have no heat or what. But I might be losing antifreeze from the muffler so maybe it is a head gasket. Thats what we have thought since I bought the stupid thing but its been running great. I've drivin it on quite a few road trips... So the antifreeze is going some place but I don't know where. I should really get a mechanic to look at it but I thought I would ask on here first cause it could be something simple, like air in the lines or something. I was reading that somebody else was having a problem with the temp gauge. Mine does the same thing, always up & down. It can't make up its mind. I was almost overheating today, so I checked the rad it wasn't down too far. So I put antifreeze in it, and it was fine after that. But it hast to be like right full for it not to over heat. I don't know whats going on with that. My acclaim is quite the beast I tell ya. I don't know if anybody else has noticed with theirs. I backed into a Jetta once, not a scratch on my car... but he had a few scratches..hehe. I hit the ditch once & the bumper was pushed up and now for me to open the hood I have to crawl under there & push the handle up then pull the hood up at the same time. I got mad a the windshield whipers when the fluid was coming out so I hit the nob & now they are on constantly tryin to spray fluid, does anybody know how I can fix that? I took out the fuse so that stoped them. I just need whippers now, hopefully somebody could give me a tip on fixin it. I think I have to go into the steering colloum. haha I'm horrible I know. The thing drives me crazy sometimes, but I love it. Its a really good car for the snow...yeah I would rather have a truck but for a car its pretty good. So if anybody has any ideas how to fix anything on my car that would be great!!

[theFREAKnasty82]

first, what engine do you have, the 2.5 4 cylinder or the 3.0 V6?

[Amandah01]

I have a 3.0L V6

[theFREAKnasty82]

ok, I know exactly what you are talking about. I used to have the sister car of the Plymouth Acclaim, the Dodge Spirit w/ the same engine. What the problem ended up being was that my water pump was leaking and it caused havoc with my engine. Your water pump is driven by the timing belt, which is a belt that turns your camshafts and crankshaft and is internal. When that leaks, it acts like acid on your timing belt and it'll eventually snap; that's not good because it can take out valves when that happens. I recommend that you get your water pump & timing belt replaced ASAP, that should help the problem and your car won't overheat and the heater core will do it's job.