96 RS Consistant Problems, can't find the source

[Valakin]

Ok I'm going to list everything I can and we can treat this like a jigsaw puzzle.

Temp Start Issue - if shut off at temp and left for more then a few moments, it takes at least three attempts to start before turning over.

No attempt to start - Earlier this week I parked it for 30 mins, went back out to start it, and the only thing that happened was the gagues and power lights coming up.

RPM Dive at stops - Not consistant. Only seems to happen if the car is in Neutral but I haven't been able to consistantly recreate the issue. Rpms will drop to about 250ish while making a low speed turn. They then shoot up to around 1500rpm.

1500rpm lurch - For some reason the car lurches in 1st -3rd if crossing the 1200-2000rpm level. It always happens at 1500 almost on the dot.

Electrical (Feedback?) in the subwoofer - Occasionally I would start the car and it would seem like there was some sort of signal going to the SW. It would never be consistant and the sound would alwasy be in constant flux. This happened even if there it was in AUX with no input.

Radio Reset - There have been several times I have come out to find out the entire radio had been "reset" as if it was back to factory defaults. This happened several times.

Air Conditioner - If the air conditioner is running (this is priar to the now consistant rpm tanking) the car would nearly die if brought to a stop light (or down to idle in general)

Spedometer out - This randomly stopped working a few weeks ago and since has triggered a "Check Engine Soon" light which has been confirmed by AutoZone.


Well that's basicly it. I have no clue on any of this. All I do know is that the other day when the it wouldn't start, I removed the battery trying to see down to the transmission in the attempts to see if there was a line from the clutch. After I re-installed the battery (cleaning up to leave the car for the night) I tried to start it just out of spite and it fired right up. Since then howeve the RPM Tanking issue has been and every day occurrence.

I'm in college working full time and living paycheck to paycheck. Any help on this is really needed. I will pretty much have to do this from the parking lot of my Appartment complex so if you are going to suggest something please be prepaired for me to go "Yeah, good idea. Now... where is that?" I'm not completely dumb, but I do need nudges in the right direction on alot of this stuff.

[sacred neo]

well I don't know how electrically or mechanically enlined you are but i can tell you this. Electrical sounds like all of your issues. first off test your charging system. I don't know where you live but an auto zone or schucks or auto parts store will usually test your charging for free. If you are in the margin lets say around 14 v then you are good under that and there is your problem.

Now your starting issue. what you need to do there is buy a battery terminal cleaner from that auto parts store that you find, clean the battery terminals and the terminals connected to the wires. then locate the starter which is underneath the exhaust shield and towards the drivers side just a bit. it is mounted about mid block of the engine. it is cylinder in shape and has One wire set with a plug and then it has one big wire that has a ring terminal that is held on by a nut. you need to take that off and clean the terminal and the terminal wire. Please remember that this car is all metric so i think you will be dealing with a 10 mm for the battery terminals and either a 10 or 12 or 13mm for that starter nut. then test out your starting.

We havn't talked about testing your battery because if your battery is the issue the car would try but fail to turn over or sound weak when it does.

now for your speedo, I am currently on the same problem. I know that the sensor is the wire that is pluged in almost directly below the throttle body on the top of the transmission. It is a magnetic pick up that gains voltage with speed so in order to test you would have to aquire a multimeter and then rig up some test leads, run them into the car as whatch as you drive. if you are gettting an increase in voltage from a startout of 0 to anywhere close to 7 to 12 then the sensor is working and the pcm or wiring is at fault. Note it is alot easier to take the battery out in order to get to that sensor.

more help to come.