92 euro - PM's and ?

Morning all,

Finally found / bought a very good 92 euro, have a few questions.

It has a pop open sun roof (not slider ), the dealer said it was a add on but in looking at the high quality fit / finish as well as the interior fasteners color matching it looks like a factory unit .... was this a factory option ?

I plan on doing routine oil / filter, etc. PM's. I have always used valvoline semi syn oil ( or full syn if budget allows) what's your input..... .. 5W-30, 5W-40, 10-30, etc ? Also leaning toward NAPA filters as well... input ?? Fuel filter as well ??

I also plan on getting the tranny serviced with fluid / filter ... any input / suggestions ?

The car runs good, no problems with engine noise, shifting, guage readings, brakes etc.

By the way it's a 3.1, auto trans. Cooling system is filled with the green coolant vs the orange acid I have read about.

Any and all feedback appreciated.

Thanks,
Stan

Personally, I'd use 10W30 unless you live someplace really cold. That's what I use in my '97 year 'round, ever since warranty expired. I am a big advocate of synthetic oil and fluids. The syn will flow better even at low temps, and last longer.

When you do the tranny service, I'd recommend a filter and fluid change, rather than the flush and exchange some places are pushing. I've had a couple of older transmissions start to fail after flushing, have not had that happen with partial fluid and filter. I recently heard an explaination as to why that made sense, after hearing that for years from others.

Filters? I have no real preference. I usually use whatever is O.E. for that vehicle. (AC/Delco for Chevy, Motorcraft for Ford, etc.) I have recently heard of an issue with FRAM oil filter's construction that is not an issue if the filter is changed regularly, but can cause the filter to degrade and contaminate the oil if the interval of replacement becomes extensive (car sits for some time, or whatever) It has to do with a cardboard component inside the filter that is made from more durable material in others.

Be on the lookout for problems with your rear disc brakes (I assume that's what you got), they are problematic on those. Look under and see if the rotors are clean, or if they are surface rusted on the friction faces. If so, there's some work to be done. If not, you can prevent it by keeping them clean from salt and crud, I spray them from time to time with WD-40 to keep 'em clean and free-adjusting, and use the emergency brake at least a couple of times a week to keep them in adjustment and working properly. When the E-brake is applied that's the only time they cinch up. They aren't servo self-adjusting like a drum brake, that's why they go bad so often. Nobody ever uses the e-brake with an auto trans.

Not sure about your sunroof, but if it seems to seal good, I'd just find a good rubber conditioning product that is silicone-free, and keep the gaskets clean and hydrated for a long life. Brake fluid is very good for rubber, but hell on paint, so I don't want to give you any ideas.

Thanks for the info ! I'm a little confused on the rear rotor's (yes they are). Do you mean spray the actual rotors with wd40 ( I assume lightly) or the mechanism in which the pads are placed (caliplier assembly ).

Thanks !

Calipers. The piston rotates as well as pushing outward, and that screw action is what applies the e-brake. When the e-brake isn't used much, the pistons refuse to turn in the bore, and the caliper slides like to corrode up as well. Eventually, they just turn into rusted, inoperable junk. You'd never really know driving them, other than premature front pad wear unless you really lay into the brakes on a wet road or something, then it may become apparent that the front are doing all the work. WD isn't a heavy enough oil base to really contaminate pads, the oils are too volatile to leave a lasting residue. They just burn off as soon as the brakes warm up. But it is good for chasing out moisture, and breaking corrosion's bond to the metal, and will free them if the cheeze isn't too bad, and keep them working well if sprayed regularly. The one I had, I'd spray the calipers down pretty good, work the e-brake like 20 times, then drive and burn the WD off, using the brakes hard to make sure the rears got a chance to apply firmly.

If the rear pads need replacing, and the rotors are rusted up, there is a chance that the calipers can be freed during the repad. Again, if you haven't done these before, the piston has to be turned like a big screw, to back it into the bore. There's a little cube shaped tool that goes on a socket wrench for this. By soaking liberally with WD, letting it soak in, then keeping it soaked as the pistons are turned, sometimes that is enough to bring them back to life. Make sure any slide and anchor hardware have a nice coating of syl-glide or something like that, to keep them from siezing, and re-assemble. If after a week or so, the rotors are still showing surface rust, the calipers will have to be replaced.

Now keep in mind that all this is from the POV of an incurable DIYer, and cheapass. I'll try ANYTHING before buying new parts, and doing a little extra labor to find out if I need it or not is no big deal to me. I work cheap for myself.

Can you tell I believe WD-40 is the eighth wonder of the world? Is there anything it can't do? Give me some WD-40 and some time to soak, and I'll fix it. :rofl:

Thanks very much... looks like a Sunday project in the garage !!!
Well appreciated !!

Personally, I'd use 10W30 unless you live someplace really cold. That's what I use in my '97 year 'round, ever since warranty expired. I am a big advocate of synthetic oil and fluids. The syn will flow better even at low temps, and last longer.

When you do the tranny service, I'd recommend a filter and fluid change, rather than the flush and exchange some places are pushing. I've had a couple of older transmissions start to fail after flushing, have not had that happen with partial fluid and filter. I recently heard an explaination as to why that made sense, after hearing that for years from others.

Filters? I have no real preference. I usually use whatever is O.E. for that vehicle. (AC/Delco for Chevy, Motorcraft for Ford, etc.) I have recently heard of an issue with FRAM oil filter's construction that is not an issue if the filter is changed regularly, but can cause the filter to degrade and contaminate the oil if the interval of replacement becomes extensive (car sits for some time, or whatever) It has to do with a cardboard component inside the filter that is made from more durable material in others.

Be on the lookout for problems with your rear disc brakes (I assume that's what you got), they are problematic on those. Look under and see if the rotors are clean, or if they are surface rusted on the friction faces. If so, there's some work to be done. If not, you can prevent it by keeping them clean from salt and crud, I spray them from time to time with WD-40 to keep 'em clean and free-adjusting, and use the emergency brake at least a couple of times a week to keep them in adjustment and working properly. When the E-brake is applied that's the only time they cinch up. They aren't servo self-adjusting like a drum brake, that's why they go bad so often. Nobody ever uses the e-brake with an auto trans.

Not sure about your sunroof, but if it seems to seal good, I'd just find a good rubber conditioning product that is silicone-free, and keep the gaskets clean and hydrated for a long life. Brake fluid is very good for rubber, but hell on paint, so I don't want to give you any ideas.

I personally had a bad experience with FRAM filters, and because of it, I choose not to use them anymore. I always change oil at 3000 miles OR LESS, and I once had a Fram filter "collapse" on me while the engine was running. Because it collapsed, the top end of the engine didn't get any oil, and the camshaft bearings siezed up. The worst part about it was, I had started my car to let it warm up, and walked into the house. Perhaps if I hadn't walked away from it I could have shut it down as soon as I heard the lack of lubrication in the engine. So, now I use only O.E. filters, like Jeffcoslacker mentioned. I'm sure it was just a freak thing, but still, no more Fram for me.

Thanks everyone !

10-4 on the fram issues, I have had some bad luck in the past with clogging, and I'm also a cheap ass like Jeff so a day's work on reaserching / cleaning, etc. vs: replacing is rather like therapy from my job (Emergency Management / terrorism, etc.) I've also done some snooping on fram's. One - the media is poor and they also do not have a anti drain back valve like the napa's do. The napa's keep the oil from draining off the top side and really reduces start up noise. Thanks !

Still no input on the pop up sun roof (factory vs; add on ? )

enjoy !!!