Good buy?

Hello everyone. This is my first time posting in the Geo Forum. BUT last Friday I went to a towing place, they have a teal color 92 (I think it's a 92) Geo Metro for $500. Odometer says it has 47,000 miles, but I am going back there today to get the vin number off it, and run a carfax report on it, to see if I can get any further details. About how many miles do you all get on these? What if the car has 147,000 or 247,000 miles...should I still get it for $500 if there's no problems with it? I figure with how small the car is, even if I have to replace the motor, the money I'd save in gas would pay for the car easily overtime, since I live in California.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any input you guys might have. The last small car I had was a 92 Ford Festiva, and I loved that car...I regret that I sold it a year and a half ago...it was a really fun car to drive.

Thanks for all your help! I should know by the end of today if I actually get the car or not. The car only has one little dent by the drive side front sidemarker by the headlight, but that's it. No paint defects that I can see. Motor looks clean, interior looks mostly clean although I clean it anyway. It's a 5-speed.

I'll keep you all posted, and would appreciate any feedback you all could give me.

Dan

DanMan7;
Welcome to AF! Your prospective 92 sounds like it has possibilities. Two major areas of concern on Geo's. 1) 1st and 2nd gear synchros tend to get torn up - easiest fix is to swap transmissions Not major surgery but worth testing (if you can) before you buy. 2) The frame where the front suspension attaches rusts out if the car if from an area where they salt the roads. Check this out as once it breaks it's pretty much death for the car.
Mileage is almost beside the point unless it got beat hard during its lifetime and it doesn't sound like this one has. JDM engines are relatively cheap and plentiful (especially in CA where you have a selection of importers to choose from) and not too hard to swap. Hope all turns out well, the car passes your inspection, the buggy both becomes yours and serves you well.

Hey all. I did actually buy the car. It was $500. It's a 1992 Geo Metro 5-speed, with 157,000 miles. Ran a carfax on it, it's clean. Also it's passed smog every time, except in July, it was aborted. Smog receipt says "needs diagnostics/repair", I don't know what that means. I might have to actually run another pretest so the technician tells me what's wrong with the car. Can't be anything too serious. However, when the car's idling, it seems like it's idling rough, because the whole car shakes. Anyone know what causes that? I'm thinking maybe the idle is too low, or something else? I'll be checking a few things, but any input would be appreciated!

I should post some pictures of it after I clean it up a little. It's been sitting for about two months in the open without being washed, so it's pretty dirty.

Anyway, hope to hear from you all soon!

Dan

Congrats on the new addition. Search the forum for EGR cleaning and IAC cleaning. Both of those could contribute to your rough idle and likely due for attention at 147K miles. The 1.0L engines do have some vibration at idle normally. "needs diagnostics/repair" probably means the test was aborted as the limits had been exceeded prior to the time having expired so it automatically shut down registering a fail. Not a guarantee but the EGR is a good bet as these engines are notrious for plugging the EGR passages in the head with carbon.

If there was something wrong wouldn't the "check engine" light be on? Also, just curious, but I have a GM scanning tool, would that be able to be used on these cars, for checking any error codes if there are any?

Also, I figured it was something relating to the EGR, or even the catalytic converter or something similar. As far as the Idle Air Control, where would that be? Located in the air filter area perhaps?

I used to own a Ford Festiva, I figure they're both very similar, although the difference is the 3 cylinder and the 4 cylinder.

Well, thanks for the help, write back anyone if you have any more info!

Dan

92 has OBDI (On board diagnostics I) I don't know if a GM scanning tool could be used or not (I'm assuming it would be for OBDII vehicles; 96 and on) but you can read the codes without a scanner (search the forum for a much better description than I can give). Also I wouldn't depend on the CEL light as OBDI is pretty basic, the bulb could be burned out and/or it could be like my 86 where the CEL is set to come every 30K miles to prompt you to get service even though nothing is wrong....

The code scanning tool I got is for 1982 and up GM vehicles. However, when I plug in the scanner, turn the key to ON, the check engine light just stays on...doesn't turn off and then starts to blink out the codes. Why wouldn't it do that? Unless Geo cars are different and those code scanners won't work on them.

Today I purchased a new distributor cap, distributor rotor, spark plug wires, spark plugs, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, and motor oil. I will be putting in all that stuff Wednesday morning sometime. Could that help with my car idling? Maybe the low battery it has is causing the rough idle too.

I posted this in another thread, but when the car's running and I turn on either the headlights or turn the heater on max, the car idles way too low and tries to die. Could that be caused by having a low battery? I will charge the battery tomorrow to see if that solves the problem.

If any of you have any insights or whatnot feel free to respond. I could use all the help I could get. Also tomorrow my Haynes manual will finally be ready to be picked up, which I can't wait to get to know my Geo. :)

Well take care everyone, talk to you all soon!

Dan

you need to put a fuse in the raised empty fuse spot in the fuse box.

There's an empty fuse spot in the fuse box? What will that do if I put a fuse in there? Are you talking about the fuse for the alternator? Well, I haven't gotten around to checking all the fuses to make sure there aren't any bad fuses in there. Get back to me on this, thanks!

Dan

Take the car to Autozone or Murrays or somewhere like that. Have them test the alternator - while it's on the car. May be a blown rectifier giving only a half-wave, if it works at all. Rough idle at high elec. load could be alternator, if not look into plug wires/weak coil.

First, spend the money for a manual...!

The Chilton Manual has the codes.

A Manual will at least help get you going in the right direction.

Second, the fuse box (in my '93 Metro) has a raised socket toward the back.
Plug any good fuse into that socket.
That switches the CEL to blick the codes.

The Check Engine light will then blink out the codes when you turn the key
(don't start the engine.)
If more than one code then there is a long pause between blink sequences.

Remove the fuse to go back to normal.....

DoctorBill

DanMan7;
You might also consider watching ebay and acquiring a GM factory manual for your car. I have had great luck using mine in combination with a Haynes or Chiltons manual to figure things out. The factory manual assumes you have mechinal training so skips over some of the basic stuff but has good troubleshooting charts and exploded diagrams of many assemblies not in the Haynes or Chiltons.

Yeah on every single vehicle I buy, I always get the original owner's manual, the factory service manual, and a Haynes manual. I've done that with my 1973 Ford F250, my 1980 F100 truck I used to own, my 1992 Ford Festiva that I used to own, and a 1989 Oldsmobile that I sold to my parents.

Anyway, I'm just gonna buy a new IAC Valve. I'd get one at Picknpull, but most of them have Geos with 150,000+ miles, which all of those valves would be in the same condition as mine probably. I'd rather get a brand new one.

Dan