Help with Metro and saying Hello!

[Tominator2000]

I was just asking myself what we'd do without the internet and the information we have at our fingertips?

'92 Metro. 5spd. No AC, just basic transportation.

I was running fine. One day it lost power in a drastic way! It would only run at wide open throttle and not go over 40 mph. Got to my exit and it started running fine again.

Did the same thing about a week later and made it to work. To start the car the throttle was depressed fully and it took about 2 min of continious cranking to get it to start. Full throttle to keep it running and a few blocks later it ran fine.

Changed the fuel filter in between these episodes btw.

Now, coming home about a week later it just dies at 65mph just like it ran out of fuel! Put in a new pump....still no start.

Spark from the coil. Wet with fuel throttlebody. Checked timing belt. All appear OK.

No fuese blown and no check engine light.

Any ideas much appreciated.

[Crvett69]

might put the check engine diagnostic fuse in place and see if you get any codes. its the raised fuse holder in the rear of fuse box. once you put it in place and turn ignition on it will blink out any trouble codes stored. it will always start with code 12, (one blink, long pause, 2 blinks, shorter pause between them) will do this 3 times then blink out any other codes stored.

[Tominator2000]

Ok, get a '12' flashing steady and nothing else.

Checked the purple/white wire at ADL connector for grounding condition and it's OK.

The manual refers to a 'Tech 1' diagnostic tool and there I'm SOL.

[Crvett69]

might go ahead and do a tune up on it with new plugs and wires and cap and rotor. sounds like your sensors are all ok if your not getting any codes out of it. if tune up doesn't help you might have to take it to someone with a diagnostic tool. let me know if you find out whats wrong with it

[Tominator2000]

Everything is new except for the wires. PCV valve was replaced too.

Plugs had some white deposits and all looked alike. Car uses about a quart of oil every 350 miles but does not smoke or leak.

A fuel pump relay is $50. Do you know if the EFI relay is the same part number? I hate just replacing parts, but that would be cheaper than paying the local garage.

Update. Replaced distributor and coil. Seems to have a better spark than it did.

Also poured a small amount of gas down throat of throttle body. Did not even try to start. No backfire. Nothing changed.

Next weekend I'll do a compression check.

[Tominator2000]

Went to run a compression check. The new plugs were fouled, probably from continious cranking trying to start it.

The bad news is one of the electrodes was bent over rather badly indicating mechanical interference.

Evidently I ran the battery down by leaving the ignition on so it's on the charger for awhile and then I'll run a compression check and pull the vlave cover off and look for a dropped valve. If memory serves this motor is a non-interference type so if the timing belt let go or a pulley slipped the valves would not contact the pistons.

Glad used motors are so cheap! ...It looks like an engine swap is in my future.

Update: Now this is weird! The cylinder with the mashed sparkplug electrode had 90lbs and the other two had nearly zero....

Pulled the valve cover, but that was no real help as the valve stems cannot be seen unless the cam is removed.

I'm thinkin major malfunction. Maybe blown head gasket or worse.

[Tominator2000]

Well, bit the bullet and bought a 'jdm' motor from a guy in Chicago. Cost was $453 delivered to the place I work.

Total time took about 7 hours as I took my time. My son helped me with the actual swap, that is manipulating the cherry picker to get the motor out and getting it back in.

This also gave me an excuse to buy the folding engine hoist and folding stand I had my eye on..

I will say the Metro is one of the easiest cars to work on I've ever encountered and that is a considerable number for being only a backyard mechanic!

Only items different on the Suzuki motor were the distributor and valve cover. I used the pulley that came with it and REALLY lucked out in that the motor came with a clutch plate, pressure plate and flywheel already on it!

At first I was worried as the two were slightly different, but after the installation the adjuster was able to take up the difference. Took them both apart and was going to use my stuff, but after inspection they were very worn with a nice mirror glaze on the flywheel.

Lucked out here let me tell you! I wasn't going to put the old clutch back in and did not have a replacement at hand so the one already on the motor was my only real choice. It showed little wear.

Started right up!

Cold front came through and I got chilled but tomorrow after the timing is set properly and the TPS is adjusted, it appears I'm back to 40 or so MPG...and that beats the 10 my pickup has been getting!

If the motor doesn't use any oil, it will get synthetic with extended oil changes. As of the first of the year my wife's '95 Marquis with 155,000 has gone 1 year without a change using Amsoil and totaled over 12,000 miles all the while using LESS oil than the 3000 mile intervals it has seen since new and averaging better than 23MPG combination city/HWY. A filter change at 6 months BTW.