3 questions

[DGP1985]

Alrighty, I've got a two things that I'm wondering about my car...

1. When can you tell you have to replace a coil spring? I know my strut needs to be replaced (rear) but I was wondering about the coil...car is a 99 and it has 130 000 kms on it and I'm pretty sure the coils are the original ones...

2. How many grease fittings are there? I just found two (near the ball joints) annnndd one of there was bursted....o joy...guess I'll have to replace it...if I dont do it, what's the worse that could happend?

3. My wipers seam are starting to act up...sometimes when I turn them off they simply keep going for some reason....they also stop a sit about 3-4 inches higher then they should normally. Haynes mentions that the switch could be defective. I was just wondering what they meant by "switch". Is it inside the motor or is it the arm on the right side of the steering wheel? Also, if it's the one on the steering wheel, can I install one with an adjustable delay time if I had a non adjustable one before? (I could get one for almost nothing but I just want to know if it'll work before getting it)

Thanks to anyone who reads/answers this!

[Spyder3K]

1. I was told that when you're able to take your super-human hands and squeeze the coil together, then that's time to get new ones. Who knows if I'm right, but if you can do it with your hands, imagine what the car can do to it.

2. Fittings..fittings.. I THINK just the ones that you found, but don't quote me on that.

3. It could be both. In my friend's 91 Pontiac Sunbird, the switch in the car was causing your problem. I'd consider that first, because if one of those wires are blah, the whole switch is blah. If they're turning on and off, then the motor should be okay.

[muff34]

do you here a rear clunk when going over bumps. If so it is likely the strut mount that has broken. I put new rear struts and mounts in my`00 Sunfire ,clunk is gone all is well . there was not much tension on the coil spring either. not a big deal to do this job. as for the burst grease bellow just keep an eye on it lube it every couple of months depeding on usage. Alot of places will blow them out doing grease jobs,just shoody workmanship that`ll never change.

[J-Ri]

1) The springs will go a long time. I had a '96 Beretta with 160k miles with factory springs that I pulled a trailer with and the springs were just fine. If the rear sits low or uneven left-to-right, replace the springs, otherwise they should be fine unless there is something obviously wrong like a crack/break. Be sure to replace the struts and mounts together.

2)It will vary. Some have none from the factory, they're "greased for life", which is true, but it's usually a very short life. Almost any ball joints or tie rod ends that have been replaced will be greseable. A broken boot doesn't mean the balljoint is bad. As long as it's tight, just keep it greased and it could outlast the car.

3) It's the park switch in the wiper motor. A bad wiper switch wouldn't cause them to park high.

[DGP1985]

Well, thanks everybody I'll just replace my struts like I intented too and leave the coils (they we're doing a thumping noise, not a clunk, for quite some time...already knew I had 2 replace them but I didnt know about the coils :P)

Any ways of getting a park switch in the motor isnted of replacing the whole unit??

[spytearbite]

1. The shock gives out more than a sagging spring. That spring still holds up old museum cars is not the spring. My guess is the dampening in the shock when belly up and you just pogo-stick home on the springs.

2. I think with the rack-pinion grease is internal at the boot area. But, I think you did find a few and there are not many with the strut style system.

3. I've replaced the circuit boards more than the whole unit. See if the wiper brain has a replaceable circuit board. I'd junk yard one of those for a test.