Car Troubles

I need a shit load of help. I need to get my car running and learn how to drive a stick by the end of the week. Since the car isn't running at all, I can't drive it around to get an estimate, and I don't want to spend money on towing it. But in order to get a proper estimate (not just some man saying $300) I need to identify a piece. The car's a Mazda 323, '89 I believe. I've searched the internet already, and I've found nothing helpful.

I've heard many names for it, like catalytic converter, and timing bolt.

I have no idea since my car doesn't have one of whatever that is, but I posted it on the RX-7 forums to see if anyone knows.

Mazda 4 life!

Highly appreciated. I always knew you were a good'un.

Flux capacitor.

#1) I have that same keyboard.
#2) I have no idea what that piece is.

SPACE CHANNEL 5 STICKERS! YES!

Not helping, am I?

So, what's the serial number for? PIRATING?

They're not stickers, they're magnets, and Ulala has some magnetic clothing pieces.

And the the number is a password for Tetris Attack: X6R8NJM7, no idea what it's for exaclty, try your luck.

And I like this keyboard very much, how 'bout you Mike?

It's a damned sweet keyboard. Very nicely shaped. If I knew where my girl's camera was I'd take a picture of me using it right now. :)

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Originally Posted by kuro

They're not stickers, they're magnets, and Ulala has some magnetic clothing pieces.

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Now I'm doubly jealous, all I have is an inflatable Morolian. (Speaking of which, where the hell did I put that thing?)

It came in an old EGM, I can't remember if it was packaged inside the plastic, or actually inside the magazine. If it's the latter, maybe you can track down the issue and backorder it.

Gohan X, can you link me to the thread you reposted this in?

I suggest you get a Chilton car repair guide. It will tell you the part and how to repair it. I rebuilt an engine, using a Chilton guide.

www.autorepairmanuals.biz

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Originally Posted by kuro

I need a shit load of help. I need to get my car running and learn how to drive a stick by the end of the week. Since the car isn't running at all, I can't drive it around to get an estimate, and I don't want to spend money on towing it. But in order to get a proper estimate (not just some man saying $300) I need to identify a piece. The car's a Mazda 323, '89 I believe. I've searched the internet already, and I've found nothing helpful.

I've heard many names for it, like catalytic converter, and timing bolt.

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Need a little more info really, where was this piece located? is it part of the engine, transmission, or body?

What makes you think its the problem? Or did it just fall off the car and it stopped working?

Its definetly not a catalyic converter....

Arrgggh, damn car noobs

Lesson number one, NEVER,EVER, EVER, take something out of your car unless you can name it and it's function.

This mistake above will probably cost you about 200 bucks for some nitwit dickwad mechanic to tell you A) It's Broken, and B) He'll have to fix the brackets that hold the part in)

Looks to me like it's a driver for your serpentine belt.

About 400 dollars installed (including a new belt, which considering the age of the car your driving, is a necessity.

Hey, nice Mega Man clock.

I also have that same keyboard.

I don't know what that weird metal knob is though

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Originally Posted by Daddy Warbuk$

Looks to me like it's a driver for your serpentine belt.

About 400 dollars installed (including a new belt, which considering the age of the car your driving, is a necessity.

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I was going to say it looks like part of a belt tensioner but doubted myself, as I have little to no Mazda experence.

I'm smart enough to realize I know nothing about cars before I even attempt to take one apart. The car was given to me broken by my mom's boyfriend, and he said that's the part that needs to be put back in. So please, be mad at my mom's idiot boyfriend, you know, mad enough to come beat him up, or whatever.

I just gave the part to my mom, who's driving to Temecula to give it to my dad, who's going to show it to a mechanic. I guess he's been friends with him for a long time, so I don't have to worry about paying an arm and a leg.

And the Mega Man clock is indeed nice. And again, so is the keyboard. Would you like more pics of my desk?
http://www.the-nextlevel.com/board/s...&postcount=913
Close up pics taken only on request.

Here's the thread I posted, but no one seems to have any useful info on it...

http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=409537

One guy says it's the dashpot, one says he thinks it's a horn. Neither would cause the car not to run, a dashpot going bad would just make your car backfire more often, among other minor things.

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Originally Posted by Daddy Warbuk$

Looks to me like it's a driver for your serpentine belt.

About 400 dollars installed (including a new belt, which considering the age of the car your driving, is a necessity.

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It doesn't look like that at all, to me. It's too rounded to actually hold the belt. It doesn't look like the tension spindle, so where would that fit in the serpentine setup?

My biggest problem, with figuring out what this is, has more to do with the fact that I've never looked at, or worked on a rotary engine. Being that this is a Mazda, it's more than likely either a rotary engine, or diesel.

No, the 323 is a standard 4-banger. Only the RX-series cars and an old pickup truck have rotaries. Although throwing a turbo rotary in a 323 would kick ass.

Heh, the whole reason I can't figure out what it is is because it's NOT from a rotary engine.

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Originally Posted by GohanX

Heh, the whore reason I can't figure out what it is is because it's NOT from a rotary engine.

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Quoted because it's funny :). Now you can edit it.

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Originally Posted by JTurtonRX_7 from RX-7 boards

thats a dashpot. It gives the engine a little gas when you let off of the gas fully so the engine doesnt keep going all the way down to 0.

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I gave the piece to my dad and he took it to his mechanic, and that's pretty much what it is, much thanks to Turton and Gohan X, and all the guys who admire my stuff.

Anyways, I'm going to sell the car once I get that piece in; my dad's co-worker is selling a firebird for $1,200, so I'm going to get that in time for my promotion.

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Originally Posted by JTurtonRX_7 from RX-7 boards

btw: haha what is that stuff on your desk, Pokemon and dressup stuff?

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Heh, just thought that was funny.

Think I'll pitch in on this thread.

My van is having a problem with turning over even though it has power, I could imagine it's the spark plugs or the starter itself, but I just got a call back from the garage and they're telling me they can't find a problem with it. I mean it's starting up now, but I was having to turn the key a couple of times before anything would respond.

WTF should I do now, take it back from the garage and see what happens?

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Originally Posted by voltz

Think I'll pitch in on this thread.

My van is having a problem with turning over even though it has power, I could imagine it's the spark plugs or the starter itself, but I just got a call back from the garage and they're telling me they can't find a problem with it. I mean it's starting up now, but I was having to turn the key a couple of times before anything would respond.

WTF should I do now, take it back from the garage and see what happens?

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Moisture in the distributor cap?

I drive a shitty shitty car. Websters defines "shitty shitty car," as "1997 Ford Escort." Mine's an SE.

Here's the problem. When it starts, it's fine. It sounds moreorless normal (but it may not, it's been shitty for a while, since 1997 I belive), and drives pretty much ok for a little bit.

Once it's had a chance to run a while, the engine starts to surge, applying gas maks it go away of course but after a little more time, it gets worse and worse untill, usually at a long light or in a turn I have to slow down a lot for it cuts out comepletely. Throwing it back into park and restarting it is no problem (i.e. it restarts fine but still surges a lot).

I have tried fuel injector cleaner and I use premium gas (which is hurting more and more by the day). I've filed the gas tank up with super 5 times each time with a bottle of STP FI Cleaner, and once (on the fifth time with one fifth of a bottle of Transmittion Fluid, this was not an accident but advice from a mechanic who said xmission fluid is a good solvent). This has not helped. Another thing to note: My check engine light is on, my parking break light is on (despite my parking break most defintily being off). I think the car overheats easily but I'm actually not sure since - well - I don't trust my thermostat no more than I trust my fuel gauge (the latter has proven to be disasterously inaccurate).

Does anyone know what this might be? I'm sure it could be a number of things. I'm not so concerned about the sensors or the misleading lights as I am the surgeing and the fact that I really can't drive in traffic or for long distances in it. Any help would be appreciated.

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Originally Posted by Tracer

Does anyone know what this might be?

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The signal to get a new car! The fucking gas gauge doesn't even work right? Must have been a bitch realizing that.

Wow, I made a useful thread.

Cool.

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Originally Posted by Rumpy

The signal to get a new car! The fucking gas gauge doesn't even work right? Must have been a bitch realizing that.

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It was December 23rd, at night, in traffic, in 29 degree weather in humid Houston. I was on Highway 90, I had to push the car 4 miles into a shell station with people honking and shouting at me to get my pos off the road. I was driving to meet a friend who was about to leave for basic training, we we're to meet at a pub. I literally had frozen snot hanging off my nose by the time I got it up the incline at the shell station. I thought my car had just broken down, but I decided to give it gas any way. One gallon couldn't hurt, so I tried it and the car started. The guage said I was half full.

Yeah, I need a new car but I don't exactly have the money for that. The guages I'm aware of now and it hasn't stoped me since, but the surgeing and all that is an issue. If someone could help me with that I would appreciate it.

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Originally Posted by JMET

Moisture in the distributor cap?

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No, something like that would cause an engine to backfire or idle rough.

So that part ended up being from the fuel injection system? Wow.

Well I'm gonna put some heet in just to be on the safe side.

Tracer:

I don't know what's causing the surging, but since it's throwing the check engine light, you might take it up to an Autozone, Advance Auto, etc and they can hook up device that will tell you what codes it's throwing so you can figure out if that's causing the problems. And they do it for free, beats paying a mechanic to do the same thing.

Also, you shouldn't be putting Premium into your car. At best, it's doing nothing. At worst, it's making the internals of your engine dirtier since it can't burn all the fuel, leaving fun carbon deposits. The only REAL reason to use higher octane gas is if you have a Turbo/supercharged car, V8, or other high-performance engine. Additives in the gas is usually the same across all grades.

Thanks for the advice.