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| Hello From OK; Another new guy | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 26 2010, 08:01 AM (1,106 Views) | |
| Royjaxfl | Jul 26 2010, 08:01 AM Post #1 |
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New Member
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I have never posted here before but i have done alot of reading. I have loved Johnny Mullets attitudes and answers here and have finally dove in and bought my first metro while they are still cheap. I am now the proud owner of a 1993 convertible. After reading through the forum i did slightly overpay for mine but it was in perfect condition so i guess i got what i payed for. It had a rebuilt engine and tranny and all sorts of a new parts under the hood along with reciets for everything and less than 100k. So how much did i pay for all this good ness? 2500. STOP POKING FUN IN THE CORNER OVER THERE! Lol. But seriously... i love it. There is one thing that i read on here that some people mentioned that the fuel miliage is not affected by ac. HOLLY CRAP IT IS ON MINE! 38 MPG with ac with decent mixed city and HW driving. So i decided to turn off the ac when i went to a friends house 30 miles away. So with 20 city driven miles and 63 more when i hit the pump when i got back... TADA... My story was written. 51MPG! So i guess when its not to brutally hot here in OK i will be putting the top down and saving me some fuel. I think i am the one with the biggest variance. When i read the topic of ac on and off vs fuel economy the person with the most stated about 10 MPG. For me it is well over 10! So i had my seats redone by my local Upholstry shop ( change made in heaven...i might take a road trip in it now... and im having an aftermarket cruise control put in. I am moving from FT Sill Ok to FT Hood tx and will driving 60 miles one way to work so this baby will be saving me some fuel! I love my jeep but 18MPG... not happening! Royspocketpc@gmail.com
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| Johnny Mullet | Jul 26 2010, 10:26 AM Post #2 |
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Fear the Mullet
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Welcome aboard! |
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| Bad Bent | Jul 26 2010, 11:46 AM Post #3 |
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Facetious Educated Donkey
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Welcome to the forum, Royjaxfl! As we were discussing in another thread, if you love it... 25 more mpg at $2.67/gal from "Hop N Sak" and you save $51 per week at 120/day. So your car pays for it's self in a year.I'll be curious about your gas mileage on a few long trips. Watch the gas gauge, they are not accurate as you may have found out. Try driving 350 miles, note the gauge and fill the tank. That should give you a base gauge reading and mpg without risking running out of gas. IMHO. With that mpg and figure a 10 gallon tank (10.6-11 gal. actually) you won't run out of gas.The Wife just reminded me that at first I had a bumper sticker that said "Got 50 mpg?" and my last tank with highway miles was 56. Pictures! We need pictures... especially the upholstery, don't tease.
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| bogs | Jul 26 2010, 12:52 PM Post #4 |
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Duct tape heals all wounds
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Yah, we love pics, no teasing I wouldn't consider 2500. for an immaculate vert unreasonable, sounds like you got a great deal.
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| Royjaxfl | Jul 26 2010, 02:51 PM Post #5 |
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New Member
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Ill take some pics and post them Mr Bogs... And Bad Bent... i calculated the gas by filling up from empty and then at the fill up just using odometer reading vs fuel consumed at fill up. But you are absolutely right that the gas gauge is out to lunch. It never marks full for me... it starts at below full. Then it stays there for about 30 miles and it goes down to 1/4 QUICKLY... over the next 120 miles or so... then it slowly goes down to close to E. Im thinking this is far off the norm so i will get it fixed later. Good analysis on the savings... except double that 2500. It was in great mechanical shape. But... it needed tires, alignment, ac fixed, and i did all the maintenance that Johny Mullet mentioned in a posting. I am not to much of a wrench-er... I teach people how to shoot... lol. So i had my trusty local mechanic do most of the work. The SHOCKS WERE THE ORIGINALS WHEN I GOT IT. Once i replaced them it was a completely different car! Plus he had "low" profile 13's on the car (205/45/13) I did not even know that size existed. So after going with the 155/80's from the hard top model the ride is HEAVEN! I dont care that it does not corner like it did but it does not ride like a buckboard! I am really learning to love the car! I found some great rims on tirerack but i will get those next time i need tires and upgrade to 14's of the same circumference. I really am interested in the 3 tec fuel efficiency rebuilt heads so that will probably be one of my next upgrades. Right now i am looking at just making it 100% reliable and then ill do some more "pretty" visual stuff. I just dont want to give up fuel efficiency in the name of the cute stuff. Hey... so quick question for the forum and MR Mullet... On a car with a 1.5 year old rebuild... i am reading 105-110 compresion in all 3. My Mechanic says its not a new engine so that is plenty and he told me dont worry unless you are reading 50 and below. Now i read somewhere in here (* cant find it) where it should be close to 200 per cylinder. So is my mechanic off or is this normal? Also... im going to sea foam it in about 1000 miles and then change the oil 500 after that ( about 4-5 days of driving at my next post!) There is one thing i fear... i read that if it had alot of build up the sea foam can do more harm than good because it removes "parts" along with the carbon build up. And the smoking white tail pipe that is mentioned... is that till the next oil change or just for a few? Thanks everyone... and thanks for letting me in the club... ill still v8 in my 1989 mustang or 2000 Jeep GC once in a while... but for the grind... i really am loving my car! Its a fun runabout that is fuel efficient to boot. |
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| Royjaxfl | Jul 26 2010, 02:55 PM Post #6 |
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New Member
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Oh what i was mentioning about doubling the 2500... redoing the interior... the cruise control... all the maintenance... new tires... and a few more things... it ran up close to 2k and i might exceed that if i change the CRAPPY stock stereo! But... i payed CASH for the car... No loan... the wife wanted me to get a new hybrid... i was like... no way... no car payment to then try to "save" gas. this is perfect... real savings on every fill up with out the monthly note. Then again even if i had financed the whole thing id be looking at 5k over 60m for less than 100 a month on a standard loan so no matter how i looked at this this made sense!
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| Jittney | Jul 26 2010, 06:45 PM Post #7 |
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Anchorage 92 XFi
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Welcome to the parking lot, Royjaxfl! We're looking forward to the 'work in progress' pictures.
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| Bad Bent | Jul 26 2010, 06:54 PM Post #8 |
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Facetious Educated Donkey
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You are dead on with the hybrid/loan thinking from what I've read. But then the only vehicles I own made in this century are my recumbents. Take a look at How to change a fuel pump for a pic of the sending unit. Actually I noticed a little better response having Seafoam'd the gas a few times but not anything near "normal." Your description sounds "normal" for a Geo. "I am not to much of a wrench-er... I teach people how to shoot... lol." OK, nobody messes with your mechanical skills. However the compression test should be conducted this way: How To - Compression Test. ...and Wide Open Throttle (WOT) would make a difference. IMO the mechanic is off (150 being minimum) but the numbers could come up if the engine was not warm and WOT. Seafoam (cleaning the engine) can't hurt at this point because in the next few days your better educated forum members will likely say rebuild time. Iheartgeos in Lincoln, NE could rebuild an engine for you. Ha ha, the smoke last a few blocks. Check out a few YouTube Seafoam vids Here.. Maybe only do 3 oz in the brake booster or TB at a time, more frequently?
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| Royjaxfl | Jul 29 2010, 01:53 PM Post #9 |
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New Member
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So... i took some shots of the car and my super dupper proud papa seats... and... how the heck do i get them posted here? i am looking for something that says insert on the website but... nada... help the nube out! I am not used to "posting" but at this paste i will be a metro fanatic... So... yeah... 35-38 MPG AC on... 51-57 ac Off on the same type of driving... DARN AC IS GOING TO COST ME! lol... but its way to hot around here still not too. Another question... is it normal when you are stopped in traffic for your ac to loose efficiency? It blows really cold at 35-65 down the road... but... at a light its just enough to where its hot enough outside that you don't want to put down the window but inside its blowing 70 degree air instead of 38 while driving down the road. Any thoughts on this? Again... a consult with my mechanic got me that he believes its not as efficient and it needs airflow to work properly. Most of you are going to tell me to rip it because its costing me money and aggravation but ... ITS TO DARN HOT HERE to live without ac in the summer. I mean we have relatively mild springs and falls so ill turn it off there. But in summer i am not driving a car without AC! So no calling me out on that one. I get to be miserable and hot without ac when we are in the field or deployed so i really don't want to do it when i don't have too! For bad bent... I did not ask my mechanic how did he perform it but he is very honest and i am more of a worrier (*being in the military i hate to be late and using the excuse that your car broke down is lame even if true!) and he is always steering me away from what he calls unnecessary repairs. The real problem is this is the first vehicle that i don't buy relatively new (17 years old!) so i never had a feel for what it felt like when it was new and what i should be looking for. My 89 mustang that i bought new along with my 2000 jeep GC i can have a feel for what is wrong and what is not since i "raised" them and felt them age and knew what they needed and what they did not. I wanted to change the EGR valve and he said no ... i wanted to change some other stuff here and there and he said "stop... you dont need too... its a good car and its in good shape ... wait till it wears down or make noise or leaks and then bring it to me and ill get it done". A mechanic who actually discourages work... can you believe it? Isn't he great? lol. Is there any pictures of what line is the break booster that i should be poring the Sea foam into? When i said im not much of a wrencher ... i really am not. I mean... I really do teach soldiers marksmanship. I should have been more clear... my skill set is close to nill! I did see the sea foam video on that Jeep GC. i have a 2000 and i think that's a 98 one generation behind mine. funny thing is i have never ever sea foamed either and both have run great. My mustang has 88k and my Jeep has 170K and both have been blessings. Just that both use gas like a private uses excuses... ALOT AND PLENTY OF! SO in the video the guy also used a spray in the throttle body. I remember seeing a post by Johnny Mullet stating that 1/3 the bottle should be pored down the TB. Now the spray method would seem to cover the area more thoroughly but then again I'm not sure.Ah... convertible headlights... has anyone found them... i ordered some from ebay but the ones i got seem not to work? they are for hard tops. I tried to find an article where J.M. made a change from the old ones to the new ones but i could not find it. Anyone care to throw me a link? I just want to see if its an easy swap and if so ill use them. I mean if its pull out one and plug in the others im all about it but if it requires more than a screwdriver its probably going to be beyond me. I really dont wrench... YET! Im learning little by little! Hmmm i think this is it for now! Thanks for the advice. Oh... one more thing... Did i just miss the Geopaluza that everyone talks about? is it yearly or every few years or? Thanks everyone! |
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| Royjaxfl | Jul 29 2010, 02:21 PM Post #10 |
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New Member
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Here is one... people are taking about a camshaft from 3tech plus a timing advance worth at least 5mpg? Anyone got actual experience with this? Oh... and who to contact and where to buy? Also 3 tech seems to make an economy head that somehow manages to get another 15HP plus at least 10MPG. Who is the current high miller here? I bet he does not use his AC... lol. But seriously... im trying to cut out the crap mods and get good ones... Of course if i drive like a hyper miler you can beat the most efficient car just on that... but... i am a cruise control at 60-65 to work and on Friday when i get off work and drive my 300 miles home to see the wife... well... I'm a 70-75 guy then... I mean... i am not slowing down to get 5 more MPG... i just want to get home! Thanks God this grind will be over in 3 years when i retire... but. Its still painful!
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| Bad Bent | Jul 29 2010, 07:46 PM Post #11 |
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Facetious Educated Donkey
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OK, you have a very good mechanic. These cars are notorious for carbon build-up. The tail pipe is usually sooty. There is a 1/2" diameter passage through the exhaust manifold, engine block and intake manifold to the EGR valve that gets clogged and clogged solid. It also builds up in the passage from the EGR through the intake manifold. Carbon builds up on the valves and the tops of the cylinders. If your mechanic is open to it perhaps you can print out stuff and offer it to him? To maintain it we use Seafoam and advance the timing to 8 deg. Before Top Dead Center (BTDC). More advance means a little more burn time. The brake booster is in the engine bay directly in front of the driver on the firewall. Big pie looking thingy with a fluid reservoir on it and a hose going to the back of the intake manifold area. Try Posting Images for Dummies which has a few was to do it. This server does not store photos like image hosting servers, Photobucket, ImageShack, tinypics yada, yada, yada. So you need a free account with them and then you copy-n-past the Image Code into your post. It's an acquired skill. Take a look at geometroforum.com/3Tech and see what you find. Write Mike, he knows and wait for other members' responses. I went for "power" and still get 56 mpg. The Wife has an "econo" cam, drives 60-65 and gets good mpg but I'm not sure about a 'vert at 70-75 mph. Hope that helps. P.S. The Wife is the killer in the family. She drove trucks in the Army, I just worked in a Navy calibration lab repairing stuff for nuclear submarines.
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| Royjaxfl | Jul 29 2010, 09:10 PM Post #12 |
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New Member
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WHat does advancing the timing 8 degrees do? I mean... when i got the mustang 20 years ago i was told to move the timing from a stock 6 to 15 because it made more power by running leaner. Is it the same thing here? Just find it hard to believe that my little 1.0 can take more timing advance! lol. About the pictures... to much work right now... lol... why the heck does the site not have an attach button where the moderator can screen for people posting evil stuff and then put the pretty metro pics up On the sea foam brake booster hose... why do we shoot fluid down a brake booster? would it not contaminate the brake fluid? I did write an email to 3 tech i will look forward to their answer! At what speeds are you getting 56MPG? and you say your wife has an econo cam and gets Good MPG... what is good? hell... for me coming form 15 Mustang and 18 jeep im over double air off and almost double air on. Even at "high speeds" 70-75 i got no complaints getting 30MPG. if i can get more great. But... here in ok the actual highway speed limit is 75 ( yes... not a typo... it is 75!) so me going 70 is actually 5 under and traffic is really moving 85-95 so i am getting passed like im standing still as is! So your wife was an 88M driver I was in the navy for my first 9 years 1991- 2000 then i got out and started working at a ford dealer in SVT sales back when they had ton of svt models not 1 truck like now. Then Sept 11 came and i got the letter in the mail around nov that im sure you and your wife did asking you to come back and i said sure but i wanted to go army so here i am... i am 2 years and change from 20 so ill see what i do when i get there. Oh and i was an AW in the navy! Hunted submarines while there was still a cold war Ah... i was reading your signature... NO ac... not happening ... lol... 120 is to hot without AC... its just misery! Im dying to know at what speeds you are getting that killer economy. And your wife has the newer metro... arent those quite a bit heavier hence less fuel economy? Just wondering. I looked for a 93 or prior because all my research led me to believe they were the lightest and most fuel efficient. The convertible was just an unexpected bonus i enjoy! |
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| Memphis metro | Jul 29 2010, 09:31 PM Post #13 |
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Welcome new guy. |
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| Bad Bent | Jul 29 2010, 11:20 PM Post #14 |
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Facetious Educated Donkey
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1. Well, 8 deg. will make "more power by running leaner." I've worked on a 350 Chevy most of my life - same principles. Some of us can run 11+ on base timing with a +10 deg. cam gear and either the 218/350 or 222/365 cam. 2. We moderators have devoted our entire lives to GMF, as we affectionately call the forum. We have no other life now. We trust members to post clean family stuff but recognize we are, in one form or another... mechanics. Besides, that screening stuff sounds to much like werk. I'd rather just castrate someone for screwing up our peaceful forum. 3. Oops, Seafoam goes down the brake booster hose, disconnected from the booster NOT where you add fluid. Please watch the first minute at least: How to Seafoam (YouTube). It's a "fun" 7 minutes. 4. The wife does not keep mpg records. Other members have "econo" cams, like Johnny Mullet have newer models and get close to 60 mpg or better. They will chime in on mods you can make to get that. I attribute the air dam, Vortex generators, 3-4 extra psi in my tires, synthetic fluids and not racing Beemers. I travel a steady 60 (55 sometimes) but down to the 30s on twisting Idaho mountain roads. Got the same 55-56 mpg on vacation to SoCal on the freeway and did 65 on the 75 mph Nevada roads.5. Yep 88M, 10 ton cargo. We did not get a letter, we are old. She got out of the National Guard in '96 (88M, 71L) but I was discharged a conscientious objector in '76 because I wanted non-combatant status. I would have stayed if denied but they don't want me back for anything, even Iraq. My IM job is history, now it's contracted. AW - very interesting. Must have been fun hunting subs! Get any? Oh, wait, classified. |
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| convertible | Jul 30 2010, 05:56 AM Post #15 |
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Welcome to the forum Enjoy. |
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25 more mpg at $2.67/gal from "Hop N Sak" and you save $51 per week at 120/day. So your car pays for it's self in a year.
Try driving 350 miles, note the gauge and fill the tank. That should give you a base gauge reading and mpg without risking running out of gas.
IMHO. With that mpg and figure a 10 gallon tank (10.6-11 gal. actually) you won't run out of gas.

I wouldn't consider 2500. for an immaculate vert unreasonable, sounds like you got a great deal.
Im learning little by little! Hmmm i think this is it for now! Thanks for the advice. Oh... one more thing... Did i just miss the Geopaluza that everyone talks about? is it yearly or every few years or?

I travel a steady 60 (55 sometimes) but down to the 30s on twisting Idaho mountain roads. Got the same 55-56 mpg on vacation to SoCal on the freeway and did 65 on the 75 mph Nevada roads.
Get any? Oh, wait, classified.
9:33 AM Jul 11