I just bought a 91 Spirit, 2.5L & 3-speed automatic,with only 37,000 miles. I could not pass up the deal I was offered. The car is in excellent condition with the exception of a little rust on the inside bottom of both front doors. It was truly owned by a little old lady who drove it to the store and to church once a week.

I don't lnow much about these cars. Any information regarding potential problems would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

I suggest the Haynes book for the Spirit / Acclaim just to get familiar with it.

Go through and change fluids:
- Oil Change
- Power Steering Flush/fill
- Trans Fluid / Filter
- Radiator Flush -- Use distilled water and the low-phosphate / extended-life (not green) coolant such as Zerex G-05 or Prestone Extended Life.

- May want to replace the Radiator hoses and heater hoses and belts because age is or can be as big a factor as mileage on these items.

--Be awarethat the Timing belt -- in spite of the low mileage may be about to go. No biggie, though, because its a non-interference engine-- won't bust anything if the belt breaks. If you do it pro-active though, _you_ will be able to control the time/place of the replacement.

These cars run forever with just a littleregular maintenance. I like the 2.5 4 cyl.

I am rebuilding my '90 2.5 4 cyl Spiritnow and from what I see inside the engine, it seems that the worst thing for your car is skimping on the fluids, or going too far / late on fluid / filter changes.

Mine went for 200,000 miles on the cheapest gas/oil -- but it may have gone 300k with better care.

Let us know what you find.
Lee

PS: on the paint -- if it peels -- problem is most likely the primer used at that time and to repair requires either stipping to metal or a real-good sealer/primer.

 

Thanks for the information.

You are right about the timing belt. Now that I have driven the car steady for a few weeks, the timing belt has begun to slap against the cover during cold start-ups. I am going to have to change the belt soon. Do you think the water pump should be repaced, too?

Do you have any recommendatiion as to which brand/type of trans fluid is best for these automatics?

Are these engines rough at idle? I think this car vibrates more at idle than any car I have ever owned. The engine smoothes out once I get to 1000 rpms and above.

Thanks again for the your help.

 

Yes, I forgot -- water pump is another cheap insurance item. Doing this all at once would make sense.

Your transmission MUST always get ATF+4. There are many brands, Valvoline, Mopar, and even Wal-Mart Super-Tech. I have used all and any available.

One thing I love about this car is that parts are so inexpensive and available.

Now, the vibration should not be happening. Check for vacuum leaks. The plastic hoses get brittle and break over time. Also, I'm not sure what role this plays in idling, but there is a large hose that runs off the exhaust to the breather so that heated air goes into it at idle, and then cold air under acceleration. This hose may have broken.

I gotta say the Haynes manual is great to show the diagram of all the vacuum hoses if you ever see one broken and need to know where it goes / comes from.

Cheers,
Lee

 

+4 didn't exist in '91.