What To Do?, More Car Troubles! Options

[Coomer]

Right now I'm so depressed about my car.

A couple weeks ago I found out that in addition to problems with my clutch's hydraulic system and my tranny, I also have some sort of a problem with the valves on the head of my 4A-GE. I hope it's valve lash and can be fixed fairly easily, but I talked to a couple people and they told me that I may need new valves, which would cost more than another head from a AE101 4A-GE. So I dunno what to do about this yet. It can be done after the tranny and hydraulic system is fixed though(once I pay off the additional $600 of debt that I'm in), as it's just a loud clicking noise when the engine is at idle.

So things weren't too bad until yesterday. Yesterday I decided to install a VVT light in one of my vents so that it could act as a shift light sort of thing. I installed it, only to find out that my car isn't hitting VVT, and never has been, as it's always felt the same as it does now! I confirmed that I wasn't hitting VVT by unplugging the VVT sensor from the solenoid...the car felt exactly the same.

So I figured maybe it was the speed sensor, since I've been hitting fuel cut at 7,600 RPM or so lately, so I pulled out the ECU to test the pin for the speed sensor. Upon pulling out the ECU, I found that NONE of the wires going into the ECU connectors match what they should be from the pinouts, so testing wires and stuff is going to be a nightmare.


So I just don't know what to do. My options are:

1. Fix the car's tranny and hydraulic system and sell it to someone locally. Sell all the parts that I've got sitting around(TRD Curren wing, 5 subs, 1 amp, Lotek pillar pod, oil temp/pressure gauges, piping/connectors for a CAI, front '94-'95 extensions, DG side tower bars, fiberglass 10" sub enclosure, window roll-up module, etc.) Then buy an Infiniti G20.

2. Fix the car's four major engine/drivetrain problems, repaint it, and keep it. This route involves spending thousands of dollars, and most likely taking the car up to a shop in Seattle where they'll charge me lots of money to completely re-do the wiring harness, buying tons of parts, etc.

I just don't know...I need something to drive though, and every day it's another problem with the Celica.

[dstrbcelica]

as much as i hate to say it coomer, with all your recent car troubles, i think it might be time to give it up and move on.

[spunky393]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm................................ G20.......that made it hard (not saracastic)

[Supersprynt]

Depends on how much you want this car to work out. If u've fallen out of love with it, yeah maybe its time to move on, but if you still want it and still want it to be everything u've dreamt it could be, i'd would say get a good daily driver, something reliable; and slowly work on the celi, or wait a while, save and then fix it.

[LatinKraze]

Sounds like a lot of work. Go for the G20 Bro.

[shid]

So who wired up your ECU?

[jgreening]

I agree with Super. Its a matter of how much crap you can take due to your love or lack of love for the car. The question is: what's more difficult? (1) Giving it up? (2) Spending more time, money and frustration dealing with it? From the tone of your last several threads on this, I really get the impression that number 2 is more difficult now but that has to be a personal decision.

How about option 3: buying a high milage GT hatch and fixing it up as a reasonably modded GT4 look-a-like with 3s swap? You could do the whole thing for much less than the cost of the G20.

[ghostdog]

[urbandork]

i agree if ur heart is losing faith in the car then perhaps its time to move on.

man this is like relationship therapy or something.

Well good look whatever you do and may the force be with you.

Hope you stay regradless ur info has always helped me out.

This post has been edited by urbandork: Aug 16, 2004 - 1:35 PM

[Coomer]

[Jdog1385]

its tough. i have the same problem. I want to do a lot of work on my car but i need a daily driver. cant aford to buy another car, let alone pay insurance on it.

[Coomer]

[boosted_K2]

keep the celi, take it to a reliable shop, get the **** fixed, common man, we can work eachother through these damn toyotas! dont give up on me man! *under breath*i shoulda bought a honda....*/under breath*

[shid]

Drive it down to LA for a months vacation; everyone here (Sphinx, ToyCeli, Ryu, me, Scooby, etc etc) will work on different parts of the car a the same time

[Coomer]

There may be hope...I took it to my mechanic on my lunch break, and we realized that my EFI fuse was fried. My mechanic wouldn't listen to me and insisted that the black/red wire on the VVT solenoid was the one that gets grounded by the ECU upon activation, when in fact it's supposed to get +12 volts when the ignition is on, so he kept blowing fuses by giving that wire ground. I can only imagine how bad he'd torch a car if a fuse happened to be bypassed or something.

At one point we got the solenoid to click though. So maybe if I put in a new fuse the VVT will work...I'll have to try this after work to see if it works.

[sphinx]

[o8poa8o]

you could just spend the money to get it fixed then trade it (to someone on this site) or sell it for a gt (and have cash left over). Then you could start over w/ the gt and have money towards a gt4 clip w/ the hood bumper, engine and everything... (or use that money from the trade/saved from sellin your car and buyin a gt to pay back people or debt from getting the st all fixed up)

[Coomer]

[o8poa8o]

i read over my post after i posted it and thought about that, lol.


This post has been edited by o8poa8o: Aug 16, 2004 - 4:17 PM

[Supersprynt]

Option 3 isnt an option since it has the word HATCHBACK!

Like you realized, sometimes big effects come from small things.

And Honestly, the G20 is a nicer Sentra, bleh.