Getting my 85k mile 94 up to snuff

I have a 1994 RMW that I am in the process of getting squared away as a daily driver.

What are some common failure points of these cars that I should check/replace as preventative maintenance? Car has 85,000 miles.

I am going to inspect the brakes, tires, and suspension this evening. Just wondering what common failure points should be addressed at this age outside of the usual fluids, tires, brakes, hoses, and belts.

Any $20 parts that are common failure points that should be changed? Are there any ignition parts, sensors, or fuel system parts that are easier to change now instead of later?

Fixed the driver side front window sliders and ran into some issues. The ball stud that clips into the plastic piece that always brakes was MIA! Made a ball stud out of a small machine screw and two nuts. Snapped into place and works perfectly!

The nicest people drive station wagons, so far I have been enjoying my time with the vehicle.

A cheap repair that could save you a hastle on a 25 year old car: on the heater hoses you will see a plastic "T" and a plastic reducer. They deteriorate and should be changed.

Tom

Consider checking the engine vacuum lines for cracks and split fittings.

If you have automatic load leveling, the shock bags may be on the verge of leaking. You can get replacements, but they will require adapters for the OEM lines.

Use caution with the interior door panels. They are notorious for being fragile.

Check for the fuse block post under the hood. If it is zinc, it can cause a fire. Make sure it is copper/brass, and if not, change it to one that is.

The guys above already gave you my first answers.

Speaking of load-leveling shocks, there is also a way to use the air compressor to inflate Airlift air bags.

The stock headlights are terrible. You can improve them by getting the headlight wiring kit and the battery cables from Innovative Wiring.

http://innovativewiring.com/?page_id=175

silverfox103 wrote:

A cheap repair that could save you a hastle on a 25 year old car:  on the heater hoses you will see a plastic "T" and a plastic reducer.  They deteriorate and should be changed.

Tom

I will look at this, thank you! The cooling system is on the list of things I want to go after.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

Consider checking the engine vacuum lines for cracks and split fittings.

If you have automatic load leveling, the shock bags may be on the verge of leaking. You can get replacements, but they will require adapters for the OEM lines.

Use caution with the interior door panels. They are notorious for being fragile.

Check for the fuse block post under the hood. If it is zinc, it can cause a fire. Make sure it is copper/brass, and if not, change it to one that is.

Wow thanks, I will check that post asap. I assume visual color will tell me what it is made of? (copper/brass being gold color?)

Do a Google search for Caprice zinc battery post. My photo is hosted on Photobucket, but you can see the image on Google.

pay close attention to the paint - esp around the top of the windshield - notorious for rusting... and IF it does and your windshield is cracked and needs replacement, you'll likely have to have expen$$$ive bodywork done before they'll put new glass in.

Replace ignition coil and ignition control module (ICM) with Delco or Standard Motor Products parts. These are wear items.

If your stock AIR pump system still works, replace the check valves immediately. They're dirt cheap and save you an expensive AIR pump failure.

Post is a year and a half old and the poster hasn't been back since July of 2018.

Still great information. Getting ready to put a new to me daily driver in action.

If engine temp sensor not been changed in a while, replace it. A failure will flood the engine. ECM will think it minus 40 degrees.
It can be unplugged supposedly to get you home. Being on front of engine, its easy to get to.

sdowney717 wrote:

If engine temp sensor not been changed in a while, replace it. A failure will flood the engine. ECM will think it minus 40 degrees.
It can be unplugged supposedly to get you home. Being on front of engine, its easy to get to.

Personally I've found that corrosion inside the connector is the real issue. I use a vinegar and salt solution to clean it out, then flush with water, fill with dielectric grease to keep out further corrosion, then plug back in.

sherlock9c1 wrote:

sdowney717 wrote:

If engine temp sensor not been changed in a while, replace it. A failure will flood the engine. ECM will think it minus 40 degrees.
It can be unplugged supposedly to get you home. Being on front of engine, its easy to get to.

Personally I've found that corrosion inside the connector is the real issue. I use a vinegar and salt solution to clean it out, then flush with water, fill with dielectric grease to keep out further corrosion, then plug back in.

All that helps, but it'll come back because the corrosion comes from the coolant leaking through from the inside around the pins.

[rant] We'd all be just fine if the sensor cost $2 more and they included proper seals on the terminals in the overmold process - even though the actual cost to do this is pennies (I used to develop similar products that required sealed connections like this) - just to not have to deal with this issue and the resultant repairs, frustration, downtime, etc that it causes. But in the "race to the bottom" where "the market" buys on cost and not quality, you get these kind of issues [/rant]

Fix Until Broke wrote:

sherlock9c1 wrote:

sdowney717 wrote:

If engine temp sensor not been changed in a while, replace it. A failure will flood the engine. ECM will think it minus 40 degrees.
It can be unplugged supposedly to get you home. Being on front of engine, its easy to get to.

Personally I've found that corrosion inside the connector is the real issue. I use a vinegar and salt solution to clean it out, then flush with water, fill with dielectric grease to keep out further corrosion, then plug back in.

All that helps, but it'll come back because the corrosion comes from the coolant leaking through from the inside around the pins.

[rant] We'd all be just fine if the sensor cost $2 more and they included proper seals on the terminals in the overmold process - even though the actual cost to do this is pennies (I used to develop similar products that required sealed connections like this) - just to not have to deal with this issue and the resultant repairs, frustration, downtime, etc that it causes.  But in the "race to the bottom" where "the market" buys on cost and not quality, you get these kind of issues [/rant]

Sadly most everyone cuts that corner. The oil pressure on sensor on the old MACK engines will push oil out of the sensor and along the engine harness. It eventually makes it's way to the ECM and can get inside of it. Coolant level sensor does it as well but at a much faster rate because it sits above the engine.

Yes - the common design practice is to leave the pins "unsealed" because the connector seal protects the pins from external contamination, however there's almost always a source of internal contamination (coolant, oil, water, etc).

It was an interesting test - replaced the 18 AWG wires with the same size OD tiny pneumatic hoses - they had to withstand 1 bar (15 psi) pressure for something like an hour with no bubbles, after thermal life cycle testing. The o-rings were just over $0.01 each and the tooling to install them amortized out to a similar cost - total cost was <$0.05 for a 2 terminal connector at >100k annual volumes.

Let's say it actually costs an additional $0.10 per unit once you factor in all the overhead associated and everyone in the chain makes 100% profit, by the time it gets to you it cost $2 more, but doesn't have this failure mechanism.

I think everyone would be happy wouldn't they?

Fix Until Broke wrote:

Yes - the common design practice is to leave the pins "unsealed" because the connector seal protects the pins from external contamination, however there's almost always a source of internal contamination (coolant, oil, water, etc).

It was an interesting test - replaced the 18 AWG wires with the same size OD tiny pneumatic hoses - they had to withstand 1 bar (15 psi) pressure for something like an hour with no bubbles, after thermal life cycle testing.  The o-rings were just over $0.01 each and the tooling to install them amortized out to a similar cost - total cost was <$0.05 for a 2 terminal connector at >100k annual volumes.

Let's say it actually costs an additional $0.10 per unit once you factor in all the overhead associated and everyone in the chain makes 100% profit, by the time it gets to you it cost $2 more, but doesn't have this failure mechanism.  

I think everyone would be happy wouldn't they?

As a mechanic that gets paid to replace those harnesses and ECMs, I wouldn't be happy.