car troubles after visiting a shop

[bryce.martin23]

So my clutch went out and I have no means and limited knowledge in the transmission department. I got the car back the first time and the clutch was squeaking, took it back and turns out they needed to order a new clutch as they installed the first clutch improperly. Now I got the car back again and the car starts up horribly in the morning. Have to crank the car over and over in order to build up steam to get it close to starting. When the car finally starts it shutters really hard for a few secs and then suddenly runs perfect. When the car studders when first started you cannot press the gas as it will die, but once it clicks and starts to run good ( about 10 secs after stutter) the car runs like a champ. I was thinking it was a bad battery, got it tested and turns out the battery was bad, got a new one installed yesterday and same result. Maybe its a timing issue, but I cant understand why because after this first inital start in the morning the car starts up withing one crank throughout the day. One more piece of info, when I got the car back from the tranny shop this time the check engine light was on. They told me to take it back later to have them scan it. Honestly I dont like the work they do as that is another story of what I found when I was under the car. Long story short, I trust my work ethic more than this shop and would rather just fix this myself and know its done right. Any advice as to where to start is helpful. Sorry for the long post, wanted to get all the info out there as possible.

[boostdelinquent]

Double check all your grounds to make sure they're getting a solid connection. What code is it showing for the CEL?

[bryce.martin23]

I have checked the battery ground, the ground that runs to the inner fender right next to the battery, and the ground that runs to the tranny. As for the cel codes, I have not taken the car back to the shop yet to have them scan the car. Unless there is another way to check cel codes please let me know.

[Ralphie]

I have checked the battery ground, the ground that runs to the inner fender right next to the battery, and the ground that runs to the tranny. As for the cel codes, I have not taken the car back to the shop yet to have them scan the car. Unless there is another way to check cel codes please let me know.

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=21259

And if you read through that section you will find a lot more info on bad starts.

[9DUBWISE]

How do you install a clutch improperly?

[bryce.martin23]

^^^ I have no idea, I have never installed one but when they installed the first one it squeaked a lot. Drove it for about a month and a half and took it back in because it was annoying. They took it back apart and called me to tell me that they are ordering a new clutch. They also told me that the throw out bearing might of been rubbing against the clutch. But honestly I have no idea how any of that works. Like I said I am very limited to tranny work.

[bryce.martin23]

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=21259

And if you read through that section you will find a lot more info on bad starts.

thanks for the info, I just researched how to check cel codes right before you posted but it was very helpful. Anyway Im throwing code 6 which is a water temperature issue. Any ideas?

[Ralphie]

^^^ I have no idea, I have never installed one but when they installed the first one it squeaked a lot. Drove it for about a month and a half and took it back in because it was annoying. They took it back apart and called me to tell me that they are ordering a new clutch. They also told me that the throw out bearing might of been rubbing against the clutch. But honestly I have no idea how any of that works. Like I said I am very limited to tranny work.

Well idk how old you are but if need be id go in there with a parent and demand that they get the shit right or you'll be back with a lawyer...i guarantee you they get it right.

[Ralphie]

thanks for the info, I just researched how to check cel codes right before you posted but it was very helpful. Anyway Im throwing code 6 which is a water temperature issue. Any ideas?

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=2861

All the info is here, i don't have the exact answers but if you just search on here(either at the top of page or on google via cb7 ________ insert problem you shall find your answer.

[GeoffM]

I want to know what you found under the car....

Regardless, they've done the work. Get under/over your engine and take a good look. Take it back and tell them to try again. Afterwords, check the engine again to see what they've done. If you see more problems? Keep going back until they get it right

[bryce.martin23]

I want to know what you found under the car....

Regardless, they've done the work. Get under/over your engine and take a good look. Take it back and tell them to try again. Afterwords, check the engine again to see what they've done. If you see more problems? Keep going back until they get it right

The cross member up front that has the strut contol rods was completly loose, all four bolts were half way out. I could jiggle the entire cross member with one hand. The really bad part about this is that this shop has a reputable name and was recomended by a few mechanics that I know. I guess I got the nightmare story on this one. And by the way Im 26 to the poster who was asking, no need for parents on this one, LOL.

[9DUBWISE]

thanks for the info, I just researched how to check cel codes right before you posted but it was very helpful. Anyway Im throwing code 6 which is a water temperature issue. Any ideas?

The plug is right under the dizzy. The plug usually breaks due to dizzy seal leaking, heat, age or short out. Check it out. Mine is the same. Some times the guage works, most of the time it dosent.

[bryce.martin23]

The plug is right under the dizzy. The plug usually breaks due to dizzy seal leaking, heat, age or short out. Check it out. Mine is the same. Some times the guage works, most of the time it dosent.

I found the connector and saw that the black wire has a small exposed area on the back side of the wire right where the wire bends into the socket. Im not too worried about that as I electrical taped that untill I hit up the boneyard again. But I dont see how the Thermostat Senser is messing with my ignition. I was researching a little and found a youtube clip of a 97 honda doing something similar to mine. His was a ignition switch, could this be the case? The thing that boggles me is that once the car is ran for longer than a minute, the car starts up fine for the rest of the day, its just when it sits for long periods of time that it does this.

[Fleetw00d]

Check the distributor ground that goes to a bolt under the thermostat housing. Check all the sensor connections at that same end of the head. They could have disturbed all these when removing/installing the tranny. THe loose distributor ground can cause all sorts of issues with starting and running erractically.

[bryce.martin23]

Just checked for the ground coming off the distributor but found nothing. Where else could this be. I looked all around the head and everything. I did find a similar thread on here with the same symptoms. Turns out it was the FITV for his solution. Any luck you think?