Diary of a 17 y/o with an 850

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 15 Jul 2018, 14:25

(somewhere along the line current wasn't going through. Still haven't found out what it was...)

There is a starter relay in the fuse box .....

shihabafi · Post by **shihabafi** » 15 Jul 2018, 16:16

misha wrote: 15 Jul 2018, 09:26 Motronic 4.3 is only for turbo models.
When i look back the pictures from under the hood....you have a newer engine with newer style MAF....and it could be that Motronic 4.4 is installed along with an replacement engine.
Like i said....problem is that different managements are NOT interchangeable,wiring is different,pinouts are different....and since you still have OBDI ports under the hood...they are remained from Jetronic management.
I'm surprised and wonder how it starts and run...seriously.

Fluorescent oil dipstick also points that engine is from late '96 or '97.
'91-'96 had red dipsticks and crankcase capacity is different.

Dipstick is new, but don't worry, I'm also surprised at how this car runs... BUT, no complains from me

RickHaleParker wrote: 15 Jul 2018, 14:25 (somewhere along the line current wasn't going through. Still haven't found out what it was...)

There is a starter relay in the fuse box .....

The only relay I found that went to the starter was the alarm relay, which, oddly enough, my car never had... Mines didn't even come from the factory with an alarm...

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 15 Jul 2018, 16:22

Actually on the stock setup there is no starter relay but the path flows through the alarm relay. On a base model there may have been no alarm so there would be a dummy relay in the 210/211 relay position under the dash. Since it had an aftermarket alarm it is anyones guess as to what it goes through now. This is a typical butcher job for an aftermarket alarm setup.

: alarm.jpg (81.33 KiB) Viewed 1423 times

I pulled that out of my son's 850 when it wouldn't start.

I too am very surprised that there is a Motronic on a '95 non turbo, that should be the LH 3.2 Jetronic setup. It is possible that it is a '96 model with a '95 build date. The title should tell you.

With a blown head gasket I honestly don't know that it is worth fixing. I see them all the time without a blown head gasket for under $1000.00 and by the time you get the head reworked, buy new head bolts and all of the other gaskets and seals you are looking at a $1000.00 job even if you do the work yourself.

...Lee

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 15 Jul 2018, 17:32

The only relay I found that went to the starter was the alarm relay, which, oddly enough, my car never had... Mines didn't even come from the factory with an alarm...

You found the relay.

Another thing that would keep it from cranking over is the Transmission range sensor. There are two Green/Red wires that are used to bridge the gap on manuals which do not have a Transmission range sensor. If you bridge the two Green/Red wires on an automatic and it cranks over as it should, the problem is the Transmission range sensor.

Dmck · Post by **Dmck** » 16 Jul 2018, 02:22

It depends I learned so much from doing the full head gasket job. If you see it as a chance to open up an engine it can be worth it.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 16 Jul 2018, 06:00

Complete head gasket set and head bolts $175 - $200. He is 17, he has lots of elbow grease, with lots of elbow grease there is an inexpensive way to true a warped head. Value of the experience ... priceless because it can pay dividends for the rest of his life.

shihabafi · Post by **shihabafi** » 16 Jul 2018, 06:08

RickHaleParker wrote: 16 Jul 2018, 06:00 Complete head gasket set and head bolts $175 - $200. He is 17, he has lots of elbow grease, with lots of elbow grease there is an inexpensive way to true a warped head. Value of the experience ... priceless because it can pay dividends for the rest of his life.

I don't mind ripping the engine apart, but the college semester is in full swing right now, and I'm daily driving it. Plus I don't even have a garage, I'm working outside with the mosquitoes D:

If I had somewhere safe to go and someone to do it with, I would go for it. But first I'm going to try some head gasket sealant...

Post by **misha** » 16 Jul 2018, 06:59

Don't waste time and money with those sealants....you can ruin a water pump and make more damage than good.
Headgasket job is not a big deal,but you will need to know what you are doing....from bolts tightening sequence,torque and everything else.
Plus....head removal can reveal all kinds of hidden things...the head must be checked and inspected visually and with special instruments.
It's your decision.

Post by **abscate** » 16 Jul 2018, 07:02

If it is running well, HOLD OFF on that SEALER. It can seriously gunk you up.

Keep coolant in the car, watch your oil for milkshake - check WEEKLY , and drive it like you don't want to spend $2000 and 20 hours dealing with a new engine.

Over break, when your weather turns civilised, start gathering parts for the head job and gasket then start a new thread.

How many miles are you daily driving??

Post by **erikv11** » 16 Jul 2018, 07:08

Head sealant will just ruin the engine, I agree with others on that point.

Kudos to OP for willing ness to fix things but don't be fooled that you can pull the head and fix it for $200, that's not realistic. Maybe you could get in and out for $400 if you cut corners and don't fix the valve stem seals, but why would you do all that work to have a head that still needs fixing? Start gathering parts and costs, I bet you can do it all for $500.