Hey guys. I'm new here and new to F-Body's. I have a 1994 Z that's all power and T-Tops. So here's my list of problems:

I need to find replacement weatherstriping for the t-tops
My fog lights don't work (fuses appear to be good. Don't know how to get the lights out to check bulbs)
My power windows are real slow and don't go all the way up.
My power door locks don't work
My wipers dont go all the way down and seat
My speedometer is 15 mph off at 70 mph
My low coolant light comes on constantly (coolant level is good)
My cigarette lighter doesn't work
And my windows are real loose in the tracks.

I can check some of this stuff on my own. I was just hoping that some of you guys could point me in the direction of common problems with these things so that maybe I could save some time and aggravation in locating the problems.

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

 

The speedo can only be "off" because someone swapped out the rear axle gears and didn't correct the programming in the PCM. A 20% difference for example, would come from running 4.10 gears in an M6 that left the factory with 3.42 gears. Does your speedo read higher or lower than actual speed?

Might want to include the tranny type in your signature, and correct the engine size to 5.7L.

 

I don't really know anything about F-Body's or the engine size. I just picked the car up this morning. I did see where it is a 5.7L. How would I go about getting the rear end to match up with the speedometer? Do I need to take it to a dealer or can my wrench man do it? My speedo reads 15 mph slower than actual at 70 mph. So, speedo says 55 but I'm really running 70.

 

power locks and cig lighter may be on the same fuse....first thing to do is check those.

next thing to check would be the wiring to the switches

the slow windows is a sign that the motor is about ready to **** the bed. may as well replace it before it strands you with the windows down in a bad rain storm. do some searching on how to replace them yourself..it's really simple just takes some patience and a few basic hand tools.

and while you have it apart you can check the wiring on the door locks in the door.

for the coolant light, it is a VERY common thing for the sensor to malfunction and trigger the light. look under the radiator cap on the back side of the radiator...i think under a small inlet hose...there should be an electrical connector. unplug it and the light should go off. no ill effects other than not being able to tell if the coolant is low...but you should check that regularly anyway. or you could just change the sensor...but that's $$ spent on a somewhat useless "idiot light"

as for the speedo being off...sounds like the computer is calibrated for a higher gear ratio (higher number) than what is actually in the car. there are several options. if it is a m6 trans, someone could have swapped in a set of 2.73 rear gears (or whole rear end) out of an auto. or someone could have upgraded the rear at some point to 4.10s, and recalibrated the speedo. THEN before selling it swapped the stock 3.42s back in and never reset the computer.

tell us what trans you have...manual or auto...and what rpm you are running in a particular gear and mph....we'll tell you what rear gears you have. wouldn't hurt to include the tire size as well...could throw things off a tad.

 

I noted today that while cruising at about 65 mph, I held a steady 2000 rpm. It's an automatic, so I had it in OD. What gears did the rear have when stock? If I know that, then maybe I can get the rear swapped if a higher gear is in there. I gotta ask my wrencher if he can tell by looking at the gears. Maybe I can pick up a rear end or some gears and get it back to stock. Tires are 225-60-16 all the way around. I appreciate the help.

 

What size tires are on it?

 

Hi there,
I believe your car should have 245/50/16 tires all round from the factory.
Best regards Mark.

 

The auto tranny (A4) cars came with either 2.73 or 3.23 gears from the factory. Look on the "build tag" - on the end of the drivers door or in the glove box - and see if it has "GU2" (2.73) or "GU5" (3.23) on it. If you do not have a "1" on the A4 tranny gear selector, its the 2.73. That tells you what was in the car originally.

You also have the wrong size tires on the car. It left the factory with either 235/55-16's (26.1" diameter) or 245/50-16's (Z-rated option "QLC", 25.7" diameter). The 225/60-16's (26.6" diameter), in addition to being way too narrow, are causing your speedo to read 1.7% - 3.7% lower than actual speed.

Both the tire diameter and the rear axle ratio need to be programmed into the PCM. You can get a used Hypertech Power Programmer (watch out for scams) and change the PCM yourself, get a dealer to program it, get software that allows you to change it yourself, or send your PCM to one of the two site supporting advertisers that do "mail-order" tuning.

When you were running 65mph at 2,000pm in O/D, was that the indicated speed on your speedo, or the actual/correct speed measured by some other means?

 

i bet the intake leaks too. very common on the lt1

 

Thanks for the advice on the tire size. I plan on getting new tires soon, but I want to make sure it's mechanically sound first. I'll have to check on the gears also. I want to get this speedo fixed asap. I've got to have the idle adjusted (it's too high) and have a muffler put on (too loud). I like the low rumble that these cars had stock. Though it looks to be the stock exhaust, that thing is loud. I'd like to get the car back to as near stock as possible. I have no interest in racing or hauling *** anywhere. I just like having a few ponies to move me down the road.
A few more questions for you Injuneer (or anyone for that matter). My power windows are slow enough that I can use a sundial to time their speed. I know I need new motors, but do I have to get new regulators also? Second, it seems that the fans blow awful loud also. Being a new to owning a Z, I'm not sure if this is normal or not. Should both fans be on at startup, or only one? And finally, the amp gauge is showing around 11 amps at idle, sometimes dropping slightly into the red zone. I put a new alternator on (140 amp). Is this normal also or is something drawing too much current?
Thanks in advance for the info. I know new guys can be a pain, but I need experienced people to help me out. I like to turn to people who know what they're talking about.

***** My speedo was reading 55, but my pace vehicle that I was neck and neck with was traveling at 70.

 

Probably the best way to solve the problems is to do one at a time - post the problem by itself, include all the details. I think by listing so many problems in one thread you're making it harder for people to respond. Include what you have done to try and solve the problem - for example, on the non-working cigarette lighter, did you check the fuse? Do you have an Owner's Manual that will tell you which fuse it is? If not, Shoebox had a link to the online Owner's Manauls on his website. He also has a lot of "how to" and "fix it" info, well written and accompanied by photos.

http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech1.html

There is also a "search" function that will help find the answers to the common problems, including the windshield wipers that don't park correctly, the slow power windows, adjusting the window tracks, low coolant light, etc. These problems get discussed almost daily in other thread.

The "search" function can get ornery... just keep trying, it will work eventually.

Just to help you with a couple more of the items you listed:

1. Idle speed - It's controlled by the computer (PCM). If the engine is not idling at the correct speed (800rpm for the M6, 550rpm in gear for the A4), there is a problem with vacuum leaks or the idle air control (IAC) system. Is it idling too high or too low, compared to the stock programming numbers I just listed? The stock tach reads 100-200rpm higher than actual at idle, so if your A4 is idling at 650rpm in gear according to the stock tach, its probably within spec. You need to put a scanner on the ALDL connector to see the accurate idle speed.

2. The gauge on the dash is not an "amp" gauge, its a volt meter, and its showing the system voltage. 11.0V is too low. If you put a new alternator on, and it has a healthy voltage regulator in it, there's a load on the system that needs to be identified. Or, someone has put "under drive" pullies on the engine to save HP, and the system is not charging properly because of the low alternator RPM.

Again, to get the best results, take one problem at a time and do a well written description of the problem, its symptoms, when and how the problem happens, and what you have done to try and fix it. Give the post a very clear "topic", and be sure to post it on the correct forum....e.g. General, LT1, Drivetrain, etc.