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Chevrolet (Geo) Prizm

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Comments

  • kickapookickapoo Member Posts: 8
    Check exhaust manifold for a crack. Just pull the little sliver cover & you will see if it is cracked. If so they run about $60 to $90. They crack right around 70 to 100k
  • ruddneckruddneck Member Posts: 23
    For those with Prizm's at 150,000+ miles, I'm curious: what major repairs did ya'll have done after that point or parts have you had replaced?
  • cobcob Member Posts: 210
    1994 with 180000+, I have only owned it for 4 months but the converter was previously replaced with a test pipe, the exhaust manifold was cracked so I replaced with junkyard part. Passenger side front strut was so rusted that the bottom cup holding the spring was bent down and rubbing on the tire, another junkyard replaced part. Speedometer was intermittantly not working so replaced gauge cluster with used one car now had only 108000 miles. Note: the gauge cluster from a Toyota Corolla with a tach does not fit the Prism dash even though they have the same wire harness connectors. Previous used alternator failed so found another one at the junkyard. So far paid $300 for car and $200 for junkyard parts $500 total investment and the a/c still blows cold air.
  • shartsonshartson Member Posts: 3
    I'm looking at buying a prizm, with 73,000 miles on it. I've done a lot of reading on this car and it seems to have an excellent reputation. Any reasons NOT to get the car? Any advice on a Chev Metro?
    Advice needed desperately!
  • dmonster1dmonster1 Member Posts: 1
    does anybody know where i can find the fuel filter? i'm having sputtering problems and that could be the cause...
    Thanks!
  • kickapookickapoo Member Posts: 8
    Two sets of struts. Last set was free with the lifetime warranty. Two sets of wheel bearings on front & two sets of outer drive axles. One set tie rod ends, one set roters.Three starters,3 alternators. Three exhaust manifolds. I had timing belt break once but have replaced it three times. Engine,Transmission,A/C are still orginal. I do change oil every 3000 miles & tranny fuild every 30,000. I used slick50 or Lucas every 50,000 miles for engine & transmississon.
  • kickapookickapoo Member Posts: 8
    I'm not 100% sure on a 95. But you can follow the fuel line from gas tank to the fuel injecters. A lot of cars have them about half way under the car on driver's side. I have never had a Fuel filter go bad in any car or truck but i'm sure they do.

    Check your plugs/plug wires/dist/rotor. Also check Fuel injectors. You can use a stetho scope or a hose & listen for a light clicking sound at each injector. There working ok if here the clicking sound. You can go to Autozone & find a Haynes repair book & find what you want about your car.
    I would recommend buying this manuel. But they will let you open new one & look in.

    Hope this helps.
  • ruddneckruddneck Member Posts: 23
    My Check Engine Light came on, and the OBD II scanner diagnosed "PO 420 Catalyst Effeciency Below Threshold Bank 1." The Haynes Manual doesn't have much to say about Catalytic Converters except how to visually inspect and replace them. Does this mean I'm almost certain to have to replace the catalytic converter? How much has this cost other folks in the past at a garage? (I'm not a confident welder.) Thanks!
  • morningsglowmorningsglow Member Posts: 2
    I am having a problem with my 1995 Geo it i will be driving and all of a sudden the speeometer drops to 0 and they car won't shift gears at all. iI have had it to my mechanic who has replaced the speedometer, checked the clutch, the electrical and any other thing he could think of but still the problem occurs. Help please
  • kickapookickapoo Member Posts: 8
    Does the clutch make any noise at all when engaging or releasing at anytime. If it does when & what does it sound like. When speedometer drops to 0 does the engine speed increase or decrease or stay the same.
    It should be a clutch problem. There are several components that make up the clutch system & several items need checked. Best guess is your clutch plate is worn or damaged. This plate can also be called Clutch disc or driven plate. I would take it to a place who specializes in this area. Search for a station that does work on clutch and/or driveaxles. A broken or worn motor or transaxle mount can cause some weird things also.

    Hope this helps.
  • morningsglowmorningsglow Member Posts: 2
    There is no sound or noise and the engine will decrease instantly and then not increase over 30. so i have to turn it off for about 15 minutes then it usually will start running ok for a while but this happens frequently and i have had several mechanics look it over and drive it when its acting up and their all dumb founded as to whats wrong.
  • uraspazuraspaz Member Posts: 3
    I have a 94 prizm, 1.6L auto. recently I have noticed a noise around 2200rpm coming from the valve area, I was wondering if there are any common issues with the valves/spring/cams/ect.
  • uraspazuraspaz Member Posts: 3
    check out ebay. I saw one, but I dont need one. they are fairly cheap I think.
  • uraspazuraspaz Member Posts: 3
    If you dont have an emissions check where you live, look for a test pipe, and just bolt it in place.
  • kickapookickapoo Member Posts: 8
    I will look in to it & get back to you. It could be flakey CPU. This is basiclly a 95 Toyota Corolla. You may ask same question on a Toyota web site or let a Toyota Mech... look at it.
  • kickapookickapoo Member Posts: 8
    Just turned 300,000 miles.
  • hikinhikin Member Posts: 1
    my shifter cables bound up, anyone know where i can buy a new set? i don't really want to pay the $700 for parts i keep getting quoted
  • lsilsi Member Posts: 2
    Trying to find Rims for a 93 Geo Prism Lsi (standard stock Black) (in NC)
  • pakistanipakistani Member Posts: 3
    ebay has em
  • onedayoneday Member Posts: 1
    crayala & catfish,

    i am having a very similar problem with my '94 geo prizm(140k miles), and suspect some kind of wierd electric problem.

    i had the districutor replaced (which turned out to be bad), had a wire foul going to the fuel pump(replaced), replaced the fuel pump, replaced the fuel filter; everything checks out on the computer. a mechanic at one point thought the Idle Air Control was bad, but cleaned it out and then said that it was working good, and should continue to.

    it also had trouble starting, and now it starts only intermittently. when i try to start it now it's like this: i turn it to the ON position and the beeping lowers in tone and the lights dim, then when i go to start it it either just clicks or does a wierd, rapid-clicking buzz-type-noise. and then when it does actually start, it has your same kind of symptoms: stalls at stops sometimes, sometimes lacks power going uphill (until finally something seems to click and it gains all of it's power), has trouble accelerating from being stopped (sometimes it helps to put it into the L(ow) gear at first, then switch up as i gain speed.

    this car is driving me crazy, and i cannot for the life of me figure out what's wrong with it. cursed be the day i bought it, for all the money i've put into it, and only got 6 months of driving.

    ...help?
  • josh2l8josh2l8 Member Posts: 1
    i used to own a 95 prism then after 3 yrs of no problem i decided to upgrade and trade it for a 1998 camaro ss. camaro still running strong then my 18 yr old son been shopping for his first car and to my suprise he take home a 1996 prism lsi same color as my 95 and in good condition. i totaly forgot how reliable and great gas per mile (put 23 dollars for a full tank ....travel almost 280 miles till it need a refill thats about 35 miles or more per gallon.
  • mccracken4mccracken4 Member Posts: 1
    Anyone know how I go about unlocking the center console of my mom's '94 Prizm? I heard there is supposed to be some kind of code to enter, but I haven't a clue as to what to do.
  • kaos86kaos86 Member Posts: 2
    alternator..... as wierd as it sounds thats ur problem :sick:
  • kaos86kaos86 Member Posts: 2
    a prizm is a toyota carrolla in disguise......... damn good cars minimal maint. ive had 3 (on the third)

    sold my other two to family who needed them.... 1 of them has over 350,000 miles on it and is still running strong..... metros are very reliable and excellent on gas but not as big as the P's ........ my personal pref. is the prizm metro just to small for me other wise both great cars and well worth the money
  • mremtmremt Member Posts: 1
    :confuse: I recently shut off my 97 prizm but the starter continued until it burned up. I just put a new starter in went to hook the Batt/cables up and the starter took off again. What would possibly cause this?
  • n51hjn51hj Member Posts: 3
    I've got a '99 with 100K that I just replaced the engine with one with 30K out of a wreck. The swap went well and the engine starts and runs well except for missing badly above 3000 RPM. I've checked all the vacuum lines and put some new gas in it but to no avail.
    Any ideas?

    Thanks in advance,
    Steve near Chicago
  • n51hjn51hj Member Posts: 3
    I've got a '99 with 97K that I just swapped a 30K motor in due to a broken connecting rod. It starts and runs well but has a significant miss at 3100 RPM to the point that it won't accelerate farther. I also get an intermittent "engine lite" while it's missing.
    Any ideas?
    Also, it has a grinding noise from the front right wheel area when I turn left. A wheel bearing, I assume....
    Thanks in advance,

    Steve near Chicago
  • f1drivrf1drivr Member Posts: 3
    I have a 1990 Prizm. It has a crack in the exhaust manifold between the #2 and #3 cylinders. I would like to replace it with a header. Does anyone know what header will fit? Or what yr Toyota headers will fit this car? Thanks
  • f1drivrf1drivr Member Posts: 3
    I have a 1990 Prizm. It has a crack in the exhaust manifold between the #2 and #3 cylinders. I would like to replace it with a header. Does anyone know what header will fit? Or what yr Toyota headers will fit this car? Thanks
  • bugsdadbugsdad Member Posts: 1
    Did you find the cause for this problem my car is doing the same thing
  • f1drivrf1drivr Member Posts: 3
    I think it a common problem with these cars. Judging by the amount of exhaust manifolds on Ebay and reading some of the Prizm forums. I think a header for a 1990 Toyota Corolla will work, but I would like to know before I spend $160.00 on one.
  • skippy1jzskippy1jz Member Posts: 3
    I am working on my 1995 prism. Great car, but its getting a little expensive to repair. I have to replace the left front wheel sensor for the abs. The sensor split into two pieces . I am having trouble with determining which is the best(or the only) way to remove the piece stuck in the spindle. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.,
  • skippy1jzskippy1jz Member Posts: 3
    Below the master cylinder. You have to get to the bottom line (under the filter) from the tire well
  • skippy1jzskippy1jz Member Posts: 3
    I replaced the rear struts on my 95 prism.Cost of the mounts where $65 each Struts cost $70. Yes it is possible for the mounts to break b4 the struts go bad. Problem is, you have to take the struts off to get to the mounts.So its kinda of a catch 22 situation. If you have to replace the mounts you should replace the struts too.
  • daddysgirl1940daddysgirl1940 Member Posts: 1
    I have the 94 prism lx had the same problem when i got it , I took out the clutch sensor and direct wired it, I havent had a problem since, Have a great day , and good luck , Sherri
  • dianajunedianajune Member Posts: 1
    My aunt bought this car for me back in October as my previous car died. She had a good friend of hers, a mechanic, check it over thoroughly before I brought it home. It's great on gas and seems mechanically sound except for one little noise and I'm concerned about the cause.

    Whenever I pull out of a parked position (I never hear this noise at any other time, even while turning), I hear what sounds like a "ping" or something. It's hard to tell which side of the car this is on.

    Like I said, the only time I hear this noise is when I pull out of a parked position, never while the car is in motion. I noticed the other day that after I pulled out of a parking spot at a local store, the noise was more pronounced and I'm wondering if it's because the parking lot is steep, and the car was parked on a decline (front end down).

    What could be the cause of this noise? I hope it's not going to be costly to repair, and I've only had this car for a couple of months. My aunt made sure it was mechanically sound before I brought it home, and I just took it for an oil change at Walmart yesterday. I didn't mention the problem to them because basically, all they do there is tire work and oil changes. They never said they noticed anything out of the ordinary.

    What could this be? Please advise. Thanks!
  • n51hjn51hj Member Posts: 3
    '99 Prizm;
    97,000 mi.
    30,000 mi. on replacement engine
    automatic transmission
    A/C, AM/FM/CD, pwr locks, rear window defrost, new battery, recent tires, coolant system flush, cruise control, good paint, NO RUST, some spares

    Located in north Chicago suburbs (Wadsworth 60083)
    $4000 obo

    Steve
    847-336-8352
    727gs@db3broadband.com
  • mundolatinoflmundolatinofl Member Posts: 2
    I have a Geo Prizm 1997 and almost 5 times a days when i press the Brakes to stop in a red light the card turn off. Then i have to turn it on again..

    Can anyone give me a suggetion on what could it be?

    Thankss
  • veenveen Member Posts: 2
    I recently had new tires put on my '01 Prizm. When I picked up the car I was told my shocks were starting to weaken & that someday soon I'd need new shocks. The price quoted was $1600 because "they're hard to get to." Does this sound remotely right to anyone? Has anyone else had this problem with their Prizm? I can't imagine paying $1600 for shocks when I happen to know the parts themselves are very reasonably priced.
  • homeskooledhomeskooled Member Posts: 1
    I have a 97 geo prizm 1.6L 5sp std.
    I have had an engine knock for a while and im not sure what it is. If I am idleing or am driving in first gear it sounds fine, but in second through fifth gear it starts to tick and its relative to the amount of torque and RPM. The mechnic I took it to for $40 narrowed it to something under the timing belt cover. They didnt go any further and I didnt want to pay for it. Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be?

    Thanks
  • mnoblemnoble Member Posts: 1
    I drive a 2001 Prizm with about 94,000 miles. When I came home from work late last evening (Chicago area) I could unlock the driver side door but then could not shut the door. I wiped the condensation off the door frame and still could not shut the door. I drove home slowly, very slowly holding the door shut! What sort of repair bill will I face? Will I have to have the entire door replaced? I had a problem with this door about week ago during a cold spell and after I wiped and scraped away the ice the door shut. But this time it sounded like the inner latch mechanism broke. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • rshrsh Member Posts: 2
    I would like to replace the fuse for the fuel pump on a 1992 geo prizm but don't know which fuse to replace. Can anyone tell me?
  • dj_mrdj_mr Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought a 2000 prizm that only has 35k miles on it and I have a couple problems i dont want to dig into till I get some input. Problem 1 is that the drivers side window goes down just fine but when you go to put it up it only goes up about 1/2 inch and then you have to wait about 1/2 hour and it will go up another half inch and so on. takes forever. does anyone think the problem is just the motor or what? second issue is the fan for the heater only works on high. no other setting works but high. any ideas as to what to replace? :confuse:
  • prizmguyprizmguy Member Posts: 2
    hi, know this is old thread but had same problem question with NGK. Except for the NGK rep i just spoke with said to use the gap stated in the manual but I pointed out that the spark plug manual written by NGK stated not to adjust the plug gap more than +- .003 or it would not work properly. He said then it would probably be best to leave them at .042, because these days the spark plugs are better made and make more spark? ....OK... thanks.. was my reply. Anyway how did your plugs work out and what gap do you remember using? Thanks
  • prizmguyprizmguy Member Posts: 2
    No, this doesn't sound right. Like you said the parts are reasonably priced on these cars and they are not THAT hard to do. Labor is on average 65.00 an hour. Ask the person how much again. If they quote 1600 dollars ask how much the cost of the part and can you bring the part yourself. Then ask them if the shocks cost (Just saying) 500.00 then why is it going to take 17 hours to fix?
    There are other charges like lift charge etc. but they will see right away you have an idea of what is going on. Also buy for (@19.95) a Haynes Manual from an auto store and read the section on trouble shooting and before getting work done read the section on that part. Even if you don't understand you can have an idea of what is to be done and how long it will take. they will see you know something and will many times drop prices dramatically. Also, you will read and see how easy some things are to check yourself. Also get quotes from different shops.
  • dg2c2cdg2c2c Member Posts: 1
    This is dumb question.
    I have a 2000 Chevy Prozm.
    I lost my key and had to have it re-cut at the dealer. After bringing it back to my car, I found it did not work. Loking at the key closer, I noticed that the Key was not symmetrical, the cuts on each side of the key did not quite match near the tip.
    My questions is are there keys suppose to be symmetrical, meaning that the parts department screwed up, or could there be another reason the key does not work? I've owned this car since it was new,
    Do you think the parts department will admit any mistake? They made me sign a waiver in case the key did not work.

    -David
  • ruddneckruddneck Member Posts: 23
    My key is not quite symmetrical. Close, but the sides aren't a mirror image of each other.

    I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but did you try both sides of the key; i.e., take it out, spin it 180 degrees, and reinsert it?

    If it still doesn't work, take it back and tell them so. I'm not sure how close these are to house keys, but if analogous, maybe they can grind it down little by little until it works, just like a hardware store can for a house key (which is where I had my spare Prizm key made).
  • agarg98agarg98 Member Posts: 2
    Hi,
    I have 1996 Geo Prizm. with auto transmission, It has 93,000 miles. The problem is that after I drive a few miles(4 or 5) my brake pedal seems to get hard and my car will not accelerate, all my brakes are locked. After sitting for a while, my car will go with no problem, but again after a few miles I get the same problem.
    The machenic has chnged the Hose, Calipers, and Roaders, but I stil have the same problem. One machenic is asking to change the Brake Master Cylinder.. kindly suggest..
    Regards
    Atul
  • agarg98agarg98 Member Posts: 2
    Hi,
    I have 1996 Geo Prizm. with auto transmission, It has 93,000 miles. The problem is that after I drive a few miles(4 or 5) my brake pedal seems to get hard and my car will not accelerate, all my brakes are locked. After sitting for a while, my car will go with no problem, but sometimes again after a few miles I get the same problem.
    The machenic has chnged the Hose, Calipers, and Roaders, but I stil have the same problem. One machenic is asking to change the Brake Master Cylinder and the other Vacuum Booster..... kindly suggest.. agarg98@rediffmail.com
    Regards
    Atul
  • tellmeboutittellmeboutit Member Posts: 4
    This really sounds like a problem with the booster and or the master cylinder rod . It sounds like your booster is activating as vacuum builds while driving instead of only when the brake pedal is pressed. More than likely a bad valve in the brake booster.
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