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Chevrolet (Geo) Prizm

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Comments

  • carriegcarrieg Member Posts: 3
    My 2000 prizm has about 95K on it and needs a tune up (I think), anyway, called one dealer and they said the only thing gets on a tune up is new spark plugs. I don't know a lot about cars but that sounded a little simplistic to me. When my 1995 got a tune up it cost like $350 and got a whole bunch of stuff. I guess the mechanic could be correct but I don't want to pay a ton of $ for just plugs and then more down the road to have it done correctly. If anyone can help I would appreciate it. Just what does my 2000 need replaced for a tune up? THANKS!!
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    If there are symptoms that make you think that the car needs a tune up, you need to address those. 5yr old spark plugs shouldn't result in poor operation of the car unless there is something else wrong with the car. On rare occasions plug's insulation may crack and malfunction. If you haven't done anything other than regular oil change and lube since 2000, you should do coolant flush and replacement, automatic trans service (if it's auto), timing belt change (every 60,000miles if 2000 model uses a belt. No need to replace if it's chain. See owner's manual.), and close inspection of hoses and belts under the hood. If the belts&hoses haven't been replaced in 10 years, it's a good idea to replace them now. Brake inspection is normally done when you buy/rotate tires, but you might want to make sure it gets inspected at next tire rotation.
    Modern cars don't need nearly as much attention as cars made say 30 years ago. Spark plugs last a long time because engines burn much cleaner. If your car is running well and getting decent performance and gas mileage, spark plug replacement is probably still a good idea but not absolutely necessary.
    They will try to sell you services like fuel injector cleaning and other stuff, but unless your car is running poorly those won't hurt but won't do you much good either. Coolant flush is a good idea because radiators do get plugged up. Radiators are likely to rot and leak after 10-15 years. If it starts to leak don't drive the car until the radiator is replaced. Stop leak chemicals are usually only for emergency repair no matter what it says on the bottle. that's about it from me for now. :)
  • carriegcarrieg Member Posts: 3
    My 2000 prizm LSI (95K) uses excessive oil. There appears to be no oil leak or blue smoke from the exhaust pipe but the car shows 0 oil on the dipstick after about 2,000 miles post oil change. I noticed the problem at about 84K. For the last 30,000 miles oil changes have been regular, previous to that erratic. Any suggestions as to where my oil is going?
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    On 2000's, there is no timing belt, it is a chain. I am pretty sure the plugs are irridium or platinum, so they would only need to be replaced every 80 or 90 thousand miles.

    Oil - watch the tailpipe at a cold start to check for blue smoke, and watch (or have someone watch) going down the road, accelerating. If oil changes were erratic, that was the root cause of the problem. Check radiator to make sure no oil leakage in there. Otherwise, there has to be a leak or smoke you are not seeing.

    Replace air filter, PCV valve, check hoses for cracks and replace as necessary, check serpentine belt for cracks and replace as necessary. Change coolant (use only Toyota red). Might want to change brake fluid, if planning on keeping for a while. I assume auto tranny, if so, drain and fill tranny fluid. Basically, follow the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual.
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    If there is no leakage, most likely the oil is passing through the piston rings and getting burnt. If it has been leaking into something else like the transmission at this rate for over 30,000miles, the trans would have blown up or leaked oil all over your driveway by now. Tuneup cannot fix an oil-burning engine, unfortunately. Dipstick covers the range from full capacity to maybe 2 quarts lower than full. If the car is burning 2 quarts every 2000 miles, that's 1qt/1000miles. This oil consumption rate is higher than most other cars I would say, but still something you can live with. But for a 2000 car with a Toyota engine... that's a bit unusual. Check oil level every time you stop for gas. You can add a heavier oil than specified in the manual (if it says 10W30, perhaps you can use 10W40 or 20W50) and see if that results in less burning.
    You won't start seeing blue smoke unless the engine is burning a whole lot more than 1qt/1000miles.
    Make sure that the oil level never goes lower than 1/2 qt from the full mark. If it always burns oil at this rate, the only immediate danger is running the engine dry by not adding enough oil.
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    Hmmm I might have misread the original post. Has it been burning oil at this rate for over the last 30,000 miles? If you let it go below the lowest mark on the dipstick, you can ruin the engine.
    Also, if the oil change was too erratic in the past that explains the tendency to burn oil. But if the interval was never more than say 7500miles between changes and driving habit and climate were normal, I don't see why it should be burning so much oil.
    Oil change every 3000 miles is still a good idea, by the way. But sif you are adding 3qts over those 3000 miles to keep the level full, you might as well replace only the oil filter every 3000 miles and keep adding oil without draining it. That way you are not draining newly added oil every 3000 miles.
  • soule11soule11 Member Posts: 1
    Re the valve noise: this just developed a few months ago (car had only 45,000 miles on it. The guys who work on the car are all for ignoring it, but I think it's getting worse. They say that the valves can't be adjusted, that you have to replace parts (can't remember the name of the part)... that there are 16 or so sizes... I only worked on one car in my life, a 1972 Datsun I recently parted with after... 30+ years... those valves I could adjust...

    Anybody know about this problem and / or it's resolution? also any good wrenches for Prizms in the north of Boston area? thanks Alexis
  • tonybcsutonybcsu Member Posts: 1
    This is going to be a silly question...

    I have recently been given a 93 Prizm without the manual.

    I am assuming I am supposed to check the transmission fluid while the ENGINE IS RUNNING however can someone confirm this? :-)??

    Also, if anyone knows of a good place to order a manual (or download one!) I am all ears!

    Thanks!
  • carheadachecarheadache Member Posts: 2
    I own a 2001 Prizm with 55k miles on it, and recently had to have both the serpentine belt replaced ($60) as well as the tensioner ($325). Has anyone else had to replace the tensioner? I've owned plenty of cars that have needed a myriad of repairs, but never have I had to replace a tensioner.

    I question the quality control that went into the construction of these cars. I can't flip down my sun visor without bumping the rear view mirror, I've had to replace a power window motor, and a dashboard light just went out (behind my fuel gauge).
  • firescoobyfirescooby Member Posts: 7
    If it is an automatic, then yes, the car should be running. It should be up to operating temp and placed in park or nuetral.
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    It is highly unlikely that both the belt and the tensioner happened to be defective at the same time. Here are the possibilities.

    1.The belt broke first and it damaged the tensioner.

    2. The tensioner failed and as a result the belt got ruined.

    3.Belt tension was not set correctly at the factory or by a garage mechanic who worked on the car. This resulted in belt slippage, and slipping belt fails very fast. You need only a new belt, and correct tension in it.

    4. You did not need to have either item replaced. Your mechanic was going to be late for his boat payment that month.

    Other problems you mentioned....I really get annoyed by stuff like that. A four-year-old car should not need a new power window motor or a bulb behind the dash. I feel your frustration. Be sure to take your car to a reputable mechanic.
  • carheadachecarheadache Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the feedback. I hate it when a $25 oil change turns into an $825 one. I was told that a tensioner for most make/models costs $100 or less, but because I needed a Toyota part, it cost as much as it did. I believe that what happened was the tensioner became defective which screwed up the Serpentine belt. I'd much rather believe that than your Option #4. I've been going to this mechanic for several years, and I think they're honest guys. Their labor rates are a bit high, but I write it off as an "honesty fee" which sounds terrible. One of these days I'm going to go to auto mechanic school and open up a repair shop and market it as an honest repair shop run by women for women.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    The Forums may not be used for buying and selling. Some messages have been removed. Thanks for your understanding.
  • fmzfmz Member Posts: 5
    I have a 96 1.6L Geo Prizm...non California stuff...i think its 3 speed too...the gearbox (automatic) is P N R D 2 L

    It has lots of miles on it, about to hit 250000 in a few weeks.

    I usually fill up about 9.5 - 10 gallons of gas in it and it is usually around 250 miles, the fuel gauge tells me my fuel is almost empty. I mostly drive in the city.

    I have looked everywhere on the net and see that fuel tank is 13.2 G
    So my question is that do i have like a 10.5 Gallon Fuel Tank or my my fuel gauge is bad?

    Please shed some light on this subject.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Like many cars, the fuel gauge is too conservative - it tells you your empty, but reality is you got lots left. You can tell if the tranny is 3 or 4 speed by the button or lack of on the side of the selector. It would be a 4 speed if there is an O/D drive on /off button below the normal lock button.
  • fmzfmz Member Posts: 5
    There's no O/D drive on off button below the normal lock button.
    So do you think i should risk going over like 30 miles more?? You know like 290 or 300 miles in one fuel go??

    So its true that I have a 13.2 Gallon fuel tank as opposed to what I think is more like a 10.5 gallon tank?

    Thanks for all your help
  • fmzfmz Member Posts: 5
    One more thing, its a 93 Prizm Vs. a 96

    My bad
  • larryjohnsonlarryjohnson Member Posts: 1
    My daughter has a 2000 Prism with about 80,000 miles on it. It started using oil about 5,000 miles ago...I have always changed oil on a regular basis...but not sure what she did when she went to school. I have switched to 10w40...but, that has not helped...she is sucking down 1 quart a week...with low miles! Did you get any feedback from anyone...we have noticed that the backend of her car on the tail pipe side has lots of soot...including the inside of the tail pipe...but there is NO black or white smoke...even at startup and acceleration. Help...it's a great car, she loves it! (PS, the car was purchased new by me as a business vehicle, then I gave it to her....it does not have an automatic overdrive on it...the rpm's stay up pretty high....)
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Yes, you have a 13.2 gallon tank. You can go 30 miles more. Just don't go too far, because the fuel pump supposedly is cooled by fuel in the tank, so if the level is too low, the fuel pump runs hotter (not good). Also, you never want to run a car out of fuel (not only bad for you, but bad for the car.) And yes, you have the old 3 speed auto.
  • cindym1cindym1 Member Posts: 2
    I can't seem to find a separate posting for new messages - I'm a new person at this site, and although I'm pretty comfortable with forums, my screen just isn't showing a posting icon or lettering. So I'm hoping, that even though I'm tagging this on as a reply, someone will read it that will be able to tell me something about this issue.
    My daughter was just involved in a head on collision (not at all her fault) while she was traveling 35 miles an hour. Her 1995 Prizm with only 83,000 miles is totalled, and surprisingly, her airbag did not activate at all.
    She took a real hit with the steering wheel, and the seat belt did some damage to soft tissue and spine, but she was able to get out of the car under her own power. I'm impressed on how well the Geo Prizm held up in the crash. Her knee did get pushed into the steering column, but overall, for that kind of crash, good safety.
    Our concern is really on why the airbag didn't go off. Any feed back would be appreciated. We're having the car towed from the tow yard to the GM/Chevy dealer for inspection and if there is any reason I should know about before I talk to them I'd appreciate any info.
    We have two 1995 Prizms and have been really happy with them both. One had the 83000 miles and has been a wonderful car that my daughter was planning on keeping for at least 3 more years. Our other has over 150,000 miles. Maintenance has been preventative only except for replacing a gas tank on the higher mile one when some road junk punctured it. Both have held up great - in fact my daughter's rated excellent in the insurance inspection after the wreck. Anyone who has the bright green prizm will appreciate the fact that the person who hit our car said that she didn't see it:) Even the cop made a joke about that statement.
    Thanks for any help or insight into the airbag malfunction? problem,
    Cindy
  • fmzfmz Member Posts: 5
    Good to know that, i have my old fuel pump replaced 2 weeks ago. i had a brand new one unused sitting at home and go it changed when the distributor shot out.
    thanks for all your comments. i'll limit taking the car over 290 then.

    one more question, i haven't replaced the timing belt, and i dont know when the old owner got it replaced. should i go ahead and replace it? also what other belts shoudl i get replaced

    thanks
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Welcome Cindy - I'm glad to hear that your daughter is okay! How frightening.

    I'll just mention that if you look toward the bottom of the page and you are logged in, you will see the post box. To start a new thread, all you need to do is just put something in the Title box and then put your post in the Message box. Then you hit the Post My Message button and you're in business! After that, you have have 30 minutes in which you can use the Edit or Delete links that show up to the right of the date and time of the post if you want to.

    Something that many folks - newbies and oldies alike - frequently miss is the Search This Discussion feature on the page bar. I don't know if this will help you, but you can use it to search for previous posts that may have related information in them.

    There is no question that our style is unique among most message boards - lots of people have a bit of difficulty figuring us out. You'll get the hang of it and in the meantime if I can answer any specific logistical questions just drop me an email.
  • cindym1cindym1 Member Posts: 2
    Thank you. The second time I logged on and scrolled down there was the posting section, so I felt very non-observant. I had just not scrolled down far enough to see that - I thought when I got to the #'s of messages and all that it was the bottom of the page. I'll know better for the future.

    Until then, do you have any past information on airbag malfunctions or speed of travel that the airbags are suppose to go off on the Prizm and does anyone except for us think that they should have gone off during the crash? I've done some research on this and can only find a recall for the airbag sensor back in 1996. We bought the car used in 2000 and to our knowledge, it had not been in a previous wreck.

    Some mechanics that I have talked to about this problem say that 35 mph is a borderline speed and the airbag may or may not go off at that speed, some say it most definitely should have gone off at that speed and with enough impact to total the car (the hood is now folded back on to the windshield). So we are getting conflicting reports of what the airbag perimeters are for a Prizm. GMC could not tell me any perimeter information, or any information at all without the inspection being done, which we are arranging to have done. It's tough because we are in Oregon and the car is in Virginia and just last month, when the car was paid off, our daughter got her own insurance, so it's not our place to be dealing with her insurance. Meanwhile, she's struggling at this point to get through the day in as little pain as possible, so we're trying to help her gather what material she needs to deal with the insurance.

    Any information on the standard and usual operations of airbags would be helpful at this point. No warning light was lit on the dash showing anything malfunctioning before the crash.

    Thanks for any help,
    Cindy
  • lilslugga2002lilslugga2002 Member Posts: 3
    I was very worried that I was going to run out of gas on May 5th, but that stupid gauge was so off. It read empty as I arrived at work on the morning of the 5th with ~328.4 miles on the tank. I assumed that from my average miles per gallon from the last couple of tanks I would easily have enough fuel to get me home. My ride to work is around 18 miles each way. Well when I went home of May 5th to fill up, I was amazed. I went 346.4 miles on 10.803 gallons of gas, which turns out to be 32.1 MPG, a full 1.8 standard deviations above my average MPG -- my highest yet! And the funny part was this was mostly city driving. I could have easily put 400 miles on that tank . . . and yet the gauge still read like I had nothing left in the tank. I think it's because my rides have been much longer. Plus the dramatic temperature change and maybe the gas stations have put additives into the fuel for summer purposes (I don't know if this is true). I've shifted to 4,000 RPMs many times, and once or twice to 5,000 RPMs, but geez my car is 12 years old, and the engine bay looks like crap, I can't believe it's performing so well for its age. By the way, this is a 1993 Geo Prizm LSi 5 SPD Manual with a 7A-FE engine that I am talking about.

    Pictures of the car again (updated some):

    http://pine.linuxaeolus.com/LS/1993Prizm.jpg

    http://pine.linuxaeolus.com/LS/Stick.jpg

    Here's an update of the Fuel Economy table:

    http://pine.linuxaeolus.com/LS/GasData.jpg
  • endoffileendoffile Member Posts: 2
    CEL came up yesterday and took it to autozone to get analyzed. they said that engine is running lean after checking the code and said something about oxygen is not getting sufficiently.

    He advized to get a new ctalytic convertor for the exhaust. I am confused, as I dont know anything about cars. Is this true ? what should I do ? :confuse:
  • doug15doug15 Member Posts: 2
    1st, last year the ignition barrel was changed out, seem to be fine until about 3mths ago, now almost every time you turn the ign key, either you hear the soleniod click, no start or nothing..hold the key..then it starts, of course other routines are opening the drivers door..thats helped 2-3 times...jiggle the key...if it's the starter how do you get in there to replace it??? can the solenoid be replaced or????? :confuse:

    By the ways i was glad to see a lot of confused people asking about gas tank qty and mileage......
  • fmzfmz Member Posts: 5
    That's pretty good mileage
    My car is at 250119 miles right now...the car shakes alot, makes alot of noise, and recently started to feel like it will turn off when i at a stop light with the brakes pressed down on (I usually dont put the car in Parking gear at a stop light)

    If this one breaks down anytime soon, i'll go to dealer and get a new car.
    I do keep up with oil changes and tire rotation. That's about all the maintainense i have done on it

    Got a new fuel pump, regulator and fuel filter on it last month with new spark plugs and pvc valve...really dont feel like spending so much money on this car anymore even though i like it alot and hope it keeps on going.
  • aromanaroman Member Posts: 2
    Hi there! We have a 93 Geo Prizm, standard with a little over 123,000 miles. after fueling at a gas station, as we drive away the engine starts knocking. After about 15 minutes we pull over, wait for then engine to cool, check the oil and see that it is low. We pour oil in and while it's not a whole container, when we check the level it reads almost full. Get back in and drive away, the knocking is not as loud or consistent but it is still present. The knocking begins to get louder so we pull over again. When we check the oil again, it reads low. We pour a liter of oil in. As we drive away the knocking continues. We kept driving (because we were FAR away from home with our infant daughter) stopping only for about an hour. At this point, the car begins to stall out. Eventually we got over the bridge but by the end of the night, we just pushed it to a parking spot and left it there. Our mechanic looked at it and said that the engine had no oil in it. They poured a large amount of oil in to it and started it up but of course the knocking was still there. The mechanic suspects a leak though I have never seen any oil where we park. (I suspect that it is burning) He also thinks that the engine is pretty much gone. He suspects the rattling is a bearing or something that's broken off or loose and is rattling around whenever the car is started. We cant afford to pay for the engine to be repaired and it's not worth it. We've only owned the car for 2 months. Any advice would be appreciated.
    Sincerely,
    Azul
    :sick:
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Hi aroman, welcome!

    You might want to try the Got a Quick, Technical Question? discussion also ... good luck!
  • lilslugga2002lilslugga2002 Member Posts: 3
    Cleaned my Prizm today!

    image

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  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Very nice. ;)
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    On some car, work around the steering column such as replacing the ignition lock and electronic components require airbag removal. It is very expensive to re-install airbags properly, and many garages charge you for it without acrtually putting the bag in correctly. They don't tell you about it, either. I would look into this possibility if I were you. I read an article about this scam at cartalk.com.
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    I am afraid that some permanent damages were made the first time you let the oil level go too low. Or maybe the coolant level was too low and engine started to burn oil after overheating. It does sound like the engine is gone. The rear bumper is probably covered with black soot. If not, check the radiator coolant and transmission fluid. Sometimes a damaged engine leaks oil into those areas. Did you check the oil level frequently beforen this happened? If everything else operates properly and if you like the car a lot, you can have a used engine put in the car. But you've had the car for 2 months so you can't know the condition of the rest of the car very well. You are probably better off finding another car. If you get another 93 model you can keep the old one as a parts car.
    When I was looking for a car I had the following criteria: Current tags, new state inspection, a lot of repair receipts, 1-2 owners, and no shady salesman. I ended up paying $1450 for a 94 model which was just inspected. It has a new clutch, exhaust, brakes, service records since day 1 ( 2inches thick), 140,000 miles and the owner was an architect who just bought a Matrix. He had just spent $750 for lots of minor repairs to pass the state inspection.
    I know if you need a car immediately it is going to be hard, but if you can hold out for a few weeks without a car, and look patiently, you will be able to find a reliabe car for less than the price of a new engine.
    Enterprise has a weekend special for $10/day. You have to pay for Fri, Sat, and Sun, but you can have a car for the whole weekend for $30. They have free pickup/dropoff service too. If you call the sellers ahead and make appointments for the weekend you can use the rental car to visit them. You are in a better position to negotiate by going to the seller than by asking him to come to you.
    Sorry to hear about your troubles. Good luck.
  • rlindemanrlindeman Member Posts: 3
    A friend of mine at work suggested adding some mineral spirits into the engine and letting it run for about 5 minutes before changing the oil. This supposedly breaks up any oil deposits inside the engine and you're able to remove more of the old oil from the engine. Is this true? Is this safe? Is there something better to use?
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    If it is an engine detergent specifically designed for the purpose of removing sludge it probably won't do any harm. I wouldn't spend more than $10 on it though. If the car is running well and if you change your oil regularly such a treatment is usually unnecessary. Another thing is that the old oil and carbon deposits are partialy plugging up small holes and gaps created by wear and tear over the years between enigne parts. They may be keeping the tolerance between the parts within spec, and if you remove them with a strong detergent you may create new problems. This could happen in older cars, I read somewhere.

    Motor oils do contain detergents already. There is no need to rinse out all of the old oil when you change it. I generally don't like the idea of thinning out the oil in order to clean out the engine. Oil is there for for lubrication, and engine shouldn't be run without full protection provided by the oil. If you really drain all the oil, after the new oil is added the car will run with no oil in the vital parts for a few seconds until the oil pump starts to circulate oil in those parts.
  • sherrydsherryd Member Posts: 1
    Hello everyone,

    This is my first time on this site and obviously my first post.
    Haven't had a chance to browse through all the suggestions and wonderful info by all of you. ...

    I would really like to know how I can contact the Dealers of Geo Prizm.

    There are many parts in my car which I need to replace and want to know the original price for the parts through Geo Prizm's Dealer.

    So ... If any info on what I am asking ... Please Please Let me know

    Thanks!!! :)
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    Geo is a discontinued make, like Studebaker ;) Chevy dealers sold them so they might still have parts. Toyota should also have some parts, as Prizms share most of their components with Corollas.
  • rdunfordrdunford Member Posts: 1
    Dear DJK,

    I have the same problem in our Prizm. Was your problem just a fuse or some other issue? How do I resolve?

    Thank you for responding,

    Rob
  • rlindemanrlindeman Member Posts: 3
    You probably just need to replace the motor blower resistor. AutoZone has them for around $18, but not in stock. A dealer would probably have it in stock but for around $30. You can do the replacement yourself, the resistor is located behind and underneath the glovebox. I just replaced mine last week, about a 15 minute job. Here's what the old & new resistor look like.
    http://homepage.mac.com/rlindeman/PhotoAlbum11.html
  • ruddneckruddneck Member Posts: 23
    Can anyone tell me where exactly is the coolant engine block drain on the 2000 Prizm? The Haynes shop manual has a picture, but it's rather vague and I'm feeling rather foolish that i cannot locate it.

    Thanks!
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    Chapter 1, seciton 1-24, Figure 26.5b in Haynes manual shows the drain plug near the exhaust manifold. I believe that is on the front side of the engine. There may be a metal shield covering the exhaust manifold (because it get very hot).
  • kedrikkedrik Member Posts: 2
    Hey, all. I've got a '99 Prizm with 84k miles, and started having a problem yesterday.

    After driving for about 25 minutes, there begins to be what I consider a severe hesitation, rough idling, and reduced acceleration. The check engine light came on flashing once, but after I stopped the car to drop off my wife at work, looked around to see if I could see anything wrong under the hood, and started it up again, it was running fine and the light was off. I noticed the coolant recovery tank was low, so I put more in, but had the same problem this morning after dropping my wife off. So, to recap:

    After 25 minutes, rough idling, bad acceleration, rough idling. Turn car off five minutes, works fine for another 25. I have no idea, and since the "Check Engine" Light won't stay on, the OBD2 won't help, I don't think. Any help in figuring out what is happening would be appreciated.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Hi kedrik - you may also want to post this in either our Got a Quick, Technical Question? discussion or the one we have on a "Check Engine" light since what's going on may not be specific to the Prizm. There are some very helpful and knowledgeable folks hanging out over there (the Maintenance and Repair board, that is).

    Good luck with it.
  • mt700a1mt700a1 Member Posts: 53
    Is the temp gauge working properly and showing normal coolant temperature? If the thermostat is stuck closed the car would overheat after a while and cause the sysmptoms you described. If it happens only in stop and go traffic the electric radiator fan may not be working. Check oil level also.
  • legomanlegoman Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I've inherited my wife's mint green 93 Prizm which now has almost 170K on it. It's been used almost exclusively for a 13K/year commute by me for the past two years. It had been running flawlessly until a few months ago it began to shudder at higher speeds while accerating (e.g. on ramps). I was about to take it in when I was swiped by a county bus. They took five weeks to tell me that the bus never hit me and I had stupidly waited for them to fix the bumper and still drove it with the shudder, now getting progressively worse. :sick:

    I took it in and the mechanic said they needed to replace both axle shafts, along with the necessary seals and boots for about $530. To make a very long story short, I kept getting leaks from the axle shafts and after the fourth time returning (and another replacement axle shaft), the mech said if it still leaks, it's gotta be the tranny.

    Yep, after a week, a small brownish/reddish puddle. I then took the Prizm to a tranny guy. After a horizonal head shake, he told me that even after replacing the tranny/differential and new seals (for a ballpark of $1800), they couldn't guarantee the seals wouldn't still leak. He said the Prizm/Corollas are great, but not the 3spd auto. He said they has just gone thru the same ordeal as me with another customer with no luck. He was also very helpful in showing me how to check the fluid level in the differential, which I'll probably need to live with until I can replace the car.

    I haven't seen anything like my story in this forum. Thoughts???

    Thanks,
    Rich
  • lilslugga2002lilslugga2002 Member Posts: 3
    I was looking around on the web the other day and saw this product:

    Gauge

    It looked pretty neat, but then I checked the compatibility and I don't think it would work in my car. Plus it's $130.00. And since I have OBD-I, I don't think I'll get all of the functions. Is there any other product similar to this that would work in older cars (1993) and would be easy to install? I have a 1993 Geo Prizm LSi just in case you are wondering.

    Just to clarify I am NOT looking to save fuel. I just want a device that will give instantaneous MPG while driving. The connector on that device on that site looks different from the connector under my steering wheel unless I am looking at the wrong connector in my car. Is there any way that I can make sure of its compatibility with my car? I mean the compatibility listings only show as far back as 1994 and no Geo's at all.

    Thoughts?
  • rene01rene01 Member Posts: 12
    We have a 92 Geo Prizm. I was wondering if the altenator,a/c & power steering belts were easy to change? Also, when it's really hot outside, when we drive to town and shut the car off, sometimes it won't start again for 10-15 minutes. Could it be the ignition switch has gone bad? It has a brand new battery in it & it's been doing it for a couple of years now. It doesn't always do it, but it's often enough that we don't want to be stranded out in the heat. Any suggestions or ideas?
    Thanks, Rene'
  • mariomichelimariomicheli Member Posts: 1
    Folks, I have a '97 Geo Prizm and it was broken into last night :cry:
    I need to replace the driver's seat window. I found one on Ebay
    from a guy who is selling a window from a '95 model.
    Do you know whether it will fit? Or, do you have any suggestion
    on where to find replacement parts?
  • iwantws6iwantws6 Member Posts: 26
    Hello everyone,
    A local dealer has a 90 Prizm hatchback for sale. The car has 168k miles, new cat-back exhaust and he is putting a new altenator on it (which is why I havent test driven it yet) I think it's a GSi but I'm not sure (14" tires and alloy wheels but I dont know if they're stock) the car has a few small rust spots, but nothing that's going through the body and there's a 30 garauntee on it, regardless of miles. He's asking $1,150 for it. Do you think that's a good deal? and what type of things should I watch out for with this car?

    Thanks!
  • rodallirodalli Member Posts: 1
    So I'm having some cooling problems with my '92 Prizm, which I've nailed down to corrosion\leaking of the cooling system. Apparently the previous owner wasn't taking good care of the car. Anyway, I want to drain the radiator, flush it out, and add some Bar's leak stop and whatnot. My problem is, I can't seem to get the drainplug OFF to perform this simple task. I believe I've located the correct drainplug(s), as there are two identical plugs on the left and right bottom sides of the radiator.

    The plugs both look like a + sign, set inside a circle, and seem to be made of plastic. I tried pliers, but immediately dropped that idea as it seemed to only be mangling the plastic. Is there a special tool or maneuver used to open this drain, or do I even have what I'm looking for?

    The worst part about this is that I cannot seem to find any documentation in the owner's manual or online about this procedure. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance,

    Michael
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