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Not yet as the FUN has just begun! I really don't have hardly any money in the project. My problem is I've never worked on transmissions! It's a new learning curve for me and understanding their mechanicals. I'm not frustrated at all and will have this nice car shifting properly. The car really runs great with good interior and everything works just fine. After all this it is a rescue project!
Sometimes the price of an education is worth it. I hope the least expensive solution is your answer.
Tried balancing the right and left corners of the hood yesterday with only a little luck. The car was in a fender bender several yers ago and has been problematic ever since. I removed the upper hood latch assembly and adjusted the two corner bumpers and leveled out the hood perfectly. "But" when reinstalling the latch it won't pull down snug and hood rocks right and left. I adjusted the nut, on the bottom latching assembly, but it locks the assembly down and won't release with the hand cable. The finger hood release became stuck and I had to use a screwdriver and force it open. I had to "settle" for adjusting so the hood will open but it's still not right. I replaced the grill with a spare original grill I have and looks better.
PROJECT UPDATE ON RESCUE: Below are the repairs still waiting for acton.
1. Replace the steering tie rod assembly. (Today's work)
2. Replace front shocks. (Today's work)
3. Replace all old hydraulic fluid in brake and clutch systems. (Making power bleeder.)
4. Repair hatch lock assembly.
5. Remove driver's side headlight and see why condensation keeps coming back.
6. Use POR-15 Rust Neutralizer in trunk pan.
7. Replace trunk floor pan with either sheet metal or fiberglass. Big project repair!
8. Replace rear shocks and look for squeak in rear suspension.
9. Check all the brakes for pad wear.
10. Detail engine bay.
11. Detail interior.
WHAT ELSE COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG!
UPDATE 10/4/2025: FOUND "ANOTHER THING WRONG!" THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS!!!! BIG JOB!
PROJECT UPDATE ON RESCUE: Below are the repairs still waiting for acton.
1. Replace the steering tie rod assembly. (Today's work)
2. Replace front shocks. (Today's work)
3. Replace all old hydraulic fluid in brake and clutch systems. (Making power bleeder.)
4. Repair hatch lock assembly.
5. Remove driver's side headlight and see why condensation keeps coming back.
6. Use POR-15 Rust Neutralizer in trunk pan.
7. Replace trunk floor pan with either sheet metal or fiberglass. Big project repair!
8. Replace rear shocks and look for squeak in rear suspension.
9. Check all the brakes for pad wear.
10. Detail engine bay.
11. Detail interior.
WHAT ELSE COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG!
You're making good progress. Think positively and keep checking items off the list. You'll get there soon.
Something strange happened on way to hardware store. Came to a corner, where I needed to turn right, and as I turned the engine turned off. Fortunately I coasted into a parking lot. There was a lot of traffic and could have been "TRAUMATIC!" LOL. I waited a minute thinking what could have happened and it started right back up with no further issues. Car has been very reliable and runs really great and don't know what could have caused the issue. In a city with lots of traffic you just don't want to be stranded in the middle of it! Haven't driven it since cause it's been up on ramps so I don't know if it will be another issue needing attention!
I really hadn't given much thought about the tires other than former owner said he had just put new tires on it. I just took a look and they are Bridgestone Potenza tires! It's got $1000 worth of tires on it! This $600 car buy just gets better and better! (Except for the rusted thru trunk floor.)
Something strange happened on way to hardware store. Came to a corner, where I needed to turn right, and as I turned the engine turned off. Fortunately I coasted into a parking lot. There was a lot of traffic and could have been "TRAUMATIC!" LOL. I waited a minute thinking what could have happened and it started right back up with no further issues. Car has been very reliable and runs really great and don't know what could have caused the issue. In a city with lots of traffic you just don't want to be stranded in the middle of it! Haven't driven it since cause it's been up on ramps so I don't know if it will be another issue needing attention!
After you get it back on the road, maybe take it to an empty parking lot and do a few figure 8s and see if you can recreate it. If it happens while doing the turns, I would think it's a fuel feed problem like a clogged filter.
If it happens again while driving normally, you might want to replace the crankshaft position sensor for the heck of it.
After you get it back on the road, maybe take it to an empty parking lot and do a few figure 8s and see if you can recreate it. If it happens while doing the turns, I would think it's a fuel feed problem like a clogged filter.
If it happens again while driving normally, you might want to replace the crankshaft position sensor for the heck of it.
With 174K miles it very well may be the filter. Who knows if it has ever been replaced! I do have a new filter and crank sensor in the parts box. Figure 8's is a good idea! Can I do drifting at the same time? LoL
Changed out the "Steering Tie Rod Assembly" yesterday and was really surprised just how worn out it was. Had an alignment done this morning and took her out on the hi-way and no more floating sensation. "Now" I've got this noise coming from the lower right side that sounds like something is loose. Tires Plus, when they did the alignment, said everything looked good including upper and lower suspension bushings. So tomorrow I'll crawl back under and over looking for this rattle! It's always something!!!! The hood is still problematic being loose when closed because of a passed right fender accident that's keeping the hood from latching down securely. I've adjusted and re-adjusted but it's just not right.
UDATE A FEW MINUTES LATER: After posting the above I went outside and jacked up both front tires. Used a tire iron under each tire and found "ball joints" to be bad. Sometimes you just forget to check the obvious! Whoever heard of ball joints failing on a car with only 174k miles on it!!! LoL
Which is more easy to change? The ball joints or just getting the upper and lower control arms replaced. Wondering ii this is something I can do at home or will it need to be done by a repair garage? The bushings look good in my existing control arms.
From the pdf manual, it looks like lower joints could be changed more easily but the uppers would require the spring to be removed. When I bought my 2006 Xfire my upper and lower bushings were bad and I paid $1600 to replace control arms on both sides. Don't know that IF I WANT pay that kind of money again for this 2004 car.
Watched a YouBoob video on replacing the upper and lower control arms for the Crossfire. Looks like a "WHOLE LOT OF WORK" that could be done in my driveway but not too interested in doing that. I'm surprised at the low cost of control arms. The big surprise is the amount of labor involved to "get-r-done." If paying a repair garage, at today's labor charges, is going to be a no starter for me. That being said, I may not have a choice but to do the work myself even thought I have some physical limitations such as age, arthritis and back problems. "Cry me a bucket of self pity tears!" LoL Just remember what Confucius said, "You pay less you get less!" LoL
Tired of dealing with the hood not closing down properly. I'm thinking of removing the top hood "hook" and drilling holes for hood hold down pins. Pins may even look pretty good. Driving down the road at hi-way speeds the hood wants to float up and down. I've adjusted R/L hood bumpers and latch hook many times trying to make it work correctly.
Tired of dealing with the hood not closing down properly. I'm thinking of removing the top hood "hook" and drilling holes for hood hold down pins. Pins may even look pretty good. Driving down the road at hi-way speeds the hood wants to float up and down. I've adjusted R/L hood bumpers and latch hook many times trying to make it work correctly.
It might look cool with old school hood pins. The safety factor doesn't hurt either.
This has turned out to be such a "long and rambling" posting that I'm having trouble remembering what I posted where! Maybe I should start posting separate postings for individual work problems being performed. Don't think anyone really wants to read thru 94 posted responses!
UPDATE 10/05/2025: HAD CAR FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS NOW AND COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW IT'S BEEN NEGLECTED FOR SO LONG. FOUND MANY PROBLEMS WHICH I'VE CORRECTED AND MANY MORE STILL NEEDING REPAIRS. THREE MAJOR THINGS THINGS ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS. FRONT BALL JOINTS, RUSTED OUT TRUNK AND SECOND GEAR SYNCHROS. THE SYNCHROS CAN BE LIVED WITH WITHOUT CHANGING THE TRANNY AS NOT BEING SUPER BAD "YET!" REAR SUSPENSION HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED YET BUT SEEMS TO BE GOOD.
This has turned out to be such a "long and rambling" posting that I'm having trouble remembering what I posted where! Maybe I should start posting separate postings for individual work problems being performed. Don't think anyone really wants to read thru 94 posted responses!
UPDATE 10/05/2025: HAD CAR FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS NOW AND COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW IT'S BEEN NEGLECTED FOR SO LONG. FOUND MANY PROBLEMS WHICH I'VE CORRECTED AND MANY MORE STILL NEEDING REPAIRS. THREE MAJOR THINGS THINGS ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS. FRONT BALL JOINTS, RUSTED OUT TRUNK AND SECOND GEAR SYNCHROS. THE SYNCHROS CAN BE LIVED WITH WITHOUT CHANGING THE TRANNY AS NOT BEING SUPER BAD "YET!" REAR SUSPENSION HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED YET BUT SEEMS TO BE GOOD.
When you post a new post in this thread, people can hit read newest and it will take them to your latest post. Personally, I would rather search through one thread, than fifteen.
When this car was fender bender wreck, the tire pushed the plastic fender well under the car. No telling how long it was under there. I removed it and used a heat gun to straighten it out. It worked out pretty good!
Something strange happened on way to hardware store. Came to a corner, where I needed to turn right, and as I turned the engine turned off. Fortunately I coasted into a parking lot. There was a lot of traffic and could have been "TRAUMATIC!" LOL. I waited a minute thinking what could have happened and it started right back up with no further issues. Car has been very reliable and runs really great and don't know what could have caused the issue. In a city with lotso of traffic you just don't want to be stranded in the middle of it! Haven't driven it since cause it's been up on ramps so I don't know if it will be another issue needing attention!
possible crank position sensor. Just replaced mine similar problem , I thought it stalled but it started back up , this went on & off for a few weeks , changed sensor. No problems since then
Re: 2004 Crossfire just bought for cheap.
