Registered here right as I got my 89 240 SE auto, my first car. Figure I will need some help with stuff sooner or later.

Any general maintenance tips that experienced people have are appreciated.

 

Welcome to the boards man

 

welcome to the forums

 

Welcome. Anything wrong with it?

 

(Copied from my post to the "Things wrong with your car list" in General forum)

1) Valve cover gasket leak
2) Exhaust manifold leak
3) Crappy rear brakes, rotors/calipers need replaced
4) All dash lights out except for batt/check engine/seatbelt/etc and AC selector
5) Rear wiper not working
6) Hatch does not release
7) No radio/cd player
8) Some rips in the seat seams
9) Some scuffs on the exterior paint and small spots of rust

Rear brakes are being replaced later today, may also look at the electrical stuff. The leaks are next on the fix list. A friend is helping me DIY it.. well, he is DIYing it, I will hand him stuff, get him food, and try to learn as much as I can.

 

^^^ WEAK!!! I have more problems

 

Heh, me either. The auto tranny ****s rough but thats about it.

 

We got the brakes replaced Saturday, and finished by bleeding the fluid today, then my friend and I both tested to make sure the stopping distance was okay. It was fine in the parking lot for both of the tests, but once we left, I started noticing the pressure dropping off. Flashed my lights at friend, we pulled off the main road and found an empty parking lot to work in for a few minutes.

Fluid was steadily dripping down from both rear wheels. We took the left one off and found that it was coming right out of the caliper itself. Not the bleed screw, which was closed fine. The seals on the calipers we bought must have been defective!

Friend called AutoZone, where the calipers were purchased [He has saved my *** several times over already, dealing with the car. This demanded his touch because he is good at getting what he wants. I'm just too much of a nice-guy for my own good sometimes.] and blistered the parts manager's ears to the tune of 'You guys' parts crapped out, people could have DIED, meanwhile this car needs to be on the road TOMORROW.' AutoZone is paying to have the warranty-replacement calipers professionally installed.. at PepBoys. Not that I would've favored one place over the other, before this, but there's a kind of poetic justice in this that I like.

 

Okay, new problem.

What will completely drain a battery over the course of 36-48 hours?

I have had no batt trouble until Sunday morning when I went to go to the store and she wouldn't start. I know I did not leave the lights on (they were in the Off position, that was the first thing I checked). Being new to dealing with my own car and not very mechanical, I had trouble narrowing down what was the issue. I tried it twice over a period of a couple hours. The second time the attempts it made at starting were much more feeble.

Monday morning I tried again and it did absolutely nothing. Didn't even have enough juice to raise both headlights. But at least that narrowed it down for me enough that I knew I needed a jump. Got my neighbor to do that, and she fired right up immediately. I drove to work and back Monday with no trouble.

Only other thing I noticed that could be a factor is that there was heavy dew Sunday morning. One of my battery contacts (+ I think) is covered, but the other one doesnt have a cover. Could the water have messed with it that much? Or do you think it's something else?

 

doubt it's the water, probably the alternator

 

I figured out what it was today while crawling back behind the rear seats and poking around (see my other thread about the hatch for why I was back there, and another question). The interior trunk light is on, and won't go off. This would be because we've been trying to get the hatch to open, but it will not. I guess there's a sensor or something that assumes it's open, though. So whenever I go too long without running the car, that light's going to sap the battery dry.