first of all, i am so glad i found this site!!! i just bought a 90 N/a 2+2 automatic last thursday ! it ran fine when itest drove it? now
it has a rough idle, no oil pressure, and the damn auto tranny is leaking...smokes on the exhaust!!! lots of fun...i bought a oil pressuse sender unit, pcv kit, air filters, oil filter and spark plugs ! any other info would be of great help!!! i want to keep this car running !!! but limited funds ( for now)

 

what plugs did you buy?
Should only put stock NGK's in the Z.
Btw, automatics on Z's are crap. You're gonna hafta replace that tranny someday.

 

thanks... i did buy the ngk plugs !!!
but i was told that the 90 automatic is the only notorious box of **** tranny?
so your telling me to save money and swap to a 5-spd. ?
and also that all of the n/a and turbo automatic trannys are the same? is this true? ohh and the engine has 187,000 k on it !!!! i've got my work cut out!!!

 

Wonder if the tranny has been rebuilt before. 187k miles is pretty good if that's on the original. A rebuilt tranny does not have to be crappy, you can get a great tranny out of a rebuild or replacement. I have an auto and when that goes I will swap to a manual not because I couldn't put in a fine auto tranny but because of the fun and performance a short shift stick provides.
When you say no oil pressure, do you mean NO oil pressure or low? What colour is the smoke you are seeing?
You might be better off taking the car to a decent mechanic you trust (I suggest avoiding dealerships as a rule unless there is a dealership in your area with a very good reputation) and get him to look it over carefully. It sounds like you have a couple of different issues and you might be better off just knowing what you are dealing with as a whole. Then you could decide how to use your money.

 

Dan has a good point about the color of the smoke. Blue (ish), black or white. If the oil has a blue (ish) tint, then you're probably burning oil. If it's white, then you're possibly burning coolant. If it's black, then you've likely got a rich fuel mixture. How'd the old plugs look? Run a compression test to see if all the cylinders have comparable compression. If not, then you could have a headgasket problem; which could cause white or blue exhaust. Does the car have an overheating problem? Do you need to fill fluids frequently (coolant or oil)? Run an ECU diagnostic also. That'll tell you if any of your electronic engine components are possible culprits (see Rizz's link in his sig). 187k is just getting warmed up on the N/A VG30 motor, if the car has been taken care of. That tranny was probably rebuilt.

 

yes i do see some smoke now & then...it seems to be white in color. it's not oil or coolant. i think it's tranny fluid leaking and burning off the engine/exhaust? the f@#kin center consule get very hot at times ( tranny)
and the car in my opion was more than likely beat on like a red headed step child!!!
( i am now going to start accepting donations and fund rasing for this car...help me keep it alive and from becoming another parts car!!)
the engine get's hot, doesn't overheat! .....yes i know need to find a good mechanic! but i love this site!!!

" i'm driving fast, smoking grass......lights from behind!!! I step on the gas...screaming....Z U LATER!!!!!"

 

The smoke that you're talking about.....is it coming out the exhaust pipes, or from under the car? If it's coming out the exhaust pipes, then there's no way it can be transmission fluid.

Next time you're on the freeway, look in the rear view mirror and mat the gas pedal. What happens? Do you see any smoke?

 

Can you jack the car up and crawl under? With the center console getting hot, maybe it's just the tranny rear seal. It could be slinging oil up there and onto the exhaust. That seal should be pretty easy to replace.

Hopefully you don't end up like those Honda CR-V's.

 

a mechanic friend of mine told me to put a .25 quart of brake fluid in the tranny to make the seals swell up. to keep it from leaking... untill i can afford to replace it! and comments on this matter? i do want to swap for a 5-spd...and the engine has a 187K on it....ran hard from my guess?
oh... i also now have a rattle from the right rear under acceleration at 30 to 60 mph? any ideas? all comments are welcome... help keep my z alive!!!

 

Never heard of adding brake fluid to the tranny, but it just sounds like a bad idea. May keep it from leaking, but may make it so you have to replace it much sooner. IMO.

Your rattle could be anything. It could be in the suspension, the exhaust, the chassis, the differential. It could be something as simple as a bushing, or something more major. It could be as simple as an interior bady panel that isn't tight enough. Could be the latch for the rear hatch. Does the rattle cause a vibration. Have a friend of your ride in the trunk to see if they can locate the sound. Determine if it's inside or outside the car. I think you have your hands full.

 

Oh, and one more thing. The last line in your sig probably won't last long. The admin will either remove it or tell you to remove it. May not be a bad idea to remove it so that you don't ruffle their feathers.

 

yes...Change it.
I don't wanna hafta go through everyone of your posts and delete your sig.
cuz that would suck.

 

so now the water pump went out !!! yeah! and my fan is cracked...should i replace it with a electric fan? any thoughts of what kind of fan i should use ( brand) or who makes one? the belt driven fan is a total turd! very poor in design ( thanks nissan)....i'm starting to think these are rich boy toys? but i'm not giving up!!!

 

That's a fun job! My fan is cracked. Has been for years. It still works fine. Just be careful with it. It's probably expensive.

 

WHat's the mileage on your car?
Sounds like the previous owner either cheaped out on parts when doing the 60K, or didn't do it at all. Which would be very bad and means that you'll be needing a timing belt and other parts soon,or it's overdue.

 

I think he said 187k miles, so the 180k service was probably not done. From the sounds of it, the 120k service may not have been done either.

 

If so, then that might fix some of the problems he's been having.
If so, definitely not good.
Go to my link page Z MY DUST, check SGP Racing or Courtesy Parts for a 60K kit. Good time to do underdrive pulley too.