I recently got myself a fiero . Thing is , I dont know where to start????
Put a new battery in, it turns on. But the trunk wont open and I dont have the key. I tried putting a screwdriver through where the key goes, Still cant grt it to open.The tail lights are pretty busted, can I rip one out and open it thru there? Also, the right vent/panel is missing in the trunk thats how I Replaced the battery.Can I use that to my advantage?
Once I do open it up, what should I do to bring the motor back from the dead? I turn key but nothing but a click happens in the engine . I was told it would just need starting fluid and its good to go but Im Assuming it would be a good idea to change out things like spark plugs /filters before I attempt to run the engine? Its been sitting for about 2 years, any help appreciated! I want to try and restore this car as much as my limited knowledge gets me, with experts from this site I know I can bring this car back from the dead! I have at least 2 days a week to work on this and a good amount of funds. In the near future I hope to fix this car up and give it to my dad as a gift
car is a 1986 gt v6.
[This message has been edited by FieroFan86 (edited 08-24-2013).]
Welcome to the forum. You didn't mention if your car is an automatic or a manual, but in case it's an automatic, the gear selector must be in Park for the power trunk button to work. If it's a manual, then the parking brake must be applied. If you've tried that and it still doesn't work, then check the "CTSY/LID" fuse to make sure it's there and isn't blown... it's in the fuse panel just above the driver's left foot. If that's good, then as a last resort you can dig around for the trunk relay which is under the center of the dash board near the heater controls. When you find it, it should have three wires: a yellow one, a yellow and black one, and a black & white one. Unplug it and use a jumper wire from your battery to apply 12V to the black wire with the white stripe. That will pop the trunk if the release solenoid is working.
Before you change the starter, try removing the battery cables and cleaning the connection surfaces on the cables as well as what they connect to. You could do this at the starter also.
Cleaning the connections will help, I know from experience...Id go ahead and do a full tune up with maybe some sea foam in the gas tank as far as the switch pull the entire switch off and there are 2 wires you can cross over with a bobby pin thatll activate the trunk selenoid...I forgot which 2 but I did it last week...a new switch is $15 from the fiero store as well...
You can not access the trunk latch through the taillight area. If you have already damaged the trunk lock, use a hammer and screwdriver to engage the release mechanism by forcefully pounding the tip of the screwdriver into the lock.
How did you put a battery in with out being able to open the trunk? Could be a few things,like battery acid on the battery cables. Bad battery ground at the engine block.It does sound like a dead battery to me. But a bad starter, will do the same thing,but usually starts after a few trys. You might have some other problems...Read my post here. //www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/088012.html
[This message has been edited by James Bond 007 (edited 08-23-2013).]
Hey Guys…doesn’t the trunk solenoid wire run down the left side of the deck lid near the hinge? And could he not remove the vent and either unplug or cut the single black wire and apply voltage to fire the trunk solenoid? Just a thought.
On my 84 there is a single wire for the deck lid solenoid that is on the driver's side of the deck lid. I am almost certain that later years had a multi wire connector for the deck lid solenoid that is on the passenger side of the deck lid. I think you can get to that connector since the vent over the battery is missing. Find the connector and apply 12V to the correct wire and the latch should open.
On my 84 there is a single wire for the deck lid solenoid that is on the driver's side of the deck lid. I am almost certain that later years had a multi wire connector for the deck lid solenoid that is on the passenger side of the deck lid. I think you can get to that connector since the vent over the battery is missing. Find the connector and apply 12V to the correct wire and the latch should open.
My 87 has a 4 wire bundle that enters the deck lid near the hinge on the passenger side and exits the deck lid near the solenoid. Only one wire is actually connected to the solenoid though. The other 3 wires are for the "Door Ajar" switch located on the latch mechanism. When I did this stuff on my car (thanks again to all who helped me do it), I replaced the (dash) switch, relay, and "Ajar" switch (which also runs the trunk light). None of that stuff was too spendy and it now works like a charm....of course I had the benefit of being able to open the deck lid with the key
[This message has been edited by 92wastheyear (edited 08-23-2013).]
Thought you might like this mate, this is another members ebay page I saw last night. He has the lock assembly for an 86-88 GT decklid. Check the price and maybe some of his other listings, he may have some other stuff youd like!
Thanks everyone ,for your ideas. Well, I took a standard size flat head screwdriver and hammered in thru the trunk lock pretty much breaking it. It only goes so far and I cant turn it left or right.Is there a certain size im supposed To use or should I hammer it in some more? Im afraid im gonna break something we else .thanks for the Ebay suggestion!!
[This message has been edited by FieroFan86 (edited 08-24-2013).]
The last time I needed a rear wing, from a Trans am at the wrecking yard.The trunk was locked! It would have been easyer,if I had the proper tools.Remove the entire tumbler guts of the lock and then turn it with a screw driver. Thats basically how its done.
There is a rod between the lock and the latch. You are going to have to break the lock to make it turn the rod. If you destroy the lock housing you can replace it though.
The GT should have an electric trunk release. Since you put a battery in and the right vent grill is missing try this method. jhgraham has the best idea. Remove the battery and reach in near the drivers side of the right deck lid hinge and locate the wiring harness that goes into the deck lid. You may have to remove the battery heat shield for better access since you'll need two hands to disconnect it. Then, locate the black wire which will be one of the wires on the outside edge. Using jumper cables, insert a screwdriver into the lock you punched out and connect the negative terminal jumper cable to it then to the negative terminal of the battery you just took out. Using a length of insulated wire, clip one end to the positive terminal, then tap the other end to the terminal of the black deck lid harness wire. That should activate the trunk release solenoid if the regular system has a fault in it.
Now, as for starting the engine, if the starter clicks but the engine won't turn over, I would look at pulling the plugs and squirting some penetrating or Marvel Mystery Oil into each cylinder for 3 or 4 days in a row. Mark your plug wires. Number 1 is the one on the passenger end of the engine near the top engine brace and above the alternator. If you then go to the distributor cap, they are sequential, going clockwise.
If it's a manual trans car, put it into 4th gear on level ground and rock the car by hand to get the engine to turn over just a little at a time. This will break the rings and pistons loose if they're stuck, and will be less likely to break anything. Once the engine is broken loose, drain the oil, remove the filter and with a new filter, pour oil into it quickly to fill it up one time. Then install the new filter. Put oil into the engine, using a total of 4 1/2 quarts, including what you poured into the filter. If it's an automatic, remove the big lead from the top of the coil and bump the starter to get it to turn.
Work from that point on getting the car to start and run.
With help from.all of you ,I was able to open the engine lid. It was a grorious moment ! Finalllyyyyyy.Thanks everyone. Its a shame I fell asleep at 12am, the listing ended at 1am and I didnt win :/ But ill look for a lock.another time I guess.
So ,thats what it looks like inside. The battery tray/housing is rusted to shite.Its basically sitting on a piece of sheet metal. And the battery connectors are very dirtyy and rusty.So this is what Im going to do as suggested before I run the engine and assuming the engine is ok and evrrything fires up ok. ======================
1.Clean and or replace battery connectors and surfaces.( any chemical in particular? ) 2.Attach new battery , cables cleaned and tightened properly. 3.Replace Fuel filter and Pour some Seafoam and new gasoline in the gas tank. 4.Replace spark plugs. 5.replace oil filter and fill engine with new oil.(whats the best way to go about these?)
Fire it up and hope for the best ?
everyone agree that I do this as stated above before I crank the engine
Clean and or replace battery connectors and surfaces.( any chemical in particular? )
When I did this, I didn't use any chemical at all. I used a wire brush head on a dremmel tool and used it to clean all the mating surfaces for the cables and such.
Welcome! I've found everyone here to be very helpful as I'm sure you will too!
One important thing to consider is the fuel and the gas tank. How long has the car been sitting? If it's been awhile and there is fuel in the tank you'll need to drain the tank and add new fuel. But you may also have a problem with sludge in the tank too. The injectors may need to be cleaned or replaced as well.
These alot of useful info here. Don't be assuage to ask question but I'd suggest searching the forums as well to find your answers!
Welcome! I've found everyone here to be very helpful as I'm sure you will too!
One important thing to consider is the fuel and the gas tank. How long has the car been sitting? If it's been awhile and there is fuel in the tank you'll need to drain the tank and add new fuel. But you may also have a problem with sludge in the tank too. The injectors may need to be cleaned or replaced as well.
These alot of useful info here. Don't be assuage to ask question but I'd suggest searching the forums as well to find your answers!
With help from.all of you ,I was able to open the engine lid. It was a grorious moment ! Finalllyyyyyy.Thanks everyone. Its a shame I fell asleep at 12am, the listing ended at 1am and I didnt win :/ But ill look for a lock.another time I guess.
So ,thats what it looks like inside. The battery tray/housing is rusted to shite.Its basically sitting on a piece of sheet metal. And the battery connectors are very dirtyy and rusty.So this is what Im going to do as suggested before I run the engine and assuming the engine is ok and evrrything fires up ok. ======================
1.Clean and or replace battery connectors and surfaces.( any chemical in particular? ) 2.Attach new battery , cables cleaned and tightened properly. 3.Replace Fuel filter and Pour some Seafoam and new gasoline in the gas tank. 4.Replace spark plugs. 5.replace oil filter and fill engine with new oil.(whats the best way to go about these?)
Fire it up and hope for the best ?
everyone agree that I do this as stated above before I crank the engine
ok for the battery a good old fashioned Coca Cola will eat any corrosion away and will not harm any wires or mating surfaces what so ever. Now for the engine...it isnt looking too hot to me....but If you wanta give it a shot heres the steps I would take
1) Drop the gas tank, clean it up get rid of sludge and rust (shouldnt be too hard) and replace the fuel filter (make sure the fuel pump is priming) 2) Do a full tune up - oil change, plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, rotary buttons, etc. (shouldnt cost more than $100 to do it all, I would get some good plugs with a higher heat range than stock OEM replacment plugs) 3) When you change your oil I would add a quart of lucas oil stabilizer, works amazing in my opinion. Its around $11 for a quart and it will help your engine 4) Run a can of sea foam through the gas tank and possibly order the 3 part engine cleaner from the Fiero Factory (Idk how well it works personally but Ive heard good on it)
That would be the best place to start in my honest opinion... I hope the best for you and if I can give you any help by all means ask away, Im not the most experienced but heres hoping!
Has anyone mentioned spraying penetrating oil or something in the cylinders? Or trying to turn the engine with a wrench to see if it's seized? What caused it to be left sitting for two years? I wouldn't spend a lot of time or money until you know what's wrong. If the engine was seized or the frame so rusted out that the previous owner couldn't or wouldn't drive it, then dropping the tank, even changing the oil, not to mention a tune up may be pointless. My SE sat for about a year due to brake problems. It started right up and ran pretty well, but with more smoke than before. This was true for several months until the battery died. If you're like me you won't want to do dirty, difficult stuff like dropping the tank - Seafoam is more reasonable. Are you north or west in Chicago? I have a spare oil cap because I bought a TFS replacement that wasn't much better - if you get that far.
You guys are right , im missing the cap on there. Very true I dont want to waste money on spmething that wont even start up. Heres the story I got on the car.
1986 Pontiac Fiero GT. Car is complete minus the windshield that someone smashed and stole the radio. It was once a beautiful car that has been sitting. Engine turns over and runs, but car is not driveable. It is all original and has the original rims on the car. All bumpers are in very good shape, so is the hood and the doors. Has factory sunroof and has a clean title. It is the 2.8 liter V-6 motor It was a verynice car until about a year ago when the owner leftit at a car lotin wisconsic on consignment to sell it and thedealership filed bankruptcy and all the cars were reposed bythe bank and thefiero saton the lot byitselfand wasbroken into. Frameis solid, no accidentsthat I know of and itneeds starting fluid to getit running, that's about all I can tell you.
I havent had too much time this week to do a full inspection of the car but what things woukd classify this car between a restoration project ,junk , or a good donor for another Fiero car(parts) ? I could always buy a better one and use this for parts then.junk it. Altho money is not an issue, I am on a budget .Like I said , this was not to use as my daily driver or sell to make a quick profit. I would really like to learn about the process of restoring cars and even doing my own repairs then gift it to my dad
[This message has been edited by FieroFan86 (edited 08-26-2013).]
85 my directions were just assuming the engine isnt seized, I shouldve thought to write that, I would check to make sure that the engine is not seized but tbh...If funds arent an issue and you want to restore the car, I would just rebuild the engine..because then everything will be new but itll still be the matching vin engine...
Originally posted by FieroFan86: what things woukd classify this car between a restoration project ,junk , or a good donor for another Fiero car(parts) ?
Well, first thing that comes to mind is rust. Especially if the car is from Wisconsin. I see where the PO claims the frame is solid but I would take a good look underneath, around the 4 cradle mounting points; pull the trunk carpet back on the left and right sides and take a look there. Rust repair isn't cheap if you can not do it yourself.
Buy a car for your pop? nice, its usually the other way around.
BR's,
Mark
------------------ 86 SE V6 4 speed 86 SE V6 Auto 2008 G6 GT "Street" Coupe 2005 Buick 3.6 Rendezvous 2001 Olds Silhouette (AKA The Band Van)
So you got it from that owner who had it on consignment? Who last started it is what I'm getting at.
Anyway an even simpler way of maybe getting it started might be to leave it in gear and rock the car a little. If it was running a year or so ago maybe that would be enough to get it loose without much work or risk of creating new problems.
Yeah ,the sale from the actual owner. Tomorrow I wll. finally be able to.play around with it. Gonna see if it fires up, check for any secret rust and give you guys the word on my findings. Yeah well my dad thinks its a waste of time and money, Ill show him
I would love to.rebuild the engine and such, I just dont have the equipment for that or know how.
There is shop manual you can buy with a step by step.. Im thinking it may be on the Fiero store if anyone can verify that? Also the master rebuild kit is around 500 depending on where you buy it. Its hard but it just requires hard work...or you could just buy a new 2.8 or 3.4 for less than 2 grand...used 2.8 can be very very cheap as well, I bought a parts motor for $100.... Take pics and keep us updated, I wish I was closer to chi town lol
Ok.with a brand new battery and clean posts, the engine was finally cranking. I used some SeamFoam , added a little bit of gas to the tank and put some oil in the engine. But It just cranks, doesnt stay on.I then sprayed starting fluid in the vent cap behind the drivers door And it started right up nice and strong, but engine did not stay on Where to from here?
Also ,pictures of some rusted parts :/
Yeah ,I wish I had a Fiero expert here close by ,that would be great.. Thanks for the manuals, downloaded and inspecting
[This message has been edited by FieroFan86 (edited 09-01-2013).]
My 86 sat for way too many years without starting or running or new gas (long story involving sister-in-law and a Pontiac GrandAm). After I towed the car to Round Rock from Friendswood, it did not want to start. I dropped the tank which was thankfully almost totally empty at that point. When gas evaporates, it leaves a caramel colored residue on just about everything. I had to take the fuel pump apart and clean the gunk out. Doing that got the pump to spin using a 12 V power supply. I put it back together but it still did not want to start and keep going. I seem to recall (14 years is a long time to remember) that I either put fuel in the air cleaner housing or used starting fluid. Both are a fire danger, so be careful. That would get it going for a while. Once I had it run for about 5 minutes total (probably a lot of 15 seconds at a time starts) it would run but stall if I opened the throttle. My guess is that the injectors were also full of that caramel colored gunk. Some injector cleaner and a lot of idling got it to the point where it would actually run again. At least I did not have to pull any of the injectors. I was thinking that you would get fuel to all cylinders if even one is working, but not likely since they are right at the valves and airflow would not let fuel from one go backwards to the others. If cylinders aren't firing though, you might get enough buildup with low airflow to ignite the others from time to time.
If you're going to try to force feed fuel to it, I don't recommend starting fluid because it has no lubricating qualities like gasoline does. Get yourself a trigger spray bottle or a bottle that has the little flip up nozzle so you can spray or squirt a little fuel at a time into the throttle body to keep the car running. If you have a backfire while your bottle is close, you're less likely to ignite your fuel source.
Check all your fuses, and replace the fuel filter. After removing the old filter, see if you can pour a little fuel through it. Examine the fuel that comes out for discoloration or contamination. It can tell you a little about your fuel system. Using your downloaded manual for guidance, test the fuel pump through the ALDL to be sure it's running.
Ok.with a brand new battery and clean posts, the engine was finally cranking. I used some SeamFoam , added a little bit of gas to the tank and put some oil in the engine. But It just cranks, doesnt stay on.I then sprayed starting fluid in the vent cap behind the drivers door And it started right up nice and strong, but engine did not stay on Where to from here?
Also ,pictures of some rusted parts :/
Yeah ,I wish I had a Fiero expert here close by ,that would be great.. Thanks for the manuals, downloaded and inspecting
I would check fuel pressure at this time. Sounds like it is not getting fuel.
[This message has been edited by peteyz24 (edited 09-02-2013).]
Ok , I swear I looked in the forums but foujd no clearcanswer or one that made sense to me . I hope I did this right!
I bought a replacement filter .I then unplugged.....something....behind the drivers seat. I had to unscrew the air filter and there were 2 switches you could pull downward and disconnect.I pulled the left one hoping itvwas the fuel switch to release the fuel pressure.
Then I found a tiny valve hidden on the right side if the engine, unscrewed a metallic cap . How do I do release the fuel pressure with this?
There is a schrader valve underneath that metal cap. Use a shop cloth and cover it. Then use the tip of the smallest torx bit you have and press down into it to release the pressure, just as you would to let air out of a tire. The cloth is to capture any fuel that sprays out.
The two relays (switches as you call them) are identical and are for the AC and Fuel Pump. No need to unplug either to change out the fuel filter. Get the rear up on jack stands or ramps and slide underneath. You'll find the filter at the far front of the lower portion of the engine compartment. It will take two wrenches to change it out. One to hold the filter and the other to turn the nut on the line. I don't remember the sizes, but they're somewhere around 15mm or larger. The filter is held to the frame by 10mm bolts.
The fuel line and the clamp holding the gilter in place are extra rusted.Bought some wd40 and will soak for a few days.Dang I only have standard set wrenches.Honna have to go buy s pair . 15mm wil do? I read something about an O ring for this.Is it something I have to worry about? Im such a newb guys , I know
