1991 Dodge Colt - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

Change the fuel filter first. so common of a problem.

If you left your car in the rain, maybe rain water got into your fuel tank. Check if there's an increase in the fuel level.

the engine will heat up quickly, and the radiator will stay cool if its stuck closed, if its stuck open engine will warm up slowly and not reach operation temp

Did the timing belt break or jump?

it will be on the side of the tire, but 32PSI will take care of it.

You can switch out the 4 speed for the 5 speed but when I changed mine out I had to switch out the ECM. Wasn't much of a problem as I have a few colts sitting around and one of them is a 5spd that is going to be switched over to a diesel! You can find some ECMs at a few different websites they are a little spendy nowadays for em. $300+.

The Colt was built by Mitsubishi for Dodge. I would recomend you go to your local parts store and have them order what you need if they done have. It will save you time and agrivation.Good Luck.

Please see my tip at http://www.fixya.com/cars/r5929960-s_thermostat . These are generic instructions. specific instructions for your car are provided below. please get back to me with any questions. Colt and 1990-91 Vista

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Drain the cooling system to a point below the thermostat level.
3. Remove the air cleaner.
4. Disconnect the hose at the thermostat water pipe.
5. Remove the water pipe support bracket nut.

This nut is also an intake manifold nut. It is very difficult to get to. A deep offset 12mm box wrench is used to remove or replace it.

1. Unbolt and remove the thermostat housing and pipe.
2. Lift out the thermostat. Discard the gasket.

To install:

Fig. Fig. 1: Thermostat - 1990-92 Colt Hatchback. The 1.6L is 1990 only

1. Clean the mating surfaces of the housing and manifold thoroughly.
2. Install the thermostat with the spring facing downward and position a new gasket. The jiggle valve in the thermostat should be on the manifold side.
3. Install the housing and pipe assembly. Torque the housing bolts to 11 ft. lbs. (14 Nm); the intake manifold nut to 14 ft. lbs. (19 Nm).
4. Refill the system with coolant. Connect the negative battery cable.
5. Start the engine and check for leaks.

Check at the parts store or dealer and see if you can get parts for it. if you can then it might be if you can do the work on it yourself, and depending what is wrong with it. Before you buy I would at least check for spark and fuel. Good luck
Randy

what i would do is get hold of the owners manual and find out where the fuse blocks are located. of course if you do not have a manual you can buy one on ebay or just root around under the dash until you find it. It is a small car and there are just not that many places to hide it. Usually a small one under the hood with a few large amperage fuses and another inside with several lower amperage fuses. Generally there are two flasher units plugged into the fuse block, one for emergency lights and the other for turn signals. When you find it just swap the flasher units. If your situation is now reversed in that you have turn signals but no flashers then you have solved your problem. if your situation is the same, then you do not have a flasher problem, and your next suspect item is the turn signal switch
which is no doubt located under the steering wheel.

FUSE

there should be a plate behind where you removed the chain. clean it real good there should be marks or divits. those are what you line up with. the harmonic balancer has 0 deg mark. find top dead center on the number 1 cyl

The ECM on the 89-92 Colt/Summit/Mirage is located behind the passenger side kick panel. It's fairly easy to remove, somewhat frustrating to replace, you just have to finess it to fit. To determine whether your ECM has suffered the common capcitor failure you simply remove the cover and observe the circuit board for a brownish material around the bases of the "little tin cans." (That's assuming you don't know what a cap looks like.) If you see this discharge then most likely the circuit board has been etched and the traces are damaged. You *MAY* have success repairing these, but most likely you will need a new ECM. Rebuilt ECMS are often available on eBay for less than $100.

It sounds like it has a battery drain when the key is off.

A professional engine rebuild can cost anywhere from $500 to $1500 or more, depending on what needs to be replaced/serviced.

If you plan on doing the work yourself, you could get away with less than $200.

Whether or not it's "worth it" to fix the car or replace it, is relative. You have to remember to factor in the cost of purchasing/fixing a new car versus the one you're driving now.

Vehicle resale value should not be considered in whether or not it's "worth it" to repair a vehicle, unless you intend to repair it before selling it. The primary consideration should be the cost of fixing it versus the costs you will incur utilizing other options, such as buying new, buying used with payments, buying used outright, etc.

Keep in mind that all vehicles eventually need service, and a more expensive vehicle tends to need more expensive service procedures.

check your engine oil level for a start

It would be on the negative side of the coil r p m`s.Or tach,for tachometer.

There is a curved bracket that the alternator is bolted to. This allows you to adjust the belt tension. Loosen this bolt and locate the other bolt that mounts the alternator to your engine. Loosen this one, as well. Now swing your alternator in the direction that will allow you to free the belt and remove it. Put the new belt on and swing the alternator to get good tension on the belt. Tighten both of the bolts on the alternator, but leave them loose enough that you can still adjust the belt's tension. Now use a bar to pry the alternator in the direction that will increase the tension on the belt a little bit and tighten the bolt on the curved bracket with your free hand. Now, tighten the other bolt. Start the car and verify that the belt has decent tension and does not slip (this will cause premature wear, squealing and bad charging). If everything is good, you should be all set. If it is too tight or too loose, you will need to readjust the tension of the belt.

Hope this helps,
matt

Try removeing the distributor cap and dry up any liquid under the cap and on the inside of the distributor. Blowing it off with air pressure and or use paper towels.If it has points carefully clean and dry the gap.
I hope this helps you.

1987 dodge colt 1.5L engine automatic gears won't work just stopped with reverse at the store and now won't go into any gears at all.what is this problem?