Seahag1978

I have been having an issue with idle kick-down when warm. Now the car never kicks-down. Today I was driving and I noticed the volt meter thing on the dash was at mid-red to 8. The car eventually kicked down to well over 1K rpms. Was always at 1K steady previously. Tonight riding home, it jumped to 2.25 or better rpm while cold and then kept rising. My volt meter on the dash dropped to 0. My lights dimmed and stereo flashed with no sound. I shut everything down except the lights which were dim as heck. The rpms jumped to almost 3K in neutral. I obviously was running just lights off the battery, but was the car smart enough to keep the idle up to prevent stalling? Please say no... this BRAT freaks me out with its intuitive personality as it is... soooo, can anyone give me causes, but more importantly, fixes? H-E-L-P!

Tim had new tires put on at BJ's and they apparently didn't tighten things too well. He was on the highway and felt something, so he pulled off onto a secondary road. His rear driver's tire passed him as he was attempting to stop to the side. I got a call at 5:30 a.m. to bring a jack and some tools. It did $1800 worth of damage. BJ's settled, no questions asked.

Welcome! Whatever ails your cars will be righted here! I have never met a group of people who will go way out of their way to help! Trust me

Ahhhh... The BRAT went for inspection yesterday and because of its age, went through a SUPER THOROUGH check (this station is tough). Nothing is wrong, front end is tight, E-brake works, all is well.

Verrrry nice... hey, a little wax and elbow grease is all it needs to be drop dead gorgeous! It shines nice now... love the old car patina... beats the heck out of 15 coats of clear coat. Best of luck with it kiddo!!!! Andrew finds the coolest stuff... he rocks!

Ok, so we take a cruise up to Maine. Everything normal, steering wheel giving the usual hand massage around 50-60. I brake at the first exit... clicking. Brake at the next stop, louder... get to the destination after a severe turn in... no click on stop. The stops vary all day, so do the severity of the "clicks". Soooo, we stop at another destination, I smell burnt pancakes and see smoke coming out the grille. Open the hood with the engine off... nada... nothing amiss no smell?! Ride back to Mass. no issues when the vibration happens at 50-60 I turn the wheel quick, back and forth and it settles down. Back home, making different turns in-town the "click" gets more severe... REAL BAD. Causes: 1. Pinhole leak in the heater hose spraying onto the manifold. No biggie. 2. I had the wheels balanced and they NEVER TIGHTENED THE LUGS ON THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL! YIKES! All is well, little my guy got me home. NEVER trust an outsider to work on your car if you can help it.

The last time I looked, it's a federal offense that carries a MAJOR fine AND some possible imprisonment if convicted. To add insult to injury, the last I heard a federal offense also spells felony. Keep the cat... at all costs... it's cheaper.

Nice score Dave! Enjoy!

First off, get some "Quick n' Brite". Dissolve it in HOT water and immediately saturate the carpet and seats. I mean POUR it on with a bucket. Scrub with a stiff brush, then suck all the water out with a Shop Vac and straight nozzle (no attachment). Pay close attention to the area UNDER the seats. It's actually better to remove the seats, if you used enough, the water will run out the seat bottom for a while. Repeat until the water runs clear, or close to it. Open the doors and let it air dry. Quick n' Brite removes stains and odors, but leaves no odor of it's own nor any residue, just plain clean. If the smell is still there, then it's in the ducts.

I disagree, I drive the '86 4WD and leave the Baja AWD at home during severe conditions, and with good reason, between the ABS brakes and the touchy first gear, it's dicey in tough conditions compared to the low geared, D/R BRAT which has MUCH more control on corners AND CLIMBING ability... it's steady and true.

We replaced an engine in the '78 and the disty was 180 off... the fireworks/noise out the carb freaked me out... it's a 50-50 chance... glad you solved it! Best of luck... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my '86. It's my daily driver. Rain, shine, blizzard!

Boston's official "Holiday/Christmas" (they can't decide which name is most politically correct and doesn't "offend" anyone... arrrrrgggghhh!) tree is laying on its side, in the grass, due to wet ground that won't support its weight. 42 feet is all... so you know it's wet here, need more than sand a tow rope... blub, blub....

Don't use eBodyShop.com they also list under several other names as well. When you go to the websites, they all look the same, you'll know. Stay away.

Ahhhhh... glad to hear!

Just food for thought. I have my fan hardwired to the ignition on my ea81 and a switch for the fan on the dash for my ea71. In these old cars, you can't hear if the fan is kicking on.

I think he lived in my car first! He's the reason I needed 3 different wrenches to change a single alternator! Yikes!

What you say is great... in an ideal world... but when a BRAT gets 20+ years old you're going to find some really bizarre "fixes" and it's going to take a whole lot more tools than imagined, trust me

If it were any weekend but this one... I'm cooking for 50 people for my Halloween party on Saturday and can't get away. Post this over at NASIOC in the NESIC forum. There are a lot of members in that area. If your here on Saturday, come on down (about an hour away), you'll be well fed!

Oooo lala! >wink<

Beer stains would be the least of your worries

I'll stock up on the Barq's Costumes are optional... I know where you can borrow a nice cow costume, complete with udder ~grin~

You're invited to my 32nd annual Halloween Party right here, where it all started in Salem, Massachusetts! October 28 from 4 pm on... let me know by PM or email...

When the tailgate is down, it will support 666 lbs. I think the total is 900 lbs.

I have taken mine over all kinds of roads, long trips, yadda, yadda... love it! Snow... eh, not so much...I seriously feel safer and more in control with my '86 BRAT. No ABS brakes or low end torque to contend with. The BRAT is way more sure-footed in severe weather (ice/snow). The Baja stays home during major storms

There's only good, no bad, and certainly no ugly. I love mine. I wil say... the 5 speed turbo needs to be a major consideration... it delivers the power when you need it! It has saved my butt on Boston area highways more times than I can remember, and it has me hooked! Best car I ever had! I understand the Sport model is a bit sluggish and you may regret it... I hope others can chime in with the differences. I find the mileage is not prohibitive, but it is more than I like to spend for gas, however, the comfort and the "get-where-you-need-to-go-safely" factor is well worth it. My other cars are BRATs and they sip cheapo gas like a fine wine. The versatility of the Baja is awesome. Rain or shine, big dog, 2 little kids in car seats...it's all there. The tailgate is integral to the bed, holds 666 lbs. making it quite long, add in the switchback... a full sheet of plywood, no go... anything else, no issue. Trust me, get one... you'll love it. If you don't, sell it and buy a Ford, there are tons of people looking for used Bajas, that's how I got mine