91 VR4 Problem

[remarque]

The car is a 91 VR4, the previous owner said he was driving one day and the car started making nosie, he turned the car off and it never started again. The car was sent to an auto shop which is were it sits today, I talk to the guy at the shop and he says the car tries to crank but wont kick over? Any ideas of what the problem can be?

[4-G-rim]

Did you check the timing belt and see if it skipped? IF the top timing cover is still there..pull it off and you can inspect it. If the timing belt tension seems loose or looks loose..more then likely it skipped timing either from

-timing belt failure
-pulley or tensioner failure (Rare..but can happen)
-Balance shaft belts failed and caused timing belt damage to skip (IF bs shafts are still equipped)

If the timing side looks and checks out good..then check for spark and fuel and do a compression test too.


Though the "noise" you heard concerns me.

[remarque]

The guy at the shop says, he thinks it something with the transmission. Something about its not letting the engine kick over and he hasnt took the time to find the problem. Its not my car, but I'm thinking about buying it he only wants $700 for it, but I want check into it before I spent any money. 4-G-rim you got a gvr4, do you didnt it's worth buying.

[shiznit013]

This wouldn't happen to be a white VR-4 from around the Richmond area... would it?

[remarque]

Yes it is.

[remarque]

Do you know the guy?

[Jeffylou87]

That sounds like a deal to me.. I would get it.. Even if it's the worst thing possible like an trans rebuild..

[seth98esT]

Id buy it for $700 as long as its complete and desent body condition. I personally wouldnt mind replacing the engine.

If the trans wont "let go" then it must be stuck in gear. When you crank the car, if the car moves then thats the problem, if the car doesnt try to move, then thats obviously not the problem.

It really doesnt sound like this mechanic knows his way around a Mitsu. First things first, do a compression check. If the numbers are good, next I would check the timing belt first, make sure everything is in time. Lastly if the timing is ok, drop the pan and look for bearing material.

Mitsus arent that complicated.

[remarque]

Yeah, the body is in good condition and he didnt take anything out of the car. He said he owned 3 gvr4 before he got this one, but hasnt taking the time to find the problem.

[Darkkend]

Get the badge number off the car (should be something like 1601/2000 [my number]) and then google it, thats how i found out some history on my 91 VR4. $700 is a great deal on a VR4 unless the body is rusted out.

[Jeffylou87]

I want one! Why can't that happen around here?

[4-G-rim]

If the GVR4 is in overall good condition body and interior wise and it doesn't suffer from alot of rust then $700 is a pretty good dayam deal. These cars are going up in value now...as time goes, the rare factor goes up and makes them more appealing to purchase especially for the true enthusiasts of these great cars. Its not that uncommon to see a truely nice GVR4 in great condition close to the $10,000 range these days. The average price though is around the $6k range.

I don't regret buying mine..yes it gave me problems but its a 16+ year old, you have to expect those kind of things.

Is the motor trying to crank over? More details on whats "wrong" with the car could help us make more helpful theories on whats wrong with the cars. Like what Seth says..Mitsu's aren't that complicated.

[remarque]

Yeah the car is in good condition, nice black leather seats and body looks to be in good condition. I'm 75% sure I'm going to buy it if I can get the guy on the phone and get the badge number, but I'm going to check the car completely before I fork over any cash. I think buying the car will be a good investment.

[seth98esT]

If its just a motor problem, worst case scenario it spun a main/rod bearing or the timing is screwed, as long as the trans is good you can buy either JDM 6bolt motors for $1000-1600 some with a switchable AWD trans, or KarKing has OEM rebuilt 6bolts for $1100. You could have a sweet reliable 6gVR4 for under $2500. Thats a steal IMO ;)

[shiznit013]

Do you know the guy?

I was looking to buy that car. It was $1,250 for the first couple of weeks. Since it won't turn over, I was gonna' have it shipped up to MD, but the price quote I got was $750. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.