93' Festiva Mind Condition, been sitting for awhile......

[Bobert1755]

Hey all,
I just bought a red 93' festiva, Its in mint condition, but was sitting for awhile... was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of things to do to make sure my lil festiva doesn't blow up....
I am going to replace the brakes, all the fluids, and put a cheap stereo in it.... but other than that any suggestions?
Oh ya one more question... do festivas usually run warm, i just drove it around for a bit and the engine stayed hot for awhile afterwords... stupid question but just wondering.

[gdawgs]

Why are you thinking it's going to blow up? Is there something wrong with the engine? Or are you just new to Festivas and not sure how reliable they are. The engines are one of the most reliable engines out there(at least in my experience). My first one now has over 300,000 miles on it, and still runs like a top and doesn't burn any oil. That engine is also all original except for timing belt and valve cover gasket. No tranny problems either.

The engines typically don't run that hot. On every Festiva I've ever driven, the temp gage runs just under the half way mark when it's at normal operating temp. Was the radiator fan kicking in? If the fan was running the whole time, and the gage was well over half way up(assuming it's working correctly), you may have to do some investigating.

[Safety Guy]

Check the rear wheel bearings and look for any corrosion in the brake lines.

How many miles on it? Sounds nice.

Karl

[Roboskittle]

How long did the car sit??? If it sat for any longer then 6 months I will suggest putting some water remover in the gas tank. They sell it everywhere. Hell just grab some SeaFoam that stuff is awesome. Also I would change all fluids like you said and give all the ignition components a good once over. if they look old then replace them. Also check your timing belt and your altenator belts. I have had a timing belt snap on me and let me tell you its no fun especially when your over 400 miles from home with 100 bucks in your pocket. If the altenator belt is loose then it could be slipping and that might cause your engine to warm up due to lack of rotation of your water pump. I am sure that isnt the issue otherwise you would hear the belt squeeling. Better off to do the minor preventitive maintenance now then to have your car break down later and it cost more. Also for your overheating problem the thermostat might be stuck I would go ahead and replace that when you flush the radiator. All this should cost well under 100 bucks if you can do all the work yourself and might save a lot of headaches in the future. Good luck with your purchase. Remember your Festiva can only be nice to you if you are nice to it.

[Bobert1755]

Hello again,
Thanks everyone for your replys, the car has around 110 000, on it, and has been sitting in a garage for the past year or so.. it belonged to a friend of mines wife, she loved it so much i had to promise to take her in rides in it lol.... and by the looks of it she took care of it as well, the interior and paint are amazing on the car... looks brand new, well except for one minor screw up, a seal around the rear window leaked and a lil rust patch has developed... i will takle that later, ne one have ne suggestions tho?

ok so here is the to do list:
Fluids changed
Brakes(new all around, and check lines)
winter tires (from canada, and will def be needed)
cheap stereo(basic cd player, and maybe some speakers)
and i m a going to check the belts, maybe replace them if i see ne wear, and just to check everything and look for wear

oh ya i just remembered , the car has a slow leak, but apparently only when the car is running, while it sat no oil leaked out, but he said it did leak a little oil.... i don't think that will be a problem but maybe i will takle that too

wow what a long message, better finish it off, i am new to festivas' i m going to do all the work myself, and check in here when i hit a snag, if anyone has any suggestions to help , i am all ears, thanks again to everyone... bye for now

[gdawgs]

If the alternator belt is loose then it could be slipping and that might cause your engine to warm up due to lack of rotation of your water pump.

I've never had to replace a water pump and it's been a long time since I've done a timing belt, but I'm pretty sure the water pump is driven by the timing belt.

One mistake many people make(on all cars, not just Festivas) is over-tightening alternator/accessory belts, causing premature failure of alternator bearings, etc. So be careful when tightening belts.

[qaking]

If the alternator belt is loose then it could be slipping and that might cause your engine to warm up due to lack of rotation of your water pump.

I've never had to replace a water pump and it's been a long time since I've done a timing belt, but I'm pretty sure the water pump is driven by the timing belt.

One mistake many people make(on all cars, not just Festivas) is over-tightening alternator/accessory belts, causing premature failure of alternator bearings, etc. So be careful when tightening belts.

The water pump and alternator do share a belt. :wink:

[Roboskittle]

I know what im talking about. I have had a few Festivas and mine did the same thing. The altenator belt adjustment bolt wasnt tight when i bought my car and it squeeled really bad. So when I was driving it 2 minutes home it almost overheated. Tightened the belt and viola all fixed.

[Bobert1755]

Hellloooo,

Well the festiva has been running fine, no over heating or anything... i put in my cd player, the cheapest alpine they make, and tomorrow i am going to get the breaks all figured out... thank you all for your help...