im having a lot of trouble with my car right now and im not sure what exactly it is. i took it for a long drive this weekend about 1.5 hours of continuous driving to newark and back. and ive been noticing some problems. it feels like its misfiring and i know that can result in the spark plugs coming lose or just going bad, but then i let my boyfriend drive it home today ( the problem hasnt been that bad till he drove it home ) and he said it felt like it was shifting bad (jolting and sputtering). i noticed it as well, when he was going 50 or below it would rev itself up and shift.but also felt like it was misfiring on its own, as if it was struggling, but it didint die. it was really awkward. im hoping its not my TCM because i just had to replace that.. but other then that i have no idea. if anyone has any ideas on what it might be and how to fix it i would be very much appreciative. thanks.

Have you checked the capacitors on your ECU? I forget what you all check when it was acting up before...

im not really sure how to do that or even where it is. can u tell me what i should be looking for? and what would the capacitors be doing to cause this?

thanks :)

The ECU is the "brain box" for your engine (and possibly controls your TCM. I'm not really up to speed on the autos, sorry.) and if it goes the engine and car in general will do many goofy things.

The early years (91-93) had massive problems with the capacitors on the ECU getting old, and leaking a corrosive fluid out all over the electronics in the ecu. some are so bad it will actually eat through the board.

The ECU is inbetween the two seats under the radio. To see it you need to pull the kick panels of the console (driver's side wiring harness, passenger back of box). You pop the plastic covers off with a screw driver, undo (I believe) four or five phillips screws, and pull the panel towards the front of the car and out.

You can then look into the inside of the center console, and under the dash will be a metal square with ba-zillions of wires running in it. (Again, I believe) in the first gens there should be three plugs that need to be pulled all next to each other to unhook the ba-zillions of wires. (they are all in harnesses.) then it will be two or four small bolts holding the ECU in. undo those and you should be holding it.

next there should be a few screws holding the metal case on the outside of the ECU. once you get the case off, look at the capacitors and check if they are leaking. sometimes it is a clear fluid, some claim it is a white-ish color. be very careful with this peice of electronics.

You can re-soder new ones on, most people send it out to be re-done, or take it to an electronics store...

If yours is leaking, post back, and I'll try to dig up a name for where to send it too...

other than that, I can't offer much help for a goofy auto tranny. I don't have alot of experience with that problem.

Also, may want to check the MFI relay... just a thought... shot in the dark really... also behind passenger side kick panel...

well..took it to the shop and they told me my transmission was slipping..im gunna drive it home today and see if i can find any other reason for it to do this..

okay time for an update. i ended up getting a transmission rebuild. the idiots at the shop told me id get it back last thursday. then told me friday afternoon, then moday at 3 and now its tuesday. They finally finished it up and called me. They said it needed a throttle position sensor. i told them to go ahead and put a new one in.

first off- can anyone tell me what this is and what it does to my car?

Next. they put that in and call me back telling me my car is still broken. i guess they think its the TCM or ECU. ****!!! theyve had my car for so long and ive already payed over 2300 dollars. iguess i didint need a new transmission in the first place? Can anyone tell me how i should go about this?

this is so aggravating. i just want them to finally fix my car and give it back to me. watch...when i get it back their gunna be a fat dent in the side. uugghh.

TTAngle told you. He really knows his stuff!

angle. HA!!!!!!

I'm not that good with these cars. there are people out there that know far more. I just try to help when I can.

um. yeah. transmission work is not cheap. sorry.

you could have swapped in a manual transmission for what you have already paid.

did they go through the valve body?

If I were you I'd get the car back and borrow someones TCM or ECU. they are just plug and play and I can't see paying some fat mechanic 80 bucks an hour for cake work. Or try to pick them up cheap off E-bay... but then becareful on ECUs. they sometimes ship with blow caps too...

At least I know the ECU is EASY. And I believe the TCM is right by the MFI relay, and that is SUPER-DUPER EASY.

yeah i know how to install them and where their located and all that good stuff. i had someone else pay for the transmission for my birthday present whiuch was on the 5th. i was going to end up letting it sit so i can save for the transmisssion rebuild. and yeah i shoulda just swapped with a manual... anyways i wish i knew some people around here whos tcm or ecu i could try out but i dont so i guess thats no option. ill just wait for them to call me and let me know.. so aggravating. wish i knew a little bit more about these cars then i could just do this stuff myself.o.well. thanks for the help and ill let you know whats up with it when i hear.

o.m.f.g. !!!!!

okay..the shop called. apparently the guy who sold the car to me was really stupid. he put a '99 computer into my car which is a '92. and i guess thats why my car is messing up so much. gunna cost like 800 dollars to fix i guess which is comin outa my pocket. anyways as of now thats the problem but who knows what else is going on.

I have a question- since im pretty much replacing everything but the engine in this car should i keep it?? Since im putting so much money into the car to fix it its really taking all the fun out of it but at the same time when i get it back itll practically be perfect. i really love the car but im so aggravated with it. or maybe its the mechanics who are sucking up all my money and spending so much time on fixing the car thats got me aggravated. Should i keep it since ive just dumped so much money into it?

Im thinking i may and just save and save and save and go all out and buy a 99 vr4 with low miles. i dont know. ugh. input please.

a 99 vr4 with low miles will cost a boat load if it's in good condition. but let me know if you get one. :grin:
If you ever need work done, pay for the gas to get out there and I'll come help!




ok. a 99 ECU will need sensor readings that a 92 probably (not sure on cali spec in 92) not need.

other than that I believe the MFI relay, and TCM should be the same.

Once again, an ECU will be 800+ new, but you can probably find one used for much less, and put it in yourself.

I also strongly urge you to get in touch with the local (or state) 3/S chapter and see if you can "borrow" a 92 ECU for a while and test this out. because otherwise this will be ANOTHER 800 dollars thrown at a hunch of a grease monkey. remember, they thought the tranny was bad, too.

P.S. that old ECU is still worth money. make sure they don't keep it, so you can at least throw it on E-bay, or sell it on a stealth board.

thanks for the advice, ill try to find somone to let me borrow theirs and ill also make sure they dont keep mine in the event that i let them even work on it. thanks