Engine diesels (continues
to run) after switching off
Idle speed too high.
Excessive engine operating temperature.
Fault in engine management system.
Engine Electrical System
Battery will not hold a
charge
Alternator drive belt
defective or not adjusted properly.
Battery electrolyte level low.
Battery terminals loose or corroded.
Faulty battery
Alternator not charging properly.
Loose, broken or faulty wiring in the
charging circuit.
Short in vehicle wiring. Internally
defective battery.
Alternator light fails to
go out (not available in all Esprit models)
Faulty alternator or charging circuit.
Alternator drive belt defective or out of
adjustment.
Alternator voltage regulator inoperative.
Alternator light fails to come on when key
is turned on
Warning light bulb defective.
Fault in the printed circuit, dash wiring
or bulb holder.
Fuel System
Excessive fuel consumption
Dirty or clogged air filter element.
Fault in engine management system.
Emissions systems not functioning properly.
Fuel injection system not functioning
properly.
Low tire pressure or incorrect tire size.
Leaking fuel tank(s).
Fuel leakage and/or fuel
odor
Deteriorated fuel vent hose
Leaking fuel feed or return line.
Tanks overfilled.
Evaporative canister filter clogged.
Fuel injection system not functioning
properly.
Leaking fuel tank(s).
Cooling System
Overheating
Insufficient coolant in system.
Water pump defective.
Radiator core blocked or grille restricted.
Thermostat faulty.
Electric coolant fan blades broken or
cracked.
Radiator cap not maintaining proper
pressure.
Fault in engine management system.
Overcooling
Faulty thermostat.
Inaccurate temperature gauge sending unit
External coolant leakage
Deteriorated/damaged hoses; loose clamps.
Water pump defective.
Leakage from radiator core or coolant
reservoir bottle.
Engine drain or water jacket core plugs
leaking.
Internal coolant leakage
Leaking cylinder head gasket.
Cracked cylinder bore or cylinder head.
Coolant loss
Too much coolant in system. Coolant boiling
away because of overheating.
Internal or external leakage.
Faulty radiator cap.
Poor coolant circulation
Inoperative water pump. Restriction in
cooling system.
Water pump drivebelt defective/out of
adjustment.
Thermostat sticking.
Clutch
Pedal travels to floor - no
pressure or very little resistance
Master or release cylinder faulty.
Hose/pipe burst or leaking.
Connections leaking.
No fluid in reservoir.
If fluid level in reservoir rises as pedal
is depressed, master cylinder center valve seal is faulty.
If there is fluid on dust seal at master
cylinder, piston primary seal is leaking.
Broken release bearing or fork.
Fluid in area of master
cylinder dust cover and on pedal
Rear seal failure in master cylinder.
Fluid on slave cylinder
Slave
cylinder plunger seal faulty.
Pedal feels spongy when
depressed
Air in system.
Unable to select gears
Faulty transaxle.
Faulty clutch disc.
Release lever and bearing not assembled
properly.
Faulty pressure plate.
Pressure plate-to-flywheel bolts loose.
Clutch slips (engine speed
Increases with no increase in vehicle speed)
Clutch plate worn.
Clutch plate is oil soaked by leaking rear
main seal.
Clutch plate not seated. It may take or
normal starts for a new one to seat.
Warped pressure plate or flywheel.
Weak diaphragm spring.
Clutch plate overheated. Allow to cool.
Grabbing (chattering) as
clutch is engaged
Oil on clutch plate lining, burned or
glazed facings.
Worn or loose engine or transaxle mounts.
Worn splines on clutch plate hub.
Warped pressure plate or flywheel.
Burned or smeared resin on flywheel or
pressure plate.
Transaxle rattling
(clicking)
Release lever loose.
Clutch plate damper spring failure.
Low engine idle speed.
Noise in clutch area
Fork shaft improperly installed.
Faulty throwout bearing.
Clutch pedal stays on floor
Clutch master cylinder piston binding in
bore.
Broken release bearing or fork.
High pedal effort
Piston binding in bore.
Pressure plate faulty.
Incorrect size master or release cylinder.
Transaxle
Knocking noise at low
speeds
Worn driveshaft constant velocity (CV)
joints.
Worn side gear shaft counterbore in
differential case.
Noise most pronounced when
turning
Differential gear noise.
Clunk on acceleration or
deceleration
Loose engine or transaxle mounts.
Worn differential pinion shaft in case.'
Worn side gear shaft counterbore in
differential case.
Worn or damaged driveshaft inner CV joints.
Clicking noise in turns
Worn or damaged outer CV joint.
Vibration
Rough wheel bearing.
Damaged driveshaft.
Out of round tires.
Tire out of balance.
Worn CV joint.
Noisy in neutral with
engine running
Damaged input gear bearing.
Damaged clutch release bearing.
Noisy in one particular
gear
Damaged or worn constant mesh gears.
Damaged or worn synchronizers.
Bent reverse fork.
Damaged fourth speed gear or output gear.
Worn or damaged reverse idler gear or icier
bushing.
Noisy in all gears
Insufficient lubricant.
Damaged or worn bearings.
Worn or damaged input gear shaft and/or
output gear shaft.
Slips out of gear
Worn or improperly adjusted linkage.
Transaxle loose on engine.
Shift linkage does not work freely, binds.
Input gear bearing retainer broken or
loose.
Dirt between clutch cover and engine
housing.
Worn shift fork.
Leaks lubricant
Side gear shaft seals worn.
Excessive amount of lubricant in transaxle.
Loose or broken input gear shaft bearing
retainer.
Input gear bearing retainer O-ring and/or
lip seal damaged.
Locked in gear
Lock pin or interlock pin missing.
Although the corrective action necessary to
remedy the symptoms described is beyond the scope of this manual, the
above information should be helpful in isolating the cause of the
condition so that the owner can communicate clearly with a professional
mechanic.
Fluid leakage
Transaxle
fluid is a deep red color. Fluid leaks should not be confused with engine
oil, which can easily be blown onto the transaxle by air flow.
To pinpoint a leak, first remove all built
up dirt and grime from the transaxle housing with degreasing agents and/or
steam cleaning. Then drive the vehicle at low speeds so air flow will not
blow the leak far from its source. Raise the vehicle and determine where
the leak is coming from. Common areas of leakage are:
Pan
Dipstick tube
Transaxle oil lines
Speed sensor
Differential drain plug
Transaxle fluid brown or
has a burned smell
Transaxle fluid overheated.
Driveshafts
Clicking noise in turns
Worn or damaged outboard CV joint.
Shudder or vibration during
acceleration
Excessive toe-in.
Incorrect spring heights.
Worn or damaged inboard or outboard CV
joints.
Sticking inboard CV joint assembly.
Vibration at highway speeds
Out of balance front wheels and/or tires.
Out of round front tires.
Worn CV joint(s).
Brakes
Note: Before assuming that
a brake problem exists, make sure that:
The tires are in good
condition and properly inflated.
The front end alignment
is correct.
The vehicle is not
loaded with weight in an unequal manner.
Vehicle pulls to one side
during braking
Incorrect tire pressures.
Front end out of alignment (have the front
end aligned).
Front, or rear, tires not matched to one
another.
Restricted brake lines or hoses.
Malfunctioning drum brake or caliper
assembly.
Loose suspension parts.
Loose calipers.
Excessive wear of brake shoe or pad
material or disc/drum on one side.
Noise (high-pitched squeal
when the brakes are applied)
Front and/or rear disc brake pads worn out.
The noise comes from the wear sensor rubbing against the disc (does not
apply to all vehicles). Replace pads with new ones immediately.
Brake roughness or chatter
(pedal pulsates)
Excessive lateral runout.
Uneven pad wear.
Defective disc.
Excessive brake pedal
effort required to stop vehicle
Malfunctioning power brake booster.
Partial system failure.
Excessively worn pads or shoes.
Piston in caliper or wheel cylinder stuck
or sluggish.
Brake pads or shoes contaminated with oil
or grease.
New pads or shoes installed and not yet
seated. It will take a while for the new material to seat against the disc
or drum.
Excessive brake pedal
travel
Partial brake system failure.
Insufficient fluid in master cylinder.
Air trapped in system.
Dragging brakes
Incorrect adjustment of brake light switch.
Master cylinder pistons not returning
correctly.
Restricted brakes lines or hoses.
Incorrect parking brake adjustment.
Grabbing or uneven braking
action
Malfunction of proportioning valve.
Malfunction of power brake booster unit.
Binding brake pedal mechanism.
Brake pedal feels spongy
when depressed
Air in hydraulic lines.
Master cylinder mounting bolts loose.
Master cylinder defective.
Brake pedal travels to the
floor with little resistance
Little or no fluid in the master cylinder
reservoir caused by leaking caliper piston(s).
Loose, damaged or disconnected brake lines.
Parking brake does not hold
Parking brake linkage improperly adjusted.
Suspension and Steering Systems
Note:
Before attempting to diagnose the suspension and steering systems, perform
the following preliminary checks:
Tires for wrong pressure and uneven wear.
Steering universal joints from the column
to the rack and pinion for loose connectors or wear.
Front and rear suspension and the rack and
pinion assembly for loose or damaged parts.
Out-of-round or out-of-balance tires, bent
rims and loose and/or rough wheel bearings.
Vehicle pulls to one side
Mismatched or uneven tires.
Broken or sagging springs.
Wheel alignment.
Front brake dragging.
Abnormal or excessive tire
wear
Wheel alignment.
Sagging or broken springs.
Tire out of balance.
Worn strut damper.
Overloaded vehicle.
Tires not rotated regularly.
Wheel makes a thumping
noise
Blister or bump on tire.
Improper strut damper action.
Shimmy, shake or vibration
Tire or wheel out-of-balance or
out-of-round.
Loose or worn wheel bearings.
Worn tie-rod ends.
Worn lower balljoints.
Excessive wheel runout.
Blister or bump on tire.
Hard steering
Lack of lubrication at balljoints, tie-rod
ends and rack and pinion assembly.
Front wheel alignment.
Low tire pressure(s).
Poor returnability of
steering to center
Lack of lubrication at balljoints and
tierod ends.
Binding in balljoints.
Binding in steering column.
Lack of lubricant in steering gear
assembly.
Front wheel alignment.
Steering rack preload
bushing out of spec
Abnormal noise at the front
end
Lack of lubrication at balljoints and
tierod ends.
Damaged strut mounting.
Worn control arm bushings or tie-rod ends.
Loose stabilizer bar.
Loose wheel nuts.
Loose suspension bolts
Wander or poor steering
stability
Mismatched or uneven tires.
Lack of lubrication at balljoints and
tierod ends.
Worn strut assemblies.
Loose stabilizer bar.
Broken or sagging springs.
Wheels out of alignment.
Erratic steering when
braking
Wheel bearings worn.
Broken or sagging springs.
Leaking wheel cylinder or caliper.
Warped rotors or drums.
Excessive pitching and/or
rolling around corners or during braking
Loose stabilizer bar.
Worn strut dampers or mountings.
Broken or sagging springs.
Overloaded vehicle.
Suspension bottoms
Overloaded vehicle.
Worn strut dampers.
Incorrect, broken or sagging springs.
Cupped tires
Front wheel or rear wheel alignment.
Worn strut dampers.
Wheel bearings worn.
Excessive tire or wheel runout.
Worn balljoints.
Excessive tire wear on
outside
Inflation pressures incorrect.
Excessive speed in turns.
Front end alignment incorrect (excessive
toe-in). Have professionally aligned.
Suspension arm bent or twisted.
Excessive tire wear on
inside edge
Inflation pressures incorrect.
Front end alignment incorrect (toe-out).
Have professionally aligned.
Loose or damaged steering components.
Tire tread worn in one
place
Tires out of balance.
Damaged or buckled wheel. Inspect and
replace if necessary.