Comments: 1-15, 16-19
Oil leak: according to the dealer it is coming from around the distributor.
Sporadic electrical problems:
1) The alarm went off whenever it felt like it. The Acura term for it is a faulty door-lock actuator. The dealer told me it was about $300 to replace or $30 to disable, so I had it disabled. I've heard more than enough of that alarm.
2) Stereo back-lighting went out. Except it comes back on if you hit a bump right. I thought the seller was joking, but it's true.
3) When I first got the car, my odometer actually stopped registering miles for about a week. I'd already ordered a replacement instrument cluster when it started working again?!
4) And now for the reason I gave it a low dependability rating, I have random times when the car stubbornly refuses to start. Can't decide whether this is an ignition or fuel system problem, and it is the single reason I mention all the other trivial problems. Suggestions are welcome. I haven't been able to discern any pattern to this. Eventually it decides to start, sometimes a day later. This is okay while I'm at college, but it will soon be intolerable.
Interior is very well-designed. The controls are all well within reach of the driver. I'm 6'1", and sometimes the ceiling feels low. Very good visibility all around. Getting in and out, I sometimes kick the door or bump the parking brake with my knee, but that's a fair trade-off for such a low stance. I don't think I've ever sat in such a comfortable driver's seat. The steering wheel has a very nice feel to it.
Handling is phenomenal. Steering is very precise and the four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes have never let me down. Tight turns feel very natural. Of course, slow down heavily for any steep curbs or entrances and try not to scrape parking blocks.
Performance is incredible. It's hard to believe the engine is just 176 HP! I used to think the car had a governer at 110 MPH, but just be patient and let the car accelerate. I recently got the car to 125 MPH and I needed more straight road. I certainly believe the person who claimed top end is 135.
The car has a wonderful presence about it. The front end looks a bit like the head of an angry horse, with the fenders as two flaring nostrils. It just feels good to punch the gas in traffic and whiz around other cars. It's a major effort in self-control to keep this thing under the legal limit.
For the starting problem: change your coolant sensor. when defective it fools the cars computer into thinking that the engine is cold when it's not: therefore sending more fuel than is required which results in flooding. Once the engine cools down the fuel load is correct for starting a cold car.
You can also try wiggling the shifter around while you try starting. Not in gears or anything, just a little bit. My Maxima and my parents crap Plymouth Horizon both have this problem. Probably just a switch contact thing for us and maybe you too.
Actually the Vigor has 200 horses under that hood. When it was a concept it was not supposed to be better than the Legend, but after its production it did have better performance. In order to market the Legend more, Acura put on paper that the Vigor only had 176 horse power. So there is a reason that its hard to believe it only has 176...
I have a 1993 Vigor and love it. My major problem with the car came when the oil seal on the secondary transmission shaft failed for the second time. First at 30,000 then at 60,000. At that point I had the dealer replace the transmission at not cost to me. I was told the secondary shaft must have been warped. I now have over 100,000 miles with only small oil leak coming from behind distributor, oil coming from a poor transmission service by the dealer, and missing engine mount bolt. At 90,000 had all belts changed and engine decarbonized by dealer $1,000. Changed distributor and rotor today as reqular maintenance. My next problems will be trying to come up with $50,000 dollars to replace a $30,000 dollar car that drives and performs like a $50,000 or $60,000 dollar car. Stongly recommend the Firestone Firehawk sh30 tires. I would rate these tires as the best touring tire every made. Makes the Vigor glide to your destination.
I have a 1993 Vigor and love it. My major problem with the car came when the oil seal on the secondary transmission shaft failed for the second time. First at 30,000 then at 60,000. At that point I had the dealer replace the transmission at not cost to me. I was told the secondary shaft must have been warped. I now have over 100,000 miles with only small oil leak coming from behind distributor, oil coming from a poor transmission service by the dealer, and missing engine mount bolt. At 90,000 had all belts changed and engine decarbonized by dealer $1,000. Changed distributor and rotor today as reqular maintenance. My next problems will be trying to come up with $50,000 dollars to replace a $30,000 dollar car that drives and performs like a $50,000 or $60,000 dollar car. Stongly recommend the Firestone Firehawk sh30 tires. I would rate these tires as the best touring tire every made. Makes the Vigor glide to your destination.
I believe that it has over 200hp. As far as the top end on the vigor, I have a 94 GS 5spd. and I have been in 5th gear at 135mph and the tack read 4500rpm. that's when I ran out of Track. I would assume I could hit 150 if I had a longer runway.
I have two 92 Vigor's (one with auto tranny & the other is a 5-speed. Had the one with auto tranny to 135 mph very easily & room or more, but window seals were separating rubber from glass with tremendous air noise. I'm 56 & grew up with muscle cars, etc. but the Vigor is one hot sports car with power & handling even though it's classified as a 4-door sedan!!
Hi acura lover I have a 93 vigor replaced trans with one with 68,000. it shifts fine & run excellent, but when I put in gear I get a D4 lite blinking on the dash. I do all my work so I checked the connection again, they seem to be OK. so don't know if I got a bad one? or could it be a sensor? I still have the old trans which ran, but just shifted late causing over reeving...any ideas!
I bought a 1992 Vigor for my 16 year old son. After about 3,000 mile it started making a whining noise from under the hood. It only makes the sounds while rolling and gets louder the faster you drive. Could this be the transmission?
94 Vigor GS.137,000mi.Bought with 75,000 in 2003. This year, test driven BMW 3& 5Series, LexusGS, Acura RL & TL, VW Passat, Audi A6. Only Audi A6 comes close. I keep getting back in my Vigor and loving it more. Friends tell me its time for a new car--girl does not want to be stranded with 14 Yr old car, but it DRIVEs so SWEET!. I agree with the previous comment about trying to replace a car that already drives like a $50K car. how could I spend $50K on anything out there when nothing matches up. I'll keep maintaining & repairing. Plan on buying new wheels this wk-end. Should I up from 15"?
Hey Vigor lovers!!!
I have a lot to say about my Igor; yeah that's what I call him!
I just have never been in a car that you can drive soo fast and feel so comfortable doing it!! I don't get the feeling I'm going to crash. I fly right past everyone feeling like a winner.
My car might look beat up because the person before me never took care of him, and people disrespect my car when I let them borrow it, but my interior is immaculate; all leather, fully loaded with goodies, and no rips or tears, no cracks in the leather. He smells new, and when I give him a bath, he looks, sexy even with the minor rust and fender damage I just love him yeah.
I had the oil leak, I had to change a timing belt, and my biggest problem is when I go to turn him on, I have to punch my gear shifter up, hold the brake shift in neutral, and start!! There have been so many times somebody has passed me up and flicked me off. I would tell my friends that people flick me off, and I don't know why they never believed me. Then somebody on a motorcycle did, and I never did a thing for the person to do that to me, and my friends believed me. The funny thing is it never happens when I'm in my Lincoln, so I guess its my car!!!
I would really love to fix him up. I love this car, but everything is soo expensive for him. Junk yards; forget it, I been there millions of times, all of them around my area, and nothing, not a single Vigor. It just makes me mad that everyone still has theirs obviously, since junk yard don't have them, and I can't do a thing about my Igor. I feel bad that he just has to sit in the garage waiting for a transplant. I don't want to lose him!!!
I just love this car. A vigor is a great car; they shouldn't have stopped making them. But the ones that own one are the lucky ones.
I wish I was rich; I would take Igor to the best car doctor and get him back to normal, or just have Acura custom build me one with zero mileage.
Anyways, I know how everyone feels about Vigors now, and I don't feel left out. Thanks for reading, and yes, it is a 50,000 dollar car to me, to no matter what people say!!! Thanks again!!
I have a 92 Acura Vigor and I recently discovered that I have an oil leak. The car has about 120,000 miles, I'm not the original owner and its going to cost a lot to have it fixed. My question is, would it really be worth getting fixed? The two repair shops I've taken it to suggested buying a newer car... what do you all suggest?
FIX THE OIL LEAK! Your Vig is worth every cent you spend (and you won't be spending a lot). Most likely it is a seal or something simple like that. The Vig is a classic. Vig owners unite! VIVE LA VIG!!
Jim.
I've owned my '92 Vigor for over 13 years, have well over 200,000 miles driven and still love it! It's still great to drive, looks very good and I plan on keeping it a lot longer.
I too have had the oil leak around the distributor (cheap and easy fix) and now have a new leak from up around the oil cooler where the filter attaches to. I also had the hard start syndrome and it turned out to be the main relay.
The alarm trouble I had was on the passenger side door when unlocking it, it would usually set off the alarm. I was told the $300 routine to get a new lock latch assembly and decided to only unlock the driver side door. This one too started to act up and found that if you gently pry the alarm switch in the door apart, lightly sand the contacts, apply No-Ox (heavy grease) and glue back together it should work. This was done back in '99 and I haven't had a problem since.
Good luck all Vigor owners and let's try to keep these fine cars on the road for as long as possible.
My '92 Vigor has electrical demons. I thought it was the battery and replaced it. It fired right up, but everything was going haywire. TACH was bouncing along with speedometer, antenna went up and down, when I switched on the radio or headlight the ABS light flashed. After a while I lost all power and it went completely dead, not an ounce of juice. When I noticed the headlight switch was left on I turned it off and the power returned. It acts like it's possessed. Any ideas?