1989 Dodge Spirit Reviews - Page 2 of 4

The transmission had to be rebuilt at around 65,000 miles.

In 1999 the car got hit by a truck the two ride side doors and front fender was replaced.

Suspension was replaced around 110,000 miles.

Head gasket had to be replaced around 120,000 miles.

Exhaust manifold had to be replaced around 126,000 miles.

Around 130,000 miles the wiring harness was replaced.

Replaced battery at around 137,750.

Engine starting to show its age.

I got this car from my grandpa in 2003 for $300 before he died, the car has been around almost all of my life, he had owned it since it was brand new. In 1999 he got into a crash with a truck while he was driving it, so he had put right side doors on from another Spirit, and had the fender replaced.

The 2.5 non turbo 4 cylinder motor gives average gas mileage; I get about 15 in the city and about 20 on the highway. The motor only has about 100 horsepower, so it ain't going to be smoking probably anybody on the street.

The ride is alright, it's so-so on long trips, but it gets me where I need to go with no problem. The car is very reliable for the most part, the car is 16 now and hopefully has about another few years left in it if I'm lucky.

I want to put a different motor into it, does anyone have any suggestions?

Oil leaks: there have been many develop. The valve cover on these earlier models is notorious for leaking. An updated cover was fitted along with the restyled one-piece gasket.

At 110,000 miles, I had to replace the oil pan gasket, the front crankshaft oil seal, and the camshaft oil seal to keep the car from mimicking the Exxon Valdez.

Air conditioning: At 100,000 miles, the entire system needed replacement... I mean every part of it. I installed all new components and converted it to the new refrigerant - R134A.

Other faults have been few, and mostly wear & tear items.

I recently replaced the drooping headliner.

One power window motor is shot.

One power window switch had to be replaced.

The Infinity sound system receiver went bad, as have two of the special speakers.

General replacement of all belts and hoses (water, oil, fuel, and vacuum).

I inherited this car from my father in 1996. It had 46,000 miles on it and had almost zero maintenance. As a result, I'm still playing catch-up.

The car is very roomy, quiet, and comfortable.

Fuel economy is around 27mpg highway, 25mpg City. It doesn't drop noticeably when using the A/C.

Brake pads had to be replaced the day I bought it. Heater control valve broke. Bottom radiator hose split on me one day. Passenger front window wouldn't roll down, but fixed itself eventually. Head gasket was showing early signs of failure (bubbles in the overflow tank after it's warmed up). Speed sensor stopped working for a little while after I drive though a big ol' puddle at 35 mph, it came back about a day later.

The car had been terribly neglected before I bought it. The guy even said he just used it to get back and forth to work, and that was it, so as a result the car needed a good bath and some TLC.

The motor was worn so mileage wasn't up to snuff, and on some mornings when I started it, it would send up a blue smokescreen. The 2.5, a derivative of the ol' 2.2, made lots of knocking sounds, but these engines were famous for it, so it never concerned me. Piston slap I hear is a major cause of the noise. Also, because of the 2.5's long stroke (4.09 inches) it didn't like a lot of revving, these engines never need to be revved past 4500 rpm, even though horsepower peaks at 4800, and the rev limiter is set to 6000. I had mine once at 5500, and it sounded like it was screaming.

I think the biggest problem with these cars is the head gasket. The head being aluminum, and the block being iron, they expand at different rates while warming up, and over the years the head gasket just wears out. Chrysler put cheap gaskets in these cars when they were built. When you go to replace a head gasket, go to a Mopar dealer and ask for the Mopar high performance head gasket. You may feel silly saying 'high performance' and 'Dodge Spirit/Plymouth Acclaim' in the same sentence, but the fact is the high performance head gaskets were of a much higher quality than the cheap OEM units. If you got skillz, you can change one in a little over an hour, but I'd prefer taking my time. While you have the head off, replace the valve seals too if you feel like it.

NOTE for people who have the 4 speed A604 automatic... DON'T USE DEXRON FLUID IN THESE UNITS!!! Even though it says on the stick to use it, DON'T. Dexron kills the A604's. Use ATF+3, it's a little harder to find and a little most costly, but it's well worth the price.

Now, with all that said, if you find one of these cars that's been well maintained, go for it. These cars are quiet, comfortable, fairly roomy cars that are easy to drive and service. My old 89, even with the worn engine, would cruise at 60-70 mph or higher without fuss. Mileage for these cars, assuming it's not worn out, is pretty good. 30 or so mpg on the highway is easily achievable.

Here's a tip for people with the 2.5, when you change your oil or have it changed for you, ask for a Ford V8 oil filter. Tell them it's a Fram PH8A, and have them cross-check the number for another brand if you don't like Fram filters. One small thing though, there's a bolt on the alternator that may have to be trimmed a little in order to give the larger filter enough room. Trust me, you will want to trim this bolt, or bend it up out of the way, I killed a battery one time when the larger filter made contact with this bolt. About a half inch off this bolt will do, and 10-20 seconds with a grinder will take care of it.

Ahh, the trials and tribulations of owning an EEK. Feel like rapping about your EEK? Email me jbright@nb.sympatico.ca.