I took the D1 for a drive locally and have a couple of observations/questions:

- It took forever to get up to a stablized temp and then it was barely in the normal range. The drive to the auto parts store is 3 miles from the house and it did not stabilize until the ride home. I have a feeling there in no thermostat installed......My D2 would have been up to temp halfway there.

- Louder transmission noises out of the D1. Plan on changing the filter a fluid here soon. Hope that helps. Do the 2004 D2 have better noise dampening materials installed?

- The PO removed an amplifier from the back and now you can barely hear the radio from the back speakers only with the volume all the way up. Are the wiring harness connections for the stereo in the 96 D1 the same as the 04 D2?

- The PO broke the antenna off. It appears I have to remove the entire fender to replace it?

- Any tips warnings degreasing the engine?

 

You related to the Cincinnati Steels?

My 96 goes from cold to operating temp in about a mile or so. Has a new thermostat.

I don't hear my transmission at all.. And I didn't here it in my 97 or 99 D1 either...

Bummer, I just tossed a stock amp... The stock stereo simple sucks. Upgrade it. Can been done fairly cheap. The entire system in my 97 was about 250. and sounds great.

Yes the antenna is a PITA... Mines broken off also. Going to replace it with one of those rubberized unbreakable ones and solve the issue for good. It's not a job I really want to have to do again.

Head over to your local dollar store... buy the cheapest oven cleaner they sell. get the engine up to temp. Spray oven cleaner on anything you want clean... let it sit for 10-15 minutes, hose off. Enjoy your unbelievably clean engine...

 

I don't know...........are they rich? I could be a long lost son.....

Rearden Steel is the fictional name of company in the book Atlas Shrugged.....

 

I have a new stereo for the 04 and think I will try swapping the existing stereo into the 96.

I bought the rubberized antenna also.....

I will give the oven cleaner a go.

Thanks

RS

 

Maybe the noise you hear is the t-case. Being an all-gear driven t-case it is noisier than an NP t-case from a Jeep for example. Check the fluid level in it and you can use thicker oil than recommended in the owner's manual to help dampen the noise.

 

When cleaning/de-greasing the engine, there is a black box on the passenger side inner fender tucked nicely in the corner with the firewall. Thats the ECU. I would avoid that.

Must be a model year change, or I have a custom job, but I have no external radio antenna, nor any hole in a fender for one. Mine runs up one of the a-pillars internally.