Sick03Vert
Banned
:mj:
Ok so I bought my 2003 Cobra Convertible about 8 months ago or so. This car...it's really a love/hate relationship for me I have to say.
First off, almost immediately after I bought it I had to replace the ABS module to get rid of an ABS light on the dash. That was NOT easy to find. Then, about a week later, I had to replace the weatherstripping across the top of the windshield where it meets the top. I thought well, ok...that's just how convertibles go.
Well, since I've had the car I've had a really, REALLY bad vibration at around 55-65 mph. It vibrates so bad the drivers side door panel has created a rub mark on the driver's side dash.
I took the car to have all of the tires rebalanced thinking it could be simple. Nope. Though they did tell me all four were way out of spec, rebalancing solved nothing. The car does it if you are cruising at speed, and will do it even if you shift to neutral and just coast. Interestingly though, it won't do it if you accelerate through that speed range.
Anyway, so I'm currently still chasing that demon..and a few more.
The last time it rained, I got about a quarter inch of water in the convertible top well which I could hear sloshing about every time I turned. The top seems to be in good condition..there's no holes so there's got to be a leak around some weatherstripping somewhere. But this problem is annoying as heck.:fm:
Then there's the fact that the rear-end has now started making a grinding noise at slow speed. I've been told it's the rear diff going bad. If any body has any sure fire ways to check and see if that's really the case, I'd love to hear them.
I am also having the rough idle problem where it almost dies for about 30 seconds after startup. Not sure what's causing that, although I know there was a technical bulletin relating to that issue years ago.
In addition to that, I'm getting sometimes bad front end pop. At slow speeds, in reverse, if you turn the wheel at all while rolling slowly you can feel in the steering wheel like a "loose" feeling...like the front end is about to drop out from under it. I seriously wonder sometimes if one of the front wheels is going to come off at speed...not cool at all. Of course, I've checked to make sure they are tightened well and they are..but it sure feels unstable.
Then there's the brakes...which like to squeal all the time. Sometimes once they warm up they will shut up..but other times they squeal constantly. Took it to the brake shop and they said there's no problem with them...but it's an annoyance to me as it happens so often.
So that's my dilemma. When everything works right, I enjoy the car alot. However, that's just not very often. I'm only the second owner of it, and it's only got 45k on the clock...but it's kind of turning into a case of "don't ever drive your childhood heroes" as I don't look at it in the same light I used to.:nonono:
Ok so I bought my 2003 Cobra Convertible about 8 months ago or so. This car...it's really a love/hate relationship for me I have to say.
First off, almost immediately after I bought it I had to replace the ABS module to get rid of an ABS light on the dash. That was NOT easy to find. Then, about a week later, I had to replace the weatherstripping across the top of the windshield where it meets the top. I thought well, ok...that's just how convertibles go.
Well, since I've had the car I've had a really, REALLY bad vibration at around 55-65 mph. It vibrates so bad the drivers side door panel has created a rub mark on the driver's side dash.
I took the car to have all of the tires rebalanced thinking it could be simple. Nope. Though they did tell me all four were way out of spec, rebalancing solved nothing. The car does it if you are cruising at speed, and will do it even if you shift to neutral and just coast. Interestingly though, it won't do it if you accelerate through that speed range.
Anyway, so I'm currently still chasing that demon..and a few more.
The last time it rained, I got about a quarter inch of water in the convertible top well which I could hear sloshing about every time I turned. The top seems to be in good condition..there's no holes so there's got to be a leak around some weatherstripping somewhere. But this problem is annoying as heck.:fm:
Then there's the fact that the rear-end has now started making a grinding noise at slow speed. I've been told it's the rear diff going bad. If any body has any sure fire ways to check and see if that's really the case, I'd love to hear them.
I am also having the rough idle problem where it almost dies for about 30 seconds after startup. Not sure what's causing that, although I know there was a technical bulletin relating to that issue years ago.
In addition to that, I'm getting sometimes bad front end pop. At slow speeds, in reverse, if you turn the wheel at all while rolling slowly you can feel in the steering wheel like a "loose" feeling...like the front end is about to drop out from under it. I seriously wonder sometimes if one of the front wheels is going to come off at speed...not cool at all. Of course, I've checked to make sure they are tightened well and they are..but it sure feels unstable.
Then there's the brakes...which like to squeal all the time. Sometimes once they warm up they will shut up..but other times they squeal constantly. Took it to the brake shop and they said there's no problem with them...but it's an annoyance to me as it happens so often.
So that's my dilemma. When everything works right, I enjoy the car alot. However, that's just not very often. I'm only the second owner of it, and it's only got 45k on the clock...but it's kind of turning into a case of "don't ever drive your childhood heroes" as I don't look at it in the same light I used to.:nonono:
