eager to learn more about my car
 

hope i'm in the right place. new to this forum but i've had my 02 mustang for 4 years.

finally paid it off and now it's falling apart. the a/c is broke (its cold enough, but only blows out of the defroster) my power seats quit working and i can barely reach the pedals from where it is, my passenger window is off track, my driver side window motor went out, (and the weather is pretty hot here in the south) my seatbelts don't retract anymore, the list goes on....there's some minor cosmetic damages, too. for example the tinting in the rear window is starting to bubble, but the biggest problem of all is somehow exhaust related and my service engine light is on.

i'm attached to my car and want to keep it, but its in sad, sad shape, nothing like the day i bought it. in the past, money was always a problem so these things built up, but i got my hands on a few grand, so i want to get some things done. the only maintenance i've ever done myself outside of changing oil, spark plugs, and filters is replacing an egr valve and the alternator. when my clutch went out, a friend of mine replaced that for me, which was when the exhaust problem started. i'm certain i can't repair that myself.

i did, however, get a new motor for the window, but i can't get the gears to match up and i'm about ready to give up on that and pay someone to fix it. i also read up on my a/c problem but can't find whichever vacuum hose is the culprit, so i'm guessing it's in the dash.

my point is i'm getting overwhelmed. i'd like to fix as many problems as i can on my own, but truth is, i haven't a clue. any idea what the costs on all this will be if i pay a mechanic, if there's anything i should be able to do by myself, or if i just give up and trade her in for a newer model, would it be worth it?

Welcome!

But in regards to your car...

I am by no means an expert, I'm as new to the forum as you are, and probably far newer to cars in general (I've had mine for a little over 2 weeks). However, if you ask me, it sounds like what you have is, no offense, a junker. If it's an '02, then it's already 8 years driven and seasoned, probably has upwards of 100k miles on it, etc.

It sounds like you have a ton of problems with the car, so here would be my suggestion. Take it to a good dealer, take whatever they offer you for it (even if it's only like $500), and then pick yourself up a new ride. Really, if you're having that many problems, the amount of money you're going to spend to fix it up is probably going to surpass the amount you'd spend on getting at least a marginally better new car.

Just my two cents.

well, i at least need working windows or a/c, but i can't handle going without them both in this heat. and if i get the exhaust problem taken care of, things will be in good running order. thing is, i love my car and i really like not having a car note

welcome. Seems as tho your car needs a little TLC..

For your window hold the button down with the power on and slam the door shut.

just bolt it on as thought it were fully functional and slam it just like that?

on another note, i got autozone to run their diagnostic thingy on my car today and the only two codes it showed for my ses light was 1) gas cap and 2) egr intake. i replaced the dpfe sensor, so i'm anxious to see if the light comes back on tomorrow...still running kinda rough. i think it's bc that guy who put my clutch on damaged my muffler. would that cause my car to idle like an unbalanced load of laundry?

For the CEL check to make sure the o2 sensors were plugged back in after the clutch change and arent pinched. also check that the EGR tube is tight in the exhaust manifold. Will the seatbelts retract if you help guide them back, if so dont worry about it as this is a common problem with the 99-04 belts. As far as the rough idle, did you replace the flywheel also or just the clutch/pressure plate?

mm, just the clutch i suppose. honestly, i don't know much, i'm just learning, but this guy who worked on my car for free broke my muffler and i had it welded and the thing has just run like crap ever since.

that whole ordeal was a disaster. i was told so many different things when i took it to mechanics after he busted my pipes. one guy told me the o2 sensors
are are built into the muffler and i would have to spend $1500 getting the whole thing replaced. the guy who welded it said that it would be fine but i should get new catalytic converters in order to restore it to its former glory. once again, upwards of $1200. the guys at autozone said they were both wrong and i just need the dpfe sensor of maybe a hose. i think everyone is jerking me around because i'm a broad and don't know anything about cars, and my bf is a gamer dork who knows even less about cars. i'm willing to learn but i need help.

do you have any freinds willing to help you, you can get an aftermarket exhaust from the headers on back for around $600 new, even less if you search around.The o2 sensors screw into the pipe so they are jerking you around about them being part of the muffler.These cars are fairly easy to work on and would help you out if you bought a Haynes manual for your car and look that over and gives you ways to fix most of the problems. The rough ride after the clutch could be from the old flywheel not being resurfaced or changed. Most of the problems dont seem that bad just take some time to look into them and search around, you will find out alot of info on here. And tell your bf to stop playing video games and help you, i cant stand it when i see a guy with a flat tire and a girl is changing it.

he's completely disinterested in cars. i have the owner's manual. i haven't found it too useful on the jobs i have done on my own. the internet has been much more helpful. i usually run a search for something and end up reading other people's posts in these forums, so i figured i'd join.

thanks so much to everyone who has offered advice. i'm going to look into this flywheel business as a couple of you have suggested. i got the motor installed in the driver window now and i ordered a new rear bumper for it bc the old one is busted in several places and new headlights since mine are all yellowed and foggy. i plan on taking it to another mechanic next week to get my a/c fixed. the mechanic who looked at it this week told me the hose is melted to the firewall and quoted me $300-400, so i'm going to have someone else look at it.

things melting to the firewall...should i be concerned there's a bigger problem here?