I just got this little jem.
2.3/auto, 76,000 miles.
Many questions to follow, the first of which is; how do you make the rear window de-icer to work?
Thanks,
Mike
Hello Mike,
Your not supposed to drive a 1976 Pinto that only has 76,000 miles when there is ice outside.
They are supposed to be in a cozy corner in the garage covered by packing blankets. :police:
From Pintony
Not REAL ice, there was a cold snap here in Alabama last night, so there was a light frosting this morning.
I have my big Blazer for nasty weather...
Do you need to know how to turn it on, or it will not work when you turn it on????
i need to know how to turn it on.
i have looked around for a switch, buutttt ???
also, do i need to take the fender off to get the vaccum ball out from in front of the passenger door?
it is making quite the racket :( and my vents dont work.
thanks,
mike
there should be a switch on the bottom of the dash by your left knee. you just push it in(its more of a lever than a switch) and a little red light will come on right above it. as for your vacuum ball. dont know.
She's Beautiful,
What do you plan on doing with her?
Doesn't look like there's much wrong... Great Find!
Bytheway, welcome to the site.
And the finder... if she's anything like my '80 there should be 10 or 12 bolts four under the hood, two underneath the front connected to mounting rods, two or three behind the headlight, one when you open up the door and one underneath the frame between the door and the wheel well, it may be covered up by where the rubber mudguard wraps underneath the car.
Hope that helps... Just took the fenders off mine last this weekend to deal with cancer (rust)
Post some more pics soon.
And once again, welcome,
Travis
thanks for the info, and thanks for the compliment.
with that story of the fender I may just procure another ball and reroute the vacuum lines.
i may leave her just the way she sits, and perhaps put a better exhaust on.
one of my friends is a Twin Turbo Zcar nut and is trying to talk me into a T Bird or Merkur turbo engine.
which Pintos had the 8" rears?
And how about replacement seat covers?
thanks,
Mike
Actually, you "pull" it towards you to turn it on, and ,"push" it forward to turn it off. You should also hear a small "click" when doing this both ways, and the red light should also come on when pulled towards you.
As the subject states, i have a hatch with the de-icer, but no switch. ???
Time to investigate....
More as the Pinto Turns.
I have never had a pre-77, but I know the 77's I have do not have a full inner fender like my 78's do. You might be able to just remove the rear inner or full inner fender sheild (less chance of doing damage).
Sounds like you have an a/c car. Is it factory? If it is, sounds like you might have a vac leak. All the controls are vac. operated, so if the ball is bad or broken, nothing will be able to open or vent. Check the vac line to the ball and the a/c too.
Someone might have replaced the rear glass or the hatch at some point with a de-fog one.
Bill
The switch for the heated back glass is on the bottom of the dash and it has a light on it or close to it, the knob will hang down below the dash. There is also a relay in the circuit and a fuse link wire connected to the starter solenoid.
if it turns out you need the switch, I have one and the light already removed. $10 plus shipping.
I need to check and see if i have the wiring harness to the rear of the car.
The switch won't be much good without that.
77TP: the car does indeed have factory A/C.
I can hear a substantial vacuum leak, but have not had the time and daylight to check it out.
I get some heat thru the defroster vents, and that is sufficient for now.
Spring is just around the corner though, and i need to get all that in working order so's I can have A/C when the temp and humidity are both at 100! :hypno:
Check the vac. "tree" on the top rear of the intake, that is where I tend to find them the most.
The heater vac line goes thru the firewall just above the heater hoses, tucked under that drip edge (the non-a/c cars have a plug there). One of the lines is the vac., the other is the vent for the controls and needs to be open. There should be a "t" fitting and a check valve. The ball is at the end off one side of the "T". If you hear the leak from under the dash, check to see if the "spyder" came loose.
You need to find that leak as soon as you can, the car should run better, and you are less likely to run lean and burn up the engine in that nice car.
Bill
I should have been a litltle more specific.
The leak I hear is under the dash, and to a design engineer/hobby mechanic, any leak is substantial.
Good point about the engine running lean, I will get on it right away.
Thanks for the help and info.
Mike