 | Rattles and other noises - The 928 is prone to developing rattles due
to the tight suspension. Sometimes these can be minor and only require
some adjustments. Typical is a loose hatch and door windows. The windows
will almost always rattle when rolled partially down. Bad shocks or sway
bar bushings also cause noise when hitting bumps in the road. Most common
is the left front shock. The exhaust system and its heat shield are also a
source of noise. The interior panels can rub together creating
noise. Roll up the windows and listen to the car. It should be very
tight and have a strong feel on the road. Have the driver hit a few bumps
to see how the car takes a good shock - one of my favorites are lane divider
markers.
(Deduct up to 40 points for serious rattles and noises)
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| Brakes and Steering - From about 25 MPH let the wheel go loose in your
hands and stop the car quickly. It should track straight and stop very
quickly. (Be sure that there is no traffic when you try this) If the car
pulls to one side it is an indication of bad brakes or alignment. There
should be no play in the steering. The brakes will often squeal, but this
should go away when warm and they should never grind.
(Deduct up to 40
Points for bad brakes. Deduct up to 40 points for loose steering)
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| Handling
- This one is a bit subjective. The 928 has such superior handling
that even with bad shocks and many other defects the car will
still handle better than most cars in the road. The car should be tight
into the corners. There should be no vibrations at any speed. One of
the hallmarks of the 928 a smooth and positive driving experience.
Vibrations tend to form harmonics that are greater at certain speeds - usually
in multiples. For this reason acceleration should be done on an open road
in steps so that vibration points can be determined. Common speeds for
harmonics are 40 and 55 MPH.
(Deduct up to 40
points for vibrations and bad handling)
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| Wind and Road Noise - Again
this is an area where the 928 excels. There should be no noticeable wind
noise under 70 MPH and very little road noise. Typical places for wind
noise are along the top of the doors and around a loose rear hatch.
Excessive wind noise can be minor like poorly adjusted doors and hatch or an
indication of poor body work from an accident. Road noise in another
matter. Vibration coming from the rear of the car as the speed accelerates
indicates drive line imbalance. This can be as simple as rear wheel
balance and as serious as bad CV joints or a bad torque tube.
(Deduct 5 points
for minor wind noise and up to 50 points for serious vibrations)
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| Transmission
- If car has a 4 speed automatic it should start in first gear and shift
smoothly both up and down. Slips between gears indicates a transmission
that either needs service or a rebuild. If the transmission is confused
about gears and/or shifts randomly then it probably is worn out. The 5
speed manual transmission should shift smoothly. In pre '85 cars the
linkage and shifts normally are a little slow with some very minor syncro noise,
but if the transmission grinds in any gear up or down then it needs a
rebuild. The later 5 speeds do not suffer from this problem and should be
very smooth. The clutch should not chatter in first gear. Slow down in a
high gear without downshifting and then accelerate - the clutch should not slip
and allow the engine to over rev. The same between shifts the RPM's
should come down with any up shift and not run over. A high pitched squeal
between shifts or clicking or a hissing noise from the clutch indicates a bad
pilot bearing or a bad throw out bearing and probably indicates that the clutch
is need of replacement.
(Deduct 50 points for a bad transmission, Deduct
30 points for a bad clutch.)
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| Acceleration and Performance - Again
the key word is smooth. The engine should accelerate though each gear
smoothly. There should be no flat spots in acceleration or break down at
the high end. Acceleration should not produce any excess smoke. If
the exhaust is white or steamy then the head gasket is probably
blown. The car should also drive smoothly when cruising in the 35 to 40
range. It is typical for potential injection problems to show up as
jerking when the cruising at slow speeds in a high gear.
(Deduct up to 100 points for bad running engine)
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