[Emission]

As stated earlier, I am driving my little sister's 1986 Legend Sedan (I think all 1986's were sedans?) for about a month while I look for my next car. The car is in decent shape for 86,000 miles. I have a few questions, and I want to know if these issues are common in Legends.

1. The transmission shifts abruptly (violently?) in the 1-2 shift. I read in the FAQ's that a flush and fill will help. Will this just help, or completely eliminate the problem? Is the tranny slowly ripping itself to shreds?

2. The car is hard to start. Most times, it takes several seconds of starter engagement before it fires. It does start eventually, and appears to run smoothly. The battery is strong (ammeter is hooked up to it), so that isn't the problem. Is this common?

3. There is a fuel smell when the car is running. The scent is drawn into the cabin when the HVAC controls are pulling in "fresh" air. Do these cars have issues with fuel lines getting old, rotting? Are the injectors a weak link?

Overall, I am impressed with the vehicle. It handles and drives very well. It puts the ride of many brand-new cars to shame.

Thanks for your help.

 

[vince]

Your tranny is normal. Flushing (or simply changing three times)will make the shifting smoother (by a whole lot), but it won't eliminate the problem altogether. As the fluid gets older, you will gradually feel the tranny becoming harsher again. But I would still suggest flushing the fluid.

Upon startup in the morning (when cold), my car cranks for a few seconds. But after that, I just need a flick of the wrist to get the car to start.

I'm not sure about the fuel smell. Check for leaking injectors, and maybe check your fuel filter too.

 

[Bukowski=Legend]

my two cents on the hard start...
turn the key to the "on" position for about 5-10 seconds then start the car and see if it doesn't start easier. Mine does.

I agree with Vince on the other points... just look around for fuel weeping around the filter/injectors/lines etc. should be pretty easy to spot and fix. Remember, if you open any of the fuel lines, they are under pressure and will spray fuel (not a whole lot, but be careful and have rags around).

ps don't drive the Legend too long, or you'll end up trying to talk your sister out of it, since you fell in love.
86,000 miles is LOW... look at most of our signatures, look at the average milage for a G1... 150k+... that car has lots o life left...

Have fun and glad your driving a L...
buk

 

[Emission]

... just look around for fuel weeping around the filter/injectors/lines etc. should be pretty easy to spot and fix...

ps don't drive the Legend too long, or you'll end up trying to talk your sister out of it, since you fell in love...

Since the fuel evaporates minutes after the engine is turned off, I will have to act quickly to isolate the problem. Tomorrow, after the home commute, I plan on investigating the issue.

I don't think I am falling in love (my heart is somewhere else), but I do have a completely new perspective on the vehicle. Over the past few days I have been very impressed with the way the car handles. Typical understeer (front wheel drive), but other than that, very neutral when pushed hard. It shames my wife's V70 in the corners - and the Volvo's technology is 14 years newer!

Thanks.

 

[Bukowski=Legend]

yeah, it evap's, but look for the tell tale, tan/oily type stains etc around connections. It should be there (crossin our fingers)...

 

[tubby]

86 legends have problems with broken 2/4 clutch drums causing
a violent shift into 2nd gear(like it chatters into gear).the drum breaks at the snap ring groove,there is an updated drum ,but its big money. I avoid 86 legend autos for this reason. On your hard start,does it help to hold the gas pedal to the floor? if so you may have a bad coolant temp sensor,it causes the ECU to think the car is cold and sets the fuel mix too rich.If your fuel injector o rings are leaking this will also cause a hard start since there is no fuel psi at start up.

 

[Emission]

Tubby,

Thanks for the techical insight. I don't think the clutch drum is shot yet (I can get smooth shifts if I retard the throttle with my right foot as the shift occurs). I will try a fluid change later this week to see if it helps.