ok guys i have a 96' bonny SE and the problems just keep mounting up.

1. 2 weeks ago the car would not start at all, had it towed to a shop, and they told me i i had to get the ignitor replaced, and the guys defiantely ripped me off.

the car had been running fine after that...until yesterday afternoon when i drove it(everythign worked fine), parked it for 15 minutes, and try to start it again, and the start up was very very weak. in fact i tried to push on the throttle and i barely got this baby to go past 3000 rpm. also all the power stuff wasnt working, windows, locks, and my radio. i turned the car off and then the power locks worked. so then i took the risk and drove the car back home, and it ran fine although the acceleration was awful. midway home (about 10 minutes into the ride) the radio turned on, but the power windows and locks were still not functioning.
any ideas of whats going on with this?

2. for the past 2 years my a/c and heat have not been working. in the summer the floor vents pour out extremely hot air, even if i dont turn on the a/c, the air 50% of the times the car runs just blasts out hot air. in the winter it is the opposite and it blows in cold air. i try different settings for the air to blow, but it never solved the problem of the floor vents turning on by themselves
any ideas?

For the first problem, start by making sure that the cables and cable ends for the battery and alternator are clean, in good shape and tight. Also check the ignition control module ground, pcm ground and the ground for the battery (follow the wire to the engine block) are all clean and tight. If that doesn't help, remove the battery and alternator and get them tested for free at your local auto parts store. All that is free except for your time.

For the second problem, sounds like you have an air-mix door problem, and/or a vacuum controlled heater flap problem. Search the topics and you will find lots of info on how to fix the air mix door or redneck rig it to work either cold or hot, as well as pix of the vacuum flap setup.

hey thanks for the reply - im really not that car literate, and dont know the first thing about cars except that i like to go fast...are there any diagrams or websites that show all the parts to the bonny?

I had similar things hapen to my 93. I had power, but it was weak, the car would barely move and then it would sputter and stop and all the lights would go out. The dash lights were sooo dim. It turned out to be the alternator. I was told the OEM alternator was weak to begin with. Check into a better alternator.

Buy a Chilton'* 28200 for $15. It will tell you a lot of stuff. Buy a set of Factory Service Manuals on line for $50, that will tell you more. Use the search feature of this site to find images and more detailed information. Got a good library in town? They may have the Chilton'* on the shelf.

Open the hood and look around. Look at the battery. Find the cables. Take a 5/16" or 8mm wrench and remove the (-) end first and clean it and the battery terminal with a wire brush. Leave the negative terminal disconnected while you work on the positive side to prevent shorting the battery against a ground. Remove the (+) end and clean it up too. Follow the black wires from the battery. Clean up those terminal ends where they ground to the body of the car. Find the ground for the Ignition Control Module (under the coils) and clean it up. Unbolt the connector for the ICM, unplug it, make sure it is not corroded, apply some dielectric grease and re-install it. Follow the big battery cables to the other end. Unbolt them, wire brush them, coat them with dielectric grease and bolt them back up. To get to the other end of those cables, you will need to jack up the car, support it safely with jackstands, and remove the splash shield underneath. While you are under there, find the PCM ground near the oil filter and clean it up too.

Don't have tools? Buy 'em or rent 'em. Don't want to get your hands dirty? Wear thin nitrile gloves. Don't want to bother? Pay lots of money to someone else.

You might ask a friend or neighbor or another BC member who is knowledgeable to show you how. Be ready and willing to help with the work, getting in there and getting dirty. Guided "hands-on" experience is an excellent way to learn.

yeh i dont mind getting my hands dirty. ive been getting ripped off by mechanics for a while now...so i will definately check it out. i'll let you guys know how it went. thanks for the help guys.

just went down to the car to check it out - checked the oil, antifreeze, and connections to see if everything was in tact, i didnt get to cleaning any of the wiring because i dont have the tools to do so, maybe this saturday.

anyways after looking around i started the engines, the power windows started to work on their own, the car started up nice and strong, i gave it 2 revs of the throttle and it sounded good, but then 3-5 seconds later the car died. it died the same way it died when i took it to the mechanic 2 weeks ago when it just wouldn't start up and had to pay an excess of 400$ for the repairs, which they claimed was the ignitor, and they showed me those 3 circular things on the side of the engine with 2 numbers on it. anyways with this info is it still a problem with the cables and wiring that should be cleaned or could it be a major problem?

btw... i like this mechanic stuff, wish i knew more and started younger, hey im only 23 got time to learn this stuff - thanks for your input guys! highly appreciated. new gearhead developing!

Is the ignitor short for ignition?

I have never heard of that term

Sounds like he is refering to the ignition coils.....aka ignitor