Loving the car (2nd day)...Couple of Q's...AND Pics!

[zracer196]

Thanks in advance...

Just picked up a 99' GTS with 12,800 miles on it. Near perfect condition...

Two things:

When the tires break loose, there is a lot of wheel hop. Even if it starts to spin after a shift...More wheel hop. In any other car I have ever had, they just spun...No hopping. I think the only car that I had this was in my 79' Camaro as a 16 year old!! I installed the classic yellow traction bars...Solved! lol. What is the deal here? I think the tires are original. There is tread left, but they have ZERO grip. It was a cool day here in Florida...Maybe in the 50's. That did not help I am sure.

The heater...The temp knob does not change a thing. The AC blows COLD...But there is no heat, no temp change at all. No matter what setting I try (floor, AC, vent, etc.). The knob has tension when you turn it...I am thinking a vacuum line controlling a damper? I have no idea how this works.

I am LOVING the car...

A couple of pics prior to my 300 mile trip this morning...

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THANKS!!

 

[GR8_ASP]

Look and see if the heater control cable is connected. It is in front of the passenger toe box under the hood. Just behind the large circular seal (air inlet).

 

[Performance Junkie]

Beautiful. Congrats!

 

[mike & juli]

WELCOME ZRACER~!!! WHAT a beautiful VIPER you have chosen there! That is just gorgeous! Questions about your Viper? Call the VIPER WIZARD himself: Chuck Tator 1-914-763-3136.
Also, if you private message your VIN# to the moderators (citysnake/kcobean/lee00blacksilvergts/big-n-italian) they can upgrade you rightfully to VIPER OWNER! Hope you are thinking of joining your region's VCA? Join now at 1-800-998-1110, and you get all this year and next for one price...then we can see your gorgeous car in your AVATAR~!!!
CONGRATS and you are most welcome here!
(Tires can break loose on the cold roads, causing the wheel hop you mention...we get it too, not as much on the '08 as we did on the '05-runflats) ENJOY! ~juli

 

[Limit]

Same thing with my Viper for A/C... it should come out hot if it comes out the defroster vents.

 

[zracer196]

Wow...Quick responses! Thanks...I will check that cable now.

I will also PM the VIN# tonight...AND I will be joining the club!

I have a habit of trying different cars, BUT I think this one is a keeper (at least for a while!!). What a different ride...I have had a few cars over the last 10 years or so (change with my income coming out of college!)...97 Cobra Mustang, 2000 Vette, 2003 G35 Coupe, 2002 SMG M3, 2005 M3 Supercharged with 450 WHP...I also road raced motorcycles (also did the Daytona 200 in 2002) from 1996 to 2007, so a lot of time and money went there...Now with young kids, I need to live a bit longer! lol

THANKS for a great site! I can see this will be similar to a lot of the motorcycle race forums I have frequented for years!!

ALSO...In ANY mode there is NO HEAT or warm air...

 

[2MANYTOYS]

Get you some new tires asap!!!!! If those are the originals you are asking for a accident. Lots of wrecks occur on old tires. Glad your enjoying the car.

 

[SYNFULL]

If the tires are original you definitely want to replace them. That will help with traction- I don't know about wheel hop. That's a great looking GTS- congratulations.

 

[jasontiff]

If the tires are original, toss 'em. The Pilot Sports have a life of about 3-4 years, and after that become hockey pucks. New tires will be one of the best upgrades you can buy. I learned the hard way about buying performance tires; I got some "new" tires from a local guy (still had stickers) but didn't check the date. 2001...D'OH! After breaking the tires loose pretty readily in 2nd and 3rd now that's in the 50's here, tires are next on my list.

As far as the heater/AC goes, the heat comes out of the floorboard and the defrost vents on my car, and the AC comes out the vents above the controls and in the knee bolster. I don't know how they did it on later cars (mine's a 1993) but that's how mine works.

Welcome! And that's a rare color combination you have there...gorgeous car!

 

[kcobean]

Welcome Mark,
Beautiful car you have there!!!

If you'll put your VIN # in your profile, I can update your status here to Viper owner. Then, and more importantly, check out this thread:

http://forums.viperclub.org/new-owner-questions/603453-new-viper-owner-time-join-vca.html

The VCA is truly the best car club in the world...hope you'll consider joining us!

Kelly

 

[sdaddy]

Beautiful car!

Check the vacuum line that goes into the right side fuel rail. It controls the damper on the A/C heater box just in front of the passenger side door when the hood is up. Mine broke and it would only blow A/C out of the defrost vents.

I second that cold tires are dangerous and old tires are dangerous no matter how much tread. Old rubber gets very hard. Get yourself new Michelin PS-2's.

 

[zracer196]

Fixed the heater...The cable was not connected to the arm. Not sure how it connects...It is just metal that is looped and "slips over the arm"...Not a great description, but I used a bit of safety wire to hold the cable (loop at the end) over the arm. Now when you turn the knob inside the car, the cable moves the arm!

Looks like the tires are from 2006...Maybe not the wheel hop problem.

 

[FATHERFORD]

Check this out for wheel hop...

http://forums.viperclub.org/time-slips/619798-wheel-hop-cure.html

 

[Alexarz]

ZRacer, you know that you are obligated to join me and "Disturbed" one of these days for local Viper street terror plots, don't you? I changed my tires to '08 tires as soon as I bought my 2000 GTS last year. It made a world of difference.

 

[dave6666]

My '01 GTS had horrible wheel hop. The engine mounts were toasted so I put in Woodhouse mounts. Did the Big Brakes billet tranny x-member with poly mount.

Wheel hop solved...

 

[zracer196]

I sent this to Macedo Motorsports to see what he thinks...He is a well respected Viper guy in town.

 

[Ratical2]

Congrats on the new car! Another thing you will want to do is change out the Diff fluid. IRC, the recommended service interval is 9-12K miles.

 

[GBS]

Looks good! Go Gators!

 

[Mopar Boy]

Watch that wheel hop!! That is how you break half shafts on Vipers!!

I know. I speak from experience!

As soon as you have wheel hop, clutch in or may eventually look somthing like this:

Other than that, drive it and enjoy it!!

Congrats. You shnagged a beauty!

Robert

 

[zracer196]

Robert,

AND I have 3.73's too...Maybe even more of a problem??

 

[Mopar Boy]

I have 3.73s too when I did that.

But in a nutshell yes, the lower the gear, the more torque you have, the more likely the break.

Robert

 

[KNG SNKE]

Definitely get rid of the tires. Totaled my 1st from that issue about 6 weeks ago. New PS2's now and they feel great.