28th Dec 2004, 18:44

I posted the original topic like 4 years ago, I just got rid of my shadow after beating it till I got tired of it. I traded it for a 82 celica supra.. anyways the shadow started running like crap and would hardly even run at all. it wouldn't run on all 6 cylinders and it smoked a lot. So I started beating the crap out of it and to my amazment the smoke stopped and it ran like it never did before. I believe it was meant to be beat on and after hitting a jump going 60 I determined that it was time to get rid of it while it still ran... even that didn't stop the beast... She will be missed though...

28th Dec 2004, 20:34

YOu'd be surprised, but WOT (wide open throttle) operation is a factory recommended fix for rough running on some Cadillac Northstar engines and some BMW's. What happens in those cases is that the piston tops and the ring packs cake up with carbon from slow running, and one free, fun way to help cure this is to do a few WOT runs in 2nd gear, for example up to something around 5000 rpms, let off the throttle completely, coasting back down to something around 2500-3000, then repeat a few times. The combination of high throttle load and high vacuum breaks up carbon from the piston tops and frees up the ring packs helping the engine ro run better and smoother. I'd say that's what happened in your case, your ring pack, most likely the oil control rings, just caked up with carbon, and a good flogging freed them up. If you have a car that's mostly driven in stop-and-go traffic, you should give it the WOT treatment once every few weeks.

19th Apr 2008, 07:50

I have a 1994 Shadow ES 3.0 that is a phenomenal piece of machinery. I bought this vehicle from a young couple in Allentown, PA for $3,000 back in the summer of 1999 with 91,000 miles on the odometer. The vehicle is now approaching the 200k mark and is running as strong as ever. I think this car will run forever and believe me it's paid for itself time and time again. Where else could you expect to have operating costs averaging three cents per mile on your initial investment. Thank you young couple from Allentown for this precious gem of an automobile. I guess you didn't realize what you were parting with. I love this car and will never let her go.

16th Dec 2009, 20:02

I have a 94 Dodge Shadow ES v6 180,000 miles on it. I bought it at 100,000, and I don't think the engine has been below 4 grand since I bought it.

My fan relay went out on me so I have a switch. It has overheated in the summer on me 3 times to the point that the engine quits, and the most money I ever put into it was a new thermostat.

Still runs strong, still very fast, not exactly sure because the speedo stops at 130, but I have been well past that.