🚀 go-pugleaf

>        I have a '78 Dodge Omni. I am interested in hearing the positive
>        and negative experiences other people have had with such cars.
>        With my car, putting on the heating/defrosting system introduces
>        a trace of gasoline smell (very irritating !!) in the inside
>        of the car. Any pointers as to the cause of this problem
>        or any suggestions to the solution would be highly appreciated.  

I have owned two of these cars (an '81 and an '84), and have been very pleased
with them overall.  They have tended to occasionally bug me with a rattle or
other odd problem, but I have had almost no mechanical problems with them at
all.  I also have numerous friends and acquaintances who also own various
vintages of the model, and have worked on most of them.

One thing about these cars is that they have steadily improved over time, with
the major improvements taking place in the '81 and '84 model years.  The former
introduced the 2.2 liter engine and drivetrain, while the latter gave a revised
under-hood layout (for greater ease of maintenance) and a revised interior
which eliminated 99% of the rattle problems of the earlier models.

The '78 model is a first-year car, using an engine and transaxle manufactured
by Volkswagen, and very similar to those used in the Rabbits of that era.
Being a first-year car, especially one from one of Chrysler's "down years"
in the 70's, it had more than it's share of teething problems.  Still, they
seem to hold up pretty well, if they're well maintained.  You will probably
have more success with the car if, in addition to maintaining it well, you
also know what to watch for with regard to the car's weak points.

With this is mind, following is a list of the the things which, in my experi-
ence, have given people the most trouble with this model in the past.  Please
accept my apologies in advance if I insult you by pointing out things which
you may already be well aware of, but I have tried to make the list as complete
as possible.

Carburator - '78-'83 models have carbs mounted on rubber shock mounts, which
             tend to deteriorate.  This could be the cause of the gasoline
             odor you complain of.  Grab the top of the carburator and wiggle
             it back and forth to check for this problem.  If the mount has
             deteriorated, movement at the base of the carb will be noticed.
             (The replacement for the mount is a metal plate, so this doesn't
             happen twice.)

             Be sure to clean the pivot points for the choke shaft with solvent
             at least every few thousand miles.  The owners manual should men-
             tion this as being necessary, but few people seem to bother.
             Failure to do so causes hard starts and premature wear to some
             carb parts.

Valves - Like the early rabbits, and many other cars I could mention, it's not
         uncommon for these cars to start sucking oil past the valve guides once
         they reach reasonably high mileage (usually 70-90K+).  There's not much
         you can do to prevent it other than to change your oil regularly, but
         forewarned is forearmed.

Distributor - The early Omnis tend to eat distributors due to bearing failures.
              Probably not much you can do to prevent it, but check for excess
              play in the distributor shaft at tune-up time.  Also check for
              this should you find a cracked distributor cap.

Alternator - There was a recall associated with this a number of years ago.  It
             seems as though they isolated the alternator in rubber shock mounts
             without providing it with any way to ground back to the block.
             The recall was to install several ground straps from the alternator
             housing to the block and mounting bracket.  Make sure these straps
             are present on your car.

Transaxle - The Volkswagen transaxle had a bad combination of problems.  They
            tend to leak, and some bearings in them run dry if they loose only
            a fairly small amount of fluid.  (By reputation, the automatic need
            only loose a half pint below the minimum mark for this to occur.)
            Once again, there's not much you can do, aside from keeping a very
            close eye on transmission fluid levels.

Brakes - The rear brakes on all Omni's (till '83, I think) are *manual adjust*.
         If the emergency brake lever pulls up more than three clicks, the rear
         brakes need adjusting.  On most of the cars I've seen, the brakes never
         appear to have been adjusted, and problems with warped rotors on the
         front are a frequent result.

CV joints - This is common to FWD cars in general, but it still bears mention.
            Be sure to check the rubber boots on the drive shaft constant-
            velocity joints for cracks or tears at *least* at each oil change.
            Replacement of the boot and lubricant is not too difficult or ex-
            pensive, but failure to catch the problem in time can make repairs
            very expensive indeed.

Hope this is of some help to you, and don't let it scare you too much.  I've
known quite a number of people with '78 Omnis who've gotten very good service
out of them.  They just don't tolerate abuse/neglect very well at all.

Good luck!