Mudd_duck

When I joined this site the only third gen I ever owned was my 84 Berlinetta.... I got it back in high school about 9 years ago, loved it, great car never gave me any issues other than running funny when it needed a tune up... but last month I had to get rid the car due to unforeseeable circumstances........ but as luck would have it, I found an 88 trans am w/ the 305 E engine for $400... couldn't pass it up ...... but I guess you get what you pay for...... it seemed to run great all last week..... then I got a dtc44.... ok no biggie, I figured the 02 sensor was bad, so I replaced said 02 sensor on Friday... since then I've got basically a trouble code a day since then (13, 32, 33, 44, 45)..... not to mention the copious amounts of smoke blowing out of the exhaust.... wtf is going on.... I'm quickly developing a dislike for this TBI bs.... and suggestions or advice greatly appreciated....

UnderCover89TBI

iTrader: (25)

that many trouble codes seems very odd. I would think you might have a bad connection in the ecm or prom or power to ecm or something.

midias

I would unplug the ECU and look for corrosion on each plug clean them and put them back together.

thomas1976

Most likely not TBI related

midias

good point what color is the smoke?

Mudd_duck

Bluish white smells like oil and straight gas

midias

Usually blue is burning oil often caused by bad rings or valve seals but sometimes PCV system issues.

White is usually coolant usually a head gasket issue.

Fuel smell is running rich usually an O2 sensor or other sensor at fault.

How is your compression on every cylinder

thomas1976

bluish = oil
white = water
black = fuel (maybe exhaust leak ?)

Mudd_duck

Um, I personally have never checked compression, but I understand the basic principles lol...
what should the the comp. Be ....
There isn't any water in the oil, so I don't think the smoke is from the water, but the level looks a little high?... would that cause a smoking issue b/c an oil change is in the near future.....
My grandad said the valve seals could be bad, how hard are those to replace if nesescary?

FNFAL308

iTrader: (1)

If it ends up being the engine and not the electronics, you may be better off getting a long block (block and heads) from a salvage yard. I say that due to cost of a rebuild. But at 400 you are still not bad off.

Check for oil in the water too, but water can be getting in the cylinders without oil/water mixing either way.

rough

Code 13 - O2 running Lean during warm engine cruise
Code 32 - Fault in barometric pressure sensor circuit OR Fault in exhaust gas recirculation valve diagnostic switch OR Fault in electronic vacuum regulator valve
Code 33 - High voltage (low vacuum) at mass air flow sensor (or MAP sensor)
Code 44 - O2 sensor lean
Code 55 - O2 sensor rich

I would follow the o2 wire and make sure its not grounded out, hacked into. Is their an air/fuel gauge on the car?


44.Oxygen sensor lean45.Oxygen sensor richI would check the MAF sensor as well, all the codes are pointing to those two things!

Mudd_duck

While messing around under the e hood yesterday I noticed that my bottom radiator hose is colapsing in on itself at about 2700 rpm.. I thinks my radiator is clogged... but I just so happen I have a brand new one in the box.. so hopefully I can change that in a few, and won't have 2 worry about that hose ... may as well change the hose to I guess...
Anyway, the o2 sensor wir runs back in the harness and as far as I can tell Noone has cut the wire...
Where is the maf? I thought those were only on port fuel injection. (But I don't get paid for thinking)

Mudd_duck

FAL, I've been down the junkyard special road before, won't happen again... if the engine is to far gone, I'm gonna try to get another 383 built by Carolina Machine Engines, they built the 383 in my 78 camaro(AWESOME!!)... I'm pretty sure I can deal with 400+ hp in my 88 T/A, ……… but that could be awhile down the road, so I'm gonna try and be a cheap @ss and fix what I got for now....

rough

I like fixing something and seeing what the outcome is!
You got a good deal on the car, I got mine for 900 and know all about your problems.

I had the hose issue as well, when you reved it up with the hood up, you could see them all suck together, the radiator was shot, there was no air dam to push air into it, only thing that was semi ok was the paint, which didn't last very long lol!

Plus the learning experience is awesome!

Sounds like your O2 wire is ok, next we have to look at what else can be causing these symptoms...

I would check the EGR valve, you can push on the diaphragm, it will cause the car to studder quit a bit "motor might stop", and return back to normal after. it should be located on the passenger side in the very back of the intake manifold.

Check your spark plugs and wires, cant express this enough!
Gap should be 0.045 on most plugs.
Wires should be far away from the headers, wrapped in plastic protectors at least, so if that starts melting you know it's gonna melt your wire if you ignore it and looks good!

Timing could be off, but you said it just happened out of the blue.
Check the sensors on the throttle body as well!
Ones like the TPS you can easily check with a multimeter.

It gotta be a sensor or wire. Don't forget checking your plugs and gap!

petrolhead

I would make sure you have vacuum to the map sensor, and no other vacuum leaks anywhere. When I have that many codes, I clear them all, go for a drive and scan for codes as soon as the light comes on. That's the code you diagnose first. I would first suspect a map problem, watch the map while driving and see if its acting normal, it can cause at least o2 codes eventuality.

Mudd_duck

Ok got the hose and rad. Taken care of...
When I tried to start the enigne kind of acted like it didn't want to take the gas?... kindof loping like a big cam, but after a couple of seconds rpms leveled out and it ran fine.... until I cut it off, and tried to recrank it... same thing.... runs fine otherwise....

one92rs

iTrader: (5)

i would bleed the cooling system. and/or replace the coolant temp sensor. lemme tell you how i do it and it works every time.

wait till the engine is cold. remove the connector from the temp sensor. loosen the radiator cap. now loosen the temp sensor until it start to leak coolant. most of the time it will bleed air you can hear and then coolant. then tighten it back up. put the radiator cap back on and start the car and let it heat up. this has a worked a few times and the gas mileage has come back. try it it is free.

Mudd_duck

Free is always good lol

Mudd_duck

I am leaving my car with my mechanic so he can take a good look at the car tommorrow morning... I've been playing with vaccum lines all weekend, (apparently the previous owner didn't like spaghetti, lol), anyway, I've got it running half way decent, and cranking a lot easier(no rough idle)... something weird though, did gm make a throttle body without a spot for egr vacuum? B/c my hood shows a 'map' of egr and evap vac. Lines... but there is not a nipple on the throttle body for a vac. Line. Its supposed be vacuum line J (using the underhood map) that goes from T.B. to the egr solenoid.... its plugged at the solenoid ..... so yeah, about that...????

Mudd_duck

Oh yeah, and can I swap the cylinder heAds to heads off a 350? And would that be better or worse than the stock ones that are on it?

midias

Depends on the heads but chances are worse

Mudd_duck

They were on the 350 I had in my 78, really big valves lol....

midias

Ok that tells me nothing. What do you consider big valves? 2.02 valves are not good for 305 engines. Also the chambers are probably way to big for decent compression

Mudd_duck

Well it seemed like a reasonable question 2 ask...

UnderCover89TBI

iTrader: (25)

you'd lose too much compression with those heads