On the way to work this morning the check engine light came on going down the highway. I thought oh great, I should'nt have bought the cheap egr valve. I pull over check the codes and can retrieve nothing, not even the 12 the light just stayed on but the fan did come on. I started it back up and made it to a parking lot and tried again, this time the fan did not come on but the check engine light flickered a little. Does this sound like a dead ECM to anyone?

 

If you have an L98 that's running at all, the ECM isn't "dead". The ECM is the only thing that controls the injectors. I'd check the ALDL connections and lamp.

Describe what the lamp does when the ignition is first turned ON without starting the engine. Watch very closely.

 

When I turn the ignition on without cranking the engine the light just stays on. It did the same when I tried to retrieve a code, I've never had a problem getting or reading a code on the car when there has been a problem - untill now. I guess I need to get back up there and try again.

 

Are you sure it doesn't illuminate, extinguish for about 0.2 seconds, then illuminate again? That is the normal POST routine. Check again??

 

Okay it helps when you jump the correct terminals. I got the normal code 12 but nothing else is stored. I started the car and drove it around long enough to get warmed up and nothing happened. When the problem happened on the way to work the car was more in get run over on the way home mode instead of limp home mode with barely enough power to mantain speed. Is it possible that excess moisture in the car could interfere with the ecm? It is a t-top car and is kept outside now, we had a lot of rain wed. night and I had to towel up some water in the car thurs. morning. I'm gonna drive it for a little while today close by and see if anything happens.

 

Don't feel bad. I've plugged into the wrong place once or twice. It's certainly possible that the moisture could have affected something, but more likely a connection. Check the ignition as well. If the distributor was wet, you may have lost ignition pulses, shorted the spark, and would only have stored the '12'. Make sure there's no moisture in the cap and on the rotor.

 

I had a 165 act like that once. Tap on it with a ratchet and it would straighten up anywhere from 5 seconds to a week. Finally just got plain tired on beating on it and replaced it. Problem was solved.

 

Well I have'nt done anything to the car except drive it about 30 miles and nothing else has happened. I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse lol.

 

keep an eye on it, and double check the distributor for moisture inside the cap, especially if the car had rain running in under the hood.

 

I have not pulled the cap, but it is running just like it has for the past year or so. I did'nt drive it today though so if I'm feeling lucky in the morning I'll take it to work. The hood has always been shut when outside and the cap is new - I just can't see water getting in there. Also when the check engine light came on and it started running bad it was'nt like a sporadic mis-fire, it was just like the more load you put on it the less power it put out - You really could'nt get in the gas AT ALL and this car normally requires NO pedal effort even when going up LARGE hills (southern Missouri). I don'nt know I guess it will just take more miles to find the problem or get my confidence back in the car.