Dean_GTA

If I disconnect the EST wire, and the car doesn't start after it stalls. Does it mean the it is an ignition problem? If the car starts, then what? ECM?
Why would cause the car to run rich? The last time, I had the car running too, rich it was the temp. sensor.

transam85dudeman

hey my car is doing the exact thing every one in this thread's car is doing. It was running rite, then i turned it off, waited 2 minutes, and it wouldnt start. I got a tow, and started diagnosing. I sanded the cap and rotor, new plugs, wires, tested the coil, and ignition module. then it worked a week later the first time after changing out plugs. it ran all day until i was headed to get exhaust gasket material for my brand new cat. ( the old one sounds like beer can in cement mixer.) at the stop, it stalled and threw a 42 code. i started it back up, but when i put it into drive, it stalled. i got another 40 dollar tow, and went and got a ignition control module, because i heard when they heat, they fail? im starting to think it maybe a bad coil. HEY Cityspud117. i think your pickup coil is bad. or grounded out. the magnet coil under the rotor under the Ignition control module. I had a pickup coil broken in 6 different spots, and fried in 06'. If the ignition control module dont work, a coil, and pickup coil is next on my list. i've pulled my car out of the margin of being broken down 4 times. i resurrected the mother. I know i got this around my finger. but its just sooo embarrassing working out outside with neighbors and kids riding by on the bike asking whats wrong with it. what wrong with it. Dont get me wrong. i like bikes. i have too. i've been riding one all week, about 43 miles easily. i hate the bike pump, slime, inner tube and backpack of water just to get by. and the lookks i get.. 6'4 grown man riding a bike like hell. i bought my ignition control module for 32 buckish..and fyi.....i havnt installed the module but check this....i really think its a coil thats bad. i cant wait to wake up and start working on it. its in the street. the driveway is tooo steep.and it takes four guys to push up into the garage.. this morning b4 the tow i had it running. but now bleh...i gave the tow man a poweraid and talked about the ups and downs. downs being me, and up being him... but im going to get drunk and pass out(damn nee white trash i am i know..haha i got some funny a-s-s stories about that term geez.thatd be a good thread hahaha). wake up and work on it.

Sonymaster20

iTrader: (3)

^ wtf ^

lol

1986iroc350

iTrader: (1)

how much was your ecm chip if i might ask? thanks

transam85dudeman

i paid 70ish from a vette dealership in NewYork NewYork. very tricky. had to do it twice. and the secondary chip i got out of santa rosa around there, cali...I looked up my part###'s at the local dealership, got the phone numbers then i had to call like 10 numbers. I made the arrangements waited a week bamm. and if youre lucky, i mean lucky. a lot of the time they assume youre a dealership, one time i got a awesome loow price but it happened once.

cityspud117

$200 overnight shipping included

transam85dudeman

I replaced the ignition componants everything except the capicitor idk why just didnt. Pickup coil, ignition control module, coil everything under 90 bucks at autozone. i buy each part seperate and use the autozone card, every 5 purchases its a free 20 dollar credit. beware, autozone gets their parts from MEXICO>YEE HAW. they work, but for maybe a year or so. I had to pull the dizzy and ya, you know the rest. I timed it to 6* btdc and it runs now. finally. dang. I think it was the coil. because when the car got warm, (took a while, damn stuck thermastat.) it would die. I got it going but im going to wait, thats great its running but im going to wait till i swap the bad catalytic converter, its making noise, (maybe) disturbing the knock sensor at higher rpms. the knock sensor is a two component ordeal. The sensor and then the spark controller. it retards RRr the timing when the sensor grounds, sure you can bypass it with a resistor. eeee but im all about stock . i always run premium fuel. hope that helps people. Im going to swap the cat tomorrow, with a new jan 1st 2009 50 state legal Magnaflow cat. i got to wait on the gaskets.

Dean_GTA

OK! I think I fixed the problem! The day before I was going to pick up the parts. The car wouldn't start, at all! Checked for spark, and still no spark when the car was cranking. Next day I got my parts. New coil, and a rebuilt distributor from Autozone. ($99 and a lifetime warranty) I first replaced the coil, and the car still wouldn't start. Next the distributor. Then, the car started! I guess the 1 year old MSD distributor went bad??? I guess it was the pick up inside that was bad. Because I changed the ingnion module with my old one, and the car was still stalling. I ran the car for 1 1/2 hours with the new distributor, and it ran fine, with no sign of stalling. I will take if for a long drive to really test it out!
Thanks guys for all your input!

transam85dudeman

ya sweet. check this out. after i got the catalytic converter installed because i was waiting to test long term driving until i replaced the cat, because of the dang beer can in cement mixer sound grrr. i hated that. I took it for a hour and a half drive, and man does it run sweet. Check this, my buddies' VW beetle took a crap on him today, broke down on the way to autozone to get a thermostat so i could drive him to a vw autoparts store in another city to get pointless distributor. But like 500 yards from Autozone, it stalled at the light. WE pushed it and i check everything. From points to power, to spark plugs, i finally said, its the coil, we pulled it out, got it tested, and sure enough his vw coil was fried, damn Two twelves subs. we swapped it, and sure enough, it started hella good, not bad for a twenty minute fix, but ya man. your pickup coil was probably bad. It senses the crank positions and injection pulse sequence . please make sure you time it and love it

Dean_GTA

Bad news! Started the car today and right away it started running like ****, and stalling? Also the car runs rich, and most of the time it is idling at 1000 rpm. If I put it in reverse or drive, it will drop to 500 rpm and then stall!
I checked for codes and nothing! I don't have a clue!

Vortex91

sickdeathshappe just a note about using premium in your car. The type of gas you use is determined by the compression ratio (CR). The higher the octane the slower the burn rate so technically, regular gas burns faster and more violent than premium giving you more of a punch in a low CR engine. Premium will do much better in a high CR engine where you get more of a punch because of the CR and avoid knock.
Our EMCs "learn", to a certain extent, what needs to be done to propel the car based on your driving habits. There are tables in the ECM that are updated based on sensor feedback. But the base tables (write protected) we're probably populated for whatever GM designed the ECM for (low CR, regular gas, etc).
I'm not sure what CR your engine is but do a little research and you might just save some money by using regular and get the same (or better) performance.

Dean_GTA, don't give up man!!!!

D.

transam85dudeman

yeah, i think i got the high compression like 9.5 im running an LB9 engine. and the computer (870 the slowest computer around running 90 percent slower than most computers) im running, advances the timing to like around 28*bTDC im not exact but its around there maybe 30* but with the computer brown timing wire disconnected it runs at 6*BTDC. I got the TPI setup, not the regular carb or Throttle body injection setup, which is almost always low Compression. I did cheap fuel for a while, its not fun at all. theres no boost. With the premium goods, its like a rocket. and DEAN THE MAN> if your SES light flashes turns on with the key in ignition its not your computer thats bad prolly. I think maybe a vacuum leak because the high idle to compensate. and rich gas,, or too much anti seize on spark plug. . your timing is a biggie. bad check valves, man i going to have to step down. i dont know anymore. , make sure the injectors are connected. and maybe check the memcal and calpak to see if its loose. the calpak can fry if the dizzy reference wire is grounded.the calpak controls the start up sequence.but later model cars dont have them. if its not warm when you start or the oxygen sensor hasnt heated to 600 degree, its still in open loop computer "power ranger (haHA)" mode. theres only a hand full of things that it may be. (not the o2 sensor, but i heard i guy put one on a aftermarket header and it wasnt heating up to close the computer loop.) but that wouldnt cause stalling, a leaky Canister might Though, and time it if you can. the idle should be at 550 rpm in drive and i think 750 in neutral. also maybe readjust the IACV. IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE. and TPS THROTTLE POSISTIONING sensor. I used to have problems with my MAF SENSOR> MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR> i had to replace twice. EEEE. SORRY I CANT HELP, but this may sound nucking futs but i used to have a vacuum leak at the EGR SOLEnoid and the Twin throttle body 52mm's vacuum hose and gasket, i rebuilt the throttle body and cleaned the IACV passages. I tested the resistance on the EGR SOLENOID and found it also wasnt holding the vacuum, and it was consistantly triggering the EGR valve causing it to rich to the sky. THere also the cruise control vacuum line. also check the vacuum dome in the driver side bumper. its a vacuum reservoir . and im pretty sure if the check valve (NOT EMISSION CHECK VALVE) on the vacuum lines by the window wiper motor can fail, mine did. man a vacuum pump was a great investment, (chuckles) its a use once and sit in the garage for another five years. i never use it, unless i bleed brakes, fun fun.

Dean_GTA

Sounds like a lot to check! And I've checked a lot too. Since I put the new create motor in the car I've changed almost everything! And I have extras that are still working! Last week when I put in the new distributor, the car ran fine for 1 1/2. I go to start it yesterday to take it for a spin, and it runs like crap. The rich smell from the exhaust will bring tears to your eyes! The time and money I put into this thing, I wish I've listen to my buddy and done a LS1 conversion. Same power and a lot better gas mileage. Probably had money left over too!

HtOwNs 87Rs

outcome? mines is starting to have simliar problems. not as freq though

Vortex91

You might want to take a look at this thread as well.

D.

palric

iTrader: (1)

that is exactly how VATs operates (just went thru this painful excercise).

kills off fuel if the theft deterrent module cannot see the ECM but will crank

kills engine with a 1-3 minute wait cycle if VATs resistor fails

but VATs is 1990 and later right?

palric

iTrader: (1)

what kind of injectors do you have?

did you check them for proper voltage?

this sounds very much like a problem I had on my '91 ended up being distributor, pickup, and ign module +++ a couple of injectors failed. Replaced the works and the car ran great after that.

HtOwNs 87Rs

^^^suspect the same on my car ign module and pickup coil. havnt been able to get into it yet but hopefully soon i will.

sadhu1989GTA

hello everyone. This is my 1st posting just want to say. I really appreciate all your time.

hello Dean-GTA I have 89 GTA with the same problem after reading all these posts.
I feel great then I read on and then I am sad again. I have pretty much done everything you guys have done. And was thinking about getting an aftermarket EFI.
That I can hookup A laptop computer to. I've never it down to (FAST FXI $2300) and the (Painless $1150.00 and $1450 with software).
the others are to much $ for me (Accel DFI, BigStuff, EFI Tech, Motec, AEM).
the most of the names i got from postings here.
does anyone have an opinion on the aftermarket ECM
I am hoping that it will make it easier to troubleshoot the car in the future.

transam85dudeman

actually stock is better in my opinion, trouble shooting cars is fun...its like CSI.

Dean_GTA

Hi, I've given up on the factory junk! I'm actually putting a Mega Squirt system in my car. My friend knows someone, who is an expert in installing and tuning this system. This system gets rid of the factory mass air, and has an internal map sensor in the computer. It is cheaper and really reliable. My car is in the shop getting it done. Should be done in a week or so! Will let you know the outcome.