Setting timing on 3.1 mpi
01-23-2002, 08:07 PM
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Car: 3
Engine: inboard
Transmission: underfloor
Setting timing on 3.1 mpi
The sticker under my hood is gone as this car has been thru at least 3 owners and a paintjob, but what is the timing spec on a 48 state (non-cali) automatic 3.1?
What is the proper proceedure? My Haynes manual is a bit vauge. Need to know if I have to disconnect a wire, set the idle speed, etc.
Also, my "Check Engine" light does not work and I don't feel like pulling the dash apart this week, so how can I tell if my EGR valve is bad? It leaks exhuast pretty good, and the car has some wierd erratic and high idle.
What is the proper proceedure? My Haynes manual is a bit vauge. Need to know if I have to disconnect a wire, set the idle speed, etc.
Also, my "Check Engine" light does not work and I don't feel like pulling the dash apart this week, so how can I tell if my EGR valve is bad? It leaks exhuast pretty good, and the car has some wierd erratic and high idle.
01-23-2002, 09:35 PM
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Re: Setting timing on 3.1 mpi
Originally posted by eric17422001
The sticker under my hood is gone as this car has been thru at least 3 owners and a paintjob, but what is the timing spec on a 48 state (non-cali) automatic 3.1?
10 Deg probly. I have a 92 manual and it loves 12-13*.
What is the proper proceedure? My Haynes manual is a bit vauge. Need to know if I have to disconnect a wire, set the idle speed, etc.
Theres a brown wire with a push pull connector on the passanger fender right between the firewall and the strut mount. Unplug it. Lossen the distrib hold down bolt, 15mm. WIPE OFF THE TIMING TAB. Get the timing light hooked up and start the car. Check timing, adjust if neccesary. Turn car off. Tighen hold down bolt and reconnect the brown wire. Your done.
Also, my "Check Engine" light does not work and I don't feel like pulling the dash apart this week, so how can I tell if my EGR valve is bad? It leaks exhuast pretty good, and the car has some wierd erratic and high idle.
The light should not be that hard to replace. I THINK. I have never had too yet. Leaking EGR will cause your car to stall completely at idle at a stop. The erratic idle thing does it cause a kinda of shimmy?. If it does the car needs to be run at high speed for a good distance 75 miles. My IAC was acting up and it caused that. It kept opening up at high RPM's. I was told it was my EGR that was causing it. I would replace that service light ASAP.
The sticker under my hood is gone as this car has been thru at least 3 owners and a paintjob, but what is the timing spec on a 48 state (non-cali) automatic 3.1?
10 Deg probly. I have a 92 manual and it loves 12-13*.
What is the proper proceedure? My Haynes manual is a bit vauge. Need to know if I have to disconnect a wire, set the idle speed, etc.
Theres a brown wire with a push pull connector on the passanger fender right between the firewall and the strut mount. Unplug it. Lossen the distrib hold down bolt, 15mm. WIPE OFF THE TIMING TAB. Get the timing light hooked up and start the car. Check timing, adjust if neccesary. Turn car off. Tighen hold down bolt and reconnect the brown wire. Your done.
Also, my "Check Engine" light does not work and I don't feel like pulling the dash apart this week, so how can I tell if my EGR valve is bad? It leaks exhuast pretty good, and the car has some wierd erratic and high idle.
The light should not be that hard to replace. I THINK. I have never had too yet. Leaking EGR will cause your car to stall completely at idle at a stop. The erratic idle thing does it cause a kinda of shimmy?. If it does the car needs to be run at high speed for a good distance 75 miles. My IAC was acting up and it caused that. It kept opening up at high RPM's. I was told it was my EGR that was causing it. I would replace that service light ASAP.
I broke up your questions and answered.
01-23-2002, 10:37 PM
#3
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Is the EGR leaking into the intake or out the exhuast side?. If it is going into the intake it is stuck open with carbon and is the cause of your stalling and idle prob. There is really no real way to test the digital EGR except for removing the pipe that goes into your intake and try running the car. If there are no more problems you egr is out, if the problem continues the problem is else ware.
01-24-2002, 04:05 PM
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Car: 3
Engine: inboard
Transmission: underfloor
The EGR is leaking externally.
I replaced the distrubutor o-ring due to an oil leak, and marked the position of the distributor, but it was dark and with a flashlight in my teeth I obviously got it a tooth off, as no to run I have to turn it clockwise until the wires to the coil are stretched to the max, so I need to pull it again, go one tooth back, and drop it in, I had marked the dist body in relation to the 1-3-5 bank valve cover. So much for that ten minute job, now it's turned into a tuneup. The car has always run good and started immediately, but has never idled less than 1100 in gear, 1400 in park hot and sometimes higher when cold. The minumum air/idle speed screw in the TB was backed out all the way and had no effect.
The EGR leaks exhaust externally at the base of the solenoids, does not appear to be a replaceable gasket.
I replaced the distrubutor o-ring due to an oil leak, and marked the position of the distributor, but it was dark and with a flashlight in my teeth I obviously got it a tooth off, as no to run I have to turn it clockwise until the wires to the coil are stretched to the max, so I need to pull it again, go one tooth back, and drop it in, I had marked the dist body in relation to the 1-3-5 bank valve cover. So much for that ten minute job, now it's turned into a tuneup. The car has always run good and started immediately, but has never idled less than 1100 in gear, 1400 in park hot and sometimes higher when cold. The minumum air/idle speed screw in the TB was backed out all the way and had no effect.
The EGR leaks exhaust externally at the base of the solenoids, does not appear to be a replaceable gasket.
01-24-2002, 04:22 PM
#5
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The gasket is a dealer part. It will take a couple of days for them to get it. i will see if I can dig up the part number. Or at lest a blow apart picture for you to print and take down to the dealer ship to show them. The gasket that is at the intake is reusable and unless you fudge it up should be ok. it's kind of a soft metal. Just clean it and reinstall it. Some brake cleaner and a soft bristle brush will work fine. If you want to know if the ECM is setting a code for the EGR use a paper clip to see if any codes have been. It will be code 32. Use the paper clip to jump the A and B conectors on the ALDL under the dash on the driver's side. There is a better description in the Haynes manule under in the "Emisions controll" chapter.
As far as setting the timing, Camaro_hunter gave a pretty good description, but left one thing out. After removing the EST conector it will set a trouble code. Disregard it and clear it by disconecting the - battery cable when you are done. One other thing about the 3.1L is that after reseting the ECM and clearing the codes the ECm will need to relearn the IAC. This isn't that big of a deal. it will take about 15-20 min of around the town driving. You may not even notice a difference except when you to start it up the it will rev to bout 2500 - 3000 and go back down in a moment or two. Take it for a spin and all will be well. It freaked me out the first time it did that. I thought screwed something up.
The high idle could be a couple of diferent things. One would definetly be the timing. It may even be a vaccum leak or a combination of the two. If it tends to come and go until the car is warmed up it may be the evap can.
As far as setting the timing, Camaro_hunter gave a pretty good description, but left one thing out. After removing the EST conector it will set a trouble code. Disregard it and clear it by disconecting the - battery cable when you are done. One other thing about the 3.1L is that after reseting the ECM and clearing the codes the ECm will need to relearn the IAC. This isn't that big of a deal. it will take about 15-20 min of around the town driving. You may not even notice a difference except when you to start it up the it will rev to bout 2500 - 3000 and go back down in a moment or two. Take it for a spin and all will be well. It freaked me out the first time it did that. I thought screwed something up.
The high idle could be a couple of diferent things. One would definetly be the timing. It may even be a vaccum leak or a combination of the two. If it tends to come and go until the car is warmed up it may be the evap can.
01-24-2002, 04:58 PM
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[i]
As far as setting the timing, Camaro_hunter gave a pretty good description, but left one thing out. After removing the EST conector it will set a trouble code. Disregard it and clear it by disconecting the - battery cable when you are done.
[/B]
As far as setting the timing, Camaro_hunter gave a pretty good description, but left one thing out. After removing the EST conector it will set a trouble code. Disregard it and clear it by disconecting the - battery cable when you are done.
[/B]
01-24-2002, 07:12 PM
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Car: 3
Engine: inboard
Transmission: underfloor
I have it idling at about 1000, and it misses, surges from 700-1200, and dies sometimes. Over 2000, runs fine, hit the brakes for a traffic light, it will sometimes die, I have to drive with two feet until I get another chance to work on it.
First off is to move the distrubutor back a tooth, get the timing close, then as I mentioned I have to remove the dash panel to replace the bulb in the service engine light so I can read the codes, I suspect someone disconnected it and then cranked the idle up over 1400 so it would run good. It's always run good, but never under 1400. Then me the boyfriend tries to fix the distributor oil leak (which I did) and now it has other probs! Oh well, I'll figure it out.
First off is to move the distrubutor back a tooth, get the timing close, then as I mentioned I have to remove the dash panel to replace the bulb in the service engine light so I can read the codes, I suspect someone disconnected it and then cranked the idle up over 1400 so it would run good. It's always run good, but never under 1400. Then me the boyfriend tries to fix the distributor oil leak (which I did) and now it has other probs! Oh well, I'll figure it out.
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01-25-2002, 11:02 PM
#8
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Yeah it sounds like your idle is just a tade off. When I did my o-ring and I first started it up it did the same thing. I played with thte distributor a little bit and found the right spot for it.
Camaro_hunter,
You lucky mine never clears it self. The light will go off, but the code stays in memory. Allthough mine is a '92. It may just be a differnce between the 2.
Camaro_hunter,
You lucky mine never clears it self. The light will go off, but the code stays in memory. Allthough mine is a '92. It may just be a differnce between the 2.
01-26-2002, 07:00 AM
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Car: 3
Engine: inboard
Transmission: underfloor
No, I don't think I'm lucky because my "check engine" light does not work, I can't read the fault codes because of it!
01-26-2002, 08:27 PM
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Car: 3
Engine: inboard
Transmission: underfloor
Well, the module ended up dying and I replaced that, I got the timing set at 10 degrees and it seems to really like that. I set my IAC, I can't get the TPS to adjust to the .55 volt spec, it goes between .75 and .82, but it is running great, has more power than before and idles beautifully down at 700 in gear with the brake on.
I took out the Bosch platinums that were in there, I have never been a fan of those overpriced overrated things and put good 'ol AC's in there, discovered the #3 wire boot was nearly burned through.
Anyway, I will keep all informed of any more misadventures/successes, I am going over to the 1/8th mile track on test-n-tune next Wednesday evening, if everyone says a 3.1 auto runs about 17 in the quarter, I am guessing low 11's in the eighth.
I took out the Bosch platinums that were in there, I have never been a fan of those overpriced overrated things and put good 'ol AC's in there, discovered the #3 wire boot was nearly burned through.
Anyway, I will keep all informed of any more misadventures/successes, I am going over to the 1/8th mile track on test-n-tune next Wednesday evening, if everyone says a 3.1 auto runs about 17 in the quarter, I am guessing low 11's in the eighth.
01-28-2002, 04:30 PM
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Car: 3
Engine: inboard
Transmission: underfloor
Chances are I'll be the only 3rd gen 3.1 out there, and here in eastern GA There isn't a 1/4 mile track around for at least a hundred miles.
Savannah doesn't even tech you on test-n-tune nights I found out after I spent hours one time fixing a nuetral saftey switch and other small things.
Savannah doesn't even tech you on test-n-tune nights I found out after I spent hours one time fixing a nuetral saftey switch and other small things.
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