88 Buick VIN 3 stalling, ECM?

[TBK]

Words to live by!

The flickering CE lamp leads me to the ECM or connectors or power loss.

TK
-----Original Message-----
From: shannen <Shannenj at mcn.net>
To: diy_efi at efi332.eng.ohio-state.edu <diy_efi at efi332.eng.ohio-state.edu>
Date: Saturday, July 04, 1998 10:11 AM
Subject: Re: 88 Buick VIN 3 stalling, ECM?


>I have always found that a component which you _know_ is bad, but which
>exhibits no symptoms whatsoever, will always require replacement after two
or
>three good bashes.
>
>Shannen
>
>TBK wrote:
>
>> Go in and tap the ECM. Not BASH, but tap.
>>
>> Tk
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Clare Snyder <snyder at huron.net>
>> To: diy_efi at efi332.eng.ohio-state.edu <diy_efi at efi332.eng.ohio-state.edu>
>> Date: Friday, July 03, 1998 11:42 AM
>> Subject: Re: 88 Buick VIN 3 stalling, ECM?
>>
>> >Lynn R. Erickson wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Some background:
>> >>
>> >> 88 Buick Century wagon with 3.8 SFI(hah) V6, approx. 97k miles
>> >>
>> >> My parents bought it new in 88. They decided to get rid of it about 5
>> >> years ago because it had always idled rough, left them stranded once
>> >> (crank sensor), and was intermittently prone to stalling when you let
>> >> off the throttle at low speed around town. Figuring that an
intermittent
>> >> will eventually get bad enough to be continuous so that it could be
>> >> diagnosed, I bought the car from them for my wife. My wife likes the
>> >> car, and the rough idle and infrequent stall didn't bother me. _I_
>> >> wasn't driving it.
>> >>
>> >> However -- last week I drove it to Los Angeles and back(800+ miles
each
>> >> way). You haven't lived until you've had a car stall in the middle
lane
>> >> of Century Blvd. at LAX. I decided to fix the damn thing.
>> >>
>> >> Some symptoms:
>> >>
>> >> _seems_ to be heat related
>> >> No problems at freeway speeds
>> >> No ECM trouble codes
>> >> During the sensitive time in LA, parking lot speed bumps would cause
>> >> static on the AM radio and make the CE light flicker on.
>> >> Still idles like sh*t -- never hasn't. Not just 90 degree V6 rough,it
>> >> also misses.
>> >>
>> >> Diagnostics:
>> >>
>> >> All cylinders 140-150 psi compression cold. Hot? You jest! Not on my
>> >> skin!
>> >> New plugs and wires. Needed anyway. No change.
>> >> New PCV. Needed anyway. No Change.
>> >> 10" hg manifold pressure at idle. Is this normal? Reading taken from
>> >> transmission vacuum line.
>> >>
>> >> Got a scanner hooked up today. Following readings are at idle.
>> >>
>> >> ECM PROM ID 1254 -- The ALLDATA CD shows a stall related TSB on this,
>> >> but it isn't included in their (extra cost) TSB's. Sigh. ALLDATA is
>> >> better than Chilton's, but watch out, some of their information is
>> >> missing or flat out wrong (I got bit on a wiring diagram).
>> >>
>> >> Some readings:
>> >>                   ALDL Mode     Diag. Mode    Backup Mode*
>> >> RPM               1000-1100        650          675
>> >> Coolant Temp.     196 F            206 F        217 F
>> >> Intake Air Temp.  156 F (why?)     86 F         84 F
>> >> TPS                0.4 V           0.4 V        0.4 V
>> >> O2 sensor         400-600 Mv       473-549 Mv   920 Mv*
>> >> Spark Advance      28.6 deg        0 Deg        0 Deg
>> >> IAC Position       51              38           49
>> >> Integrator         132             129          128
>> >> Block Mult.        133             133          113
>> >> EGR Duty Cycle     0 %             89%          79%
>> >> EGR Switch         Off             Off          Off
>> >> Closed Loop        On              On           Off
>> >> Fuel Mix           Lean/Rich       Lean/Rich    Rich*
>> >> Learn              On              On           Off
>> >>
>> >> *Sets O2 sensor rich error code.
>> >>
>> >> About all I can figure out right now is to try a new ECM and get the
>> >> latest service release on the PROM.
>> >>
>> >> Anybody got any other ideas?
>> >>
>> >> TIA,
>> >>
>> >> Lynn
>> >>
>> >> /*********************************************************/
>> >> I may be stupid, but I ain't _that_ dumb.
>> >> lre at xmission.com   www.xmission.com/~lre
>> >> /*********************************************************/
>> >The ECU/Prom would be my first step - they have been problems. The ecu
>> >can not check itself, so if no codes and intermittent problems it points
>> >there. Likely a bad solder joint or cracked trace on a PCB.
>> >--
>> >                               _/\_
>> >                       --|-----([])-----|--
>> >                         S    0/  \0    B
>> >         Alls well that ends well!! www.snyder.on.ca is back
>> >                  E-Mail service is back to normal
>> >                  To avoid bouncing E-Mail messages
>> >                    Reply to Clare at snyder.on.ca
>> >                                OR
>> >Remove the R from clsnyder in my E-Mail Address to reply. Stop the
>> >spammers!!!
>> >It's hard to soar like an eagle when your stuck with a bunch of
>> >Turkeys!!!
>> >
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