1985 Buick Regal 3.8 Battery and Idle Issues

[blackgn1]

My 1985 Regal starts every morning and can sit for a week and start. Drive it to work and after it sits till time to head home the battery is dead. Alternator and battery both run around 13.8 volts with the ohm meter. Check engine light is on. Tried to pull the trouble codes with the old paper chip trick and also with the parts store scanner. Scanner will not communicate and the paper clip doesn't work. It also idles like crap till it warms up then when it warms up it idles high. On the highway she drives like a dream. I thinking bad computer and possible alternator taking a crap. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[charlief1]

With the fact that you have 13.8 volts when she's running you're getting a charge on the battery. What you need to do first is eliminate the battery drain or possible bad battery first. When you get to work disconnect the battery while you're at work and then see if it stays charged. If it does then you have a drain, if not then a battery that's gone bad.

Also check all the fuses just in case. Once you figure that out then we'll see about figuring out the check engine light.

 

[b4black]

I'd pull the ECM out, clean up the connectors and reinstall it. Works more often than you would expect.

 

[blackgn1]

Thanks Charlie and b4black.. I thought about battery drain too. Just walked outside. Started right up. I dont think it's battery drain. She's been sitting for two weeks. I hoped the alternator or battery would just die and make this easy. Going to clean the the computer wiring and give that a shot. Will these cars still run ok with a bad ecu?

 

[charlief1]

If the ECM isn't working right or is bad they usually run rough at idle and run very rich off idle. Your gas mileage would suffer quite a bit.

 

[TurboBuRick]

Bad or loose battery connections?

 

[blackgn1]

She died in me today. Battery tested good. Alternator will be checked next as well as battery cables. When it idles its rich!! One step at a time just like a good old GN!!!!

 

[charlief1]

While the engine is running do you hear a clicking sound from the carb?

 

[blackgn1]

I heard a clicking only once on a cold night. I mean clicking!!:biggrin: Sounded like a bomb was under the hood. Thought my wife had enough of my Buicks.:biggrin: Haven't heard it again though. As a update....the battery that checked out good was bad. I love parts stores!!!! In the morning she idles like crap till she warms up. Alot of rich smoke. Still cannot get the trouble codes. The car is a 55,000 mile car in great shape. Going to be my daily driver just beause I like Regals.

 

[charlief1]

The clicking sound is the mixture soliniod in the carb. If you're not hearing one with the engine at lde the the soliniod isn't working of the puter isn't telling it to. Start with pulling the puter out and look inside of it to make sure nothings damaged.

 

[ek02]

If you are unable to communicate with the ECM and read the codes, and the wiring going from the diagnostic connector to the ECM tests good, I would say the ECM is bad. I ran into this problem a lot when I managed an all GM fleet. The ECM is not too expensive for a rebuilt unit.