Bad translator???

[turbov6joe]

I've been chasing a cutting out problem for some time now and I think I've narrowed it down to a faulty MAF translator. Initially I thought it was my LT1 MAF; however, after swapping another known good LT1 off of my dad's car the problem still existed.

Well the other day the car chucked a SES light (code 34) and the motor ran like crap above the 0 mark on the boost gauge...immediately I suspected a bad MAF. I began checking all of the possibilities that could cause this code and everything else checked fine.

I ended up disconnecting the translator and putting the OE MAF back on and the car runs like a top....boy I hope this was the fix.

Anyone else ever have a translator go bad?

 

[TurboDave]

"Most" problems like this end up being a wiring issue when all is said and done.

 

[Mike Licht]

Actually most times it is that the dip switches are set wrong, what chip are you using? What are the switches set to? I cannot say that a Translator has never gone bad but it is very rare. If there is a problem we will take care of it.
Mike

 

[turbov6joe]

Mike,
All of the dip switches are set accordingly and have not been touched for years...ever since I installed the LT1 MAF anyhow....just verified. I've been using Eric's chips for a LONG time and never had an issue before.

Here is what was going on. The motor would fire perfectly and idle great. I'd take off driving and almost at the same exact place/time the motor would start popping and cutting out....this would get worse the more I drove it to the point the thing would stall out. If I shut everything down for some time it would eventually fire right back up and the problem would repeat itself. It was almost so predictable that I could damn near tell you where and when the motor would start acting up...I would take the same route from my house to the highway each time.

I checked everything else...I mean everything that might, could, possibly be a culprit. I swapped my pop's MAF onto the pipe and it would do the same crap...all along never setting any SES codes until this very last time.

This time I was sitting at a light and the dude next to me was telling me how nice was ride was and how great the motor sounded and all of the sudden the SES light went on and it wanted to stall...man I felt like a tool.

I limped it home and pulled the code (34). I checked all related things per the GM serivce manual and all checked fine. I unplugged the translator, swapped on a known good OE unit and it fired right up, no codes, and drove like a dream...matter of fact the car went faster at the track with the OE MAF???

Ideas???

 

[jamier]

Try this......

I had a bad translator + this year, bought it off a guy on the board for 75 bucks, what he failed to tell me was that is wasn't working properly. I brought it to bowling green this year and asked bob to take a look and see if i had installed it wrong. My problem was similar to yours i thought i had miswired it and burned out my ls-1 maf. I ended up buying 3 new mafs and still had the problem. Bob took a look at it and tried changing the chip inside the translator. It turned out to be the trans chip that was bad. He told me this is a very rare problem and almost never happens. After he swapped the chip I reset the computer and the codes went away and the car was able to idle again. This might be your problem since it sounds very similay to mine.. worth a look.... good luck

 

[TurboDave]

If you're throwing a code 34, what are the maf readings at idle when this happens???
As for the dip switches, even though they're correct, try fipping each switch back and forth a couple times and setting them back where they belong.
I had all mine in the correct positions (or so I thought) and the car started acting up one day a few years ago. I believe that there was either some thin film corrosion on one of them or one of them wasn't completely into the proper position, anyway that cleared it up.

 

[Blazer406]

Have you tried turning your alky kit off..... and seeing if you have any change?

My Alkycontrol... didn't play nice with my translator. There was interference evidently.......somehow making the translator go nuts. I solved mine by "hot-wiring" the translator box...using a relay.. and getting power off the back of the alternator.... problem solved. It took me awhile to figure it out..... min exibited real similiar characteristics to your issue.

There are a few other posts around documenting this issue. Julio actually was selling a plug-and-play hot wire kit for the translator at one time.

HTH

 

[Mike Licht]

the proper set up of dips would be on-on-on-off using the turbotweak chip base on 5 and wot on 0, the alkycontrol controller/motor does put ot a fair amount of noise to the electrical system and the translator may need to isolated in some cases. If you would like to send us the box with a detailed discription of the problem and time it takes to occur we will be happy to drive it and bench test it here. If there is a problem we will take care of it
Mike

 

[JDSfastGN]

Have you tried turning your alky kit off..... and seeing if you have any change?

My Alkycontrol... didn't play nice with my translator. There was interference evidently.......somehow making the translator go nuts. I solved mine by "hot-wiring" the translator box...using a relay.. and getting power off the back of the alternator.... problem solved. It took me awhile to figure it out..... min exibited real similiar characteristics to your issue.

There are a few other posts around documenting this issue. Julio actually was selling a plug-and-play hot wire kit for the translator at one time.

HTH

i had this same thing happen to mine. Ive also had water get in the box due to me leaving the screws out for "convenience" This caused problems as well.

 

[turbov6joe]

If you're throwing a code 34, what are the maf readings at idle when this happens???
As for the dip switches, even though they're correct, try fipping each switch back and forth a couple times and setting them back where they belong.
I had all mine in the correct positions (or so I thought) and the car started acting up one day a few years ago. I believe that there was either some thin film corrosion on one of them or one of them wasn't completely into the proper position, anyway that cleared it up.

I'll try that.

 

[turbov6joe]

i had this same thing happen to mine. Ive also had water get in the box due to me leaving the screws out for "convenience" This caused problems as well.

All the screws are in mine...I might just look it over real good 1 more time to see if any moisture had been getting in there some how.

 

[turbov6joe]

Have you tried turning your alky kit off..... and seeing if you have any change?

My Alkycontrol... didn't play nice with my translator. There was interference evidently.......somehow making the translator go nuts. I solved mine by "hot-wiring" the translator box...using a relay.. and getting power off the back of the alternator.... problem solved. It took me awhile to figure it out..... min exibited real similiar characteristics to your issue.

There are a few other posts around documenting this issue. Julio actually was selling a plug-and-play hot wire kit for the translator at one time.

HTH

I bought one of Julios hot wire kits soon after he designed it...matter of fact I'm pretty sure it wasn't even posted for sale to the public yet when I got mine. But yes I did trying to turn off the alky to see if it helped...answer is no.

 

[turbov6joe]

the proper set up of dips would be on-on-on-off using the turbotweak chip base on 5 and wot on 0, the alkycontrol controller/motor does put ot a fair amount of noise to the electrical system and the translator may need to isolated in some cases. If you would like to send us the box with a detailed discription of the problem and time it takes to occur we will be happy to drive it and bench test it here. If there is a problem we will take care of it
Mike

Cool, I'll do that...thanks.

 

[at7we2]

cutting out under boost

I've been chasing a similar problem for nearly two years now. I've *thought* I had it fixed several times, but it's very intermittant. I won't hi-jack this thread by going into every thing I've checked and replaced, but at one point I also suspected a bad Translator, but.....NOPE. completely removed the Translater, installed a known good stock MAF sensor and once again I *thought* that fixed the problem for about two weeks then it started acting up again.

crazy Buick.

 

[turbov6joe]

I've been chasing a similar problem for nearly two years now. I've *thought* I had it fixed several times, but it's very intermittant. I won't hi-jack this thread by going into every thing I've checked and replaced, but at one point I also suspected a bad Translator, but.....NOPE. completely removed the Translater, installed a known good stock MAF sensor and once again I *thought* that fixed the problem for about two weeks then it started acting up again.

crazy Buick.

I hope like hell I got it fixed this time...it was to the point I didn't want to take the TR anywhere far from the house for fear it would leave me stranded. Last weekend the wife and kids loaded up and we went to a crusie night up in the city...ran like a charm for 80 miles. I know how you feel.

 

[turbobob924]

Interesting....I have same problem. Now that I "upgraded" to the translator, it stumbles at WOT.

 

[TURBOELKY]

I have a bad trans + box in my garage. went bad a while ago. God forbid you say one is bad though, had people jumping all down my throat about buying a used box, and so on and so on. Even people started bad mouthing me because they thought I was slandering peoples business by saying I had a bad translator everybody came down to the conclusion it was bad because I bought it used but most of their cars were bought used but oh well. Mine threw that error code, then it threw code 44 I believe, something about the ignition. Good luck, I think Mike will fix those puppies.

 

[Mike Licht]

why don't you send it to us for testing and repair if needed? we don't charge for repairs if the unit is really bad
Mike

 

[TURBOELKY]

why don't you send it to us for testing and repair if needed? we don't charge for repairs if the unit is really bad
Mike

if this offer was for me, I do remember you offered to repair it. And I do appreciate it! I've been meaning to send it in for the last 6 months just hav'nt got around to it. Thanks Mike, talk soon.

 

[turbobob924]

Does anybody know where to get the "plug-and-play hot wire kit for the translator"??

I am still chasing the same "popping" issue and think it is an electrical interference issue.