Car died, No scanmaster reading, No start

[TulsaGN13]

I was turning on to the highway and the car just died. This is the first time this has ever happened. I tried to restart it and it cranks fine but won't start. When I turn the key to run the Scanmaster usually starts showing sensor readings. Now, it comes on, shows SCN 2.2 then PL then goes blank for a few seconds before showing 6 dashes --- ---.

I recently did a vacuum brake conversion on the car and moved a lot of wiring around under the dash. I also swapped to a TE-61 turbo over the weekend. I would suspect I pulled a wire or something while doing the brake change but as far as I know it could be as simple as a blown fuse.

Could anyone point me in the right direction on where to start looking? This is my only car and daily driver. I need to get her back on the road asap.

Thanks as always!

Bill

 

[TulsaGN13]

Updates! I am showing 40lbs of fuel pressure. I shot some alky into it with the test button and it started and ran. I swapped out a known good computer, no change.

 

[jcawley3]

my scanmaster did the exact same thing..... but was not having any starting issue... I had to reflash the PL ...works fine now

 

[Casey Jensen]

Confused, after you give it a shot of alky did it keep running or die shortly after?

 

[WH1_T-Type]

Does the powerlogger interfer any way with the ECM or does it JUST record? Not sure how that works.

Since it started with the alky, you have a fuel problem. You have pressure, so most likely not your pump or your regulator (though do the test to see, just in case) so what about your injectors? Anything preventing them from cycling?

 

[TulsaGN13]

Sorry for the confusion. After the shot of alky it started and ran for about 5 seconds and then died. No reading on the scanmaster during the 5 seconds it was running.

 

[87chrisss]

check your fp/inj fuse

 

[TulsaGN13]

Does the powerlogger interfer any way with the ECM or does it JUST record? Not sure how that works.

Since it started with the alky, you have a fuel problem. You have pressure, so most likely not your pump or your regulator (though do the test to see, just in case) so what about your injectors? Anything preventing them from cycling?

The powerlogger attaches to the ecm and reads data from it, but I don't see how it would interfere with it. Regardless, I swapped a known good ecm, without powerlogger attached, and it made no difference.

I would guess that the injectors aren't firing for some reason. I have checked and double checked, all fuses are good. I have fuel pressure at the rail. Is there something between the ecm and injectors that I should be looking for?

How about Cam or Crank sensors? Would any these things explain the lack of data from the scanmaster?

 

[87chrisss]

it turn when you sprayed some alky only thing im thinking of is the injectors arent pulsing and injecting fuel into the engine..

 

[WH1_T-Type]

Have you verified that your fuel regulator is still good?

 

[turbov6man]

I would look into the cam sensor. Possible issue there.

 

[TurboBuRick]

Figure out why the scanmaster is not working first. Do you have a check engine light? If yes, check the scanmaster data wire. Make sure it has a good connection. If no ce light check the orange wire by the battery. Clean if corroded. Check the plugs on the ECM as well.

With key on make sure you have power at the ecm plug pins A6 and C16




RL

 

[scrobbyd]

I hate to say this but, unplug the MAF and try firing it then. If it starts then you know you have a bad MAF. One other thing, check your crank sensor the plug on it could have wiggled lose. O'yea I had the same exact thing happen to me once right after I replace my fuel pump. Turns out I had not clamped my hose well enough on fuel pump and it was getting just enough gas to make it run, till it quit and left me stuck.

 

[salvageV6]

Check and reset any chips with anti-theft sequences, that confused me when my car died when running down the highway, and the chip reset itself in anti-theft mode.

I since put in a chip with no anti-theft programmed but have a kill switch anyway.....

 

[TulsaGN13]

So, I went back to the beginning this morning and started by checking the orange ECM wire. When I checked it yesterday, I just looked at the connector at the terminal and gave it a quick tug. It looked good and it wasn't loose, so I moved on. This morning I grabbed the wire at the fusible link and gave it a tug. When I did, I noticed that the insulation on the wire stretched, about three inches away from the battery terminal connection. It turns out that the ECM wire was broken, inside the insulation. I have no idea how that happened from making a gradual left turn onto the highway. I guess it had been breaking over time and that just happened to be the time that it decided to finally give up.

Now, I have a signal to the scanmaster and the car fires right up. However, I now have a terrible miss, the engine bounces back and forth, it stumbles during acceleration, it won't build over 10lbs of boost and generally runs and sounds like garbage. I have no check engine light or MAL code on the scanmaster. None of the settings are different than they were before the no start problem and before the no start it ran beautifully. I have tried resetting the ecm, with no luck. I will go and get the scanmaster numbers and post them here in a few minutes.

Good call on the ECM connection TurboBuRick and thanks to everyone who has been helping me out!!!


Bill

 

[TulsaGN13]

Scanmaster reading - O2 - .450 - .750
AF - 5
L8 - 33-35
Bat - 12.5 - 13.4
Int - 128
bL - 142
Clt - 165
Ats - 104
rpm - 850-900
tps - .40
IAC - 39
CC - 0 - 255
Pu - 2.1-2.2
SP - 27.8-28.5
Mal - no codes

These are all at idle with engine at operating temp.

Thanks again for any help!

Bill

 

[TulsaGN13]

Here is a powerlogger file that I just captured. It starts off in idle, then accelerating, then cruising, then accelerating. I am still learning how to interpret these things. Anyone see any glaringly obvious things to check. The car has a miss at idle, runs rough, backfires and stumbles under acceleration and generally just runs horribly. It ran great before it died and wouldn't restart 2 days ago. It has no check engine light and no MAL codes.

 

[Hotrodbuick]

My car is doing almost the same thing yours is doing with stumbling and not making boost and running bad. I have been trying to figure it out as well. TurboBuRick told me to start the car and unplug the cam sensor and go for a ride, seemed like it helped mine out some but didn't completely fix the problem. Maybe it will fix yours or be a start to looking. Will keep trying to fix mine and will post if I figure anything out.

 

[TulsaGN13]

My car is doing almost the same thing yours is doing with stumbling and not making boost and running bad. I have been trying to figure it out as well. TurboBuRick told me to start the car and unplug the cam sensor and go for a ride, seemed like it helped mine out some but didn't completely fix the problem. Maybe it will fix yours or be a start to looking. Will keep trying to fix mine and will post if I figure anything out.

Thanks, I will give that a shot. I will also post the fix for mine, if I ever figure it out

 

[Fast4Ward]

all's i know is these cars are a pita. i did a compression test the other day. one the first cylinder i did not unplug the module and had all the plug wires off.
i unplugged the module and did all cyls WOT. after that guess what. no start. checked fuse links, checked fuses, changed computer, changed coil pack, changed ign module, changed control module......DAMN IT..... unplug MAF starts right up....let it run to clean up the smoke abit. reset everything plug the same maf back in and took it out to beat on the bitch some more....LOL.