...help!!!

[Buick From Hell]

John, go ahead and clear the computer, do this by disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery for a few seconds, then re-connect it.

Then CHECK THE INTAKE TUBE to see if it's still connected to the MAF sensor and the throttle body! THIS IS IMPORTANT! If it's disconnected, re-connect it before starting it!

Go ahead and start it, and let it idle about 3 or 4 minutes. Keep an eye on the "service engine" light to see if it comes on again! If it DOES come on, make note if it goes out or not, and if it comes on AGAIN before you shut it down.

let us know what happens, and we'll go from there!

 

[John84GN]

BFH...brb, also, the intake tube(s) are, and were on, I never noticed them off...

 

[John84GN]

well, I turned her on for the first time since last night, and she fired right up, and idled fine for the first minute, then the idle went real low, and came back up again. It did this about 5 or 6 times, and them idled fine for the next five minutes...NO LIGHT!...now what?!? Also, I had heard that if you (me) install a "big-mouth-cold-air induction, that you have to either get a new MAF sensor to account for "more air" or that you have to tune something...I didn't do either, should I have, or is that O..K... thanks ...and should I now test drive the car?

 

[TurboRegal84]

you dont need a new MAF sensor for the cold air induction...you should really try to at the LEAST get a knock gauge in that car before you go boosting it...it is really hard to drive these cars "blind" (with no scantool) and get them to perform well!


start the car up, and tap a few times on the MAF sensor if the car changes at all the MAF is most likely bad...or try to un-plug the MAF sensor, and see if the car runs any better without it...if it runs better then the MAF sensor crapped out.....

I would wait on the test drive a bit....it would really suck to blow a headgasket over a failed MAF!

 

[cool 84]

As for the oil smell, if you popped the turbo loose from the intake, the air coming out of the turbo has an oily smell to it. Don't ask how I know this. BFH's explanation sounds about right. Also, if you popped the turbo off you now have vacuum leak. When the car is first started and it's dead cold it's going to be running rich and be in open loop which will sort of make up for the leak until it warms up and leans out.

 

[John84GN]

the knock guage was ordered wed. and should be here by next wk sometime. Also, what scantool do you guys recommend, I know Ramchargers has a SMII for $249. Will that work on a hot air car. TR84..you said to wait on a test drive...pardon my lack of knowledge, but ... why?

 

[TurboRegal84]

Well...that oil smell has me worried....if you are burning oil that could cause knock...and usually when someone says "go for a test drive" it means boost it and beat on it a bit....

if you wanna take it for a regular ride around the block I am sure that would be fine.


and....

Scanmaster 2 will work on our cars, but you have to change the MAF sensor, and the ECM to use it (the chip too)

 

[Buick From Hell]

Well, since you have Mark's intake kit on, then you have an open breather tube, I'd bet that where the smell originated!

since it ran with no codes, could be dirty connectors? Wouldn't hurt to clean 'em up.

Next would be to go for a short drive (not too far to walk home!) and see what happens. I'm still worried about the original code 42.

 

[John84GN]

ok...I took it for a ride, at about 1/2 throttle (too scared to go WOT), everything seemed ok, a little weaker, but sorta ok. I unplugged the MAF sensor up the road, and the car wouldn't stay running w/o it, so I'm assuming that that's OK also. The oil smell was there, just not as concentrated (I guess b/c I only drove it for like 5 miles)...but it was definately still there. Well fella's, I don't know what to do now, it's obviously bigger that what I can do, and I'm unaware of anyone locally who I'd trust to give it to, so I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do...anyway, not your prob. Thanks SO MUCH for the responses, I appreciate all your time... Thanks again.

 

[TurboRegal84]

John..you bitch..don't Give up yet!

What Kind of oil fill are you using? is it the stock one? if it is the stock one did you cap off that little port that faces the fire wall?


How is the PCV valve?

your not burning oil because there is no smoke...maybe It is leaking from somewhere?

Go find some carb cleaner, or brake cleaner.........when the car is running spray it around where the turbo goes into the intake, and also all around the VAC block as well as over all of the vac lines....if the cars idle changes at all..you have a vac leak!

 

[John84GN]

i'm not giving up yet, i'm just really frutrated, and it's like i'm going in circles...yes the pcv hole is capped, i put a breather in it when i converted the intake piping, and yea, i'm using the stock oil fill. O, is there a scan tool that works on the hot air w/o the conversion...I wouldn't know where to start to do it.

 

[TurboRegal84]

PCV valve is capped?? care to explain??? You should have the PCV valve in near the intake with a large dia vac line going to it....FYI the PCV valve is behind the intake, and after the valve covers.

you NEED a PCV valve...hopefully it isnt capped off!


again...check for vac leaks..maybe you got lucky and a vac line just popped off the large vac block!

 

[dave84gn]

Hey John.. too bad about your car. I know it seems like there's so much that you don't know right now, but it's not hard to learn, and once you do, you'll get nice and comfortable with things to check.

is there a scan tool that works on the hot air w/o the conversion

Turbo Link is what a lot of people have (me included) which works great on the 84-85 ECM. www.turbo-link.com $150 and you need a laptop.

Dave

 

[Buick From Hell]

John,

When you drove it, did the "service engine" light stay out? AND, it should have come on when you unplugged the MAF, did it?

Check for trouble codes again, and see what you get...

I'm thinking (and hoping) the whole problem started with a dirty connector plug on the ignition module (or the ECM?)...it could have caused a "burp" in the ignition sequence, which could easily cause an intake backfire! And an intake backfire at full boost is like a bomb going off! If this IS what happened, it would explain both trouble codes, and hopefully nothing really suffered for it! (It's possible the ignition module itself is bad, but I wouldn't worry about it until it throws another code!)

Like the guys explained, you may have lifted the turbo right off the mount! IF this happened, then where the turbo outlet enters the intake manifold has probably been pulled out, and you may have a BIG vacuum leak! This may be the reason it "feels weaker" now! It's easy to check! Just pull all the intake piping off so it's out of your way...then take a look at the outlet. There's a small bracket that the outlet bolts to right there. The bracket has a slotted hole, and a stud on the turbo drops into that slot, and a weird nut holds it in place. Check to see if that stud is still BOTTOMED OUT in that slotted hole! If NOT, then you have indeed blown the turbo off the base!

Let us know, more to follow!

 

[TType84]

John, I dont know your car or anything.. but im just gonna say something about this anyway.

In all likelyhood, your car is fine.

It backfired... big freakin deal, my car does it every once i awhile.. once it went lean and popped, spiked the boost gauge to about 8psi from the backfire alone.. yesterday I just ran a 13.6, it must not have really had any ill effects..

seals.. my turbo has never popped off.. if you have an ATR up pipe, you will never have to worry about your turbo coming off again.. there was ONE bolt holding my turbo down for a year with the ATR pipe and everything is fine and has been and will be...

Turbo cars smell funny.. my car always smells like burning oil cause i need a new rear main seal.... it IS burning oil!

These cars are alot tougher than anyone gives them credit for (hotairs i mean.. the IC cars break easy!). Drew once had a 35*+ knock retard.. his car was FINE after that.

Just make sure everything is tight and connected and drive the damn thing, it will most likely fix itself..

 

[TurboRegal84]

Originally posted by TType84

These cars are alot tougher than anyone gives them credit for (hotairs i mean.. the IC cars break easy!). Drew once had a 35*+ knock retard.. his car was FINE after that.

True Nick 100%.....Just ask Reds Hot Air about these motors..he was going 13.01, and tried everything to get the car into the 12's...he even disconnected the knock sensor so it wouldnt pull timing, and the car was knocking!

John...get a can of carb cleaner..start the car, and spray around where the turbo enters the intake..if the idle changes there is your problem!

 

[John84GN]

BFH...Yes the SES light stayed off the entire time, except when I unplugged the MAF, then it just put-putted and stalled. I plugged it back in, started the car, and all was good...no light. I haven't looked for anymore codes, but I'll go look again. Should I unplug the connector from the coil pack and clean it? (with what) Also, if the intake did "burp" and backfired, by resetting that codes, shouldn't this have reseted the problems. TType84--I don't have the ATR up-pipe on yet, but I will soon, right now it's just the crappy stock mesh pipes...but it's already on order. I'll check the turbo to see if it is off the intake, and also do the carb cleaner spray thing...thanks again guys...I genuinely appreciate it!!! I'll be back.

 

[John84GN]

Well...I ran the codes again, and the only code that it shows is a code 34...I guess that thats a good thing, being that we're down to just one code now.

 

[Buick From Hell]

John, seems all may be well! The code 34 is because you unplugged the MAF sensor!

John, you should unplug as many plugs you can find, and clean 'em! (we ALL should do this!)--the cam & crank sensor plugs, the ignition module plug, MAF, wastegate, the 2 big ECM plugs, injector harness, ALL OF 'EM!

Radio shack sells a spray "contact cleaner", not exactly sure what it's called, but it works great! (Just tell them you're looking for the spray to clean electrical connectors with, they should know what it is!) Just unplug, spray all the metal connection points with the cleaner, and re-plug. Make sure all the wires look good while your checking!

As for resetting the computer, besides clearing the trouble codes, nothing else really happens! If you HAVE a problem, you'll still have it! And the SES light will let you know! Hopefully, it'll just stay off like it should!

 

[John84GN]

BFH...I think I know what it is...I started that car just now, after cleaning the MAF sensor and the coil pack harness. When I started it, I noticed a "high-pitched whistling noise"...I "shook" the MAF-to-throttle-body pipe, and the sound stopped and then reappeared, on and off as I shook it...This leads me to believe that the turbo is out of the intake. O, as I shook it, the car putt-putted and stalled. I re-checked the codes, and all that it diplayed was the code 12. What do ya think?!?