These cars always find some way to piss me off..

[LukeZ34]

So the TGP sat outside for about 3 days, nothing out of the ordinary. It ran great the last time I drove it.

Last night, there was a big storm approaching, so I jumped in the car to go find it some shelter.

I had to crank it 7 times before I could get it to start. When it DID start, I had to give it gas to get it out of it's sputtering it was doing.

So, after it is running, it's idling right at 2000 RPM (according to the tach, which is off). Tapping the gas pedal quickly results in a split second cut out and then a rev.

So I drive off, and I notice that the speedometer (and HUD) are displaying 0 the WHOLE time.. (No, I haven't checked any of the wires yet)

It did this the whole way to the shelter that I parked it under and it did the same shit this morning AFTER having the neg. battery cable unhooked for 10 mins.

 

What the hell is wrong w/ this car? How can shit just break over the course of 3 days?

For those inquiring minds, I made a video this morning of it's issues.

.Mpg format, about 5.5 meg

 

http://lukez34.com/galleries/video/fucking_car.mpg

 

Any help is appreciated.

[TGPilot]

When you drive it do you have power or does it feel like it is limping? If you have both things happening at the same time it sounds like the ECM is not communicating properly? I am not sure on this one man... :| 8)

[GnatGoSplat]

VSS or ECM, my vote is on the ECM.

[90TGP]

It's a love/hate relationship.

[LukeZ34]

Yea, it still pins you to the seat, so the power is there.

Would the VSS not reading cause any problems w/ how it runs?

I'll re-seat all the connections at the ECM box, and I'll re-seat the PCM chip as well.

[TGPilot]

READ THE FOLLOWING POST AT YOUR OWN RISK!! I am thinking out loud through my fingers! :shock:

 

If it is still pinning you to the seat then I am assuming the ECM sees what the VSS is saying, but that line may not be making it to the dash. Did I read somewhere that the speed signal to the cluster and the HUD are two different signals? I do not recall.

 

If the car is in not moving and when you blip the throttle it hesitates and then recovers with a high rev...I would suspect the TPS. But if there is a vacuum leak it may be overcompentsating with fuel. It idles high right?

 

The issue I see is the fact you are saying both symptoms have happened simultaneously. Both together just make me lean towards the ECM and the signals it is trying to see. Have you rechecked your fix you found from the open wires that one time? 8)

[LukeZ34]

I jiggled the wires around some and there was no change.

[GnatGoSplat]

The ECM does have a separate VSS output for the cluster, HUD, DIC, cruise module, etc. This is a very different signal than the low-level AC voltage going from VSS to ECM.

 

With an 88-92 W-body, it's always good to keep a spare ECM! They do fail rather often.

[LukeZ34]

I'll have to borrow the ECM from Jess's car and give it a try.

[ScotSea]

  \ said:

I had to crank it 7 times before I could get it to start. When it DID start, I had to give it gas to get it out of it's sputtering it was doing.

So, after it is running, it's idling right at 2000 RPM (according to the tach, which is off). Tapping the gas pedal quickly results in a split second cut out and then a rev.

 

You have a bad ECM. I have seen this several times before. It senses a voltage problem, and shuts off all I/O. So you have no IAC movement (the high idle), the speedo does not work, and a scan tool will not connect to the ECM.

 

Go get an ECM, and it will fix it.

 

I had a friend who had a Lumina with this problem, and the local garage soaked him for a new ECM, (the new re-man one had the same problem!) a new IAC motor, new MAP, new whatever... They just kept throwing parts at it. Finally, he stopped by my house, and I told him what to change (the ECM), but the garage did not want to change it again. He insisted, and when the garage replaced it, it fixed the problem.

 

Scot

[TurboGTU]

Did you remove the watter catch trays and then leave a leaky eprom aceses door open or untighten. :? . What Scot said too..its gone.

[LukeZ34]

Naw, all the catch trays are on and the covers are tight.

 

Glad to hear it's a familiar problem then, thanks!

[kuntzie]

did you notice how hi your oil pressure is. the gague appeares to be working.. my 1990 se had the same problem as you i screwed around cheacked the fluids... added a little oil then it was alll good... hope it works for you

 

 

*edit also realize this is an old post and im bored as hell... also noticed the other tgp in your garage

[LukeZ34]

The oil gauge has done that for a while now, and it's just the sender that needs replaced.

The problem was indeed in the ECM as I replaced it and the problem vanished.

 

The black one is my fiancee's TGP.