need DOHC Help!

[Superdave]

OK, here is a list of known problems with my neighbor's '95 Grand Prix / Auto

1. It keeps blowing the IGN2 fuse (40A) which also causes the power windows to stop working... this is in the pannel on the drivers side of the engine bay.

2. When you accellerate from a stop it feels like it's starting off in 3rd gear, you can manually move the shifter into 1st and it goes in fine.. manual shifting works great. (Possibly related to the IGN2 fuse blown?) Yes, i checked the "2nd gear start" switch as well, it's off.

3. Oil pump shaft is leaking (go figure) also appears to have a coolant leak in the same area, haven't figured out where it's coming from yet.

4. VERY poor performance, He had the timing set over a year ago and he said since then it's been a dog. I drove the car around the block and my 3.1 cavalier has more power... Possible that the cam timing has been set wrong?

5. Surging idle (i think an idle re-learn might fix that) he said it's been doing that since the timing was set..

6. A mystery plug in the engine bay.. it's a 2 pin Black/Orange. Looks like the CTS plug for a 3x00 but it's just curled around and stuck down next to where the fuel pump test circuit is. Can't figure out where it goes...


Short list.. there is more wrong with the car but this is the major stuff. If anyone has any input it would be much appreciated. He's going to take it to the Zone and get the trouble codes pulled tomorrow, i'll post the results.


Thanks,
Dave

[Superdave]

well, Autozone insists that it's OBD1 and they can get the trouble codes with a paper clip, but i guess they tried a code scanner and got nothing (even though the SES light is on)...

[bszopi]

You can not retrieve codes with a paperclip. Somewhere around here I have a GM Training manual that specifically states that the option to do that was removed in 1994 (P3 series of PCMs?).

[Superdave]

You can not retrieve codes with a paperclip. Somewhere around here I have a GM Training manual that specifically states that the option to do that was removed in 1994 (P3 series of PCMs?).

exactly...


I'm gonna go through the wiring tomorrow night and see what i can find. Maybe grab some pics too.

[White93z34]

possable that the black / orange wire is for the IAC?

[toms92gp]

Tell Autozone It is a 96. They will scan it then. I scan 95's at my work with the obd1.5 all the the time because they still use the obdII port and the scanner will work on it. I just tell people if it s a 95 that I may, or may not be able to do it and go out and check what kind of port they have.

[pwmin]

AZ tried to tell me my 96 was obd 1.5 but i made them read it anyway...dumbasses. sometimes, you just gotta trick them, lol.

[dohcfiend]

95 is obd 1 but i have heard some obd1 scanners do not work on them.

id say something is grounding where it isn't supposed to, maybe something in the power window circuit. maybe where the wires go through the cabin to the door. sometimes the insulation disappears and it starts rubbing that metal there.

id say fix that be4 going into the trans problem.


if the oil pump shaft is leaking it is most likely comoing from that plug in the back of the block referred to as a distributor plug. there is an o-ring inside that plug or you can lift it up, run a bead of liquid gasket and pray.

the coolant leak sounds like it is coming from where the plenum and lower intake meet. if you pull the plenum you will see a black o-ring, make a visual inspection and replace that along with the plenum gasket.

orange and black huh? put a test meter on it, with the hood open it should read 12v, close the hood, if it read 0v it goes to the hood light.

ok on the timing, while you have the plenum off to replace the plenum and o-ring gasket. pull the 2 valve covers off rotate the engine to TDC, there is a mark on your balancer and a mark on the aluminum casting in about the 1 o'clock position shaped like a triangle. when those marks are lined up check your cams.

all 4 of your cams are flat on one side, with the marks lined up 2 of the 4 cams should have the flats facing up on the same side of the engine. i.e. intake and exhaust on the left side of engine. both flats should be level, rotate the engine to tdc again, the 2 that were facing up should be facing down and vice versa i.e. they are 180 degrees opposed.

also while the intake plenum is off, check all of your vacuum lines b/c that would cause your idle surge too.

lastly, check your lower intake gaskets b/c your coolant leak may also come from there.

[Superdave]

good info!

he took it in to a shop for now, we'll see if they can figure it out. I told him that i'd mess with it but i just don't have time with all my other projects going on.

[White93z34]

orange and black huh? put a test meter on it, with the hood open it should read 12v, close the hood, if it read 0v it goes to the hood light.

it will be a 12v constant, the light is switched by a mercury switch within the underhood light