Friday, September 30, 2011
Diagnostic Tech: 93 Buick, High Idle
'93 Buick Park Avenue, 3.1
The complaint is an intermittent jump from idle to high rpm. I wasn't able to duplicate the symptom on a test drive but the Service Engine Soon light was displayed during the short road trip. A test for engine codes with a scan tool could shed some light on the problem.
I have an old OTC 4000 Enhanced that is my tool of choice for these earlier systems but since it doesn't get used much these days it was easier to just grab the Snapon Solus Pro and give it a try. The scan tool would not communicate with the car's computer. Now before you go into diagnostic mode, faced with a communication problem, try a different scan tool. It isn't unusal at all to find a particular tool doesn't read a particular system well. That's life in the aftermarket scan tool world. The OTC EVO worked fine. My stored trouble code was a 22. I guess no need to dust off the 4000.
A 22 sets if the engine computer sees a voltage of less than 0.2 for at least 4 seconds on the throttle position sensor signal circuit. Before digging out the multimeter and doing tests, and since the scan tool is already connected, I can pull up the datastream and look at the tps voltage as seen by the engine computer. In this case it was 0.04 volts with throttle closed and key on. The voltage did rise with opening the throttle but that voltage is out of range. Now since the throttle sensor connector is not hard to access, I disconnected the sensor. At the connector you should have a 5 volt reference on the gray wire. So if you jumper the gray wire to the blue, which is the sensor signal wire, and you see the sensor signal voltage on the scan tool data change to 5 volts you know you have 5 volts to the sensor and that the wire from the sensor to the computer is good. A 5 volt sensor signal voltage should also set a code 21 (voltage too high), which will verify the computer is good.
After doing the tests and verifying the throttle position sensor was bad I replaced the failed part and fixed the problem.
Kenneth Hayes
deranger@ipa.net
The complaint is an intermittent jump from idle to high rpm. I wasn't able to duplicate the symptom on a test drive but the Service Engine Soon light was displayed during the short road trip. A test for engine codes with a scan tool could shed some light on the problem.
I have an old OTC 4000 Enhanced that is my tool of choice for these earlier systems but since it doesn't get used much these days it was easier to just grab the Snapon Solus Pro and give it a try. The scan tool would not communicate with the car's computer. Now before you go into diagnostic mode, faced with a communication problem, try a different scan tool. It isn't unusal at all to find a particular tool doesn't read a particular system well. That's life in the aftermarket scan tool world. The OTC EVO worked fine. My stored trouble code was a 22. I guess no need to dust off the 4000.
A 22 sets if the engine computer sees a voltage of less than 0.2 for at least 4 seconds on the throttle position sensor signal circuit. Before digging out the multimeter and doing tests, and since the scan tool is already connected, I can pull up the datastream and look at the tps voltage as seen by the engine computer. In this case it was 0.04 volts with throttle closed and key on. The voltage did rise with opening the throttle but that voltage is out of range. Now since the throttle sensor connector is not hard to access, I disconnected the sensor. At the connector you should have a 5 volt reference on the gray wire. So if you jumper the gray wire to the blue, which is the sensor signal wire, and you see the sensor signal voltage on the scan tool data change to 5 volts you know you have 5 volts to the sensor and that the wire from the sensor to the computer is good. A 5 volt sensor signal voltage should also set a code 21 (voltage too high), which will verify the computer is good.
After doing the tests and verifying the throttle position sensor was bad I replaced the failed part and fixed the problem.
Kenneth Hayes
deranger@ipa.net
Friday, September 23, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Air Bag Light in Disguise An interesting problem on a recently purchased used car.
Air Bag Light in Disguise Gonzo
Sometimes I wonder if the things I find wrong with some of these cars are just there for me to find out how ridiculous some people can be. I’ve got to question the thought process of the brilliant ideas that some people can have, just before total stupidity takes over. I gotta ask… “What were you thinking?”
The other day I had a late 90’s GM in the shop. The owner had recently bought it off of a small car lot, and had no idea of the history of the vehicle. It was one of those “great deals” that he couldn’t pass up. Why is it these “great” deals always have some sort of catch to them? Maybe it would be a good idea to have it checked out before you buy it. After looking at it, I might tell you to “pass it up”. Honestly, I’ll never understand why someone will buy a used car when they know nothing about it, or decide after they buy it to finally have it checked out … but they do.
This particular creation had some strange problems. It had a strange battery drain. At first glance all the instrument cluster warning lights, interior lights, and all the electrical functions seemed to be working correctly. There was a drain, a good one too. Strong enough to drain the battery in a day, or so. Finding the solution actually was going to lead to an even bigger problem.
Narrowing it down by watching the amp meter for the parasitic draw value, and pulling fuses till the numbers dropped back into factory specs was the next procedure. Of all things, it ended up back to a crossed up circuit between the air bag system and the charging system. I decided to check the air bag system for codes.
This is interesting, it’s off line. No communication with the crash box. Hmmm, I’m a little confused, because I know I saw the air bag light come on and go off when I pulled it into the shop. Turning the key off, and then restarting the car didn’t help me much, because the air bag light was on… and then off. But then, maybe it did. Like I said, the light came on, and then went off… hey, wait a minute isn’t there supposed to be a few seconds before it goes off? Isn’t this how it verifies its systems are functioning properly? I thought so. So, what’s going on here?
As a technician I’m trying to follow the codes, the diagnostic charts, and the operating description of the system I’m working on. This particular problem wasn’t following the chain of typical scenarios. Take in account this whole thing started off because of a battery drain… I’m really starting to scratch my head over this one.
I had a lot of different ways to go with this one. I could try and follow the draw a little further, or I could chase the problem from the air bag side of it. Maybe, it will all lead to the same problem. For my money I think I’ll work on it from the air bag side of the problem.
The air bag fuses were all good, and the light did come on in the dash. So, I decided to pull the air bag diagnostic module out and pin check the leads to see if that lead anywhere. My first check on any system is the positive signals and then the grounds. Why’s that you ask? Because a loss of ground can be seen as an open lead, and if the positive signals are there, you’ll actually find a voltage signal on the open ground. That’s what electricity wants to do… find ground, and find the shortest path back to the source of the voltage.
In this case they were all there, but when I checked the leads to the instrument cluster the voltage was coming towards the crash box rather than to the cluster. What now? (I love my job, I love my job, repeat as necessary) I guess I better pull the cluster and check the wiring from there back to the crash box and see if that leads anywhere.
After pulling the dash it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see what the problem was. On the back of the instrument cluster somebody had cut the circuit board line to the air bag light, and then added a soldered-on wire to the charge light. So when the charge light was on, so was the air bag light. Once the car started (providing the charging system is working correctly) the charge light would go out, and so would the air bag light. Huh???
You can imagine my “mechanical language” was not for the faint of heart when I found out what was going on. It seems some genius didn’t want to replace the air bag module, so they invented their own air bag warning light instead. Brilliant stupidity… I think that’s the best way to explain it. I can’t imagine somebody went thru all the trouble to deceive the buyer of this car for a safety issue such as air bags. It should be a criminal offense.
After undoing the homemade airbag light, the draw was completely gone. Now the only thing to do was to replace the air bag module to bring it back up to working order. I’m not saying anybody would have caught the problem at first glance. It was a well thought out deception. If you were not intentionally looking for an air bag light delay, I don’t think you would have caught the problem.
Leave it to some unscrupulous dork out there to try something like this. But, I still think it is a good idea to have the car checked out prior to buying it. Maybe, just maybe, you can spot problems like this before you own the problem.
Don't forget to check out my website www.gonzostoolbox.com
Order a copy of my best selling book. "Hey Look, I Found the Loose Nut"
Funny reading for all ages.
Sometimes I wonder if the things I find wrong with some of these cars are just there for me to find out how ridiculous some people can be. I’ve got to question the thought process of the brilliant ideas that some people can have, just before total stupidity takes over. I gotta ask… “What were you thinking?”
The other day I had a late 90’s GM in the shop. The owner had recently bought it off of a small car lot, and had no idea of the history of the vehicle. It was one of those “great deals” that he couldn’t pass up. Why is it these “great” deals always have some sort of catch to them? Maybe it would be a good idea to have it checked out before you buy it. After looking at it, I might tell you to “pass it up”. Honestly, I’ll never understand why someone will buy a used car when they know nothing about it, or decide after they buy it to finally have it checked out … but they do.
This particular creation had some strange problems. It had a strange battery drain. At first glance all the instrument cluster warning lights, interior lights, and all the electrical functions seemed to be working correctly. There was a drain, a good one too. Strong enough to drain the battery in a day, or so. Finding the solution actually was going to lead to an even bigger problem.
Narrowing it down by watching the amp meter for the parasitic draw value, and pulling fuses till the numbers dropped back into factory specs was the next procedure. Of all things, it ended up back to a crossed up circuit between the air bag system and the charging system. I decided to check the air bag system for codes.
This is interesting, it’s off line. No communication with the crash box. Hmmm, I’m a little confused, because I know I saw the air bag light come on and go off when I pulled it into the shop. Turning the key off, and then restarting the car didn’t help me much, because the air bag light was on… and then off. But then, maybe it did. Like I said, the light came on, and then went off… hey, wait a minute isn’t there supposed to be a few seconds before it goes off? Isn’t this how it verifies its systems are functioning properly? I thought so. So, what’s going on here?
As a technician I’m trying to follow the codes, the diagnostic charts, and the operating description of the system I’m working on. This particular problem wasn’t following the chain of typical scenarios. Take in account this whole thing started off because of a battery drain… I’m really starting to scratch my head over this one.
I had a lot of different ways to go with this one. I could try and follow the draw a little further, or I could chase the problem from the air bag side of it. Maybe, it will all lead to the same problem. For my money I think I’ll work on it from the air bag side of the problem.
The air bag fuses were all good, and the light did come on in the dash. So, I decided to pull the air bag diagnostic module out and pin check the leads to see if that lead anywhere. My first check on any system is the positive signals and then the grounds. Why’s that you ask? Because a loss of ground can be seen as an open lead, and if the positive signals are there, you’ll actually find a voltage signal on the open ground. That’s what electricity wants to do… find ground, and find the shortest path back to the source of the voltage.
In this case they were all there, but when I checked the leads to the instrument cluster the voltage was coming towards the crash box rather than to the cluster. What now? (I love my job, I love my job, repeat as necessary) I guess I better pull the cluster and check the wiring from there back to the crash box and see if that leads anywhere.
After pulling the dash it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see what the problem was. On the back of the instrument cluster somebody had cut the circuit board line to the air bag light, and then added a soldered-on wire to the charge light. So when the charge light was on, so was the air bag light. Once the car started (providing the charging system is working correctly) the charge light would go out, and so would the air bag light. Huh???
You can imagine my “mechanical language” was not for the faint of heart when I found out what was going on. It seems some genius didn’t want to replace the air bag module, so they invented their own air bag warning light instead. Brilliant stupidity… I think that’s the best way to explain it. I can’t imagine somebody went thru all the trouble to deceive the buyer of this car for a safety issue such as air bags. It should be a criminal offense.
After undoing the homemade airbag light, the draw was completely gone. Now the only thing to do was to replace the air bag module to bring it back up to working order. I’m not saying anybody would have caught the problem at first glance. It was a well thought out deception. If you were not intentionally looking for an air bag light delay, I don’t think you would have caught the problem.
Leave it to some unscrupulous dork out there to try something like this. But, I still think it is a good idea to have the car checked out prior to buying it. Maybe, just maybe, you can spot problems like this before you own the problem.
Don't forget to check out my website www.gonzostoolbox.com
Order a copy of my best selling book. "Hey Look, I Found the Loose Nut"
Funny reading for all ages.
Buying a car watch, out for "Flood"cars.
Pat Goss and John Davis talk about what to watch out for in buying cars just after a flood.Listen below.
Friday, September 09, 2011
Friday, September 02, 2011
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