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Crazy Idle,help!!

beejay31000

BULLWINKLE
if you had a maf it would look like this...(this one does not utilizse the stock intake piping, but you can see the maf sensor in the middle. it has the wires plugged into it)
3693%20installed.jpg
 

Gawthle

Well-Known Member
thats what i thought, but sense orange said to clean it, i figured it was there and just in an odd place. thanx

any help on fixing these codes, though?
 

beejay31000

BULLWINKLE
emilio is the master at the....he helped me. i think i had more codes than you. erase them all so there isnt any in memory...then when they pop up...go one by one til you fix all of em....thats what we did. and a couple hundred dollars later and all new sensors installed she runs great
 
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wickedstangs

Guest
Gawthle said:
thats what i thought, but sense orange said to clean it, i figured it was there and just in an odd place. thanx

any help on fixing these codes, though?

Which mass air do you have? 1st or 2nd pic?
 
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wickedstangs

Guest
Ect 21 Fault Code

Gawthle said:
i think i forgot to mention earlier, when you start the car, hot or cold, you have to hold the throttle to the floor, i know its EFI, but i think it works cuz i'm letting more air through the throttle body? if you try cranking it without stepping on the gas, it will never fire.....

Gawthle for fault code 21-ECT out of self test range 0.3 to 3.7 volts.

You can check the voltage and see if it is within tolerance.
ect.jpg


Before you start blaming the engine coolant temperature sensor and replacing it make sure the rest of the coolant system is in good condition. All of the following items will affect the ECT:

*Coolant level
*Radiator Fan
*Water Pump
*Water Pump and Fan Belts
*Thermostat
*Base Timing
*Engines general condition
*Harness and wire general condition

The Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor is a thermal transistor, which means it allows less electricity to pass through the sensor the warmer it gets. The ECT receives the “Signal Return” voltage from the EEC, then allows a certain amount to return back to the EEC. Because the ECT is in direct contact with the engine coolant flow it changes resistance in response to the temperature of that coolant.

temperature.gif


The ECT is third in command in the hierarchy of EFI sensors, this means this sensor is very important when calculating fuel ratios and timing curves. This is because of simply chemistry; fuel and spark are constants in the equation. Air is the biggest variable in combustion; it changes density greatly over a range of temperature. So keeping track of the changing temperatures of the incoming air and the engine in which it is burnt becomes very important. But due to its simplicity of design, the ECT is rarely at fault when problems occur.

Before testing the ECT or any other EFI component perform a self-test, trouble codes received during test can be used as a diagnostic tool along with other indicators. To test an ECT sensor you will need a volt meter. You can test the ECT by back probing the harness while reading the voltage returning to the EEC. Or you can removing the connector completely and test the resistance between the 2 pins on the ECT. The engine temperature must be greater than 50°F (10°C) to pass the KOEO Self-Test and greater than 180°F (82°C) to pass the KOER Self-Test. To accomplish this, the engine should be at normal operating temperature.

ect02.jpg
 

Gawthle

Well-Known Member
wickedstangs said:
Gawthle for fault code 21-ECT out of self test range 0.3 to 3.7 volts.


All of the following items will affect the ECT:

*Coolant level
*Radiator Fan
*Water Pump
*Water Pump and Fan Belts
*Thermostat
*Base Timing
*Engines general condition
*Harness and wire general condition

sorry it took so long to respond, the semester starts tomorrow and its been madning trying to get everything squared away

*i replaced the sending unit before i checked the codes (per a shop's suggestion) because my thermostat guage was not working at all. it works now, and the idle was crazy before and after the sending unit was replaced.

*the coolant level is full and properly mixed, with the overflow resevoir at the appropriate level.

*the radiator fan and the clutch both function properly

*the water pump appears to be operating correctly. what i did to test was i looked for any visible leaks, which i did not find, and then i let the engine warm up until the internal thermostat was open. i shut off the car, took off the radiator cap, and started the car, watching the water go from being stationary to flowing. so i assumed that it is working, at least a little bit.

*the internal thermostat its self works as i tried taking off the radiator cap prematurely and the water did not flow through the block, just sat in the radiator jigglin around

*we already figured out my base timing was correct as i followed your directions; removing the stout and timing the motor


The motor APPEARS to be in good to great condition. the wiring harness i can not tell as it is double taped with electrical tape....
 

Gawthle

Well-Known Member
An update....

I re-checked my codes. The battery in my scanner was going out, so I figured i would get a new battery and go over the testing once more to make sure it didnt miss any or something stupid


The only codes it lists now are = 82, 21, 94, and 44....so from 8 codes to 4, woohoo !
 

Gawthle

Well-Known Member
beejay31000 said:
you might have fixed some stuff in replacing that unit....??

heh, i dont care, as long as they dont come back ! Ha !

i just want to get this idle situtation out of the way, so i'm not sitting in drive-thru's at 2k looking like i'm trying to be all hot shot and stuff
 

beejay31000

BULLWINKLE
well, i know mine idles weird too....when i let off the gas it will sit at 1500 for a second then slowly drop to 1000, and sumtimes if i am lucky it will drop all the way down to 900, but that rarely happens
 

Gawthle

Well-Known Member
beejay31000 said:
well, i know mine idles weird too....when i let off the gas it will sit at 1500 for a second then slowly drop to 1000, and sumtimes if i am lucky it will drop all the way down to 900, but that rarely happens

no. mine will idle at 800 or so, if the motor is cold, when you first start it (remember you have to hold the accelerator to the floor for it to fire wheather the motor is cold or warm) but after about 20 seconds, it bumps up to 1500 to 2200 and wont let off....*#(&#$(*@$#!!!!
 

Gawthle

Well-Known Member
and your throttle cable is okay?

upon visual inspection, they look fine, it feels like it operates smoothly inside the car, and when it's ideling really high, i've gone to the throttle body and tried to push the assembly closed thinking it waas cracked open,but no luck
 
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wickedstangs

Guest
Thermactor Pump

Gawthle said:
An update....

The only codes it lists now are = 82, 21, 94, and 44....so from 8 codes to 4, woohoo !

21-ECT out of self test range 0.3 to 3.7 volts.
82-Air management 1 circuit failure (AM1/TAB)
94-Thermactor Air Injection system inoperative (left side).
44-Thermactor Air Injection system inoperative (Right side).


Do you still have your smog pump? If you don't that can account for those 3 codes above.

thermactor.jpg

Thermactor (Smog air pump)
This pumps fresh air into the exhaust system, to burn left over hydrocarbons, lowering emissions. The computer uses 2 air valves (TAB & TAD) to control where the air flows depending on engine operation.


Thermactor Air Bypass (TAB) shunts air to the atmosphere, when no air is needed. When air is needed it sends air to the second valve TAD.
Thermactor Air Diverter (TAD) diverts air either to the exhaust manifold, or directly to the catalytic converter.
 

Gawthle

Well-Known Member
wickedstangs said:
Do you still have your smog pump? If you don't that can account for those 3 codes above.

yeah, still have my pump. how do i go about troubleshooting the code? i appreciate the info, but i'm more concerned with troubleshooting the codes; cuz i have no idea how to go about checking any smog thing(s)
 
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wickedstangs

Guest
yeah, still have my pump. how do i go about troubleshooting the code? i appreciate the info, but i'm more concerned with troubleshooting the codes; cuz i have no idea how to go about checking any smog thing(s)


Funny that is why you have your codes either your Pump is bad or do what BeeJay say get reid of it. :lol:
 

Gawthle

Well-Known Member
still have to get the car SMOG'd says the DMV...so icant pull it off, not yet anyway, so i need to fix it...how do i go about checking it...or replacing it or whatever?


and then AFTER i fix it...and the codes; how do i take it out? i mean, i live in CA, its no big deal.....AFTER i fix the codes....
 
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