I just brought my 1981 corvette from Michigan to South Carolina. Now the engine light is on but yet it runs without any issues. I'm thinking it's because of the emissions differences between MI & SC.
I would appreciate any advice..
BTW - this is my first corvette and I was able to purchase it from a good friend who was the original owners (58k miles)

 

I don't own an 81, and it's special one-year-only computer controlled carb and distributor (in a Corvette at least). But, there is a way to read your code(s) with a paperclip.

Here's one thread with at least some of the instructions. Your car doesn't know what state it's in.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...k-1981-c3.html

 

Welcome to the Corvette Forum Nz3k5t!
We are glad you have chosen to join us here on this Forum. It is the best place to learn about Corvettes like the 1981 you now have. Ask your questions but when you have time be sure to fill out the profile so we can see what type of Corvette we are helping you with. This saves time for you and us as we can learn more about the vehicle in question so include any modifications and what the car came with. The amount of knowledge here is amazing as there are lots of fellow 1981 Corvette owners with years of experience here to help people like you out.

Taking or driving a car from Michigan to South Carolina should not be any reason for the Check Engine Light to come on. You need to read and learn the cause that triggered the Check Engine Light and if needed the paperclip method might work. Something is causing the Check Engine Light to be lit up and it could be something simple like a gas cap not sealing to a bad Oxygen sensor or a failed EGR in the system. Figure out how to read the code and then fix the cause and the light should go out. I have a 1988 which is a OBD1 Corvette with a Tuned Port Injection and when the Check Engine light comes on I simply hook up a OBD1 Code reader or my Scanner to it and the system tells you the faults. Since your car has a computer in the ECM there must be a way to read the codes it is trying to tell you.

If you are not noticing any difference in the driving of the car it is possibly something small that is triggering the light. I would seek out a way to find out what it is before too long passes. Another trick would be to disconnect the battery for a couple minutes and see if the Check Engine Light goes out. The question then is whether or not it will come back on when you drive the car again soon. If the light comes back on quickly then I would clearly check out why the light is on. If you don't have one yet be sure to buy yourself a Factory Service Manual as they have the best information regarding the computer systems and troubleshooting them over any after market manual could have. I checked and they are readily available and not too expensive (about $40 for the printed manual at ZIP Products, RockAuto sells DVD's with the FSM for less). The Assembly Information Manual or AIM is another good book to have for working on your 1981 Corvette. In your shoes I would get both but the FSM is the more important one as it will help you troubleshoot your Corvette's issues. Between the FSM and a good Volt ohm meter you should be able to get the Check Engine Light to turn off and fix the issue that caused it to light up.

Best regards,
Chris

 

ok, 81 has the computer command controlled carb and ignition. (CCC) that and E4ME are 2 things you will see concerning this carb. you bought from orig owner. does not mean it is ALL original. probably is, but you gots to be sure. the carb has 2 electrical plugs on it and the distributor has no vacuum advance can. post pics of the car (mainly cuz we like pics of vettes) and of the engine without air filter/ do the paper clip code read then post the code or codes. codes are not the be-all end-all. the ecm can be wrong. one thing it sees caused by something else. so don't go buying parts just cuz of a code. did you drive it 1000 miles or haul it? a long drive can sometimes trigger something short drives will not. after researching the codes clear them and see if they reoccur. and welcome aboard.

 

Get the FSM. In the meantime google "how to read gm obd1 codes". Probably a sensor starting to go bad.

 

I have an 81 too, just got it summer of '21. There is very little controlled by the ECM but it does control some things. I highly suggest you get a shop manual for it, they are cheap, <$30. Cheapest place I found was on rockauto.com.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...1PeIF8FThBqNOo

Then you need a reader for the ECM codes, if you can find a Monitor 85 on ebay or somewhere that would work great. I have one, found it here on the forum. I think any ODBMI (that's ONE, the first version) will work. A modern reader like they have a autozone won't work, different plug. BTW, the plug is UNDER the ash tray, pull it out and you'll see the strange looking black plug.
The ECM controls the following:
Fuel Control System (lean/rich solenoid on the carb)
Electronic Spark Timing (the advance on the distributor)
Air Management (the AIR pollution control system)
Exhaust Gas Recirculation System (EGR valve)
Transmission Converter Clutch (the 2nd & 3rd gear tranny lockup)
BTW, the ECM doesn't care what state you are in. It was made LONG before GPS.

 

I bought one 1981 5 months ago,and at a 190 hp,stock engine,isn’t suitable for me,so,opened those can of worms,lol....I replaced heads,intake,carburetor and long tube headers,and hei distributor,just fired it up for the first time a few days ago,now just getting all my vacum lines and linkages hooked up.I live 2 hrs from Myrtle and everything on my before I opened them worms ran like a charm,took the computer out behind drivers seat,in battery box,so, have a lot of parts if you’re staying stock.

 

 

Welcome to the Palmetto state!

 

this comp controlled carb setup. you either use all of it or none of it. you disconnect ecm and car will run. no advance. no monitoring a/f ratio. you replace dist and ecm will lose inputs and pop codes and stop controlling the carb. replace carb and ecm loses inputs and stops controlling advance. either make it work or replace the carb and distributor with 75-80 equiv and unhook ecm. but it sounds like your system can be put back to correct. fly skids up will have some input if you get into rehabbing it and find yourself at an impass.

 

Hey man,
I really like the fact that you live, at least in SC.. I haven't had a car that i could work on in years so I'm all new to this stuff.
I'm not sure what the rules are, on this forum, for getting in touch with each other.
Right now I'm not sure what parts I need, if any, just some basic help would be nice.
Vic

 

Yea,no problem,and not sure how long you have been in SC,but I think you said something about emissions,well,here you don’t have to worry,we don’t even have have inspection here.

 

Congratulations on your 81.
As has been said first thing to check is the codes. Clear the old codes but disconnecting the battery for 30s first then take it for a drive. This is to ensure you don't go looking for any faults that have already been fixed.
Post what codes are set here once you have them. Code 12 doesn't mean much so no point in saying you got that on unless it's the only one you get but the check engine light still comes on. Or you can't get it to flash that one.
​​​one.