Dead 92 LT1
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 18
From: Panhandle FL
Dead 92 LT1
Well my car is DOA. I was ringing her out pretty good (6K rpm+) in first and second, then when I hit third, it jerked hard and died.
When I tried to restart, it would spin for a few seconds then fire on 2 or 3 cylinders. I thought maybe the timing chain jumped a couple of teeth. The car has over 150K miles on the clock. I let it sit for 15 minutes and tried again. It idled fine for 45 seconds then started misfiring again. Let it sit for 3 hours, now it just spins and never fires. So it's not the cam timing. Sounds like the opti-spark again. I put a new one on it myself about 20K miles ago. The car hasn't been wet in weeks.
The power doorlocks went out at the same time??? Could I have a bad relay or fuse that relates to both? Maybe a ground pulled lose from the engine torquing between shifts?
Please give me an idea of where to start?
When I tried to restart, it would spin for a few seconds then fire on 2 or 3 cylinders. I thought maybe the timing chain jumped a couple of teeth. The car has over 150K miles on the clock. I let it sit for 15 minutes and tried again. It idled fine for 45 seconds then started misfiring again. Let it sit for 3 hours, now it just spins and never fires. So it's not the cam timing. Sounds like the opti-spark again. I put a new one on it myself about 20K miles ago. The car hasn't been wet in weeks.
The power doorlocks went out at the same time??? Could I have a bad relay or fuse that relates to both? Maybe a ground pulled lose from the engine torquing between shifts?
Please give me an idea of where to start?
Last edited by Mr Mojo; Jan 8, 2006 at 08:31 PM.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Since your power door locks are dead as well I would start by checking all of the fuses. After that you've just got to do some basic troubleshooting. Is it setting any trouble codes? Are you getting fuel? Are you getting spark. It's possible that the opti-rotor failed at high RPM. If this is the case you'll have spark from the coil but nothing from the opti, which should be fairly easy to check.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 18
From: Panhandle FL
I checked all the fuses on the easy side panel. Tomorrow I'm doing the ones underneath the kick panel. It didn't trip any codes. I'll be doing the Ole' spark, gas, compression, test Tomorrow.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
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Well I doubt that you would suffer a sudden dramatic loss of compression on all cylinders. The fastest thing you can do, and it'll only take a minute is to unplug the coil wire and crank it. If you see lightning when you crank it then you know that you're getting signal out of the opti / etc. If you don't then you should start troubleshooting as if you're not getting the proper input to the ECM to tell it when to fire. Could be anything, a dead opti, faulty ignition control module, bad ECM.
If you do get fire at the coil try connecting the coil wire back and unplug the easiest to access plug wire. Place it somewhere where it'll arc over to ground (preferably not around anything that'll burn) and crank it over. If you don't get spark there then you can bet that your opti rotor is trashed.
If you get fire from both the coil and at the plug then it may have skipped a tooth on the timing chain or something else equally annoying.
If you do get fire at the coil try connecting the coil wire back and unplug the easiest to access plug wire. Place it somewhere where it'll arc over to ground (preferably not around anything that'll burn) and crank it over. If you don't get spark there then you can bet that your opti rotor is trashed.
If you get fire from both the coil and at the plug then it may have skipped a tooth on the timing chain or something else equally annoying.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 848
Likes: 1
From: 1992 LT1 6 speed Cayman Islands
Mine too
Not to hijack your thread but I also own a 1992 LT1, about 1 hour ago I experienced the same problem and now mine is dead by the side of the road.
I took off really hard in 1st and 2nd and in 3rd the car just died. It will spin on the starter very good and fires a few times but will not start back. The fuel is good as this is the only thing I have checked yet. Fuses are also good. Car has new ECM , new coil and ICM ( 200 miles).and 5,000 miles on the new Opti.
Had similar problem about 2 months ago and problem was the connection on the ICM, new plug and no more problem.
I am going to try replacing the ignition module and ciol ( I have spares) to try and get a spark but this is really annoying.
Car ran good till it died.
Did you get yours fixed? If you did what was the problem?
Checked for codes but got only 12 although check ASR light came on with the problem
Hope we can both get this fixed together.
Good luck
Jerris
I took off really hard in 1st and 2nd and in 3rd the car just died. It will spin on the starter very good and fires a few times but will not start back. The fuel is good as this is the only thing I have checked yet. Fuses are also good. Car has new ECM , new coil and ICM ( 200 miles).and 5,000 miles on the new Opti.
Had similar problem about 2 months ago and problem was the connection on the ICM, new plug and no more problem.
I am going to try replacing the ignition module and ciol ( I have spares) to try and get a spark but this is really annoying.
Car ran good till it died.
Did you get yours fixed? If you did what was the problem?
Checked for codes but got only 12 although check ASR light came on with the problem
Hope we can both get this fixed together.
Good luck
Jerris
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
ASR light can come on when you have tach signal problems. Just because so many of the parts are new I wouldn't rule them out as a possible problem. You might try the same steps I suggest above and see what you come up with. I had an ignition control module die rather suddenly for me. It happened one morning after I had remote started the car and was letting it warm up.
Do we have a new rash of problems with the 92's? You can bet I'm not gonna hammer through the gears on my way home!
Do we have a new rash of problems with the 92's? You can bet I'm not gonna hammer through the gears on my way home!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 848
Likes: 1
From: 1992 LT1 6 speed Cayman Islands
My Red baby is back home
Cathered my tools, spare parts and testers and headed back to the car on the side of the road. Found no spark fron the ciol or plugs but current going to the Ciol and Ignition Control Module but no triggering of the current to the ciol. Took off 2 month old ICM and replaced it with the old spare and car started right up. OH YEH, OH YEA. 
Problem was the new ICM had blown even though it was new.
Did a few burnouts and hard starts in 1st and 2nd and no problem this time.
Hate having to fix my baby by the side of the road but at least this time there is a good ending.
Hope this helps you with your problem.
Thanks Nathan for the tips, they sure helped eliminate the Opti
Jerris
Problem was the new ICM had blown even though it was new.
Did a few burnouts and hard starts in 1st and 2nd and no problem this time.
Hate having to fix my baby by the side of the road but at least this time there is a good ending.
Hope this helps you with your problem.
Thanks Nathan for the tips, they sure helped eliminate the Opti
Jerris
Last edited by Jerris; Jan 9, 2006 at 01:48 PM.
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Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Yeah when mine died I couldn't really prove that was the problem so I didn't want to buy one. I ended up borrowing one from a friend who had a parted out LT1 engine from a 96 F-body. It worked so I just bought it from him. Technically it's from the wrong year but it's still GM. I've just heard too many bad things about all the aftermarket electronics. Granted my ECM is an advance reman.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 18
From: Panhandle FL
Well I did some test today. Acutually just one. I have zero fuel pressure! Does anybody know where the fuel pump relay is. My car is a 92. I tested off the fuelrail, with the schrader valve out, not even a trickle. Can't hear the pump running either. I put a walbro pump in about 5K miles ago.
Also the distribution block behind the battery (the one with 5 or 6 pinkish red wires) has one wire that looks like it get very hot. Are these fuseable links? Could that be the problem? All the fuses in both fuseboxes are good as is all the circuit breakers.
Also the distribution block behind the battery (the one with 5 or 6 pinkish red wires) has one wire that looks like it get very hot. Are these fuseable links? Could that be the problem? All the fuses in both fuseboxes are good as is all the circuit breakers.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,789
Likes: 8
From: Myrtle Beach SC
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
It is up under the dash on the pass side.Did you hear the fuel pump when you turned on the key?It should come on for a few secs.Turn the radio off and listen for it.If I remember right even if the relay fails oil pressure build up will kick in the fuel pump if you crank long enough.Just make sure it isn't the pump.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 848
Likes: 1
From: 1992 LT1 6 speed Cayman Islands
Fusable link
Those links under the battery are all fusable, if it got really hot it is burnt out. You can buy new fusable links from NAPA and other parts suppliers to replace it. Make sure you solder the new one on and use heat shrink tubing over the soldered joint. Check them all while you are at it and clean them all and reinstall them with a little dielectric grease to prevent corrosion in the future as future battery spills can cause problems.
Good luck
Jerris
Good luck
Jerris
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,424
Likes: 1
From: Tucson Az
St. Jude Contributor
Originally Posted by SPEED750
Well I did some test today. Acutually just one. I have zero fuel pressure! Does anybody know where the fuel pump relay is. My car is a 92. I tested off the fuelrail, with the schrader valve out, not even a trickle. Can't hear the pump running either. I put a walbro pump in about 5K miles ago.
Also the distribution block behind the battery (the one with 5 or 6 pinkish red wires) has one wire that looks like it get very hot. Are these fuseable links? Could that be the problem? All the fuses in both fuseboxes are good as is all the circuit breakers.
Also the distribution block behind the battery (the one with 5 or 6 pinkish red wires) has one wire that looks like it get very hot. Are these fuseable links? Could that be the problem? All the fuses in both fuseboxes are good as is all the circuit breakers.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 18
From: Panhandle FL
I'll know for sure tomorrow. That's the soonest I can get back to the car. I'm hoping it's the fuse-able link. I just put a new fuel pump in last year. Either way the old fuel pump will be in my tool box, just in case. 
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
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Originally Posted by MR NICE
Those optis are a POS gotta be something better?