Now it won't start!
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh PA
Now it won't start!
Well, it has not been a good spring. Went to start my 1987 after a long winter and when it started it ran really rough, but after a repeat start sequence it seemed fine.
About 30 minutes later I stopped at a store and when I came back out it was hard to start and when it did it was rough and coughing out black smoke. I gave it (and me) 1O minutes to cool off and got it home. Check engine light came on and went out.
Read the codes and had 34, 45, 53. Cleared the codes and tried again. Code 53 came back. Check alternator belt, tight. Check battery voltages, in spec (12 and 14.6). Cleaned battery terminals and when I went to restart it won't start. Engine turns, can smell fuel from exhaust. No codes. Check ground at ECM connector pins per manual, all sat.
Any ideas?
About 30 minutes later I stopped at a store and when I came back out it was hard to start and when it did it was rough and coughing out black smoke. I gave it (and me) 1O minutes to cool off and got it home. Check engine light came on and went out.
Read the codes and had 34, 45, 53. Cleared the codes and tried again. Code 53 came back. Check alternator belt, tight. Check battery voltages, in spec (12 and 14.6). Cleaned battery terminals and when I went to restart it won't start. Engine turns, can smell fuel from exhaust. No codes. Check ground at ECM connector pins per manual, all sat.
Any ideas?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh PA
a little progress ...
the plugs were cleaned as they were fouled pretty heavy, I guess from the cranking I've been doing on the engine trying to start it and when it ran rough.
The car started fine and ran down the road ok. Then the SES started flashing and rough running again. Throwing a code 53 (System high voltage) again. Car won't start and the ECM stopped communicating with the scan tool.
I'm going to try swapping a known good ECM to see if mine is bad. Also, checked the ground and hot wire at the ALDL and they were good.
If the ECM is good, I'm thinking I've got a bad ground somewhere else in the engine compartment. Last October I replaced head gaskets, water pump and thermostat. (that's another story!!). I'm thinking maybe a ground wire got yanked.
Anyway, does anyone know the locations of grounding studs in the engine compartment. I'm still trying to figure out the schematics and how they relate to the physical locations.
The car started fine and ran down the road ok. Then the SES started flashing and rough running again. Throwing a code 53 (System high voltage) again. Car won't start and the ECM stopped communicating with the scan tool.
I'm going to try swapping a known good ECM to see if mine is bad. Also, checked the ground and hot wire at the ALDL and they were good.
If the ECM is good, I'm thinking I've got a bad ground somewhere else in the engine compartment. Last October I replaced head gaskets, water pump and thermostat. (that's another story!!). I'm thinking maybe a ground wire got yanked.
Anyway, does anyone know the locations of grounding studs in the engine compartment. I'm still trying to figure out the schematics and how they relate to the physical locations.
