well I was just pulling into my neighborhood when a warning light came on "reduced engine power." my car stalled and I sat there saying to myself ... please god dont make me pull out my credit card and go into debt.

Also the traction control ,,service ABS light has been coming on from time to time.

I'm scared about the cost of this. Why did that warning "reduced engine power." come on and I'm scared if I'm driving my car on the highway or basically anywhere this is dangerous!

any help? advice?

I just pulled the codes and here is what I have

10-PCM 2 CODES - P1431H & P1518H
28-TCS 2 CODES - C1225H & C1278H
60-TPC 1 CODES - U1160H
AO-LDCM 2 CODES - B2252H & U1064H
A1-RDCM 1 CODES - U1064H

I looked up what all these codes meant:

P1431H = FUEL LEVEL SENSOR 2 PERFORMANCE
PI518H = THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL (TAC) MODULE SERIAL DATA CIRCUIT
C1225H = WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CIRCUIT
C1278H = TCS TEMPORARILY INHIBITED BY DCM
U1160H = LOST COMMUNICATION WITH XXX
B2252H = DOOR KEY CYLINDER CIRCUIT
U1064H = LOST COMMUNICATION WITH XXX
U1064H = LOST COMMUNICATION WITH XXX



what do all these codes mean? I did some reading and it said to "clear the codes" and also mentioned issues with fuses and other things. I'm confused but I want to save money. How can I go about it step by step?

 

Have you had to jump your car recently? Or have you had any other battery related issues?

 

No I havent not had any battery related issues or a jump lately. This happened out of the blue.

The one thing that has been on and off in the past 4 months is the traction control light and service ABS.. but then the light will go away for a month.

 

help im in panic mode!

 

I had a lot of that with a bad battery. There was enoug hjuic eto start the car and I still got the codes. New battery, no probs. I went with the exide orbital.

 

can I not just have the battery tested to see if its okay? these are a lot of errors.

the abs and traction control have been coming on and off intermitantly for months. maybe something loose? whenever i hit a big bump i think thats what turns it on..

the other ones really worry me though

 

Step 1:

Disconnect the battery (minimum of 10 minutes).

While the battery is disconnected - remove it from the tray and insure there was no prior leakage of battery acid (keep in mind there will be a fine powder - white- if this previously occurred).

Look very closely (use a flashlight) at the computers that are under the battery tray for evidence of any acid leakage.

If there has been leakage it is possible that the computers may have been affected - don't panic yet, lets see if the rest of this will assist.

Lastly - if the batter is over a year or two old, take it to a local Auto store and have it checked. If need be, replace.

Step 2:

Follow the instructions on the following link to 'clear the codes":

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1625418

Step 3:

Check the grounds - the one most prone to failure (other than the batter one) is located on the drivers side - frame toward the rear of the engine. Make sure it is making contact (and has no build up of 'stuff' that is causing it to be insulated) - check the Tech Section of the Forum to get details instructions on locations of grounds (do a search there).

Step 3:

Attempt (following re installation of the existing, or NEW battery and checking for leaks) to restart the Vette, and drive it for a minimum of 50 miles (this will allow all computers to "reset".

Okay, did the codes reappear?

Let us know!

Edit:

Just read your last post regarding 'hitting bump' - it is possible that you have something loose in the traction control system. In addition to the above:

Open the trunk - on the drivers side compartment there you'll see a computer module. Make sure that the connections to the module are okay. Make sure that there is nothing in the compartment that is causing the wiring to be affected.

Next - with the Vette raised (and I am assuming you have either the F45 or F55 suspension - WHOOPS _ READ YOUR PROFILE AND IT SAYS YOU HAVE A '98 - SO MOST LIKELY YOU HAVE ECBM ISSUES RE THE TRACTION PROBLEM) make sure that the connections to the shocks are CLEAN and inserted correctly (I.e., they aren't loose).

As a last resort you may have the dreaded ECBM computer issue (please do a search of this Forum for threads relating to it). There is a CHEAP method if the computer needs replacing - http://www.absfixer.com/

 

Had the same issue...wierd codes, then hit a bump in a construction area and that darn "reduced engine power" warning came on. Since I'm an avid reader of the Forum, I had a printout of the codes with me in the glove box and knew how to rest the codes. Things were fine until the next day when going to work the battery was almost dead. Got a new one and haven't had the issue since.

 

thank you very much, going to test this out right now and see how it goes

 

hello,

well I cleared the codes and drove around today with no problem. I went to sears and got a tool set and then went to the local garage. They tested my battery and it was fully juiced up as high as it could go.

So I'm going to try to clean out the connections like you suggested.

I hope it doesnt come back again !

 

on step one I am embarrassed to say I dont know how to remove the battery. I dont understand the electricity and am scared if I unscrew it I will short something. Is this basic? I am so careful with everything because I have made mistakes before that have been quite pricey.

I'm on step one still!

 

Use an 8mm box end wrench to loosen and remove the (-) negative battery cable. Leave this cable disconnected for ~10 minutes. No harm can come from this.
If you need to remove the battery from the car, disconnect both cables (-) & (+) along with the battery hold down clamp and pull it out of the car. Without a doubt, you can do this.
If you are successful in diagnosing and repairing the problem you will have learned something new and saved a LOT of cash. If you are not successful, at least you tried.

 

It is an easy procedure.

From what waddsy wrote above it is probable the battery is not an issue (he had it checked).

So, either it is possible the battery at one time leaked on the computers (requiring the removal of the battery to verify), or the grounds are loose/dirty, or the ECBM is a possible cause.

WADDSY: prior to the issue the other night - we you doing any spirited driving by chance?

 

Mine acted goofy and started throwing codes while coming back from a road trip early last year. During the trip home a whole series happened of what I considered to be instrument type issues and led to the "reduced power" mode. Once I started chasing the series I was able to determine that the driver's side door control module was not sending. That was where the whole series started cascading...radio, A/C, instrument panel, door locks and driver's door control panel, traction control, shocks...the works. I pulled the driver's side door cover to remove and check the DCM. Before removing the unit I started to check the connectors. They did not appear to be loose but once I started checking each connector physically, one simply "snapped" into place. Problem solved. The unit started sending and the loop was complete. The connector had apparently been loose for some time but remained close enough to function until I too hit a major bump coming out of a parking lot on my trip. After clearing all the codes on the DIC...everything was OK and has been since.

 

I just had the same issue. Brought my car to the shop today. I will keep you posted when they diagnos the problem.

 

I agree with the previous answers. I had the same problem and replaced the battery and nothing since then.