97 Electonic Gremlins
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,076
Likes: 19
From: Mississauga Ontario
97 Electonic Gremlins
Hoping someone can help me out. I have a 97 automatic, 402 c.i. motor, F1A supercharger + all the usual mods. The car has an idling problem whereby it revs up and down all on its own. When you press the brake or put it in drive, it stalls. In addition, the boost-a-pump that was recently installed works intermittently. We thought it was a defecive unit, so we switched it out for a new one. Same issue after the swap. We've gone so far as to replace the PCM and BCM. I don't know what to do next! 
Has anyone had severe electonic problems with their 97???
Thanks,
LS12NV
Has anyone had severe electonic problems with their 97???
Thanks,
LS12NV
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,397
Likes: 1,137
From: Dyer, IN
Hoping someone can help me out. I have a 97 automatic, 402 c.i. motor, F1A supercharger + all the usual mods. The car has an idling problem whereby it revs up and down all on its own. When you press the brake or put it in drive, it stalls. In addition, the boost-a-pump that was recently installed works intermittently. We thought it was a defecive unit, so we switched it out for a new one. Same issue after the swap. We've gone so far as to replace the PCM and BCM. I don't know what to do next!
Has anyone had severe electonic problems with their 97???
Thanks,
LS12NV
Has anyone had severe electonic problems with their 97???
Thanks,
LS12NV
2) Check all vacuum hoses ( since you are FI, do you have a boost gauge that displays vacuum/pressure? if so how much vacuum at idle?)
3) Check fuel pressure at the rail
4) If you have access to software, monitor the sensors for correct readings....i.e. MAF, IAT, MAP, etc.
Not knowing how the BAP is wired , it's hard to be exact. Typically, the BAP receives power directly from the alternator in some way(through direct wire or with a aftermarket harness). If the pump stops working, it is either losing 12 volts, or ground...typically through a relay. Sounds like you are going to have to use a multimeter to check out the wiring and physically shake it down to find the problem.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,076
Likes: 19
From: Mississauga Ontario
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,076
Likes: 19
From: Mississauga Ontario
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,076
Likes: 19
From: Mississauga Ontario
1) Check all air intake connections for looseness, anything that would precipitate a leak. (especially around the MAF and TB)
2) Check all vacuum hoses ( since you are FI, do you have a boost gauge that displays vacuum/pressure? if so how much vacuum at idle?)
3) Check fuel pressure at the rail
4) If you have access to software, monitor the sensors for correct readings....i.e. MAF, IAT, MAP, etc.
Not knowing how the BAP is wired , it's hard to be exact. Typically, the BAP receives power directly from the alternator in some way(through direct wire or with a aftermarket harness). If the pump stops working, it is either losing 12 volts, or ground...typically through a relay. Sounds like you are going to have to use a multimeter to check out the wiring and physically shake it down to find the problem.
2) Check all vacuum hoses ( since you are FI, do you have a boost gauge that displays vacuum/pressure? if so how much vacuum at idle?)
3) Check fuel pressure at the rail
4) If you have access to software, monitor the sensors for correct readings....i.e. MAF, IAT, MAP, etc.
Not knowing how the BAP is wired , it's hard to be exact. Typically, the BAP receives power directly from the alternator in some way(through direct wire or with a aftermarket harness). If the pump stops working, it is either losing 12 volts, or ground...typically through a relay. Sounds like you are going to have to use a multimeter to check out the wiring and physically shake it down to find the problem.
I believe my tuner checked the vacuum at idle. Only 9 lbs. I believe it should be around 14 lbs.
The way the wiring for the BAP was explained to me is as follows: the wiring/plug that originally goes to fuel pump is plugged into BAP. The BAP is then connected to the fuel pump.
Thanks for the other suggestions. I will look into them.
LS12NV
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,397
Likes: 1,137
From: Dyer, IN
I believe my tuner checked the vacuum at idle. Only 9 lbs. I believe it should be around 14 lbs.
The way the wiring for the BAP was explained to me is as follows: the wiring/plug that originally goes to fuel pump is plugged into BAP. The BAP is then connected to the fuel pump.
Thanks for the other suggestions. I will look into them.
LS12NV
The way the wiring for the BAP was explained to me is as follows: the wiring/plug that originally goes to fuel pump is plugged into BAP. The BAP is then connected to the fuel pump.
Thanks for the other suggestions. I will look into them.
LS12NV
So the question remains: do you have a split vacuum/boost gauge? If so, you can monitor this yourself.
Former Vendor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,331
Likes: 4
From: Jacksonville Florida
Also, if the boost a pump was recently installed, is it set to give higher then stock fuel pressure at idle? This will cause the fueling in the tune to change and it would need to be re-adjusted to compensate for the added pressure.
Former Vendor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,279
Likes: 1
The problem with the idle is the severe blow by. The car smokes like a choo-choo train at idle. The motor was built at a shop with less then stellar rep and when some boost was added it did not like it. When we got the car it only made 500+ rwhp-very low for a 402 with a P1, and very far off from the 600 it supposedly made at another shop. The build was so bad that the crank was not even pinned-who does that?
The electrical gremlins are just that-but it's so hard to pinpoint as whoever did the wiring did not follow a systematic approach to it.
It's really too bad.
The electrical gremlins are just that-but it's so hard to pinpoint as whoever did the wiring did not follow a systematic approach to it.
It's really too bad.