HELP! Reduced Engine Power Indicator
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Enumclaw WA
HELP! Reduced Engine Power Indicator
So I was in my 99 C5 FRC, 68,000 miles, and came to a stop at a traffic light. Traction control was off and I got on it when the light went green. I spun the tires "slightly" and I lost all power. I was no where near the rev limiter.
The LCD display on the dash reads "Reduced engine power, service traction sys". Now the car runs a little rough and won't give me enough power to drive. Check engine light is on as well as the traction control light in the gauge cluster.
There are no knocking or clanging noises. Oil pressure gauge reads good pressure. No leaks coming from under the car. Serpentine belt all looks to be in the proper positions.
Any ideas as to what this might be? Any advice wiuod be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Derek
The LCD display on the dash reads "Reduced engine power, service traction sys". Now the car runs a little rough and won't give me enough power to drive. Check engine light is on as well as the traction control light in the gauge cluster.
There are no knocking or clanging noises. Oil pressure gauge reads good pressure. No leaks coming from under the car. Serpentine belt all looks to be in the proper positions.
Any ideas as to what this might be? Any advice wiuod be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Derek
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 67
From: Bahama North Carolina
So I was in my 99 C5 FRC, 68,000 miles, and came to a stop at a traffic light. Traction control was off and I got on it when the light went green. I spun the tires "slightly" and I lost all power. I was no where near the rev limiter.
The LCD display on the dash reads "Reduced engine power, service traction sys". Now the car runs a little rough and won't give me enough power to drive. Check engine light is on as well as the traction control light in the gauge cluster.
There are no knocking or clanging noises. Oil pressure gauge reads good pressure. No leaks coming from under the car. Serpentine belt all looks to be in the proper positions.
Any ideas as to what this might be? Any advice wiuod be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Derek
The LCD display on the dash reads "Reduced engine power, service traction sys". Now the car runs a little rough and won't give me enough power to drive. Check engine light is on as well as the traction control light in the gauge cluster.
There are no knocking or clanging noises. Oil pressure gauge reads good pressure. No leaks coming from under the car. Serpentine belt all looks to be in the proper positions.
Any ideas as to what this might be? Any advice wiuod be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Derek
http://www.c5forum.com/ayc/dtcdic.php
Last edited by BigGun; Jul 13, 2012 at 04:57 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
P-1518 Throttle Actuator Control TAC Module serial data circuit
Hmmmmmm,,, Try this just for sh/ts & grins and hell,,, its FREE!!
OPEN BOTH DOORS!! Find the rubber ACCORDION Tube between the door and door frame.
Grab the tube and grip the wiring harness inside the tube with your fingers. SHAKE the crap out of the tube/wiring harrness on both doors.
Go see if your car will start and run!
Bill
Hmmmmmm,,, Try this just for sh/ts & grins and hell,,, its FREE!!
OPEN BOTH DOORS!! Find the rubber ACCORDION Tube between the door and door frame.
Grab the tube and grip the wiring harness inside the tube with your fingers. SHAKE the crap out of the tube/wiring harrness on both doors.
Go see if your car will start and run!
Bill
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Enumclaw WA
No dice. Car still in reduced power mode. When the clutch is pushed in and car is running and I press on the throttle it gives no rise in rpms. I'm gonna check and see if maybe I have a blown fuse. Fingers crossed.
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Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Enumclaw WA
Thank you Jesus! So far so good with the new fuse. Guess I need to go drive it and see if it blows it again, if so I guess I'll be chasing a short somewhere. Thanks guys for all your suggestions. God bless.
Derek
Derek
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Enumclaw WA
Here we go agin! So I found the fuse that kept blowing on me and got that taken care of. Now I'm getting a P1221 code, Throttle Position (TP) Sensor 1- 2 Correlation. I spent $100 on a new TPS and still am having problems. The butterfly valve in the throttle body is jumping around by itself. At idle it moves up to 1000RPM back and forth. While driving the car jumps around as the throttle is opening and closing to a certain degree by itself. P1518 stopped coming up when I got the fuse to stop blowing but now shows P1515 with the P1221 code. I'm really at my wits end on all this. Was supposed to be on the track yesterday and instead spent the 3rd full day in the garage trying to figure all this out. Any suggestion?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 927
Likes: 6
From: King George VA
Try wiggling the wires at the throttle actuator control. its a 2-wire pigtail that connects directly the the actuator. Driver side on the throttle body. I had the same issues with my '98 Coupe and it turned out to be a bad connection at the TAC.
I know how tough it is to figure the R.E.P. problem. A few of us have been there more than once!
Also could be a corroded ground. Check the grounds behind the headlights. I can't post the link at the moment but there is a very useful writeup on here about cleaning the ground connectors.
I know how tough it is to figure the R.E.P. problem. A few of us have been there more than once!
Also could be a corroded ground. Check the grounds behind the headlights. I can't post the link at the moment but there is a very useful writeup on here about cleaning the ground connectors.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Enumclaw WA
I'll try and get to all the ground cables and clean them thoroughly and play with the conector on the TAC. I've had the throttle body completely removed and dismantled trying to figure all this out. Can't hurt to try a couple things over again though.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 927
Likes: 6
From: King George VA
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...tion-long.html
Here's the link that that sticky about cleaning grounds. Lots of reading, but it has proven time and time again to be very useful.
According to the sticky, the two plastic ground connectors seem to be the most prone to corrosion. Another one of GM's "bright ideas".
Good luck dude!
Here's the link that that sticky about cleaning grounds. Lots of reading, but it has proven time and time again to be very useful.
According to the sticky, the two plastic ground connectors seem to be the most prone to corrosion. Another one of GM's "bright ideas".
Good luck dude!
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Enumclaw WA
Cleaning the grounds was definitely a neccessity. They looked pretty corroded. The problem still isn't totally solved. However, I found someone that has a Tech II that I can plug into. I'll post what the Tech II shows for future research purposes. Thanks to everyone for all of your suggestions and help.
However, I found someone that has a Tech II that I can plug into. I'll post what the Tech II shows for future research purposes. Thanks to everyone for all of your suggestions and help.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Enumclaw WA
What a flippin nightmare! So, new throttle body, new TAC Module (good luck finding those by the way) and a short in the oil pressure system that apparently is closely related to their functions. Hopefully we'll be good to go tonight. Have to be on the track on Sunday and Monday. Surely don't want to miss another one of those. Thanks again to everyone that has helped in this process. Take care and God bless.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Enumclaw WA
Autocross yesterday went great! From what I can tell the gears in the electric motor on the throttle body were binding up causing the throttle control fuse to keep blowing. After blowing the fuse enough times it messed up the tac functions. Also found a razor cut in the wiring harness on top the drivers side valve rail that would make contact every time the motor torqued over hard. Fixed the short and everything is now working great! Thanks guys.
