General Maintenance & Repairs Leaks | Squeaks | Clunks | Rattles | Grinds
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: CARiD

flashing check engine soon light

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 23, 2010 | 11:45 AM
  #1  
nknoshaug's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: St. peters, mo
Default flashing check engine soon light

so i just got done with the head swap and now the camaro has a bug...first of all it popped 3 codes, P0102, P0200, and P0645.
P0102 is a low MAF signal input...plug wasn't in all the way. P0645 is A/C clutch relay malfunction...didn't have this plugged in at all. and finally P0200 which is injector harness malfunction which comes down to a bad ECM/PCM, failing injector or an open/shorted wire harness. so i cleared all the codes and now the check engine light is flashing and the scanner isn't detecting any codes being popped. along with i have an ABS INOP, and an ASR OFF light on, and none of those things are disconnected nor did i disconnect them or have these light on b4 the car got taken apart. i think i am missing a ground wire somewhere. when i was hooking everything back up after the install i had 3 ground wires the i bolted the back of the head. am i maybe missing a ground that may also be tied into the wiring for the ABS and Traction control?? please any advice is appreciated.
Reply
Old Oct 23, 2010 | 01:30 PM
  #2  
LS6427's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 11,289
Likes: 13
From: South Florida
Default

Check the PCM-to-engine ground wire that "I THINK" normally attaches to the back of the passengers side head. Its about 10-12 inches from the PCM in the wire bundle. 4 small wires go into one thick wire, then that wire goes to the passengers side head. Or to make it easy, just snip that one single thick wire and splice a new wire into it like I did and rebolt it to something on the block/head,etc.......

That wire came loose on mine and I had all that **** going on.

If thats it.....its a very easy 15 minute fix.....

.

Last edited by LS6427; Oct 23, 2010 at 03:34 PM.
Reply
Old Oct 24, 2010 | 09:17 AM
  #3  
nknoshaug's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: St. peters, mo
Default

i don't have a ground on the passenger side, all i have is 3 ground wires that are attacted to the drivers side head that come out of the bundle for the fuel injectors on the drivers side...i'l take a pic to show u.
Reply
Old Oct 24, 2010 | 09:29 AM
  #4  
nknoshaug's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: St. peters, mo
Default

here is the pic of the drivers side head and the 3 grounds. but my question is if it is the PCM ground then how would the car run if the computer can't make the complete circuit? does anyone know how many grounds there are on a 2001 car?

Reply
Old Oct 24, 2010 | 11:02 AM
  #5  
LS6427's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 11,289
Likes: 13
From: South Florida
Default

Originally Posted by nknoshaug
here is the pic of the drivers side head and the 3 grounds. but my question is if it is the PCM ground then how would the car run if the computer can't make the complete circuit? does anyone know how many grounds there are on a 2001 car?

My engine ran, it just ran on 4 cylinders and backfired, coughed and spit fuel...

Mine is a 98', maybe your 01 only has the 3 wires. Check them all real good all the way to the PCM to make sure nothing is frayed and touching/shorting with another wire in the bundle.

I would also pop the two tops off the PCM and check to see if all the pins in all 4 rows are perfect.....nothing burnt or discolored. When my ground wire came loose it fried part of my PCM and a few pins were burnt black. I had to replace my PCM along with fixing that loose ground wire.

.
Reply
Old Oct 24, 2010 | 08:20 PM
  #6  
nknoshaug's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: St. peters, mo
Default

ok i'l check but i will say the car idles fine, nothing out of the ordinary
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2010 | 04:48 PM
  #7  
nknoshaug's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: St. peters, mo
Default

well looked some stuff over and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. talked with one of the mechanics i work with at firestone and he said the flashing check engine light is a class B misfire, so he said it has to be something like a coil, spark plug, or a plug wire. but i just replaced the plugs and wires right b4 the damn car blew up.
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2010 | 10:31 PM
  #8  
98pontiac's Avatar
Launching!
 
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
Default

blew up? A flashing check engine light usually means there is some serious misfireing going on... are you sure the car was running fine??? Im positive a flashing check engine light means you are doing damage, and are on your way to frying out your catalytic converter. the mechanics are thinking of ignition parts, plugs wires coils, because 99out of 100 misfires are ignition related, not fuel. but considering your injector code, You may more likely have a bad injector, wire harness, or clogged injector. Also the aftermarket MAF doesnt help either.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-1

Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-5

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-8

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Oct 28, 2010 | 10:54 PM
  #9  
LS6427's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 11,289
Likes: 13
From: South Florida
Default

Originally Posted by nknoshaug
well looked some stuff over and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. talked with one of the mechanics i work with at firestone and he said the flashing check engine light is a class B misfire, so he said it has to be something like a coil, spark plug, or a plug wire. but i just replaced the plugs and wires right b4 the damn car blew up.
No offense to your mechanic, but he hasen't a clue. Flashing SES light means, "multiple" misfires detected and tells somewhat of a story in itself. AND...alot of other things besides coil, spark plug, or a plug wire, will cause it. If it were only that simple.

And what do you mean it blew up???? When? What kind of "blew up"?

I still say you have a loose ground wire.......

.
Reply
Old Oct 30, 2010 | 02:42 AM
  #10  
nknoshaug's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: St. peters, mo
Default

Originally Posted by 98pontiac
blew up? A flashing check engine light usually means there is some serious misfireing going on... are you sure the car was running fine??? Im positive a flashing check engine light means you are doing damage, and are on your way to frying out your catalytic converter. the mechanics are thinking of ignition parts, plugs wires coils, because 99out of 100 misfires are ignition related, not fuel. but considering your injector code, You may more likely have a bad injector, wire harness, or clogged injector. Also the aftermarket MAF doesnt help either.
car has no cats, Stock MAF, and i cleared all the codes and all that remains is the flashing check engine light, ABS INOP, and ASR OFF lights.

Originally Posted by LS6427
No offense to your mechanic, but he hasen't a clue. Flashing SES light means, "multiple" misfires detected and tells somewhat of a story in itself. AND...alot of other things besides coil, spark plug, or a plug wire, will cause it. If it were only that simple.

And what do you mean it blew up???? When? What kind of "blew up"?

I still say you have a loose ground wire.......

.
when i said blew up i ment it broke 3 valve springs on the drivers side 241 head and thats why i just bought 243's and basicly upgraded the whole top end of the motor.

just double checked all grounds the other day, all are accounted for and are tight. all fuses are good and undamaged. called the guy who did the tune originally for the guy who had the car b4 me and he said the flashing light was spark related and that i need to check all plugs, and wires and drive the car to see if the ABS and ASR light go out. still need to check plugs
Reply
Old Oct 30, 2010 | 03:05 AM
  #11  
Joshiedoom's Avatar
12 Second Club
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,712
Likes: 0
From: Between Bowling Green/Owensboro
Default

Check all the coilpack main harnesses and make sure the plug wires are click in all the way. Check each and every plug in the harness. Take off the battery cable and wait a few minutes and then check for codes again. If its flashing... its misfiring
Reply
Old Oct 30, 2010 | 12:22 PM
  #12  
LS6427's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 11,289
Likes: 13
From: South Florida
Default

Originally Posted by nknoshaug
when i said blew up i ment it broke 3 valve springs on the drivers side 241 head and thats why i just bought 243's and basicly upgraded the whole top end of the motor.

just double checked all grounds the other day, all are accounted for and are tight. all fuses are good and undamaged. called the guy who did the tune originally for the guy who had the car b4 me and he said the flashing light was spark related and that i need to check all plugs, and wires and drive the car to see if the ABS and ASR light go out. still need to check plugs
Hmmmmm......start the engine and grab the red battery cable and move it around as much as you can. All the way down to the starter. Sometimes these cables actually "break" inside the rubber coating.

When you check the plugs, its cracks in the ceramic you need to look for. If you're taking them out....just replace the bastards while you're at it...that job sucks to do.

I would also get all new wires. $36.00 at Advance Auto. Its what I've had on my 427ci for years and years, they are excellent.

.
Reply
Old Oct 30, 2010 | 11:56 PM
  #13  
bds001's Avatar
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
From: NW Arkansas
Default

Had mine flash once.

Had burnt through a plug wire. I'd check all the plugs/wires and connections to at least rule those out.
Reply
Old Nov 1, 2010 | 05:38 PM
  #14  
NBM99SS's Avatar
TECH Apprentice
15 Year Member
iTrader: (33)
 
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 391
Likes: 1
From: St. Louis
Default

You just got done doing the head swap right? You didn't get anything in 1 of the cylinders with the head off did you? Are your injector clips locked onto the injector? Check all the plug wires for fully snapped onto the coils and plugs. What cylinders are actually misfiring? I know I had a bad ground on mine before and the abs and tcs lights stayed on. And you said on FAST somewhere you had a plug leftover with nothing to plug into it? Thats wrong lol
Reply
Old Nov 1, 2010 | 11:49 PM
  #15  
themack56's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (70)
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,219
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles, California (818)
Default

im having similar issues.

ses light flashes
tps sensor voltage code is on
reads 5 volts with multimeter and ignition on, voltage reads lower when turn car on.

map sensor voltage code is on
ac clutch relay code on

i just re did the ground from the driver side bottom block area to the chassis .

same issues. ill check the ground from the head.
Reply
Old Nov 9, 2010 | 01:06 PM
  #16  
nknoshaug's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: St. peters, mo
Default

Originally Posted by NBM99SS
You just got done doing the head swap right? You didn't get anything in 1 of the cylinders with the head off did you? Are your injector clips locked onto the injector? Check all the plug wires for fully snapped onto the coils and plugs. What cylinders are actually misfiring? I know I had a bad ground on mine before and the abs and tcs lights stayed on. And you said on FAST somewhere you had a plug leftover with nothing to plug into it? Thats wrong lol
yes on head swap
no on anything in cylinders (vaccumed them out with shop vac)
yes i head audiable "click" on each injector clip
yes on double click for plug wire to coil, and single click on plug
when i erased the P0200 code thats when i got the flashing check engine light, and i tried to pull codes again but nothing is failing, just the flashing SES light.

how did you fix the bad ground on your car?
and yes there is a yellow 2 wire connector i have no idea what it goes to on the driver side behind the connector for the coil packs, but i have no extra parts....car is a 01 Z. if anyone has an 01 or 02 car and has a pic i'd like to see it for refrence. i have buddies that have 98, 99, and 00 cars and neither of them have this plug.
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2013 | 10:07 AM
  #17  
HibachiZ28's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 537
Likes: 0
From: Flourtown, PA | Bethany, DE
Default

Old thread, is this fixed yet?
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:09 AM.

story-0
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?

Slideshow: We take a close look at the ONE and Artidiag 800BT2 diagnostic tools from Topdon and the reasons to buy one over the other.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 11:05:11


VIEW MORE
story-1
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine

Slideshow: The controversial Ferrari F6 swaps its original flat-12 for a Corvette Z06-derived LT4 V8 and sends power to four rear wheels through a custom-built drivetrain.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-26 18:23:54


VIEW MORE
story-2
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built

Slideshow:These GM engines didn't just make huge power, they survived abuse, boost, track days, and six-digit mileage with a reputation for refusing to quit.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-21 16:45:27


VIEW MORE
story-3
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-4
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-5
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-8
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-9
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE