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

Bad Ignition?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 23, 2005 | 03:28 PM
  #1  
vulgardisplayofpower's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Default Bad Ignition?

I have been posting a problem i have been having with my t/a , i thioght it was the op-ti spark , so i bought a code scanner . when i hooked up the scanner it would not come on , so i figured that it was a bad connection. so i wiggled the plug and this little grey box that is located under the kicker panel on the drivers side floorboard started to click and the fuel pump kicked on,everytime i moved the plug. then i tried to start the car and it fired right up , so i shut it off and tryied to scan it and the scanner came on and when it scanned ,it came up FAIL everyime i tried to scan it .i have replaced the coil , icm, and the plugs and wires. the distributor was changed about 6 mnths ago. could the grey box be a relay? and why when i wiggled the diagnostic port with the scanner plugged in the fuel pump came on and the box clicked???? any answers would be much appreciated and thanks in advance.
Reply
Old Oct 25, 2005 | 07:11 AM
  #2  
jkichline's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 416
Likes: 0
From: Bethlehem, PA
Default

1st. What is your car. The diagnostic systems that most advance and autozone have are for OBDII systems. OBDII came out in mid 95. If you car is older than that you probably have OBDI. You have a tough problem to figure out there especially if you can't even find codes... If I were to take a WAG, I'd say you have a problem with your fuel pump relay, but don't take my word for it. You could also have a loose connection somewhere on or near that connector that you are temporarily fixing when you wiggle the plug. Check for bare wires or freying. That clicking you heard could have been arcing. I had some wires short out on me in my durango behind the kicker panel that almost started a fire!
Hope this helps at least a little....
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2005 | 06:09 AM
  #3  
jkichline's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 416
Likes: 0
From: Bethlehem, PA
Default

Originally Posted by vulgardisplayofpower
hey , got your post . first the car is a 1995 t/a LT1 ,mm6. 150,00 miles .the clicking is coming from a little grey box it is on the floorboard just left of the clutch pedal. when i plug in the obd2 scanner at port the scanner will not come on,( i tried it on another car and the scanner worked.) when i have it plugged in i can wiggle it and the grey box clicks and the fuel pump comes on they click and come on at the same time. i got the scanner to come on once and it kept reading FAIL . i tried to start the today and it fired right up. let it run for 10 min. i shut the car off. and it started right up ,so i did that several more times . it run fine at idle , half throttle, and full throttle. i went insde to eat dinner came out to try to take for a drive and nothing. i am lost and running out of ideas .thanks for any help....


msd ignition coil , msd distributor, flowmaster super 40.
Well, dude. I'm not sure what's going on there... Hopefully one of these other guys might have a better idea. I'm thinking you might have a bad fuel pump relay (maybe) and you are somehow triggering it when you wiggle that cable to your OBDII. Maybe you could try swapping relays or something. Are you sure that the "clicking" is coming from the connector? When you replaced the ICM, did you go with OEM or aftermarket. I'm curious to why you can't read it with your scanner...
I'd like to see you back out on the road. You don't see too many 95's out these days...
Reply
Old Oct 27, 2005 | 05:54 AM
  #4  
jkichline's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 416
Likes: 0
From: Bethlehem, PA
Default

Originally Posted by vulgardisplayofpower
hey j . i went with a oem , icm. and the reason the scanner wont scan is that since 95 was a transition year the kept the obd1 computer but uses a obd2 plug under the dash. if i figure this out i will let you know. if you have any ideas to use a scanner i would appreciate it....
OK... you need an OBDI compatible scanner with and OBDII connector adapter. I'm not sure if this exists but if your car has it, there's gotta be a way to scan it. Although, its REALLY strange to have the OBDII connector on an OBDI system. I don't know why they would have done that. Your pontiac dealer should be able to do it. But, before you resort to that, ask around pep boys, advance, autozone places to see if they can help you out. I was fortunate to get the newer '95 version so I have the OBDII.

HOWEVER, there are tricks to read an OBDI without a scanner. If you search around the internet, there are articles on how to do it. I think you need to short a couple pins together and turn the key a couple times or something like that. Then your check engine light flashes at you. The # of flashes translated into some error code.
According to this web page, you can only do it on a '93 f-body, but you could give it a shot...
OBDI Instructions

Here's another guy with the same problem...
OBDI errors on '95 (web forum)

Here's a pretty long article if you have the time and if you are interested...
OBDI & II cabling and interfacing information...

Hope this helps...
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2005 | 05:50 AM
  #5  
jkichline's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 416
Likes: 0
From: Bethlehem, PA
Default

Originally Posted by vulgardisplayofpower
hey got your post i found a way to jump it but it did not work. so i went back to the basics . i started with checking fore fire a the #1 plug and nothing , then i checked the coil , no fire out of the coil, then i pulled the wire from the distributor that goes to the coil and nothing... i have spent 3 hours tracing wires for a bad connection or broke wire. do you know if the ignition tumbler is bad will it not let the car start just turn over. when it turns over it seems to spin fast..i sure appreciate your input on this headache that i have.. thanks again.
I guess something gone wrong in the tumbler causing your headache is possible but I seriously doubt it. It seems that you have been able to band aid this problem while wiggling the OBDII connector. I would start there. Once you hear the fuel pump, you can start the engine. Because of this and the fact that you don't get spark all the way back to the distributor tell me that your computer isn't turning on at all. Sometimes wires can be come loose or even break under the insulation and you'll never be able to see it. I would try wiggling each individual wire behind that OBDII connector (with the key in the "ON" position) and see if you can find one that makes something happen. I've had my share of problems with no codes... but this is a tough one... I have been putting all of these messages in this forum in hopes that someone else has had this problem and has a better idea of how to help. I have heard of tumbler problems, but I don't think they could crank the engine with their bad tumbler.
I'll keep thinking but I'm running out of ideas...
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:15 PM.

story-0
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-1
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-2
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-3
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-4
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-5
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-6
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
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE