3.8 firebird ignition blues... HELP!!!
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 188
Likes: 0
From: WV
3.8 firebird ignition blues... HELP!!! first off, many people will probably tell me to go somewhere else, but i don't know anywhere else i could go, so someone that can, please help me.
98 v6 firebird, died on the original owner back in november when i went to buy it off him, he put on a new coil and ignition control module, a few weeks ago, i had a problem and i looked and saw another coil had corrosion on one of the towers so i replaced that coil and presto, it started and ran alright. looked like the older coil wasnt original like the rusted one was so im pretty sure all the coils are pretty well new. well, it died on me on the road, and i got it back to the house and im reading the voltage with my multimeter off the blades on the module and they are reading about 1.9 volts, i can't remember what they read when i was putting the other coil on a few weeks ago but i think the first one read 8 or so, can't really remember. anyways, what else should i check? i was planning on getting a kd spark tester and seeing if i was getting a spark from the coils. then if not, getting some wire piercing probes and checking the wires going to the module. any help would be greatly appreciated. i want to get it fixed for my graduation saturday
98 v6 firebird, died on the original owner back in november when i went to buy it off him, he put on a new coil and ignition control module, a few weeks ago, i had a problem and i looked and saw another coil had corrosion on one of the towers so i replaced that coil and presto, it started and ran alright. looked like the older coil wasnt original like the rusted one was so im pretty sure all the coils are pretty well new. well, it died on me on the road, and i got it back to the house and im reading the voltage with my multimeter off the blades on the module and they are reading about 1.9 volts, i can't remember what they read when i was putting the other coil on a few weeks ago but i think the first one read 8 or so, can't really remember. anyways, what else should i check? i was planning on getting a kd spark tester and seeing if i was getting a spark from the coils. then if not, getting some wire piercing probes and checking the wires going to the module. any help would be greatly appreciated. i want to get it fixed for my graduation saturday
first off, many people will probably tell me to go somewhere else, but i don't know anywhere else i could go, so someone that can, please help me.
98 v6 firebird, died on the original owner back in november when i went to buy it off him, he put on a new coil and ignition control module, a few weeks ago, i had a problem and i looked and saw another coil had corrosion on one of the towers so i replaced that coil and presto, it started and ran alright. looked like the older coil wasnt original like the rusted one was so im pretty sure all the coils are pretty well new. well, it died on me on the road, and i got it back to the house and im reading the voltage with my multimeter off the blades on the module and they are reading about 1.9 volts, i can't remember what they read when i was putting the other coil on a few weeks ago but i think the first one read 8 or so, can't really remember. anyways, what else should i check? i was planning on getting a kd spark tester and seeing if i was getting a spark from the coils. then if not, getting some wire piercing probes and checking the wires going to the module. any help would be greatly appreciated. i want to get it fixed for my graduation saturday
98 v6 firebird, died on the original owner back in november when i went to buy it off him, he put on a new coil and ignition control module, a few weeks ago, i had a problem and i looked and saw another coil had corrosion on one of the towers so i replaced that coil and presto, it started and ran alright. looked like the older coil wasnt original like the rusted one was so im pretty sure all the coils are pretty well new. well, it died on me on the road, and i got it back to the house and im reading the voltage with my multimeter off the blades on the module and they are reading about 1.9 volts, i can't remember what they read when i was putting the other coil on a few weeks ago but i think the first one read 8 or so, can't really remember. anyways, what else should i check? i was planning on getting a kd spark tester and seeing if i was getting a spark from the coils. then if not, getting some wire piercing probes and checking the wires going to the module. any help would be greatly appreciated. i want to get it fixed for my graduation saturday
Crankshaft sensors are very common and hard for most to diagnose on these. They are behind the crank pulley and require a special tool to align it when replacing. If you have no spark and the ignition module has already been replaced that is what I would replace. These cause stalling and crank no starts all the time. The tool is hard to get so I would just take it to the dealer because they are usually the only one with it. When I worked at a small shop we had to borrow the one from the dealer I used to work for.
There also is a trick to test spark on these type of coils which is to cut tiny pieces of vacuum line and place them on the coil towers and then put the wires on top. The engine should run this way or while cranking if you have a no start and you can use a screwdriver next to each coil post and it should ark. If all of them ark its not a spark issue.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 188
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From: WV
pretty sure i figured it out i hope. i had the coils off and checked the module, it was giving me juice so i put my coils back on and plugged em back up. didnt try to see if it would start until it was dark when i was puttin the tops back on and rolling the windows up, and vroom it started. it was running fine, didnt seem to be missing so i figured my first wire wasnt getting a good contact. i went and got some dielectric grease to put on the towers and the wire that had the rusted coil kept slipping off and i tried to bend it back so i suppose it is just cracked and won't stay on the coil tower. i hope it's not my crank sensor. How much would you suppose it would cost to get a shop to do that? i would want to do it myself but if i need special tools i can't get ahold of, i guess it's outta my wallet. would that just happen every little bit if it was going bad, and then be able to start back up when it feels like it?
Crank sensors can be very intermittent thats why a lot of people have trouble diagnosing them. When one is going out they always seem to want to work after you mess with something else making you think its fixed then fail on you again later. I would say that 95% of shops besides the dealer would not have the alignment tool so just call around to dealers and see how much they would charge parts and labor.
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Amazon sells this its 175 http://www.amazon.com/Crankshaft-Sen.../dp/B000HI59J2 but its cheap compared to the one we used at the dealer. The dealer tool costs about 700 dollars from what I found on the internet.
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Verdad Gallardo I found the good tool that the dealer uses on ebay its 300 dollars. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/G-M-C...-/180614728058
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Egg Harbor twp New jersey
Maybe i can help my buddy had a 96 camaro 3.8 litter always had a miss and some times a clp miss fire codes. So after 2 new sets of plug all new coils and ignition mod and new wires we was like what the hell is it belive it or not it was the weather strip on back of fire wall that meets the hood close was letting water drip when it rain or any moister at all it would miss run like **** and trow a miss fire code hope it can help if it is letting water hit the coil it would short out
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 188
Likes: 0
From: WV
okay, got my car home today and waiting on my wire probes to come in to do some tests for the sensors. this one guy pointed out that my MAF sensor looked broken on the plugin. would that cause my car to do like this and could i take it to advance or somewhere and get it tested??
