This morning on the way to work, I got a check engine light. I get the 44 and 64 every once in a while while driving at a steady rate. This one felt different. Since my scanner is still hooked up, at the next light I turned it on and scanned trouble codes, found Code:

41 Electronic Spark timing - Timing is open

WTF is this? Googleing now.

 

Engine Coolant Temp. Sensor, ********.

 

Pretty sure everybody reading that except him, knew that. He baited and you bit!

 

***** not given. I just needed a reason to call someone a dipshit. I knew he was trolling, but I don't really care.

 

You need a new Optispark distributor, that's what code 41 is. Make sure you buy either the Delphi or the AC Delco unit. Don't be tempted by cheap imitations.

Plenty on changing the opti in this forum if you do it yourself. It's a messy job (requires romoving the water pump, rad fans and harmonic balancer) but the car will run really well afterwards. Make sure you ask here if you have any questions about doing it.

 

I've done lots of research regarding the opti change. So far though, I haven't gotten that code again. I consistently getting 44 and 64 though. When I googled what code 41 is, it had nothing to do with the opti, but with the cap and rotor most likely the culprit. It means there's a "leak" of voltage that could be the ICM, Coil, or cap and rotor.

So, for testing purposes, I put a 220 degree F 330ohm resistor in the waterpump coolant temp sensor connector. Started it up, and right away noticed a difference. It idled higher (about 1000 rpm like it's supposed to in closed loop) and timing is still all jacked up.

Pretty sure that damn water temp sensor is causing all my issues. I ordered it like 2 weeks ago so it should be here anytime.

 

Code 41 is the DI system, open circuit from the distributor. The distributor is the opti, and if you're replacing the cap and rotor you should replace the entire unit so you don't have to take it apart again. 64 and 44 are the O2 sensors. If you have had code 41 once, you will have it again. If you don't have it again you're home free I guess.

 

Been 3 days, no open circuit code. Diagnostics said it happened during start. Didn't happen again. I'm aware 44 and 64 are lean codes, but I think the car was running so rich, it was reporting a false lean code. Either way, I've been running it with the resistor in for a whole day, and have no trouble codes. The car surges, and I can't give it constant gas, only blurps of the throttle. I'm pretty sure once I get the temp sensor in there I'm home free. Will report back when I get it, and get it installed.

 

Got it!!!! NOT THE OPTI.

Got everything fixed. Last week I took it to upside, the American car specialists on Okinawa. They went ahead and diagnosed some ****, played with some ****, and changed some **** I already changed. So one of the last things they did while I was there, was hook up a fuel pressure gauge. I did this before, but the gauge I used at Kadenas auto hobby was shady at best, and I was told it never really worked before. The gauge then had told me 42 psi. Should be about 43. Wataru hooked up the gauge and it said 21-22psi. Turns out this whole time it was the ******* fuel pump! So I paid them for the time they used swapping parts around and had them put my parts back on they took off, mostly because they were all brand new, and took it home. Fast forward to Saturday morning, I take it to the hobby shop, drop the rear axle, drop the tank, r2 just the fuel pump with a walbro I had laying around, and after I got everything back together....she runs like a raped ape! All for only 2 hours of work. Lesson learned: Double and triple check. Had I tried another fuel pressure gauge from some where else, I would have found the issue a month ago. But oh well, good to go now.

I also tried to pull off the second spoiler....it's only 4 bolts holding it to the trunk, then another 4 "screws" holding the big one to the little one. They're so beyond rusted. I drilled the head out on one, but ended up giving up because my drill blows. So for now, until or if, I order another one it stays on.

 

Only problem I had was my exhaust is..."custom" if you will. It looks like it rusted and broke just before the cat (only one) and somebody just put a pipe on it and welded it in. So I have no cat. I had to undo the exhaust at the headers and pull it through. Other than that it was fairly easy. I'll say though, after changing the fuel pump in my skyline, I was unprepared for this ****. My skyline has a screw off top in the trunk, and the float assembly attached to the lip. I just pulled it up and out, r2 pump, dropped it back in and twisted the cap back on. Done.

 

Well, there's a lot to be said for doing diagnosis by the book. If you just start parts swapping you're in for an expensive ride. It feels good once it's done though.

 

Luckily, I hadn't put more than what was nessecary for a tune up into it anyway. What I replaced:
-Plugs
-Wires
-Oil filter
-Oil
-Fuel filter
-Air filter
-ICM
-Coil

These things were going to be changed regardless, I was just hoping they would have fixed it. Also, Diagnosis WAS followed in the cheapest/easiest path possible; not my fault tools are junk Granted i knew it was "shady" but it was hooked up, checked, unhooked, hooked up again, several times and always said the same thing. Also showed 0 while disco'd.