QuestionQUESTION: 1998 pontiac sunfire, starts then immediately dies, codes are p1404-egr valve pintle stuck open, p0118-engine coolant circuit high input, p0404-egr circuit range/performance, p0405-egr sensor a circuit low, p0452-evaporative emission control system pressure sensor low input, p0453-evaporative emission control system pressure sensor high input.....what needs to be replaced to make it run again?
Mar 08, 2010- replaced my battery with a new one, cleaned egr valve and made sure it was working correctly and not sticking open or closed, replaced spark plugs with new ones, and checked exhaust to be sure it wasn't clogged. the fuel pump is working, getting fuel pressure to the engine. still nothing...cranks and starts then dies immediately. where do i go from here? Can't afford to keep buying parts and paying for someone to put them on, running out of time money, and NERVES! please help
ANSWER: What you really should do is let a qualified tech hook a real-time scanner to the system and find out what's wrong. My guess is that the ECM itself is bad. It is unlikely that all of these faults could manifest at the once. The ECM has set these codes on its own without any actual input from the sensors. ECMs and getting them reprogrammed can be expensive, so getting that scan is a good investment.
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QUESTION: what exactly is the ecm? if it's the computer...had a different one from salvage put in and still does the same thing
Answer Salvage yard ECMs are just about worthless. You need a rebuilt unit from A1 or some other reputable remanufacturer. Then the unit needs to be reflashed to match the latest software for your car's VIN. Again, you need a competent mechanic to scan the ECM with his real-time scanner. These machines cost several thousand dollars; they are NOT simple code readers.
