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I own a 1988 Olds Cutlass Supreme (International Series) with a 2.8 and about 140k miles. I am trying to slowly fix all the problems on this car and keep it to avoid spending money in a large chunk to buy a new one. Recently I have had to change several things on the car. I had a service engine light that came back to the o2 sensor that turned out to be a disconnected wire... actually turned out to be a disconnected harness... upon investigation I found that several wires under the front end on the drivers side had come down and were chewed up. I fixed the wiring and properly attached them up out of the way and have not had an engine light since. I then replaced the water pump and the serpentine belt. Then during a routine oil change (the first I had to do on the car) it was discovered that someone had put the wrong oil filter on the car... in trying to remove it I damaged the oil sending unit and replaced it. Which brings up my first problem... the oil pressure on the gauge is reading the highest it can? Also replaced lower ball joints on both sides due to failure on one. Then about a week ago, I was driving and noticed that when I went to stop the volts would drop suddenly and the car would die. I just replaced the throttle position sensor a few months ago (about the same time as the wiring repair). I assumed the problem was an alternator and purchased one today and installed that along with new front brake pads and rotors. After driving a mile or so the voltage problem occured again. When I apply the brakes to stop the volts go nuts... the idle weirds out and the car tries to die. Also at an idle the headlights dim intermittently and when I push the power door locks the interior lights dim momentarily. I learned when the o2 sensor was unplugged that running the a/c would correct the idle problem but it only seems to help this new problem a little bit. I took the car to an auto parts store and had the battery tested and it tested fine. He suggested turning the idle up and something about another sensor? Any ideas? I don't think it is the idle because turning the a/c on to stimulate the idle higher doesn't seem to help much... but I could be wrong? thanks!
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hi julia, wow julia maybe i should be asking you questions lol.i am impressed with your knowledge.and the prob you have here is a very difficult one to diagnose over the puter.but i will try..ok first let,s go back to the oil pressure prob.what is happening is you have a guage and the sensor they gave you is for a light ,or visa versa,they need to know if you have a guage or just a light. now the elec prob is most likely ,a defective alt as you thought the first time.such as a bad regulator that is surgeing voltage.what ever the amp requirements is should be a constant supply .i just had a simular prob with my corvette i bought a alternator and now at idle the lights will dim and brighten.it is supposed to put out 105 amps but at idle it fluxuates between 105 and 60 .have it checked to save you a lot of trouble.work with me and we will figure it out first have that alt checked..please take a min of your time to rate my help most don,t lol ty billymac
Could you tell me please, what the idle should be set at to be right. In trying to diagnose this problem..( I will have that alt. checked, thanx... didn't even think that I could have been sold a bum alt. Should have known, was just sold equally bad "brand new" parts for the pc) I was also told to replace the idle air control, which I did... no fix... so I did the next thing I was told to do, I upped the idle... but may have upped it too far. It seemed all right at first but after driving it seems to be way high in idle/park. I did drive it to reset the idle air control before I tried this by the way. The lights still do the same thing after all this. Thanx for all your help, it is much appreciated!!!
Julia (having the alternator checked again right after work tomorrow!)
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hi again julia,the idle should be normal warm eng 700 rpms.but the puter will adjust as it believes is,.but if it is not then something is going on .you may need a updated prom to get the [uter yo idle correctly.however i see no reason the idle and charge amps are connected.and yes there is a good supply of bad parts out there .it can only be an alt prob or a loose connection ,i would search the wires for bad connections.especially the ones going to starter and alt.
Sorry to bug again...wanted to say thanks a bunch...you are right... the idle did right itself today. I have already had a problem once with the wiring to the starter. After being stranded with a car that would not start and changing the starter, I discovered the wiring was a mess. The starter problem turned out to be an unplugged harness, which was right next to the whole other bundle of wires that was chewed up (one of which was the o2 sensor problem). Unfortunately, I assumed my next step was going to be to go over all of the wiring again. I guess we will see where that leads. The wiring in this car just seems to be a mess. Unfortunately, I think I may also have a caliper trying to stick. *sigh. But thanx again for your help!! Much appreciated!!
Julia
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anytime julia .i am glad to help billymac
hello! It is me again! Okay...here are the problems now. The car is still doing the surging idle at a stop.... but only some of the time. I finally had some codes show back up so I checked those. The one came up something about the ECM memory and the other was the idle air control. I was told to unplug the fuse for the ecm for a few seconds and plug it back in... which I did, that was a couple of weeks ago and that particular code has not came back. However, the code for the idle air control is another matter. I had just replaced this so I figured if I unhooked the battery it should reset this code. Which it did, only this one keeps coming back. I have taken the part back off, checked the throttle body for carbon as was suggested to me, still have the same problem. (I also found a hole in the large air hose between the mass air flow sensor and the throttle body and repaired that) I am at a loss. Then last night, the car tried to leave me stranded once again. It just wouldn't start. The engine would turn over but the car would not start. This went on for a good 20 minutes and then finally the car restarted (then died when given gas and then restarted again) and we were able to leave the grocery store. At our next stop it did it again, only this time after restarting then putting the car in gear and driving a few feet, the car died again. I was able to finally get it restarted and left it idle for a bit and drove it home fine, praying for green lights so we wouldn't have to try to let it idle. It sputtered and surged again at the idles but we made it home fine. I had decided it seemed like a fuel problem and bought a fuel filter to try changing that and see if it will help, but then I was told it might be the fuel pump, but I had thought that if that went, it would just go and the car wouldn't restart? Any thoughts? I am kinda desperate here, the only other car we had blew the engine a couple of weeks ago (no surprise, the thing had a bad knock, we knew it was just a matter of time) so this is my only car and I am soooooo frustrated at this point. Thanks again! (by the way, the caliper wasn't sticking, I think it was the engine actually hesitating when coasting)
Julia
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hi again julia .wow julia what are we going to do about that darn car lol.once again i am impressed with your knowledge of mechanics. yes you are right you would think a fuel pump would just die and be over .but this usually don,t happen .you see what is most likely going on is the pump is not produceing enough pressure,(below 40 psi{ this will cause a sluugish accell.and a stalling prob.try this when the car starts hard shut the key off and on leaveing it on for 3 secs at a time the 5th time try and start it if starts right up then pump is bad ..or just change it because if you haven,t you will have too soon better to be safe.ok briefly let me explain the iac code.the puter constantly monitors sensor for idle if the idle idles less then normal for 5 secs at any time it will set the code also if car cranks longer then it should without starting this code will set.so until car is perfect or within all parimeters.or specs it will reset.ty julia hope this helps bye billymac
Me again. Now I am just FRUSTRATED! Okay here is what is new. Last week I went ahead and changed the fuel filter. Still had the same problem. I drove it to my ex husbands house and still thinking it was a problem with the vacuum and trying to be nice I suppose, he offered to check the lines for me real quick. In doing so, he broke the vacuum line going to the map sensor. In being an idiot, I rerouted it the way he told me to back to the throttle body. Turned out to be the wrong way. So I fixed that one back where he broke it off, like I should have done in the first place. In doing this though, another line got broke off at the throttle body going under the intake. this one is still unhooked and the diagram that I have says it goes to the HVAC/Cruise. I feel like a total moron at this point. I am trying to find where the diagram says this hose goes out the back so I can route it without having to take the intake apart. I can't find it. But that all said and done, the car still is acting pretty badly. It's problem now extends past just surging the idle up and down at a stop sign or light, to just not starting (still turns over) or dieing the second I touch the accelerator. Could all this be traced to the HVAC/Cruise vacuum line being unhooked? Still thinking a fuel problem, yesterday I replaced the fuel pump. (of course I had just filled the car, that made it fun) It drove fine for about a second. Now we are back to square one. I really don't feel very intelligent at this point. :) so I came back to ask you? Thanks again!
Julia
Answerhi again julia.sorry about the car .it certainly is trying your patience lol..it is so hard to try and diag problems over the puter.i wish your car was here.but let,s see what we can do.the hvac cruise vac lines are for your heater and your cruise control.the one for the heater will be going through the firewall inside the car.this lines changes vents on your heat or ac.the cruise control is mounted on the inner fender or sometimes on the eng.it will be a round pancake type servo.it has a cable going to the throttlebody.you have 3 cables going to the thr body one goes to the accell pedal one goes to the transmission the other goes to the cruise servo which is where the vac line goes also.and could it be the problem yes it is a possibility that must be conciddered.but i am thinking you will end up replaceing the puter on the thing eventually.no need to feel unintellagent cars are very complicated,and i talk to a lot of people men and women and you are certainly in the top five as far as intelligence.lol.this prob may not be fuel system. rather elec or worse a puter that has a bad memcal.this will cause unusual probs.are you sure throttlebody is not gummed up?? open the flap shine a light inside do you see dirty oily stuff if so get carb cleaner spray until gunk is gone.possible coil pack and module or cranksensor .just so many possibilities.here is another there is a vacum line going to the modulator on this car pull it loose and see if trans fluid runs out or if you can see trans fluid in the hose.if so the modulator has failed causeing the eng to suck trans fluid out and into eng..you see if the injectors are putting the right amount of fuel in each cyl and the air is being mixed properly the only other thing would be something that is not fuel getting in the system.maybe fuel pressure regulator stuck .remove vac hose from regulator is there gas in vac hose..if so bad reg. i hope this will help and try and not get frusterated as you need lot,s of patience to fix this car.good luck billymac
