1990 GSX Engine problems

[90GSXn3wb]

Alright well i Just finished running the plumbing for my power steering pump since it had been removed by the previous owner (ran lines from reservoir to pump to steering rack) I haven't put a belt on it yet since i don't have any fluid in it yet (so it seems that this would have absolutely nothing to do with my problem), i was on my way to get those things, when everything went to crap.

I started the car, backed out, and started to leave my apt parking lot when all of a sudden my rpms drop drastically to about 500 ish and it was shuddering like crazy. I immediately turned it off, pumped the clutch a couple times thinking it may have gotten stuck/not released properly, then tried to start it back up, and it started after a couple seconds cranking it then tried to idle at around 400-600 rpms. I could rev it up, but its almost non responsive.

Could it be a spark plug not getting spark?(I don't have the right size socket or an extension to pull the plugs)

Since i don't have a code reader, i found a little guide here ECU Code Checking
i tried it with an LED (not sure if it'll work right or not) and it just keeps flashing, no short or long flashes, and it does it indefinitely until turn the key to off position. Could that mean i Have a bad ECU?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

-Brian

 

[boostedorbusted]

how was it running b4 you did the powersteering stuff? could you have left something unplugged?

 

[90GSXn3wb]

It was running fine, except for idling aorund 1k most of the time, with a little surge sometimes.

I didn't touch any other plugs, and i went over everything that i could have touched in the process of connecting this up and everything seems as it should be.

I did do a little test, since it seems like it is misfiring (and the exhaust smells a little more like gas than it should) I started it and let it idle like this, and started pulling plug wire off plugs ( i know probably not a very good thing to do) but i did find that when pulling the wire off the 2 middle plugs, it didn't change the idle at all, although after reconnecting them and pulling the wire off the plug closest to the timing belt, it died almost immediately, this leads me to believe that i have a bad coil/wires. what do you guys think.

-Brian

 

[frankenstein406]

swap the wire to a different one see if it does the same

 

[dylnwit]

I honestly forget if rapid flashing means good or bad. Turn the key to on, but don't start it, and wait 5 seconds, if the check engine light starts to flash, then it's spitting out codes, in which case pull it out and take a few pictures of the circuit board. Your capacitors have probably just leaked out a good bit. If that's the case, look up steve on here, he'll help you out.

These might answer a few of your questions if it is leaking
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/329455-who-rebuilds-ecus.html
DSM (Talon Eclipse Laser) and 3S (3000GT and Stealth) ECU Service and Repair

Something with the coil pack is also possible, but if the ecu has never had the caps replaced, then they have definitely leaked some.

 

[90GSXn3wb]

Glad you suggested that. As i was doing so, the first pair i swapped at the plug and coil pack, and ended up getting the same result. So i put them back where they were, and started to swap another pair of wires, when i decided against it as i was starting to get confused as to which wire went where, and i didn't want to mess up order of the wires at eh coil pack and end up losing the firing order ( i don't have a repair manual yet ) So i went back over the wires and made sure they were all where they needed to be and were all nice and tight on the plugs and at the coil pack ( the connections to the coil pack are very weak, as though the wires are barely resting in the connectors, it takes almost no force to pull them out) And i tried to start the engine once again to see what would happen.....


She runs!!

So apparently i must have nudged one of the wires just enough when running the P/S lines that it came loose from the coil pack, causing the missfiring issue. Everything seems to be working good now. Thanks for the help, and sorry for wasting your time

-Brian

 

[N1te]

Older ECU's occasionally go bad, but I don't see why that would be connected with the power steering problems.

 

[JNperformance]

Older ECU's occasionally go bad, but I don't see why that would be connected with the power steering problems.

Because the coil plug is right in the area where he was working. Read the post. He bumped it and it came loose. Easy explanation. With older cars, things don't stay together like on a new one. Find a way to secure the plug so it doesn't happen when you are driving. What are you talking about? He didn't have a power steering problem. Read the whole thing before posting.