wow, more problems.....

[Ganja Man]

ok guys i just got done replacing my harmonic balancer about a week ago and the cars been running fine until yesterday. i went to start it and it sputtered then died on me so i wait a few seconds and try again, this time it just turns over and wont start. waited about 5 min then tired agin, this time it started right up without any problems. now when im try and get on it a little bit i feel like it pulling good then i lose power then it comes back, it fluctuates. the problem is happening off and on, sometimes the car starts right up and other times it takes a few min, same with the driving issue. im not sure what this could be, i was thinking maybe a leak somewhere but that wouldnt really affect starting the car would it? any suggestions? thanks

 

[realhp=turbo]

Did you disconnect the neg. cable from the battery when you did this job? If not go out and disconnect it now. Leave it off for about 15 min (to let the ecu reset properly) then hook it back up without arcing at all. Make sure that your terminals are devoid of all corrosion on both ends of the cables and that they are tight. Then try and see if that helps.
mike

 

[Ganja Man]

ill try that in the morning. thanks for the quick reply

 

[Ganja Man]

ok did that and didnt work. anyone else have some suggestions? thanks

 

[TooSlowGSX92]

ECU itself is bad, my old car did that and all it was was the ECU

 

[Ganja Man]

where could i go to get it tested? autozone maybe? thanks

 

[Black_Stalon]

does your car only have troubles starting when its cold? if so I had a wire break off the engine coolant temp sensor that caused this.. does your check engine light come on at all?
the ecu is easy enuf to check visually, just open it up and have a look at teh caps that are prone to leakage, look where the contacts meet the board for erosion and whatnot.
before you go out and buy one I would defintlay try and swap one with soembody else if you know someone.. save alot of $$$ if its not your computer.

 

[Ganja Man]

no its not only on cold starts. i had that coolant temp sensor break a couple months ago after installing my turbo but got it replaced. ok now with the cel. i havent been getting one since the problem started but this morning i got one for about 15 seconds. i tried pulling it from my datalogger but i wasnt fast enough also, it seemed that when i took a sharp turn this mroning it cut out a little bit. im not low on gas so maybe its related.
anyways ill look at the ecu. thanks for the help guys

 

[Ganja Man]

ok i thought i knew where it was but i dont. someone wanna point it out real quick on this pic

 

[realhp=turbo]

what pic? Are you talking about the ecu location?

Sorry I just got the pic. No its not under the hood. Its behind the radio in the dash.

 

[Ganja Man]

oh . ill go take a look thanks

 

[Black_Stalon]

assuming your ecu is working correctly, I think there are some codes that do not latch in the ecu's memory once there gone. might help to narrow it down.

 

[Ganja Man]

ok guys whats the easiest way to get the damn ecu out. i pulled my radio and i see it but it seems like its mounted by screws that go in from the sides which are under the carpeted area. do i need to somehow get to those? thanks

 

[LandoAWD]

ok guys whats the easiest way to get the damn ecu out. i pulled my radio and i see it but it seems like its mounted by screws that go in from the sides which are under the carpeted area. do i need to somehow get to those? thanks

Pull both kick panels. Unbolt three bolts.

Oh, and use descriptive thread titles.

 

[NitrousBob]

pull the carpet off both sides and take out the three screws 10mm and take the computer out the passenger side and pull off the plugs. Most dealers i deal with want to test the computer in the car for some reason.

 

[Ganja Man]

god damnit, i got it all out and i was taking out the 4 screws to open it up to see if the caps are ok but when i get to the last screw it seems to be a little tight so i try to get it out and ive kind of stripped it a little. damn thing wont come out......

 

[Black_Stalon]

happened to me too, just use the right size bit.. #3 phillips if i remember correctly?

 

[NitrousBob]

if your caps are bad and its flooding the engine. why dont you check the spark plugs they should appear black or soaking wet. also checking the basics like battery hookup. or fuses might be easier to try first. maybe cas.

 

[Ganja Man]

ok caps on ecu are fine, ive checked fuses, ill pull the spark plugs today and have a look at them. how do i check the cas? i know where it is and everything but what am i looking for to see if theres a problem with it? thanks