Redi2RocZ

Tpi Gurus Help!

Here's the story...

Start my 305 Tpi from cold, slot into Drive and start to drive away.Within 1 minute the the engine starts to idle very very erractically and nearly dies and then recovers. While the engine is going idle crazy, the SES light comes on and starts to flash rapidly and then stays on. Within 3 minutes or so the engine then seems to recover, the SES light goes out and the car appears to drive normally. This problem only happens when the engine is cold, once fully warm/hot it runs like normal. I have only just got the car and have just replaced the IAC valve and have set the TPS adjustment as per instructions in the Tech Area. When fully hot the engine idles smoothly at 850 rpm in Park and 650 in Drive. I have had the battery disconnected and haven't been for a good drive around (like you are supposed to?) so that the ECM can re-learn. I get Code 51 when I do the A&B Paperclip thing, which is the ECM fault code. I haven't given the car the 45min drive around as I said but do you think I could have a bad ECM???

I have also found some old service history in the car and one comment on a particular invoice states that the car has excess wear in the Throttle Body Butterfly Cross Shaft which may cause the SES light to operate occasionally. Will this be the cause of my problem maybe? The mileage is 64,000 but it could be 164,000 for all I know!

How long do Throttle Bodies last before excess wear occurs?

I have been told that the ECM contains a PROM that can be replaced. If I replaced the PROM (Which I think is the Chip) will this cure the Code 51 and solve my problems as above or will the complete ECM unit have to be replaced. How do the ECM & PROM (I know that Prom means Programme Read Only Memory?) work together, what does each item control etc??

Any ideas or info gratefully received

Thanks in Advance

Mangus

Service the codes its giving you first. Replace the ECM. Almost any well-stocked auto parts store should have this for around $100 plus core (usually another $100 or so). A bad computer can cause some strange (and sometimes impossible to diagnose) problems. I should know! My car's on its third ECM! =)


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'89 TA - 5.7 TPI (L05, was originally a 305TPI), T5-WC, 3.08 Posi (Drum)

Mangus

Oops, forgot to mention. You shouldn't have to change the chip at all. Just pull it out of the old ECM and plop it in the new one.

Redi2RocZ

Hi Guys,

Thanks to everybody who has replied to my previous postings.

Just thought that I would let everybody know that the problem that I was experiencing was because my ECM was bad.

A quick browse on e-bay landed me a used ECM for $42.00, works perfectly.

Thanks again for all the input.