First all, Thank you for taking the time to read and possibly help.

I have a 89 RS that came with a HO 305. I removed the 305 and replaced with a 92 350 Vortec with swirl port heads, zz4 cam, flat top forge pistons, and headers. I have followed the "How to: 305 To 350 swap" on this forum and replaced the following:
Injectors, Fuel Pressure regulator, ECS and knock sensor.

My current issue is when connecting the ECM back up after installing the G2 adapter and Ostrich, the check engine light just continually flashes. Per my reading, this means it is in diagnostic mode. Can anyone tell me what i am doing wrong here? did i use the wrong ECM? any help would be great as I am dieing to drive this beast!

 

So the test ECM i used was a '738. I have since used a '746 with the same results.

 

I assume that you verified that it does not exhibit the same behavior with the stock chip in place?

 

The "stock" chip was for the 305, but yes. the stock chip does work as expected but it takes about 10 full seconds to crank, hesitates, and runs rich.

 

Have you verified no bent pins on the adapter and Ostrich? Make sure that you don't have the adapter, or ribbon cable plugged in '1 off' up or down. It happens. Did you change the mask ID to 'AA'. I know many people forget to do that too. I think if you don't do that, it will cause the ECM to think there is a PROM error. I don't think you are in diagnostic mode. I think the ECM can't read the Osctrich. Is the original PROM a 24 pin or 28 pin?

 

Have you verified no bent pins on the adapter and Ostrich?
Yes. Looks good.

Make sure that you don't have the adapter, or ribbon cable plugged in '1 off' up or down. It happens.
Not sure what you mean, but the red side is to the inside. When I soldered the adapter down it has the "notch" to the inside as well.

Did you change the mask ID to 'AA'. I know many people forget to do that too. I think if you don't do that, it will cause the ECM to think there is a PROM error. Are you referring to the bin file I loaded? If so I will have to review tonight.

I don't think you are in diagnostic mode. I think the ECM can't read the Osctrich. Is the original PROM a 24 pin or 28 pin?
24 pin.

 

Did you load a proper BIN into the Ostrich? Need to do that for the ECM to run. I'm not sure which ECM the '738 is, but need to use the BIN that is used with that ECM.

Same for the '8746 ECM, need to use a '8746 BIN (MaskID $61).

The flashing CEL means the ECM is in limp mode, running from the Redundant Fuel Device (RFD).

RBob.

 

I loaded a few bin files. One was the $61. However, further research say i need this: http://www.moates.net/socket-booster....html?cPath=26

"Please note: The socket booster is REQUIRED for successful use of the Ostrich 2.0 with 24-pin applications such as the GM TBI OBD1 C3 1227747 ECUs."

Just ordered and will let you know if it resolves the issue.

 

Yes to the socket booster, I had forgotten about that. Be sure to get all of the switches properly set. Both on the booster and the Ostrich. With the booster I think that the Ostrich needs to be set as a 28 pin PROM.

Any chance the '738 ECM is a new number for an older ECM? Does the service number start with 16?

RBob.

 

L98_ is correct about this. At key-on the ECM checks the MaskID and the checksum, if either fails the CEL blinks and the ECM is in limp mode.

At first key-on the checksum isn't an issue. But once the Ostrich has a calibration parameter changed the checksum no longer matches. But this is OK until the ignition is keyed-off. Now at key-on the checksum test fails with the resultant blinking CEL.

Changing the MaskID to $AA tells the ECM code to ignore the checksum failure.

RBob.

 

Rbob,
The '738 was out of a S-10. So pretty sure it will not work. I am going to test the maskID and Bin file again without the booster just cus i can. I will let you know.

 

Yes, you need a socket booster for any of the C3 ECMs. I was able to get a '7747 to run a couple of times without, but more often it would not work. Get a hold of Moates and get the socket booster. Then load the correct bin for the ECM.

Also you can get around the mask ID set to "AA" by uploading the entire bin at once, instead of emulating and changing only select values. I prefer the check sum diable (mask ID = "AA").

 

Thanks! Wife had me putting up the christmas tree so did not test tonight. I will just wait for the booster. 2 day shipping.

Thanks again for all the input. Good to know I was at least on the right path!

 

So the booster came in. Set it to 28 pin. Loaded the 61.ads bin file to the ostrich (switches set to 28/28) after changing the mask ID in tunerpro. turn key. Flashing light. Try to crank car. Back to stock chip issues (long crank time). Ideas? I got about an hour tonight for options

 

HAHA think I might have found my own issue. I was just looking at the pic i just uploaded and the red side of the cable is on the wrong end. switching and testing again.

 

So, installed properly. Turn key. Flashing light. First crank took about 5 sec. turn off. turn key back. Security light and flashing engine. Options?

 

Hard to tell from the pic, is the booster board switch in the 24 pin position. Needs to be.

RBob.

 

Check the documentation, but shouldn't all the switches be set to 24 pin? The orientation looks right to me, the booster has the 4 unused pins hanging off the correct way. Also, you say you are using 61.ads; that is for data logging. Do you have the 61 xdf file also? That is the one you need. You also need a bin file to upload. What bin are you using? Is the size 4K?

 

Looks like the switch is on 28

 

So I have all my switches set to 28. I guess I miss understood what I read. As to the Bin file. I have found a bunch of bins but not sure which to use. I feel like the stock bin will not be tuned for my changes, but I feel like I should START with a stock file. Opinions on what bin i should use considering my setup?

 

Seems to me the red stripe was closest to the outside of the case but let me do some digging...



Edit

Here's an image I found from a fiero site.

 

According to http://support.moates.net/ostrich-operation/ the stripe should be to the inside on mine. Agreed?

 

You have the cable connected correctly (red toward the inside), the other picture is for a different ECM.

Need to set the booster for a 24-pin device. And the emulator for a 28-pin device.

We always recommend that one starts with a stock BIN. Otherwise you are starting with a complete unknown.

RBob.

 

So changed to 24 pin on booster and loaded the ANLU bin. Woot! It runs with no Check engine light. Still a bit hard to crank, but I am now ready to start tune! Thank you all for everybit of help. I am sure I will be posting more but I can drive her as is and start dialing it in! AGAIN......

THANK YOU!!!!!

 

That's a P4 style ECM, which uses a MEMCAL, which you can see in the picture, retained by the white lock at either end of the MEMCAL. The orientation of the #1 pin is different between P4 and C3 style ECMs.

 

That may be correct about pin 1 orientation on the ECM, but the socket booster pin one is towards the switch, it literally says right on the board in 2 different spots, whoever hooked that up and took that picture that was hooked up Wrong

 

8 years later 🤣 I’m sure they figured it out

 

Wishful thinking, also that doesnt really help the next person coming along reading and looking at incorrect information. If the information is there for people to learn, it should be correct, or someone to correct it so at the end they can see that plugging it in like that would be backwards