88TransAmGuy

iTrader: (3)

Im trying to figure out if 89 caprices had vats? I have checked with a chevy parts dept and they said 89 caprices didnt have 5.7 tbi engines? (which is the ecm Im trying to find). Autozone sells a 89 caprice ecm for 5.7 tbi but they dont know if it has vats turned on? This is for an 88 ta with a 5.7 tbi so the car doesnt have vats. I found this web site that shows the caprice had vats starting in 94? http://www.ricksfreeautorepairadvice...-theft-systems

DENN_SHAH

iTrader: (1)

i believe caprice had TBI in 88. it seems like caprice had VATS before 94, like 91 or 92, but my book also shows 94 as the start.
VATS is in the removable "chip" thats in the ECM, not the ECM itself.

Saar

looking at the ECM diagram in alldata, 89 caprice, 5.7TBI, no VATS circuit is shown, so it should not be enabled in the calibration.

88TransAmGuy

iTrader: (3)

Thanks so much! If that's the case it'll make my life alot easier! Gonna go ahead and order it. Ill post the results for future reference.

RBob

iTrader: (1)

I've never known a re-man ECM to come with a PROM/MEMCAL/CALPAK. Although some ECMs have the CALPAK soldered in, which would then be included.

RBob.

88TransAmGuy

iTrader: (3)

Well RBob you were right no prom included! So I ordered a prom for an 89 caprice 5.7 from rockauto. Hopefully it will work.

Tuned Performance

iTrader: (92)

what part number did you order? A ANLU would work 16125368 but It has been discontinued for several years. I have one if rockauto doesnt pan out.

88TransAmGuy

iTrader: (3)

Well the only info I have right now is it's for a 89 caprice 5.7 ACDELCO Part #16060836.

Tuned Performance

iTrader: (92)

Oh, I thought you were in need of a eprom not calpak , sorry

88TransAmGuy

iTrader: (3)

Well the part came and was a calpak! It was listed under prom! I do need a ANLU 5369 prom not a calpak. I've been calling all the yards around here but no one has it.

hmx

Sorry this is a little late. I own an '89 Caprice, and it originally came with the 305 (5.0L) V8. It is the first year for TBI in the Caprice (my friend owned the 1988 and it was carbureted) Apparently there were very few of the 5.7L V8s made, as I have had a number of GM service counter clerks tell me that their computers don't even show a 5.7L V8 for that year. I believe that the 5.7L only came in the base 'caprice' model (not the classic or brougham), and it is possible that they only came as police package cars. I have, in fact, seen an '89 5.7L caprice in a junkyard in California, as a police package (I ripped out the '8746 ECM among other things) and it had the ANLU chip in it. I would suggest soldering the G2 adapter (sold by Moates) into the ECM and popping in a burned copy of the ANLU chip.

My service manual (the GM original, not the cheapo Haynes) does have the 5.7 L option, however, and there is no VATS circuits listed in any of the wiring diagrams for any engine type of that year.

morgsie

iTrader: (1)

Wrong. 1988 was the first year for TBI, however it was only available on the 4.3L. The 5.7L was ONLY available for 9C1 cars (aka cop cars). This was true from 1980 or '81 until the early '90s. I own both of these cars mentioned above.

No VATS on Caprice, at least the boxy style.

hmx

I stand corrected.


OOC, do you know if the caprice wagon had the 5.7L in it? Or was there a towing package with the 5.7L option?

whitesnake23

just an fyi any gm car with vats having a chip in the key can be bypassed by measureing the resestance in ohms of the key chip and going to radio shack and buying that same resestance in resestors then soldering them inline with the vats module will permenatly bypass the vats system

Saar

it will bypass the sensing side, but it won't bypass the control portion(the starter disable relay and the 30/50Hz square wave signal to the ECM). if the control portion goes, you need to bypass that as well(either a signal gen or VATS disable in the PROM for one, connecting a pair of wires for the other).

BroBroFRESH

I see a lot of knowledge in this post.im New to the boards. I had a few questions. I have an '89 caprice LS Broughm, I took the 305 out and had a brand new 350 built and dropped in.Its TPI, I upgraded the cam, and got some hooker headers on there, changed fuel injectors,distributor,plugs wires to run the 350. What chips and sensors do I need to change seeing that the ECM is still 305 minded? Thanks in advance.

morgsie

iTrader: (1)

If it's TPI you could get your TBI ECU upgraded to rbob's EBL w/ port mod. This would be way less rewiring. If you want to run the TPI ECU you will have to modify a TPI harness and splice it into the Caprice harness. The TPI ECU should fit in the stock location in the caprice as they are the same dimention wise. Either ECU I would go with the EBL, its expensive but my stock 5.7L in my '89 Caprice ran 10x better out of the box with a provided tune.

utilityguy2

iTrader: (1)

If the Engine is a MAF engine, see the stickies to re-pin the harness get a 1227165 ECM and find a Memcal for the engine. If the engine is newer MAP, need much more modification such as 1227730 ECM and Memcal, extensive harness work and probably some VSS mods.

BroBroFRESH

Vss mods. MemCal... im not hip to any of that. LoL, I listen well though. I know my block is a late model 350 86-95.. I was under the impression that TPI & TBI where the same thing. What is the difference?

Fast355

iTrader: (2)

Wrong again...85 was the first year for TBI and only available on the 4.3. The Caprice and Monte Carlo both recieved TBI 4.3 options in 85.

utilityguy2

iTrader: (1)

TPI (tuned port) engines were only in F cars from 1985 -1992 and Y body until 91. the early ones were MAF system engines and starting in 1990 they were MAP. Two entirely different systems and each had its own computer and Memcals (the part in the computer with the program) of course the sensors and harness are different also. 1985 engines had a totally different computer system. VATs is the security system for late 89-92 cars that is programmed into the Memcal and prevents fuel pump action and starting if proper key is not used. VSS is vehicle speed sensor and they are different between MAF and MAP as is the spark and knock control among other things. So you need to know what the engine and TPI system is before you can do anything.

morgsie

iTrader: (1)

Not in Canada. We still ran non-CCC quadrajets up until '87/'88 on the G & B bodies. I never realized TBI was in Caprices that early in the US. I have seen one TBI Monte Carlo once here. And the speedo was in MPH.

hmx

I swapped out my 305 for a 350 in my '89 Caprice. It was (and still is) TBI. Unless you rewired it, it's probably still wired for the TBI.

As for the ECM, my car will run off the 305 stock chip, but not well. I would recommend learning how to burn your own chip and investing in that technology if you are interested in making the car run well. I did and am quite happy with the result.

BroBroFRESH

How would I 'burn a chip' could I just buy one already programmed? And would should I change the PROM also?

utilityguy2

iTrader: (1)

Burning is not for everyone. If motor is mostly stock, it's a lot cheaper and easier to buy one. Check around, there are people that sell them.

PROM or more precisely EPROM or EEPROM, is the same as "chip" It is part of the Memcal inside the ECM and contains the program specific for your engine/car.

hmx

I would agree, burning is not for everyone. It is possible to contact a company and pay them to burn a chip for you. I have never done this, although if you read the boards, many people here find that such chips run rich (as they don't want to be responsible for blowing up your engine with a lean chip) and some complain about them. With a different cam, new injectors, etc., I would suspect that you might need a new chip to make the car run properly.

As for me, I thought that the time (and there was a lot of time) invested in reading the boards and links here, along with the money invested was worth it. You need to read the stickies at the top of this thread, particularly the one about a guide to PROM burning. It's a bit overwhelming at first, but if you find yourself curious and interested, and not thoroughly turned off, it might mean burning is for you. Otherwise, I'd suggest contacting one of the companies that burns such chips and going from there.