Alright so I have a 89 camaro with tbi. And lately i have noticed that whenever i drive and go to a stop it wants to die? Or does die. So i checked the plugs and the dont seem too bad. I was also gonna check my distributor but i didnt want to have to unplug all the wires. But now when i want to rev it it wont stay at say 3k rpm. it will go up to 3k then die down to 800-1000 rpm and go back up to 3k. While my foot is in the same position or to make it go to 3k rpm. Im thinking it may be the fuel pump? Also i have a leak on my Y pipe. Could it be that? What do you guys think?

 

Any codes?

 

Well i dont have a gauge cluster in it right now cause it quit working but i dont think it would be good to drive on the road and take it to orielys. I also just replaced the cap and rotor which helped on the idle but its still doing the same thing. im thinking its a fuel pump? or clogged fuel filter?

 

Don't need to "take it anywhere to check codes - grab a paperclip and read: https://www.thirdgen.org/service-eng...ht-error-codes

Replace fuel filter.
Check injectors - you want a nice conical spray (no drips).
Replace plugs, cap, rotor, plug wires, air filter.

ALOT of these issues are cleared up with a simple tune-up and fuel filter change.

 

This is great! I didnt know any of this. But its gonna be hard to do without a working gauge cluster. i currently have nothing in it. but i replaced the cap and rotor just a lil while ago and checked my plugs they dont look to bad. Also just before this started to happen i put fuel injector cleaner in it. but i did check and it has a good conical shape to the spray. What about timing?

 

Oh, yeah - missing gauge cluster. That means no SES light. Can you plug the cluster back in to see the SES light? Or maybe find the wires to the cluster connector that feed the SES light, and put a 194 bulb in a socket wired to those wirex to pull the codes?

Here's wiring diags - a ton of 1989 stuff at the bottom (which 99% will apply to your 1989 car): http://www.austinthirdgen.org/index.php?pid=19

Looks like you need to tap into a brown wire with white stripe, on the driver side connector for the cluster - just follow the wires away from the cluster connection on the dash, and tap into that brown/white wire, run a wire from that to a 194 bulb socket, then run the other wire on the socket to a ground. In theory then, you haven't broken any wires anywhere (using a wire tap), and you should be able to get the codes to flash on that bulb for you.

Stock timimg should be ZERO on a TBI car - but can be bumped up to about 4 degrees advanced. EST Wire to find the location of it, what it looks like, so you can disconnect it before checking timing.

 

Awesome!! Thank you so much! Looks like I have some work to do! Ive never done my timing before is it hard?

 

Just need to grab a timing light, unplug that EST wire, start car, check the timing. To advance you loosen the dist hold down and twist dist very slightly clockwise, to retard yoy adjust counterclockwise. Just very small increments. Timing light has connector for battery pos, battery neg, and the last one clips over the #1 spark plug wire.

 

Awesome! doesnt sound too bad to do just gotta get a timing light now. My buddy across the street came over and said it sounded like it was misfiring. So we checked the plug wires and one was melted from leaning against the manifold and another was cracked and we could see the wire! :/ he said thats my problem so tomorrow im going to pick a set of wires up and see what that does!

 

ignition control module

 

i had the same problem.. and the wiring went bad... but u should still check the timming... anyway..

 

Check for a vacuum leak, especially to the MAP sensor mounted on the firewall, the lines get brittle and crack. Good luck.

 

Really?! So it did exactly what i was talking about? I was really worried that it was the fuel pump. That would not be to fun to do. And yeah I was thinking about that MAP sensor. I guess I will try the plug wires and see what that does and go from there!

 

Alright guys I took my plug wires off and replaced them. One was almost melted in half and another melted to the point I could see the wires. It runs SO much smoother!! It sounds like a completely different engine. But it still has a stumble when I hit the gas. And when I took it down the road for the first time it had NO power and almost wanted to misfire. Could this be my timing? Or maybe fuel pump? It was basically falling on its face when on the road. Thats what my dad said and thought that was a good way of putting it. Or maybe its that EST wire? or something? HELP. Im stumped.

 

It sounds like it could be a throttle positioning sensor, and or the IAC.

 

Yeah I was thinking it could be one of those. I also was reading on here that these ECM's are known for shorting out?

 

Also I just started it up again. It smells like its running RICH! Bad! Like I can smell it pretty bad. What would that mean?

 

Haha sorry I keep having ideas. Do you guys think it could be a Fuel Pressure Regulator stuck open? I pulled it up on autozone and it almost looks like a small thermostat like thingy. Could it be stuck open? I still need to check my timing. Could it make it run that rich?

 

I really think it's time to pull some codes.

 

I agree. Im gonna do that first thing tomorrow.

 

I'd like to know the results if you run diagnostics.

 

Does this work for the 88 Trans Am GTA????

 

You mean pulling the codes?

 

Yes Pulling the codes with a paper clip....

 

It should! Just go here.

https://www.thirdgen.org/service-engi...ht-error-codes

 

thanks, Ill give it a try when I am having problems next time...

 

Alright I couldn't for the life of me get any codes to read. I dont know if im doing something wrong or what. But I was gonna check my timing. But I cant get the Distributor bolt loosened! Its stuck pretty bad. Any ideas? Ive been hitting it with WD40 but still no luck. Its in such an awkward place.

 

You may have to have diagnostics done at a good shop. If you want to throw parts at it like I did, replace the IAC, and the TPS. They are on the throddle body. The IAC can be removed and cleaned. If you didn't do this give it a try.

 

Yeah thats what I want to do but I dont think I could make it down the road. Cause it wants to bog down and have no power. I really think it could be the timing I just need to get that bolt loosened! :/ . But I will definitely try to clean it and see!

 

Bog down and have no power? sounds like it could be a fuel issue. Could be a fuel pump, or simply a clogged fuel filter.

 

Yeah I replaced my fuel filter. I cant even get it started now. So I have no idea at this point.

 

have you checked if you are getting any fuel pressure? Try spraying a little hot start in the tb. If it fires and then quits, you may not be getting fuel.

 

I had something similar to your situation. My car would have no power while trying to accelerate to 30mph (Had such a hard time getting there). Eventually engine bogged down and just shut off when I came to a stop. Sometimes it wouldn't start, sometimes it did. 3 of the fuel injectors turned out to be bad, the others were getting there. I had them replaced, then everything was fine again. Eventually, I there was a fuel odor (came from the leaking fuel pressure regulator), which I had not paid too much attention at the time, but eventually my car didn't want to start (fuel was supposedly flooding the engine because regulator diaphragm broke, only started if I waited overnight to start it again after all of the fuel evaporated). Fixed the diaphragm, then car started up fine again.

Hope this helps.

 

Well I got the bolt loose and retarded the timing ALOT and it started. We got it warmed up and adjusted it to 0 degrees TDC. And it was idling great!!! But now I hooked my EST wire back up it wont start up again? And I unhooked it and it wanted to start but i think i flooded it. Could this be my ignition control module?

 

And thanks! I think i have eliminated that its fuel but I will definitely keep this in mind.

 

Well guys I fixed my car! I it was a mixture of a couple of things. Like WAY off timing bad plug wires. Bad Cap and Rotor. And a bad Coil. Hence the fact I wasnt able to get it started the other day. Thanks for the help guys!