Having worked on first gens and 2nd gens all my life, I finally broke down and bought a 87 GTA. Pretty good deal, got all the receipts, history on the car. Now for the fun...

First thing I did to the car was to replace the u-shaped heater hose under the snout of the TPI, (It was leaking). The SLP cold air intake box is just laying in its location not bolted down.. AH HA one rattle fixed. Next the wiring for the fans is dangling close to the fans and upon inspection there are several nicks in the corrugated plastic cover So I zip tie this wiring out of the way. Next the Charcoal cannister is just laying in there not bolted down, so I look for a place where it should go. I never do find out where its supposed to be bolted, so I zip tie it in place. Also there is a 5/8 hose that runs accross the engine compartment from the cannister. The hose is again hitting the fans and the crank pulley. So I reroute the hose out of the way. Feeling pretty good about myself I buy plug boots because the it has headers and I want to protect the plug wires. In the process I need to move the water temperature guage sending wire out of the way and protect it with some heat sheild. So I go to put it on and it just keeps falling off. I try and bend it very carefully, but it jsut keeps falling off. I plan to replace it if they are available. No big deal.

So feeling cocky I decide the engine needs cleaning and detailing. I lift the car and use Gunk underneath and power wash the underside of the engine, and frame. Next I use a Seafoam and clean the top half of the engine. Next change oil and filter, easy enough. Use some CL2 engine brite. Looks sweet. Get in the car start it... ooooh it purrs nice.

Just when I think I am the big sh*t, the SES light comes on... Arrrgggg. Girlfriend says disconnect the battery. I disconect the plus side for an hour. Reconnect and walla light is out.

Week later get in the car fires right up, backing out the SES light comes back on ARRRGGG. I don't worry as it is purring nice. Go to turn on lights only one of the frog eyes comes on. Next nite both will not raise, SES light is on.

I come to this sight to hopefully get some insight and I see paper clips into ECMs, MAF ADCL, RETARD, DUMA$$ and all kinds of sensors, codes and I am totally lost. What Hppened to the oLd school days when it s either ignition, fuel or air......

 

is there a question in there?

 

Yeah I guess so, would either the motors, switch or relay for the headlights cause the SES light to come on, and by any chance power washing the motor, cause a problem

 

did you get water on the MAF? or did you spray the distributor directly? first thing id do is see what code its telling you.

then you can go on from there... it might be as simple as you hit water on a plug and unplugged it.




the headlight system is not connected to the ECM in anyway.... you either forced water into the headlight motor, or it was just its time.....

 

If I could locate the MAF ?? sorry don't even know where it is, sorry I am so dumb. From what I have read wouldn't water in the MAF make it run crappy?

 

it could.

the MAF is the Mass Air Flow sensor. its the big round cyl sensor thats between your airfilter and your throttlebody... it measures all the air going into the motor.


it works by having a couple thin wires in it... the computer gives thoes wires power, and they get hot.... as air flows over the wires, they cool. the more air that flows over the wires, the cooler the wires want to be... by measuring the amount of power the wires need to stay hot, the computer can get a idea of the amount of air going into the motor.


if water is sprayed into the MAF, it could damage thoes thin wires.









but thats just a guess.... the #1 thing you should do right now is check your SES codes to see what the computer is complaining about.


2nd to last question on this page tells you how to check them, and what they are. VERY helpful.
https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/faq/thirdgen.shtml

 

Hey thnks a bunch Mr Dude, are you talking about he snorkel (for lack of a better word that goes from the cold air box to the TPI Intake, This thing has a SLP cold air intake with a K&N filter on it.

 

Again thanks a bunch for the link to that article Mr Dude. Greatly appreciated.

 

MR Dude .. Thanks again for your help. I pulled the codes last nite. Got a Code 36, go figure, 4 problems instead of one. Well after doing lots of research here I finally settled in on the MAF relay, only a $12 part. I did see where recharging a K&N filter will set off a Code 36, and I did recharge it also