sorry, posted this at both the TBI forum and here, just wanted to get alot of ppl to see this and help me out!

throwing codes 44 and 53, what the hell? I know what the codes are 44 for the o2 sensor sensing a lean condition, but what the hell does 53 mean? Heres a description of the problems~

Ok well let me start from the begining! I have and '89 firebird with an L03(305 TBI) and 700R4. We got the car, and it was running pretty well, although it would heat up to 240-250 when you would drive it due to the fact that the coolant needed changing and there was no airdam. My brother drove it like this for a week or two. Well one day he told me that he couldn't get the car started. So I went down to his high school and checked it out, got it started, but it was running like a piece of crap. Only about half as much power as it should have, and when it idled in park it would surge, like go from 700RPM to like 100, almost die and then come back up to 700rpm. Well we took it home, changed the fuel filter, checked the plug wires, changed the map sensor, EGR valve. That helped a little. Well I noticed that the fuel injectors weren't acting right. They were just pissing fuel, not the good conical shape they should be spraying in. Well at the time my bro could not afford new injectors, so he drove it like this. After a while the car started running even crappier. We found out that after the car was turned off the injectors would continue to leak fuel into the throttle body, and when the car was started it would take forever to get it going, like you would have to clear the excess fuel out of the engine. This unfourtnately led to the oil getting thinned with gas, and eventually oil started coming out of the tailpipe! So yesterday I got a whole throttle body with injectors, and put it on. It started it up after putting it on, and the injectors are fine, but the car still runs like horse****! It surges at idle, you can only give it 1/4 to 1/2 throttle from a standstill or it stalls and doesn't go anywhere. Even when giving it that small amount of throttle it tries to stall, it has no top end power at all. You can kind of hear the car missing too. I really hope someone could help me with this, I have no ****in clue where to go from here, and I am starting to hate the firebird! THANKS!!

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'89 Firebird L03, 700R4, 2.73 open rear. Glasspack in place of cat with ?Stock exhaust?

 

Code 53 is a VATS code, shouldn't have anything to do with how it's running though...this code would appear if the VATs module did not sense the correct key resistance when you tried to start the car...i/e insert key, try to start it, and nothing happens...then this could can set.

The lack of power, along with the code 44, alongwith fuel dumping though the TB, would lead me to believe...

The O2 sensor is now fouled and should be replaced.

Also, very possible the excess fuel mixture 9along with the "oil" you see from the tail pipes, may have led to a clogged cat...ala lack of power.

Now you may have corrected the fuel issue with a new TB and injectors, (not sure) but you now probably need to repair the damage done.

 

Oh Yeah...change the oil ASAP!!!!!

 

well heres the thing, we changed the oil already twice, and the plugs and wires, and that made no difference. Its doesn't have a cat, and the o2 sensor is new...Its confusing isn't it? Thanks for the quick response though!