My engine warning light on 1991 RS comes on sometimes on a cold start. Car runs okay, but at reduced power. If I put the hammer down, car strains, power comes back, warning light goes out. Being an English major, I don't have equipment to check codes & would like a clue as to what the problem is.

Some things to know: Car was three years in body shop as project car for high school; primer dust on everything. Since it came out three weeks ago, I've replaced battery, alternator, reset timing to zero (engine was swapped out from 3.2L to 5.7), fuel pump (bigger one needed for 5.7L), and starter (plus headliner, dashboard, power seats with harness, glove box), Tranny is from 5L 1987 Camaro RS. Engine has performance crank and a getting worse rear seal leak, probably from drying out in the shop. Engine is new (not rebuilt) with less than 500 miles; car has 154,000 miles. Battery switched from L to R side. There was a weird wire to the electric cooling fan, making two, and that was fixed by rewiring. And the radio was wired to the ignition without a fuse; took care of that. Do I have a tranny problem? It was checked, but has 100,000 miles on it. Feels electrical, somehow.

 

No skill needed
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...s-dumbies.html

Pull the codes and start a new thread about them

what the codes mean
http://www.iroczone.com/2009/10/1982...maro-firebird/

 

Thanks, Vetteoz. Where will the codes display? I have an analogue instrument cluster. Do I need a PC connection?