Jtd988

Ok so a couple months or so ago I posted about rich code 45 and good burning plugs.. I was mistaken. Didn't give the plugs and O2 time to get fouled up I guess . Bought this 1988 Camaro rs 2.8 5speed a few months back. It ran good then,but runs like a brand new vehicle now, as smooth as can be and stays cool but keep getting this code 45 haunting me after a a short while of it running. Ive sank more into this thing in the last month than what it's worth.. I'm lost.. here's what's been done.

New exhaust, cat back..and new cat, non smog.smog pump is installed,and flowing into the exhaust manifold as it should..but free blowing underneath instead if into the cat, which is after the O2 sensor

New oem size 15lb injectors from South bay. I had a few bad caps,o rings.. and one out of the six had a low resistance,the others were all identical but did them all anyways.

Cold start injector delete.. I'm in texas,hot as hell.. doesn't start any differently, one less sensor to worry about that I can't get anymore.

New fuel pump. My check valve was bad In the unit.

New fuel filter after flushing all the lines

New oem fuel regulator, but thinking about buying the holley adjustable regulator part number 510-512-501 on jegs for the 5.0 tpi. It should work because my oem regulator shows online to fit the 5.0 tpi and curious about lowering fuel psi a little... Just starting to throw any idea toward it now..

New O2, on the third one now because they are fouling

New plugs,second set now because of fouling

New idle air sensor

New air intake sensor

New temp sensor, both, the one on the front of drivers side head, and the one beside the cold start sensor in front of the intake

New mass airflow, not reman. I tried two different ones to be sure.

New tps, adjusted to .54

New throttle body.. broke to bolt off in mine and couldn't get out

New EGR valve

K&n air filters and gutted box

Had smog pump off, put it back on to try to see if that was the prob

Cleaned out upper and mid intake when I had it apart. Bunch of crap build up from pcv and evr

New Accel super coil, and wires

New ecu and another prom from another 88,no difference

New fuel rail Schrader valve,mine was leaking

Fuel psi at the rail jumps to 44 when priming and afterwards drops about 3-4 lbs until started,the. Runs with mid 30s.. FUEL PRESSURE DOES SLOWLY DROP AFTER PRIMED,NOT RUNNING, ABOUT 2 LBS PER MINUTE BUT HOLDS AT ABOUT 36. I thought replacing injectors,Schrader valve, and fuel pump, and cleaning out return and main lines would correct this.. it didn't... Idk

Replaced ALL vacuum lines

New decelerator valve brand new (won the lotto finding that) fixed popping in the exhaust during deceleration problem

Car does NOT have evap hooked up. Couldn't find replacement sensors for it anywhere and the sensor in top of the canister was getting warm for some reason so took it all off

Car has no thermostat. I've had super bad luck in the past with brand new thermostats sticking.i dont trust them . This warms up to about 160, and holds. In traffic and stop in go on super hot days will get to 210 and hold.. but it takes a while and stop and go traffic.

The sensor in the back of the passenger head has been broke off since I got the car. But read up and my understanding is it's just for the fans.. which are wired up off key power anyway.. correct me if I'm wrong and this sensor does something different and what it's called.

All plugs are burning the same, not one more rich than the other.. all are equally getting f'd up.

I'm lost guys, and gals..the car idles, revs,and drives like a dream, but runs so rich that it paints my concrete black when revved and after a couple hundred miles fouls the O2 which then starts throwing a lean and rich code and starts to miss because the plugs are blacker than black. I'm seconds away from either burning it out of spite or throwing it on eBay. Put more Into it than what I paid for it and it's in too good of shape to give up but idk what else to do.

Any and all help, advise or critisism is appreciated, please.

Jtd988

ALSO, timing is set at 10 degrees as the book shows

OrangeBird

iTrader: (1)

You are over cooling the engine , and since the ECM never sees the proper (warmed up) 220 ish degree coolant , it's keeping the mixture rich .

Jtd988

Ok. I'll break down and try that. Usually the light doesn't come on until it's been running a while and gets warmer though so I wasn't sure.. but that definitely makes sense. I'll try it out next day I get off work and let y'all know. Thankyou. With my luck, that's prob the problem and ive sank hundreds Into it working all around it lol

drdave88

iTrader: (3)

I'd agree with it running too cool to reach closed loop. You should also get the coolant temp sensor replaced for the fans. You don't want to be running them all the time. As far as a t-stat sticking, just get a good brand one, you've stuck this much into it (which it sounds like some of it had to be done even without this issue) so another $10 won't hurt for a good t-stat.
Regarding timing, just making sure you set it with the EST wire disconnected right?

Jtd988

Well one things for sure, everything that was done didn't hurt because it runs pretty dang good lol, but yeah I agree. Chasing my tail. And yeah, the eat timing was disconnected while timing it and car was operating temp. On the way to grab a thermostat now hopefully before I'm called out for work

Jtd988

Update: after finally getting a minute off work to pick up the thermostat, I threw it in, let it warm up as much as it would, about 195-200, and went for a ride.. about one mile in, engine light. She's still Rich. Also, I tried two different ecms and proms after installing the thermostat.. and checked the fuel pressure again, about 42 lbs primed and not running, and 34 at an idle, and jumps to 40 ish when revved. Does not leak down any longer since replacing the shraeder valve on the rail and Injectors.. any other thoughts or ideas before I burn this thing to the ground?

alan91z28

do you have a scanner so you can see what the computer is actually doing?

for example even though you replaced the temp sensor, if it is still thinking it is is cold due to open wire, etc it is going to run rich

Jtd988

No, I don't have one. Wish instead of thinking this was originally just gonna be a quick fix, that I would have bought one in the first place before I dumped more money into it than what it's worth. I've looked into buying one, but I'm having a hard time deciding to throw another $400 or more into it. Are there any recommendations on what kind to buy that will give me the data I need?

Galaxie500XL

iTrader: (1)

I've been very happy with my OTC 4000E...

They're fairly cheap on Ebay, like this one.

https://www.ebay.com/p/OTC-Monitor-4...4488025&chn=ps

GASPEDDLER

iTrader: (2)

drdave88

iTrader: (3)

Another option is to have a shop diagnose it, since they would have a scan tool. Most shops charge (give or take) $100 for diagnosis. Find a reputable one that works on older cars and check with them. We can throw out ideas but without seeing what is going on with a scan tool, we are all just guessing. With the amount of money you've already thrown at it, it would be a bummer to get rid of the car, likely at a loss.

Jtd988

Ok fellas. i sure appreciate it. Still in contemplation about selling it. Considering the scan tool. Far and few between of shops that are trustworthy, but I've thrown that thought around as well. It'll definitely be at a loss when or if it's sold.

Jtd988

82718 *UPDATE*
So, a couple days ago I installed a heated O2 with the harness from summit, which is great, and still got a code, but seemed to get more and more intermittent. With that being said, that same day I changed my maf power and maf burn relays which were pretty nasty and soldered new wires in and also took out every vacuum line again out of the car,and re ran them from scratch to make sure the routing was 100 percent correct. I guess I always figured vacuum was vacuum, so just kept the routing however it was when I got the car, even though I did replace all the lines. I also fixed a bad plug that had melted, that was actually for my AC blower motor that was only working on 3 settings. Now it blows hard as heck on all 4 so that's a plus.. I also reinstalled my evap system with new lines, since it obviously wasn't it causing the problem, and as stated last week had reinstalled the smog pump as well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it I guess.

With all this being said.. not sure like I said if the computer is self adjusting and learning, but over the last couple days the light seemed to be less and less.. and now I've got about 250 miles with no light where as before it would come on in about a mile.. and drove the **** out of it yesterday down some twisty roads which even though a slow 2.8, the fun of a 5 speed on a curvy road is great. so crossing my fingers. Not sure which part did the trick, but hope it stays this way. Thanks to everyone who chimed in with advice and ideas. Hopefully we got it knocked out.