Crazy problem, maybe electrical.

baby6

One Fast Buick
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
I have posted multiple times throughout the years about my irratic idling problem, every time i think i have it fixed, I don't. Now as of this year, I have many tuning devices to help me troubleshoot the situation on hand.

Here it is- I will try to explain it the best I can, mods are in my sig.

What I have is an intermittent lean problem. It is not as evident while driving, but horrible at idle.
Idling, 02s will be where they need to be, low to mid 800s....the wideband will show 13.0-13.8, car is idling alright, sounds good....then, out of nowhere, the car will start to sputter and miss BADLY, 02s will drop on the scanmaster wherever it wants to, whether it be in the 300s, the 200s, or the 500s, and the wideband will adhere to that reading, showing it to be lean anywhere from 17.0 to 19.0. Depending on how the car is feeling, it will either stumble and stumble until it dies, or it will stumble then catch itself and idle ok and then do it again, sometimes it doesnt really do it. My BLMS are intermittently low for weeks, this week and last week my BLMS have been locked at 115 while driving, and the Integrator has not varied any farther than 112-124. I have tried so much SH*T to try and fix this issue, and to no prevail.
It also will go lean when accelerating, it will be doing its thing and then i will feel a hesitation temporarily, and the scanmaster will show very low 02 readings, then jump back up where it needs to be.

Tried 4 different mafs, including a stocker, plugs, wires, ign module, coil, injector harness, crank sensor, different computer, checked all vacuum lines, changed regulator, tried different/more grounds, etc. etc. I have even tried relocating positive and ground feeds to the MAF, checked all the pins in the back of the computer....not a trace. I have adjusted the tpc and iac. Nothing.

Sorry for the semi long writeup, if anybody has ANY questions, please please ask.. Need to trace this problem down once and for all. It also did this with the old motor and transmission, so it is perhaps an electrical issue....but where? What could cause something like this? Could my cam sensor be jumping temporarily? Also, my fuel pressure is good throughout the whole scenario.
 
I'm kind of having the same problem but mine goes rich. The car will be running 14.7 where it's supposed to and then you can hear it change and it will go down to mid 12s and stay there. Sometimes you start the car it does it and sometimes it doesn't. I was just changing chips (had some laying around) and with different chips in it it didn't do it. But one thing I did notice with my TT chip it was running closed loop and the others were open, I just looked at my manual for the chip on how to adjust open and closed loop. Gonna try that tomorrow with my TT chip see if it fixes it. Maybe the same problem your having? I checked for vacuum leaks and pretty much did everything else you have and changing chips fixed mine.


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Just for giggles the next time it does it, unplug the alternator regulator control plug .....a bad regulator in a alt will allow ac volts and reek havoc on the computer....
Also a bad battery will do the same...hth
 
While U R doing Gary's tests, take a look at batt volts. Does the voltage drop/skip a beat/rise/etc, when the issue arises?
Also:
"Idling, 02s will be where they need to be, low to mid 800s....the wideband will show 13.0-13.8, car is idling alright". looking at your engine combo, an idle AFR that rich, seems to me, to be "other than" alright.
I think I'd move the Powerlogger to the top of the "coming soon" list.;)
 
Possible bad chip connection. Try removing the chip and prying up the contacts in the chip socket.

No powerlogger yet??
 
No powerlogger yet, trying to save some money instead of dumping every spare penny I have into a car that will probably blow up eventually. :)

Battery volts drop just a TAD when it stumbles, nothing out of the ordinary though.
 
02 sensor has not been replaced recently. I have replaced it 3 times though, and though it did seem to help, did not fix the issue.

On another note, I read that turbotweak chips are burned to idle in the 13.0 range for smooth idle purposes?
I have also tried another computer, it is not the chip connection unfortanutely, wish it was.
 
Is it in open or closed loop when things go wacky?

Yes they idle better a little rich. 13.0-13.5 or so.

Try this. Unplug the o2 sensor all together and see if it still acts up.

Rick
 
I tried the alternator regulator plug, didn't change much out of the ordinary. Still stumbled and ran like ass.
It is definitely more evident at lower rpms.

Rick, funny you ask that, closed loop idle it runs horrible!the vehicle hunts and surges like crazy. When I go to oprn loop, it still hunts and idles weird, but not nearly as bad as closed loop.
I recall unplugging the 02 diagnosing the issue months ago and it did not seem to change anything. But I will absolutrly try again. I like where we are going with this, appreciate all of the input fellas.


Side note- it idles better whether it be open or closed, when it gets hot. The only problem tbat contradicts this is that even when hot I have still seen it occur, just not as often. When I say hot, I mean driving the vehicle for many miles at a time.
 
I am going to get a video tomorrow when the car is really idling rough, and hopefully figure out how to post it on here.
 
Did you replace all those part with new stuff, or try parts you had sitting around?
 
Nearly all of the parts were new, except the ignition module and mafs. I doubt all of the 3" mafs were bad but possible.
The module was used but it did the exact same thing with my other one so I also doubt it is that.

Rick, I now cannot get any of my mafs to read correctly at idle now on top of the occuring issue, my average AF at idle is now in between
8 and 10, with the translator or stock maf doesnt matter. What could this be..? Iac and tps adjustment don't make a difference. Car idles at 775-825 (when it is not stumbling)
 
What are the translator settings? You sure these are 3.5" ls1 sensors? Not 3" lt1?

Current chip is one in signature?

Rick
 
Translator set at base. I tried setting it 10% lean on base but no change at all, its crazy what this thing does. I believe it has done this a couple times (my blms will nearly lock to a certain number) and then one day they are fine again. :0 crazy i know. It was fine and then it does this. They are the lt1 3" sensors. Same thing with a stock maf. Yea same one in my sig. I have the stock maf hooked up now.
 
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