Hello All,
I am from Oklahoma and I have a 1989 Turbo Trans Am that I have had since 1997. It had around 40,000 miles on it when I bought it and it now has 88,000. It has several problems I hope to resolve with help from these forums. The only parts I know of that are not factory replacements are the Red Armstrong fuel pump and the cam sensor from Casper's. I am not after any mods - I just want it to run like it should. Here is a brief history since I have owned the car:
Last night: It idles rough and has been flashing code 41 for a couple years now. So I adjusted the cam sensor by setting #1 cyl. at TDC - exactly following Casper's instructions for the cam sensor cap with blinking red light. It was quite a chore to do since it is buried under all the turbo pipes and electricals. I quadruple checked my work by turning the cap clockwise and then back until the light just came on. Finally turned the cap to the midpoint of the slots so it should be perfectly set at 25 degrees ATDC. Thrilled that I was able to do this alone, I went on a test drive and it still won't go beyond about 3 psi of boost before the engine pops and protests. When this happens I get off the gas right away. After driving around for about 15 minutes, it started to barely run and became very sluggish. I was close to home thankfully. I checked for trouble codes and it is still flashing code 41.
2 years ago:
Local Pontiac dealer replaced my crank sensor and installed the cam sensor cap I bought from Casper's. They also replaced my ECM and I still have the original they took out and also the original cam and crank sensors.
6 years ago: Air flow meter, duct from K&N conical air filter to plastic tube, timing gear (replaced with metal gear) and chain, and oxygen sensor replaced. The injectors were also cleaned I think. The oxygen sensor may be a Bosch but I do not remember if that is what is in the car now. The rest of the items are GM parts. After having a local shop do these things, I bought some nice red plug wires recommended by an internet forum and installed them. Since then my cylinder number one wire rubbed against a sharp peice of metal nearby (I'm sure thanks to the rough running engine) and nearly wore through to the core so I changed it for a cheapie that is almost burnt through at the boot/wire junction. I also have acquired a new exhaust leak (ticking sound) in the same area.
8 years ago?: My steering column tilt adjustment failed so got that fixed at the local Pontiac dealer. It works fine now.
10+ years ago: Fuel pump decided to quit while I was in the mall so had to tow the car to the dealer. They installed my Red Armstrong fuel pump and probably tried to make the car run smoother. They may have replaced my plugs at that time also. Also around this time, the turbo hoses that go to the Y fitting near the turbo had become old and had holes in them but I did not know what was wrong. I floored it a couple times and heard some sounds that were not appropriate. The boost went up to around 25 psi so I know that was not good. I replaced the hoses and after that, no matter what I could not go above 16.5 psi just like it's supposed to work.
Other things that don't work right:
Brakes - can't even lock them up when I push hard on the pedal.
Oil on top of the throttle body.
Black oily residue was inside the throttle body when I checked last night.
Header crack(s) on driver's side.
Something in the driveline causes a vibration at highway speeds.
If the check engine light is on which it frequently is, and I turn off the car, it will not start most of the time and will take several attempts and sometimes nearly an hour until it will start. Again, Code 41. Also, the pintle (I think) I can hear moving in and out when this happens.
Need to replace the heater core - it is currently bypassed with a loop of heater hose and an adapter.
Loses antifreeze - I think the water pump needs replaced.
I was told I might have an underdrive pulley so I should get the right one.
When I let off the gas under acceleration, I feel a sharp kick from the back and hear a clunk like there is driveline snap. What is this from?
Looking forward to attacking these problems, most important problems first. It would be so nice to be able to fix just one of these problems and have a small victory.
Any comments are greatly appreciated. Maybe to some of you - this is a snap and you know exactly what to do first. I have the shop manual and the TTA supplement and tools. I do not have a scan tool though. Do I need one?
Thanks for any helpful suggestions from anyone!
I am from Oklahoma and I have a 1989 Turbo Trans Am that I have had since 1997. It had around 40,000 miles on it when I bought it and it now has 88,000. It has several problems I hope to resolve with help from these forums. The only parts I know of that are not factory replacements are the Red Armstrong fuel pump and the cam sensor from Casper's. I am not after any mods - I just want it to run like it should. Here is a brief history since I have owned the car:
Last night: It idles rough and has been flashing code 41 for a couple years now. So I adjusted the cam sensor by setting #1 cyl. at TDC - exactly following Casper's instructions for the cam sensor cap with blinking red light. It was quite a chore to do since it is buried under all the turbo pipes and electricals. I quadruple checked my work by turning the cap clockwise and then back until the light just came on. Finally turned the cap to the midpoint of the slots so it should be perfectly set at 25 degrees ATDC. Thrilled that I was able to do this alone, I went on a test drive and it still won't go beyond about 3 psi of boost before the engine pops and protests. When this happens I get off the gas right away. After driving around for about 15 minutes, it started to barely run and became very sluggish. I was close to home thankfully. I checked for trouble codes and it is still flashing code 41.
2 years ago:
Local Pontiac dealer replaced my crank sensor and installed the cam sensor cap I bought from Casper's. They also replaced my ECM and I still have the original they took out and also the original cam and crank sensors.
6 years ago: Air flow meter, duct from K&N conical air filter to plastic tube, timing gear (replaced with metal gear) and chain, and oxygen sensor replaced. The injectors were also cleaned I think. The oxygen sensor may be a Bosch but I do not remember if that is what is in the car now. The rest of the items are GM parts. After having a local shop do these things, I bought some nice red plug wires recommended by an internet forum and installed them. Since then my cylinder number one wire rubbed against a sharp peice of metal nearby (I'm sure thanks to the rough running engine) and nearly wore through to the core so I changed it for a cheapie that is almost burnt through at the boot/wire junction. I also have acquired a new exhaust leak (ticking sound) in the same area.
8 years ago?: My steering column tilt adjustment failed so got that fixed at the local Pontiac dealer. It works fine now.
10+ years ago: Fuel pump decided to quit while I was in the mall so had to tow the car to the dealer. They installed my Red Armstrong fuel pump and probably tried to make the car run smoother. They may have replaced my plugs at that time also. Also around this time, the turbo hoses that go to the Y fitting near the turbo had become old and had holes in them but I did not know what was wrong. I floored it a couple times and heard some sounds that were not appropriate. The boost went up to around 25 psi so I know that was not good. I replaced the hoses and after that, no matter what I could not go above 16.5 psi just like it's supposed to work.
Other things that don't work right:
Brakes - can't even lock them up when I push hard on the pedal.
Oil on top of the throttle body.
Black oily residue was inside the throttle body when I checked last night.
Header crack(s) on driver's side.
Something in the driveline causes a vibration at highway speeds.
If the check engine light is on which it frequently is, and I turn off the car, it will not start most of the time and will take several attempts and sometimes nearly an hour until it will start. Again, Code 41. Also, the pintle (I think) I can hear moving in and out when this happens.
Need to replace the heater core - it is currently bypassed with a loop of heater hose and an adapter.
Loses antifreeze - I think the water pump needs replaced.
I was told I might have an underdrive pulley so I should get the right one.
When I let off the gas under acceleration, I feel a sharp kick from the back and hear a clunk like there is driveline snap. What is this from?
Looking forward to attacking these problems, most important problems first. It would be so nice to be able to fix just one of these problems and have a small victory.
Any comments are greatly appreciated. Maybe to some of you - this is a snap and you know exactly what to do first. I have the shop manual and the TTA supplement and tools. I do not have a scan tool though. Do I need one?
Thanks for any helpful suggestions from anyone!
