brandonppr

I just bought this car the other day. Its a 96 ss that was wrecked in the front. I pulled the front back so I could start it. It was running perfect but had a heater hose leaking and a check engine light on. I fixed the heater hose and started it up again and still running good. I don't see any wires broke anywhere. I took it to Autozone on my trailer to get the code read. They told me it was a trans code p1860 TCC PWM. I took the car back home and started it up to pull off the trailer and all of a sudden it was idling like crap. Now its still just idling like crap. I don't see any smoke of any kind from the exaust. I don't see any loose wires from the top. I still need to get under it though.

any suggestions on why its now running rough?
Any suggestions to fix the p1860?

fastcam91

IAC/tps sensors

Injuneer

You mentioned the heater hose was leaking coolant. Was the leak near the Optispark disributor? If so, that might account for the rough idle. The Opti doesn't like coolant. Perhaps coolant got into a harness connector that was loosened in the crash.

You need to get a cheap ODB-II code scanner (as low as $30) so you can check the PCM without having to trailer the car. You may have a new code.

brandonppr

I do need to scan it again. I will try that.

The leak was right next to the water pump inlet on the left side of the water pump.

Slick-Z

Yeah usually when water does this to a sensitive piece like the opti either it wont start up again or it will but will run rough maybe surge a little bit or even die sometimes. Make sure there are no leaks anywhere or cut wires shorting out and then just start it and let it warm up once its warmed up the optis are known to die wehn they go bad internally in the wiring.

brandonppr

Will the opti throw a code if that is what it is?

Injuneer

The Opti will only set codes if there is a problem with the optical cam position sensor. There are codes for loss of the high resolution and low resolution cam position signals. But there are no direct codes for problems with the high voltage section (cap & rotor). You can read the misfire count, by individual cylinder, with a scanner with "GM enhanced parameters" (obviously, not the $30 code scanner), and that might point you in the direction of the source of the misfires.

brandonppr

I ran the codes again and there is nothing new. Still has the trans code but that all.

I did a pressure test on the coolant system and found a pinhole leak spraying out by the waterpump near the opti.

Injuneer

Check the plug wire ends/terminals in the Opti, and the coil wire ends at the Opti and the coil. Look for corrosion, or coolant. With the only thing that seems to have changed being the coolant leak, I'd check everything that could have got wet. Check for any ground straps that might have been torn loose. There are several critical grounds under the nut the holds the IC module on the front of the drivers side head.

If that doesn't show up any problems, then you've got to start examining everything that could have gotten cracked or bent in the accident. Something might have been ready to fail, but only failed after its trip on the trailer.

brandonppr

thanks for the help.

I am going to be swapping the entire drivetrain into a 3.8l 96 Convertible. I guess when I have it out I am going to go ahead and replace the ignition parts while its out because I don't know the history on it and I don't want to have to change it for a while.

brandonppr

I this thread is old, but I just noticed that I never posted what the problem was.

I decided to pull the intake hose off and take a look inside. Turns out the problem was that there as a shampoo bottle stuck in the intake and it was not letting air thru. Oddly enough, it was behind the MAF and in front of the TB. I pulled the shampoo bottle out and then it ran perfect.

Injuneer

Was it a complete bottle, or jus the top? Typically, people use the top off a Pert shampoo bottle to block off the bottom hole in the intake elbow, when they remove the air silencer tube. If the top got pulled into the intake, and was blocking the throttle body, you probably had a large open hole in the inlet elbow, allowing dirty air to bypass the MAF sensor.

brandonppr

Nope, this was and entire empty bottle.