Recent content by sailorjim86

Do you hear the fuel pump cycle on when you turn the key? When you turn the key to "run" (not all the way to start), you should hear a hum for a couple of seconds indicating the fuel pump is priming the fuel rail. If you hear the hum and it still doesn't fire, then try immediately cycling the...

You probably have a bad power wire or connection. Remember Ohm's law: when the resistance (caused by a faulty wire or resistor) increases, then you have voltage drop. Check the connections and wiring to the ECU.

Could be a CPS (crankshaft position sensor) which is located on the driver side at the front of the transmission. Common failure. I've got a '98 and never had a problem with it but heard of a lot of others that have. If the CPS is not sending a good signal to the ECM, then it won't spark.

It was the upstream 02 sensor. Swapped it out and runs like new again. Scantool readings kinda made it obvious. One thing I learned was that I thought 02 sensor input was only important in closed loop mode based on the water temp sensor. Not true, apparently. The PCM ignores the 02 sensor for...

Actually, just re-checked the fuel trim. It goes up to near 30% and has a rich rough idle, then I can rev it a bit and it drops to -4, that back at idle it goes way back up.

Edit: My fuel trim also goes all over the place. It goes to near 14% at idle, drops when I rev it up, then goes back up at idle.

My 98 with a 4.0 was running smooth as silk. Suddenly it started mis-firing and threw the dreaded P0171 code (fuel bank 1 lean). I hooked it up to my scan tool. Also searched the forums before posting this. When I start it, it runs smooth for about the first 30 seconds, then starts misfiring. I...

Hey, I have that little pop in thingy missing on one of my wheels (original stock '98 classic). I know, it's just cosmetic; but I'm a nuke engineer kinda guy and it just bugs the snot out of me everytime I see her from the side with that wheel. Tried googling but: 1. What is that silly thing...

Glad you got it! It's what's underneath that ground connection on these old girls that often matters.

Found it! Posting hoping this helps anyone else. Had the TSB/recall done years ago that relocated the airbag control module in the center console, between the front bucket seats. Bad connection (plastic tab on passenger side cracked and the connector slipped loose so the connection shorted as...

I had this problem a few years back ('98). The harmonic balancer has a hard rubber insert that goes bad and it goes out of plane, however slightly. Will cause the belt to throw. Not too hard a job to replace. Got one from rockauto and it's been fine since. Wasn't a big job to replace, but...

If your getting bad signal from the pre-cat O2 sensor (sensor itself or wiring from it to PCM) you definitely want to get on it. As said above, the post-cat O2 sensor only monitors for cat efficiency and will just throw the CEL. The pre-cat sensor is crucial to F/A ratio/fuel mapping and if...

Did you also check the ground cable that goes from the block to the chassis at the firewall? It goes from a #6 cylinder head bolt to the firewall on the driver side. From the factory it is just a cheap piece of strap that gets all cruddy over time. I replace mine with a piece of battery cable...

Thanks for responses so far. I cut out the passenger side airbag connector and spread the wires (no contact) and still got the passenger squib short fault. There is another connector under the steering column that appears to have wires for both driver and passenger airbag (four wires total...

Tried disconnecting the passenger airbag, and cut off the connector and disconnected the wires under the dash. Still get the same fault code that passenger air bag squib short. What a pisser. Giving it a rest.