1989 Other Oldsmobile Models Problem revisited, multiplied!

Tiny
CASINGDA
  • MEMBER
  • 1989 OLDSMOBILE
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 154,845 MILES
Hi. I had problems, which we corresponded about in 07. Since then, things have gotten much worse. I have had a problem with the car starting when it wants to. In 07, I replaced the harmonic balancer, cam and crank shaft sensors, the ignition control module, and the mass air flow sensor. It was running well, except that the first time every day I got in the car to drive it, I had trouble getting it started. It would usually take two tries. At some point, late in 07, the Service Engine Soon light started coming on continuously. And the car had been having an ongoing problem with starting. It took 2, then 3, then 4, then more times, 6 sometimes, cranking it over, to get it started. I often had to use my battery charger, that has a jump start, to start it. Then the car, once it was warmed up, got to the point where I could not get it restarted. This problem was intermittent, but then got a whole lot worse and reached it's peak in April, when I barely made it home a quarter mile with my car. I waited overnight to start it and had to jump start it and had a very hard time keeping it running that day. So it sat in my garage for a few weeks, until I got it to a repair facility, and I had no problem getting it there. The trouble code it has been giving me is 41. Now, as to what has been done in 08. The cam shaft sensor, the ignition control module, the coil pack, and the computer brain (which I did myself--what a job to get it out!) Have been replaced. The parts I replaced twice were under lifetime warranty, so the cost has not been as bad as it could be. Now, the thing just had the ignition control module and the coil pack replaced, yesterday. This is what happened afterward. It was very difficult to start the car. It took a lot of tries--I don't even remember how many, and I had to use the battery charger, because it wore down the battery. When it was cold, it ran fine. Once it warmed up, it started to sound like it was bogging down and when you gave it gas, it would hesitate, badly. It sounds like it's missing, almost. My brother thinks it may be a fuel supply problem, but then why the trouble code 41 and why the problem only when it's hot and why does it get worse the longer it runs? By the time it had been running for awhile, when you put your foot to the floor, with it in gear, it was bogging down very badly. One other thing. After my brother had been running and revving the engine for awhile, it did not want to restart. So, since we had been told by the mechanic who had been working on it that it would start without the cam shaft sensor being connected, he disconnected it and it started right up. Then he reconnected it and it continued to start, but it still ran badly and it just got worse and worse. As I said, it starts when wants to, but, despite all that I've done and all that's been replaced, the trouble code remains the same. The mechanic was going to run another wire from the computer directly to the cam shaft sensor, but says the wiring is fine. So, what do you think si going on? I'm at my whit's end! Help! I need to have a reliably running car.
Monday, May 19th, 2008 AT 7:03 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
MASTERTECHTIM
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,749 POSTS
You need to check fuel pressure and rule that out but your code 41 I think is going to be caused by the magnet on the camshaft being dislodged. This is very common on this engine. If you remove the camshaft sensor and slowly rotate engine look inside timing cover and see if the magnet is there or missing. If its missing then its time to change timing chain. The original timing chains have plastic teeth on the gears and wear off causing the timing to vary greatly. Im pretty sure this is where your problem lies. The car will run without a cam signal but it take a while to get a close enough timing signal to run. Get back to us
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Monday, May 19th, 2008 AT 10:22 AM
Tiny
CASINGDA
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Hi, Tim. In the hope that you will see this question sometime before tomorrow AM (Tuesday) as in this evening, I want to know if it would hurt anything in the engine to drive the car with the cam shaft sensor disconnected for about 10 miles or so--we are going to take it to a repair facility, armed with your suggestion. I need to know, though; would that cause the car to start at times, and then not want to start at others, and would the problem have gotten progressively worse over time? And my brother seems to think that the magnet being loose means it fell off, which would mean it would be making noise in there, and could have damaged something, if it had fallen off, on the way through. Now I'm confused, because I don't think he understands what you mean. So please clarify so I can explain it to him. And I will get back to you. I have all of the maintenance records for the vehicle, because it was my mom's car before it became mine, and I think the timing chain has been changed once already, so I am going to check how long it has been. Also, I realized that I did not tell you that the ignition control module actually had to be replaced, because the insulating material in it was totally melted and the car would only start once it was cooled off again (in 07). That was not the case this time. The mechanic said that there was a signal going into it, but none coming out of it. The mass air flow sensor also had to be replaced (in 07). I was sitting in front of Auto Zone and could not get my car started. One of the guys who works there said he thought he knew what the problem was and that he could prove it by disconnecting and reconnecting my mass air flow sensor. He did and he put the new one on for me in the parking lot at no charge. I still had that same trouble with starting the car, but at least I was able to drive it! Thanks again!
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Monday, May 19th, 2008 AT 6:06 PM
Tiny
MASTERTECHTIM
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,749 POSTS
Yes drive it there and yes it will cause it to run sometimes and sometimes not. Keep us posted
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Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 AT 11:09 AM

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