Hello Folks:

I apologize for cross-posting. I'm having a major car issue which has left me calling CAA once (last night) and caused a stall and "limp 75kms home" this morning. (Both times out of cellular range, of course!)

1989 Electra Estate Olds 307, 158000 kms on the clock.

It has the following known issues:

-TPS Sensor was setting code 21 this winter. I cleared that, and it has not come back in two weeks--though my TCC lockup is sometimes weird, so I suspect the TPS does need replacement soon.

-Intake manifold has a small coolant leak above the timing chain cover, seems to go away when engine is hot.

What the problem is:

Vehicle was driving on highway. Gave gas to pass/go up hills, would start to stall--as if starving for gas. Figured it was fuel pump, filter, or something of the like. I decided to push on and take a chance that it'd make it, hoping for home (3 hours away). It would not make it up a hill, I pulled over. It died. It would not restart, but started immediately with a squirt of Lock-Eze down the carb throat. (Lock-Eze happened to be at hand, I had nothing else remotely flammable available.) It also quit right away. No computer codes were set.

Somebody picked me up, drove me back into an area with cellular reception. Called CAA. Guy drove me back to the Buick. I tried it again, it went. I backed down the hill a ways to make it easier for the flat bed to load. I had it towed to Crappy Tire (I hate 'em, but they were open). I drove it to a parking spot after being unloaded from the flat bed. Fuel filter (pretty clean), air filter (very dirty) were replaced.

Stayed over in town--drove really well from Crappy Tire to the place where I slept over. Including a going up a big hill. Got in this morning, fired up, drove well for nearly an hour (75 to 100 kms), including two stops. Then started to go again on a hill. I got it up the hill, then it stalled. I coasted over to the shoulder, added a can of gas line antifreeze (tow driver thought ... and I agree ... that maybe water in the line or something, figured a can of line antifreeze wouldn't hurt), then cranked it over with the pedal half-way down. It went. Put 'er in gear, it quit. Did this routine a few times. I finally got it moving along, but 50kms/hour was top speed ... 75 kms from home. I managed to limp home to the driveway. It would move fine under very light throttle. As soon as I put it down a bit more than half-way it would start to die. Back off, it would keep going but surge like hell ... like a standard with a bad driver on the clutch. It would do this especially on hills.

It made it up hills, barely, and was backfiring (through the carb, it sounded like) on occasion when under load like this. SES light started to show on and off.

So, I'm thinking timing chain skipped, fuel delivery, or (this just in), the computer set code 44, Oxygen Sensor Lean. Scan tool in field service and ALCL mode shows O2 cross count is very, very, low. Does it sound like this could be it?!

It had plenty of power this morning, ran smoothly, including WOT. Then just started to die again. I'm stumped!

I'll play around more with M/C Solenoid dwell readings and such after work this evening.

Another question; my OTC 2000 scan tool allows field service or ALCL mode. If I want to road test with the scan tool, can I do so in either of these modes? "Road Test" mode is not available on this ECM.

Suggestions?!  Thanks.

--
Regards,

Dante McLean
Dante McLean Photography
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED] -->  NeXTMail welcome at this address!

DS16 (Diller-Schwill 16) Sail/Hull #19
"A Humming Bird"
Christian Island, Ontario
N44° 51.472'  W080° 12.349'

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