"Bandit" (2bandit)
05/12/2014 at 18:30 • Filed to: Emma
1
13|
"Bandit" (2bandit)
05/12/2014 at 18:30 • Filed to: Emma | 1
| 13 |
The Trans Am is getting no power anywhere. Everything is hooked up correctly, nothing has changed since Saturday. I swapped in my old battery to see if that would fix the problem but it instantly discharged when I hit the starter. I'm fully charging it now. Help? I'm going to collect the warranty on my several month old battery and see if a new battery helps.
Also, the car is not wanting to idle or run smooth no matter what I try. I'm guessing it is a combination of old gas and poor timing. Any other ideas?
Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
> Bandit
05/12/2014 at 18:32 |
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The lack of power could be the weird idle issue, only suggestion for the power is get the multimeter out and start checking each part 'til you find something.
jkm7680
> Bandit
05/12/2014 at 18:36 |
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That sounds odd, I'd flush the tank out and maybe the lines.
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Bandit
> jkm7680
05/12/2014 at 18:37 |
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The gas is only about 11 months old but I am to the bottom of the tank so I'm guessing there's crap built up. I'll give myself a full tank once I can get the car running.
Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
> Bandit
05/12/2014 at 18:40 |
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On a recently built car I'd check for any wiring that accidentally got routed anywhere hot. Headers, exhaust etc. Would explain it suddenly losing power after being driven if something melted.
Reigntastic
> Bandit
05/12/2014 at 18:48 |
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Grounds?
webmonkees
> Bandit
05/12/2014 at 18:53 |
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Ground wire, ignition switch, dashboard circuitry or fusible link. Also try pinching any connectors tighter that you might have been messing with. Enjoy some spaghetti.
lone_liberal
> Bandit
05/12/2014 at 18:54 |
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Is anything, like the solenoid, getting hot? To drain a battery like that I would think there would have to be a short someplace and that should cause whatever is shorted to become quite hot.
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Bandit
> webmonkees
05/12/2014 at 19:16 |
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I have a several feet long high res version of that taped to the wall in my garage.
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webmonkees
> Bandit
05/12/2014 at 19:36 |
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Figured you might. Took about 3 additional major repairs after 'fixing' my wiring in the Subaru. I was 96% done but running rough. re-clamping the spade leads on the distributor wiring (or check for a break) did it for me. YMMV
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Bandit
> webmonkees
05/12/2014 at 19:40 |
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The worst part is my car was originally a 1981 car which has a very unique one year only wiring harness. Nobody has a good wiring diagram for my car. The car had an ECU, early OBDI port, new style fuse box, a bunch of sensors, some turbo related stuff, and other crap that is now gone. That '79 diagram only gets me close, a lot of my wiring is done with guess work and a multi meter.
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webmonkees
> Bandit
05/12/2014 at 20:05 |
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I had to stand back, forget all the tinkering and just work from a service garage's perspective. What would they check, what fixes may have been applied before.
And me, having never turned a wrench on a F-body but admire their style.
Just applying universal concepts..
Fusible link, ignition switch.
Plug wire order, yeah, dozen times last tuesday. Check anyway.
Fuel line kinks. You've been working on it. did a hose get bent?
Fuel filter/system, maybe the tank shook a bunch of crap into the fuel. Use old filter, drain gas into can through filter. reinsert gasoline. Or use it up the traditional way. Try to do this a couple of places in the system, if it can be done safely. Ideally you'd want to make sure nothing got as far as the carb. (assuming carb)
ECU? Even at '81, there can't be much that thing's doing other than managing emissions and maybe turning the fuel pump, choke and firing a spark signal, maybe. Not familiar with them, honestly. Just working from a car that had either depending on California emissions. The best shorthand for computers is garbage in garbage out. Bad sensor/wire, the computer's going to respond to the situation badly.
But dang, after all those marginal components have been corrected it's such a nice condition of working.
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Bandit
> webmonkees
05/12/2014 at 20:13 |
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Oh the ECU is long gone, I am running a Pontiac 400 from 1973 right now. It was running earlier today just fine, just all of a sudden the car decided it didn't want to do electricity anymore. I'm just about to check the starter because a majority (if not all) of the car's power flows through there. Thanks for the tips though.
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 20:27 |
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I would second Reintastic below and check the grounds. Anything loosen up? Wires become disconnected?