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Rolex said:
It absolutely HAS to be connected to the computer to show the error code. Without that, you can change parts for days without a solution.
Do NOT go to a mechanic without the proper testing equipment. You'll be wasting time and money.
You can also disconnect the battery for 10 minutes so your car's computer can reset itself. It will probably run perfectly for several minutes. If it goes back to the same problem it IS a sensor. Nothing else.
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Hm, that makes sense Rolex. However, I did just put a new battery in it and when I was replacing it I actually removed the battery and took it with me to bypass any core charges. When I came back and put in the new one about 30 minutes later I didnt see any improvement.
 
Not all sensors will reset by doing that if they're bad, but it's something that must be done when changing them. It's just like a computer that "Found new Hardware" and needs to recognize it to compensate for the mix.
 
It should run fine (from a cold start) until the ecu goes into closed loop, which means the o2 sensor is online and doing it's job. Until then the ecu is running on it's pre-mapped fuel and timing curves. If the problem is happening from a cold start then it's probably not the temp sensor. You can check the temp sensor very easily with a cheap obd scan tool.
Before doing anything your mechanic (if he's good) will ask you if the fuel filter, air filter, plugs, oil, and pcv valve have been done recently. As a matter of fact the pcv valve is uber easy to change and should be done regardless. It's also a good idea to look for bad vacuum lines as these can cause a modern car to run extremely rich.
 
Well the car was emissions exempt, and the mechanic stickered the car. He wouldn't touch anything else. My dad used to work at a chevy dealer so he is going to touch base with one of his old co-workers that works on all the vettes that come through and see what he thinks. I did clean the intake out and it improved greatly. Still some hesitation though.
 
Oh crap that's right! You should clean the mass air flow sensor with electronics cleaner and let it completely air dry before use. I should be in the intake tube somewhere.
Then if you haven't already done the obvious things like air filter, oil, plugs, pcv valve, and a fuel filter then you really should do it. I'm not trying to be a jerk but plugs can foul in no time with a rich running engine. These are the things that should be ruled out before a good diagnosis can take place. I'd say for now you can just check the air filter and skip the fuel filter, but I would definitely clean the MAF and change the PCV. The PCV should be right on the valve cover, it's probably no more than 10 bucks.

I don't recall seeing if you had a check engine light on. Is it? If it isn't on then the problem is most likely with the tune-up items mentioned above.
Good luck, sounds like a nice ride....:D

One more thing, there's no reason to be afraid of working on that car, it just looks intimidating under there.
 
2revo1maxx said:
Oh crap that's right! You should clean the mass air flow sensor with electronics cleaner and let it completely air dry before use. I should be in the intake tube somewhere.
Then if you haven't already done the obvious things like air filter, oil, plugs, pcv valve, and a fuel filter then you really should do it. I'm not trying to be a jerk but plugs can foul in no time with a rich running engine. These are the things that should be ruled out before a good diagnosis can take place. I'd say for now you can just check the air filter and skip the fuel filter, but I would definitely clean the MAF and change the PCV. The PCV should be right on the valve cover, it's probably no more than 10 bucks.

I don't recall seeing if you had a check engine light on. Is it? If it isn't on then the problem is most likely with the tune-up items mentioned above.
Good luck, sounds like a nice ride....:D

One more thing, there's no reason to be afraid of working on that car, it just looks intimidating under there.
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No check engine lights are on, but I did however take a ride to autozone to see if their ODBII would find anything.. but it just displayed "error" (by the way, it's a late 95 with 96 parts on it) So, I'm going to see if I can get a dealer to hook up their better diagnostic thinngamajig and see what shows up. The basic readers wont pick up certain codes, so I have to dig a little deeper. I did stop in a corvette specialty shop not far from me and they gave me a few places to call.. so monday I will attack it again. (UPDATE!) So I got a bug up my arse and called PEP BOYS down the road and they have a more sophisticated scanner. We hooked it up and the car isn't throwing any codes. I cleaned the mass air flow sensor for the hell of it, and it hasnt made any difference. I'm still not sure if it's a computer issue or not though.. The corvette guys said it's possible that the computer's parameters could need reset, but it's a worst case scenario. I've been trying to find anyone who has had the same problem but not finding any results yet. Until then, I will keep plugging away.
 
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By resetting the parameters, do you mean actually changing things in the ECU, or just resetting it? If its the latter, shouldn't you be able to do that by just unplugging the battery for 10 or 15 minutes?
 
pipisugbo said:
By resetting the parameters, do you mean actually changing things in the ECU, or just resetting it? If its the latter, shouldn't you be able to do that by just unplugging the battery for 10 or 15 minutes?
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I would have imagined so, but from an old battery running down to nothing and several attempts to jump start it may have thrown it all out of wack. I've tried to reset it that way, with no results. At this point i'm just guessing.. but i should hopefully find out next week what's really going on.
 
SteelCityNitro said:
No check engine lights are on, but I did however take a ride to autozone to see if their ODBII would find anything.. but it just displayed "error" (by the way, it's a late 95 with 96 parts on it) So, I'm going to see if I can get a dealer to hook up their better diagnostic thinngamajig and see what shows up. The basic readers wont pick up certain codes, so I have to dig a little deeper. I did stop in a corvette specialty shop not far from me and they gave me a few places to call.. so monday I will attack it again. (UPDATE!) So I got a bug up my arse and called PEP BOYS down the road and they have a more sophisticated scanner. We hooked it up and the car isn't throwing any codes. I cleaned the mass air flow sensor for the hell of it, and it hasnt made any difference. I'm still not sure if it's a computer issue or not though.. The corvette guys said it's possible that the computer's parameters could need reset, but it's a worst case scenario. I've been trying to find anyone who has had the same problem but not finding any results yet. Until then, I will keep plugging away.
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Now you're down to 2 basic things, either the ecu is shot, or it's a tune-up item. If the ecu will communicate with a scanner then it's most likely just a tune-up item. If there are no codes then it cannot possibly be a sensor, unless the ecu is junk. It's almost impossible for a good ecu to lose it's programming. There may be updates available from gm though, so if you get the car fixed it might be worth asking them if any updates are available and they can re-flash the ecu for you.
 
2revo1maxx said:
Now you're down to 2 basic things, either the ecu is shot, or it's a tune-up item. If the ecu will communicate with a scanner then it's most likely just a tune-up item. If there are no codes then it cannot possibly be a sensor, unless the ecu is junk. It's almost impossible for a good ecu to lose it's programming. There may be updates available from gm though, so if you get the car fixed it might be worth asking them if any updates are available and they can re-flash the ecu for you.
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All I'm sure of at this point is I'm going to see a knowledgeable person on monday or tuesday. I will let him see what happens.. if he decides to change out the plugs.. i'll let him. That way if one breaks off it's on him to get it out. I'm willing to bet the plugs are original. It can go either way though.. it could even be something none of us are suspecting.
 
Yes it could be a number of things. I suspect it's nothing major, but if you're unsure about stuff it's a good idea to let a pro handle it. Hopefully they can get it fixed without too much hassle. It should be fairly easy for them to figure out since there's no CEL. Good luck we'd like to hear what it was.
 
I hope whatever he finds isn't just the way into your wallet. I took mine to a shop that I trust when it was really stuttering on me and they replaced the fuel pump. $900 later... it still stutters, just not as bad. Mine was throwing a low fuel pressure code to one of the fuel rails though, so the pump dieing was probably legitimate.
 
I hope this don't happen if he changes the plugs. I had the same issue with my truck. Did a full tune up and it was still missing and it would backfire through the throttle body. Itwould not throw a code my friend a certified gm mechanic for 13 years was working on it. We would drive the truck with the scan tool hooked up and it would freak out but the scan was clean. We swapped the first o2 sensor and it was fine.
 

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My beloved T-bird blew up its ECU when I was going to bring it back to Texas with me. I still miss the 5.0 HO that was in it.
 
So I got the car back today.. I'm glad everyone gave their input on what it could possibly be. Turns out that ROLEX WAS RIGHT!!With that being said, I want to thank everyone for their help. You know, the funny thing is I actually blamed that engine temp sensor from the beginning. I should have gone with instinct. Either way, had the shop do some other stuff while they were at it. It all worked out in the end. :first_place:
 
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2revo1maxx said:
Lucky guess...;)

If it was obd 2 you would have had a code for that. Glad it's fixed though, enjoy the ride!!
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It's OBD 2... but it went into default mode and was telling the ECM that the coolant temp was -40. So, instead of it showing that something was wrong the ECM assumed this was correct and made the injectors dump everything that they could. Now had I disconnected the senor then it would have thrown a code.. you would think it would show something though. Oh, and trust me, I'm enjoying it a lot!
 
It took me over a week to stop using the left foot on the brake and the right on the gas to pick up the RPMs before leaving a light.
It's now an absolute joy to drive normally again.
 

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