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<DIV>ECMs = 40 bucks at most boneyards in San Antonio.</DIV>
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<DIV>ECM is the motherboard that is housed in the silver case. The memcal is what you have been replacing (10-1 todd chip to Stock and back) by removing the access panel and popping it out.</DIV>
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<DIV>I have 3 ECMs in my garage that are hosed, and one that is good. ECM problems were actually somewhat common and addressed by GM at various points during the 7749 production cycle.</DIV>
<DIV>Daron</DIV> <BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: DOlivares <seravilo@netzero.net><BR>To: Jim Sloan <leroy@sunflower.com><BR>Cc: syty@syty.org<BR>Sent: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 10:01:11 -0600<BR>Subject: STILL [Syty] Broke & Stumped!<BR><BR>
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<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Jim,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4> When you say you keep around a "Spare ECM," do you mean the plug-ins or the whole ECM Box? Based on my latest tests, the FI Drivers-- and whatever controls them-- are being victimized by either a thermal or a timing (delay) problem. I understand how SEUs can screw up chips <EM>IN SPACE</EM> or other rad-hostile environments, but I kinda figured I was safe from all that junk in my car! I wonder who sent that cosmic ray my way...?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4> I took out the <U><EM>10-n-1</EM></U> Interface yesterday but things are really no better. The Injectors batch-pulse fine then weakly at unpredictable times and for durations up to 30 seconds until I reach full-warm-up after about 7 minutes, depending on ambient air-temp. Sunday, the thing actually started pooping out (choking and sputtering but throwing nothing more than a Code 44, which is practically useless information!) on the expressway at 70mph... long after I was well into warm, closed-loopery. This thing is getting REALLY BAD and, as admitted before, I don't really know what to do about it! I can't even take it to a garage or even the dealer! They know less than I do and will only pull all my goodies and restore me to overpriced NOS crap for well over a THOU$AND! <STRONG> Do you know where I can get a new ECM... CHEAP? Know anybody who reconditions old ECMs?</STRONG> Electrodyne or Spearco or somone like that had a "E6" plug-compatible ECM which was PC-programmable, but I forgot all the details... maybe this is the time to go the DFI route once and for all...? Unfortunately, neither my wallet or my temperament are willing to part with all that Delco firmware just yet.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4> In a few hours, I'm gonna gut the whole ECM out of my still-on-jackstands Typhoon and do more swap-in tests on the Old Horse #773. IF that solves my problem-- and I still have profound reservations-- I'll still need to do something in the way of rehabilitating my old MEMCAL or ECM-- not to mention the 10-n-1 upgrade I want to eventually put back.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Any thoughts?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>D.O.
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=seravilo@netzero.net href="javascript:parent.ComposeTo('seravilo@netzero.net');">DOlivares</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=leroy@sunflower.com href="javascript:parent.ComposeTo('leroy@sunflower.com');">Jim Sloan</A> ; <A title=syty@syty.org href="javascript:parent.ComposeTo('syty@syty.org');">syty@syty.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Monday, January 02, 2006 12:06 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Syty] Broke & Stumped!</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Thanks... so far, and happy New Year... <EM>et pax hominibus boni voluntatis!</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>[You know who you are.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Unfortunately, I have <EM>tried</EM> all those diagnostic trees-- even a couple of bushes for good measure! This episode has been going on for nearly a month. As I said, I'm running out of hardware to swap-out. The only things I haven't diddled with is the <STRONG>EST Module</STRONG> in the Distributor and of course the <STRONG>ECM/chip</STRONG>. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>The reason I haven't fooled with those things is that the misbehavior complained of is SO PREDICTABLE and only afflicts COLD-START-UP conditions, except when it's really cold outside in which case I will get precisely ONE chug-a-lug spasm about 5 minutes into the run-up to full operating temperature... just after everything had been going just fine. That's the worst of it... as far as I can tell without a scantool... seat-of-the-pants power and smoothness is better than ever, otherwise. This is no "intermittent." This is pure predictability! And my experience with bad chips and modules is that they either fail outright or exhibit sporadic, random upsets... before failing outright. That's not what's occurring. Even so, I might drop in my spare EST (Holley Annihilator) just for laughs....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Keep thinking... what <EM>else</EM> could it be??? What's the connection to cold/cool ambient temperature?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>D.O.
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=leroy@sunflower.com href="javascript:parent.ComposeTo('leroy@sunflower.com');">Jim Sloan</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=seravilo@netzero.net href="javascript:parent.ComposeTo('seravilo@netzero.net');">'DOlivares'</A> ; <A title=syty@syty.org href="javascript:parent.ComposeTo('syty@syty.org');">syty@syty.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Monday, January 02, 2006 8:11 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> RE: [Syty] Broke & Stumped!</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Happy New Year Dennis!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I've had hardware problems with several of the 10-1 adapters. You could swap back to the stock memcal (and map sensor) to rule that out, if your build isn't too radical.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I usually keep at least one spare ecm for a substitution test, and have seen quite a few fail in weird ways. Let me know if you need one.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Sometimes it helps to go back to the basics, and follow the diagnostics in the service manual <A href="http://syty.org/old/d&e-code44.html" target=_blank>http://syty.org/old/d&e-code44.html</A> .</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Just a few ideas, if you haven't already tried them.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=004520414-02012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Jim </FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> syty-bounces@syty.org [mailto:syty-bounces@syty.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>DOlivares<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, January 01, 2006 7:36 PM<BR><B>To:</B> syty@syty.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Syty] Broke & Stumped!<BR><B>Importance:</B> High<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Who watches The Watcher? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Who advises The Guru?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Who assists The Good Samaritan?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>I think we're about to find out pretty soon-- at least until I can get my Lapdog running again (and one of the diagnostic programs to troubleshoot my li'l pony)</FONT><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Meanwhile, I NEED HELP! With my laptop in pieces all over the bench, I can't run DIACOM or DATALINK to give me clues about the usual suspects:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Clean-livin' doesn't always pay off if my holidaze so far are any indication. I spent Christmas Eve on a carlift taking apart my right-front axle-- again!-- after being assured by our local "Gear-Guru" (who fully rebuilt that differential less than 6 months before I started hearing that same CLUNKING on left turns again) that all I needed was a new cir-clip (GM #14041989) to keep the axle from popping-out of the side-gear in the differential. HAH! More bad advice and I ended up taking a cab home.... More about that Horror Show in a later mailing.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Meanwhile, we got our first technical freeze down here in what was becoming <EM>tropical</EM> San Antone on Nov. 17th and our first hard-freeze, appropriately, on Dec. 7th, and somewhere in between those times ol' Syclone #773 began <STRONG>throwing fits during start-up and for the first 5 or 6 minutes until the water jacket hits and stays at 180°</STRONG> or so. I'm stumped for the first time in a decade or more! Here's what happens:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Since the <EM>new</EM> Walbro fuel-pump went in a few months ago, cranking times are way down... engine catches pretty quick, but now it won't stay lit and "choke" with the <EM>new</EM> IAC, which went in along with a <EM>new</EM> TPS and remote-adjustable FPR about a month before the new Walbro. Now, I have to feather the pedal once the ignition gets going and hold the throttle open a bit while the IAC hunts for about a dozen cycles making the tach swing about 1200 rpm back and forth until we hit the "sweet spot" and the engine takes off smoothly and the IAC-hunting stops, at least for a while. Now, it's safe to put her in gear and drive away as long as I keep a little positive bias in the pedal for the next few minutes every time I have to slow down to an idle or coast speed. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>THIS PROBLEM IS WICKEDLY WORSE ON COLD DAYS, where ambient air is in the 40s or below, which thankfully is rare. (Ain't this global-warming great!) However, on a couple of occasions when I did have to drive in the 30s-- and even <EM>after</EM> reaching full-warm-up temperature-- the engine starts cutting out seriously as the SES light comes on! Now, we're talking some MAJOR pumping of the pedal to keep things lit and if I can get on a clear piece of road and cruise a spell at 35 mph or better the problem goes away <EM>completely</EM>, until I shutdown and the engine gets cold again. I barely even recognize that SES light... hardly ever see it. Driving on warmer days never sees a recurrence of that mid-period cutting-out, and idle is smooth as is the rest of drivability. Warm start-ups see a few moments of that IAC-hunting, but the rpm-sweeps are only on the order of 500rpm and the whole anomaly goes away in about 30 seconds. I've NEVER encountered anything like this in my many years of wrenching! Now, it's time for some wretching!! All that ever gets logged in the way of a trouble-code is <STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000>44</FONT></STRONG>... not too helpful!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Naturally, I replaced the O2 sensor-- no improvement at all! Everything described above instinctually told me this was a weird thermal transient in the injector-drive circuits or else the MAT, CTS or MAP I replaced (for the hell of it) 3 years ago needed to be switched again. So I <EM>did</EM>... one at a time to see if I could fault-locate the culprit that way. No dice! I'm running out of hardware to replace! I've even tried setting that 10-to-1 Chip to different settings, but the same nasty behavior persists-- the engine's as well as my own!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4><STRONG>WHO CAN TELL ME WHAT MY PROBLEM(S) IS?</STRONG> Be nice, now....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000080 size=4>Dennis O.</FONT></DIV>
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