Cascade Crew

Xophertony

car left me stranded the other day, just shut off, had it towed, got a rental, got to work. that is the short version, long version is a few pages. later.

so today the diagnosis proper began. first thing was fuel pressure, pushing in the Schroeder valve yielded the usual geyser, and i could here the pump, even if faintly.

next step is spark, i hook up a timing light and crank... nothing. i pull the cap to see if the dizzy spins.. it does. i use my DVOM and test the pickup coil, good. the coil, good. there is no procedure for testing an igntion control module, but i happen to still be sitting on that extra i bought for the GTA at cows, i am about ot go put it on now.

if it's not that, then it is off to the junkyard for an ECM. the ECM is currently only giving me code 12. normally it gives me an intermittent MAF code. since the car won't run i can't even unplug anything tpo check for new codes.

if anyone has any ideas for more things to check i am all ears.

the awesome part, my company is picking up the tab for the rental. a jeep patriot (new neutered version of a Cherokee)

Dewey316 · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:01 am Post subject:

My first guess would be the Ing. Mod. Sounds like that is where you are looking first anyway.

Xophertony · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:14 am Post subject:

yeah, funny thing is the whole dizzy, incliding module, was replaced about a year ago. i LOVE replacing the same parts... over and over and over. Sad

fiveoformula · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:30 am Post subject:

Even when you replace the whole dizzy, youll sometimes get an ICM that isn't as good of quality as the factory one unfortunetly. I've replaced that thing more than twice...

Xophertony · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:33 am Post subject:

hoooAHH.; it was the ICM. car is running. i think I'll drive the cushy jeep again today and tell my company it's fixed tomorow. Smile

for now I'm going to drive the six around for a bit and make sure it's ok. who knows, perhaps something has happened that will cause ignition control module failure again soon.

blue89 · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:37 am Post subject:

Did you put the dielectric grease on the bottom of the module? That also acts to transfer heat away from the module so it won't overheat.

91RSVert · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:08 pm Post subject:

x2 on Travis comment. Make sure you put lots o paste on that.

Also, Ive read time n time again, any other ICM besides a true acdelco is major crap.

Xophertony · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:10 pm Post subject:

i put it on the new one. it's an "echlin". (NAPA). the old ICM was installed by the people who built the distributor. i purchased it complete from schmucks.

so i should replace this one with genuine GM?

okay, the whole tale.
i like to be at work by four, but am not late until six. contracting rules.
i am driving WAY out in san fernando valley (the valley). about 35 miles from home (los feliz, righ near griffith ppark if you care). i get to the branch i did last week, return their keys, and head off down the 101 toward the next branch, about 5 miles away. i make it about 1 mile and the car shuts off. tach reads zero, no ignition.

current stress level, mild. slightly sweating, mostly due to heat. phone battery 75%. time 3:15 pm.

i put the clutch in, turn the key, it cranks, no start. i coast to a halt, and pop the hood. check a few fuses, check for fuel pump prime, i hear nothing, but there is alot of road noise. i pull the coil wire and attempt to check for spark, i can't see any, but i'm in direct sunlight. nothing learned..

current stress level, medium, no big deal. slightly sweating, from stress as well as heat. phone battery 73%. time 3:30 pm.

i call AAA and get a tow, and arrange for a rental car. i let my membership expire about two years ago, so i must pay a first day service fee and extra to go the 25 miles home. ends up costing me about what it would have to have been a gold member for the last two years. so i broke even. tow truck takes forever, and they end up having to call a flatbed because my 1" lowered car is too low for the tow truck (??). there is no longer any way i'll make it by six. at this point i have been on the phone almost constantly for the last two hours with AAA, the bank branch i am supposed to work tonight, and my boss.

current stress level, medium-high. back of shirt now wet. i am sticky from sweating. phone battery 40%. time 4:35 pm.

we get the car home and the nice truck driver was willing to drive me to the rental car place in Glendale, about 3 miles from home, nice guy. i go in to get my car and they say i can't have it without a credit card... crap. i don't have one. i trot across the street to the next rental car place "budget" and it's the same deal.

current stress level, high. shirt still wet, i now smell like a locker room. phone battery 35%. time 5:45 pm.

i call my boss to get the company to flex muscle and rent me a car. they reserve one at budget (our primary rental car people) and tell me it should take 15-20 minutes for the reservation to go through. well they close at six. i go in and ask the guy if he can stay open for like 5 minutes for my reservation and approved credit card to come through. he informs me that without a credit card i can't rent. i explain to him that we do this every day all over the country and that we always fax in our credit card info and that is always good enough, i am being polite, and respectful but my stress and desperation are coming through in my voice. he knows he owns me. he informs me they close at six and that i will have to leave at that point. i call my boss..

current stress level, extreame. full on sweating, phone battery 27%. time 5:55pm

my boss says he will call the travel guy and tell him to rush it, about 5 minutes later, at 6:01 pm as the guy is telling me to leave, the fax line rings and a paper feeds out, the phone rings.
ME:"dude, thats them, can you please answer the phone, i need this car, please"
ASS: "we don't answer the phone after we close".
as i walk out the door i take care to make sure it gets fully seated in the frame, nice and shut. all the way.

current stress level, extreme. full on sweat factory. phone battery 23% time 6:03pm.

i call the boss and inform him, he recommends i grab a cab (this would cost well over $100 at this time of day with traffic). i call my uncle and get a lift to the bank, and end up getting there right around 7:pm. (mostly due to the fact that my uncle knows this area like the back of his hand, and unlike a cabbie who will gladly sit in traffic for 2 hrs racking up a fare, utilizes the fastest way). the bank manager, who i had been in contact with said he would wait for me, but when i got there they were still balancing. i managed to get in, get everything done, and get out by 10:45pm. i was on site 3.5 hours. hands down a new personal record.

current stress level, mild. dry, but kinda smelly. phone battery 55% (charged onsite). time 11:15 pm.

cousin picked me up and dropped me off at our regular monday night bar. 10$ 40 minutes and three beers later another friend drove me home. woke up tuesday and took a 40$ cab ride to another budget location and got my rental. found out that our travel coordinator was so angry about what happened at the 1st budget that she called the budget people she knows to let them know about it. yeah, the contract company i work with has about 20 cars rented form budget across the country at any given time, minimum. more depending on project load. we give them enough business where it's bad to piss us off.

anyway. yeah. that's the whole tale.

91RSVert · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:27 pm Post subject:

When you get paid again, or some cash on hand, Id order a delco ICM and keep it handy.

Ive had 3 go out that weren't delcos. One being an accel.

Atleast the manager was understanding and knew you werent just piddling around, you were trying to get there on time.

Xophertony · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:31 pm Post subject:

Oh yeah, they know i kick ass.

Quasi-Traction · Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:13 am Post subject:

what a story tony!

keeping spares around probably wouldn't be a bad idea. At least your company has been cool about helping you out with transportation and whatnot.

Xophertony · Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:35 pm Post subject:

yeah, they are a good outfit to work for.

Thanks Chris.
hey if you guys like my writing style (amateur at best, but i did take writing in college!) you can find more like it on my myspace page. i have a bunch i just reposted about back in the day when i worked at a video store. some funny stuff happened back then.

http://www.myspace.com/xophertony