<VV> Non-Corvair "No Start" Help ! question

[Harry Yarnell]

Cadillac and Buick (maybe other GM's) allow you to display the actual 
numerical codes on the instrument cluster, and whether it's current or 
history, by pressing the OFF and WARMER buttons simultaneously on the HVAC 
panel.

Harry Yarnell
Perryman Garage and Orphanage
hyarnell1 at earthlink.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <roboman91324 at aol.com>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>; <Chaz at ProperProPer.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 2:58 PM
Subject: <VV> Non-Corvair "No Start" Help ! question


> Charlie,
>
> I am posting this to VV as well as to you directly because it  may help
> others with similar problems whatever their make of car.
>
> On most modern cars with computers, you can access the  computer without
> the scanner.  The computer stores the problem errors in  memory for a
> predetermined number of car starts.  You will need to jumper  between two 
> contacts
> and the error codes will flash at you from the dash board  lights.  You 
> then
> look them up and hopefully figure out what the problem  is.  This is done
> with the ignition on but without the engine  running.  At least, that is 
> how
> it works with most makes of car.  Buy  a service manual from your FLAPS 
> for
> your series of car to learn what contacts  to jumper and how to interpret 
> the
> codes.
>
> Please note that the codes will scroll through in sequence and  then start
> over.  Write down the codes and let it scroll through a couple  of times 
> to
> make sure you have it right
>
> In general, once you have interpreted the codes, the trick is  to figure
> what is really wrong.  Many problems will create an Oxygen sensor  error
> message just because the engine is running poorly.  This doesn't mean 
> that you
> have a bad sensor.  Many dealerships and other mechanics use this  as an
> excuse to replace perfectly good sensors and other parts.  It sounds  like 
> you
> have a good clue as to the problem already but you should always try to
> match symptoms to the error messages to avoid replacing parts 
> unnecessarily.
>
> By the way, most scanners are capable of reading the  errors without the
> engine running.  Are you sure that yours is not capable  of this?
>
> By the way, using the jumper method is a cheap way to avoid  buying a
> scanner for all you frugal types out there.  You will need to buy  or have 
> access
> to a manual but at least you will have it as a reference for any  other
> problems that may come up in the future.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Doc
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Message:  5
> Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:25:14 -0800
> From: "Charles Lee"  <Chaz at ProperProPer.com>
> Subject: Re: <VV> Non-Corvair "No  Start" Help ! question
> To: <budpon at cs.com>,    "Louis  Armer" <carmerjr at mindspring.com>
> Cc:  virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Message-ID:  <F05E481847724BF899F8BC627546FEB9 at CharliePC>
> Content-Type:  text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> Besides my 1967 Monza, my "runner" is a 1996 Ford  Probe (sorry about the
> name there)
>
> More to the point is that it is not  running after overheating and boiling
> over (something my Corvair NEVER did  !)
>
> Now it runs for 5 seconds and quits just like turning off the  key.
>
> The "probing" question is whether the camshaft sensor (in the 
> distributor)
> is "offline" ?
>
> I have it on some authority that the "5  seconds" of run time is because
> the PCM/ECU starts the car with initial cam  values, and then seeks "real"
> camshaft status, finds none and shuts down. (It  runs smooth and high RPM 
> if I
> flex the pedal until it shuts down)
>
> I  don't want to "shop and swap" for $300 to "test" a new distributor,
> since CMPS  is integral to it.
> So, can anyone say if this is true, that the Cam sensor  is a likely
> suspect?
>
> The car is OBD-II and I have a scanner, but can't  get it to run long
> enough to get DTC codes.
>
> Any ideas on how to test  the "Hall-effect" CMP sensor  ?
>
> Thanks
> Charlie
>
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