Pure Stock-1995 Olds Achieva

[Ed Wright]

Good luck.

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by Tod Lane

Point taken, but if Autozone will test for free I am thinking eliminate one possibility...

By the way, Robert and I appreciate all the help! This thing is driving us nuts

X2

Yes, Ed, thank you very much.

What I'm happiest with, I finally found something that the car reacted to. It made a change. Which means I can start to isolate something. I went out and pulled the valve cover with the housing, coil packs and controler for the coil packs. I will take it by Advance tomorrow. I think they do electrical testing as well. I've been dealing with them quite a bit here lately.

If the coils and housing check out. We can say something isn't the problem. Then start to look at the things that could be contributing. Would've never dreamed I'd get into this much work for a "slow" car! Just have to chuckle, car seemed to run OK until I started working on it.

Anyway, Tod, we'll still have some work cut out for us Saturday.

[Robert Swartz]

Well, Autozone nor Advance Auto could test the coil packs. Only thing they could test was the ignition control. Car starts and runs, not the culprit.

Came back home and in a vain attempt, threw a new set of plugs in it. Started it, ran the same. Pulled both 1 and 4 injector clips, car still ran the same. Pulled the new plugs out, 1 and 4 never fired, 2 and 3 had a tannish color.

May pick up a housing and coil packs after work tomorrow.

[Ronnie Hamlin]

I'm not familiar withthe design of this engine but since it has coils packs, can you swap the ones that are firing with the ones that are not to see if the problem is failed coil packs?
It seems unlikely that two would fail at the same time. I'm not real big on throwing parts at a problem to try and fix it. A DVOM and a lab scope will show you a lot when working on electrical issues.

[owen]

check the housing the coil packs are in. big white ugly thing. it could be the problem.

[Tod Lane]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Hamlin

I'm not familiar withthe design of this engine but since it has coils packs, can you swap the ones that are firing with the ones that are not to see if the problem is failed coil packs?
It seems unlikely that two would fail at the same time. I'm not real big on throwing parts at a problem to try and fix it. A DVOM and a lab scope will show you a lot when working on electrical issues.

Just FYI, each coil pack fires two cyl on this motor. 1 and 4 are paired as is 2 and three.

[art leong]

Is that a wasted spark motor? Also are the injectors batch fired or sequential?

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by art leong

Is that a wasted spark motor? Also are the injectors batch fired or sequential?

Art,

Yes it's a wasted spark motor. The coils fire the injectors in pairs, one coil fires #s 1 and 4, the other coil fires 2 and 3. When I pulled the injectors individually, the engine ran the same. With 1 and 4 being the non-firing injectors. When I pulled 1 and 4 at the same time, the engine ran the same. I had new plugs in it at that time. stopped the engine, pulled the plugs, 2 and 3 had a tannish deposit, 1 and 4 were clean, they had not fired.

This isn't a fresh engine. IF we keep the car. I can pass this off as a learning experience. Right now, I just want to hear it run on 4 cylinders again.

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Hamlin

I'm not familiar withthe design of this engine but since it has coils packs, can you swap the ones that are firing with the ones that are not to see if the problem is failed coil packs?
It seems unlikely that two would fail at the same time. I'm not real big on throwing parts at a problem to try and fix it. A DVOM and a lab scope will show you a lot when working on electrical issues.

Ronnie,

Thanks for the advice. I need to get a stethoscope. Yes, this has taught me, you can't have enough test equipment. I'll need to upgrade my ability to diagnose electrical functions, if we keep this car.

Throwing parts at one of these "newer" cars can get expensive real fast. I don't think there's anything on this car that cost less than $35, LOL! At the current rate, I'm going, I will have almost half what my boy gave for the car. We really haven't done anything to it.

I went ahead and purchased both packs and a new housing. If I just change one, my luck the other pack will go down in a short time.