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Check your OBD2 code(s) Posted by sam96CS [Email]  (#852) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from sam96CS) on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:22:10
In Reply to: '97 Aero flashing cel, John G, Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:01:59 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
You have a '97, so it has an OBD2 system. You need to get the code checked by connecting an OBD2 reader to the port located under the steering column. If you don't have a reader, then your local auto parts store may let you use theirs for free.
My guess (guessing can be very bad and expensive) is that your computer has detected a misfire condition. It is capable of detecting misfires so random or intermittant that you don't notice them.
Having the code isn't the same thing as having the cure. A misfire could be spark plugs, DIC, vacuum leak or low compression. The code doesn't point directly to the problem, but it narrows the possibilities. Even if the code points to a particular cylinder, you still have detective work to do.
Regarding your new NGK's, you have the right plug, but not necessarily the right gap. The "11" suffix designates a gap of 1.1 mm (about .043"). You should have gaps more like .038". I don't know what a stage 3 ECU translates into in terms of maximum boost, but it is probably 20 psi or more. The higher the boost, the harder it is for the spark to jump the gap. That is made worse if the spark plug gap is out of spec on the wide side.
By the way, did all of the old plugs look normal? NGK has great pictures of plugs under various conditions at http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/tech_support/spark_plugs/faqs/faqread.asp?mode=nml
Regarding your new DIC, did you smear a dab of dielectric grease on the end of each boot? Electricity seeks the shortest path to ground. It will happily travel down the outside of the plug's ceramic, especially if the ceramic got dirty when you installed the plugs. Dielectric grease discourages such unwanted electrical misbehavior.
There are 3 types of misfires. Types 1 and 3 are intermittant and make the check engine light come on steady. Type 2 is a constant miss which is severe enough to damage the catalytic converter. That's the kind of miss that makes the Check Engine light flash. The flashing light means your problem could cause a more expensive problem if it is not corrected quickly.
Depending on the code reader, you can also retrieve freeze frame information from the car's computer that tell you what the driving conditions were when the most severe code occurred.
You should also use the reader to check the status of your OBD2 monitors, which are diagnostic computer programs that check the operation of each emissions-related component or system. A monitor whose status is "not run" could point to a problem area, or it could be not run because you recently disconnected the battery or used a code reader to extinguish a code. The catalyst monitor is especially bad about not running, and I have yet to find out how I have to drive to make this evil monitor run.
Whatever you find when you hook up an OBD2 reader you can look it up at this message board or post it for somebody to explain.
, Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:22:10 <-- Viewing This Message
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