[Shotimes] SHO down, codes pulled, owner worried

[Leigh Smith]

Floyd:
#1 - oil leak - head gaskets don't leak large amounts of oil - this is
misdiagnosed. If they changed the front crank oil seal, then I bet your leak
is from a cam seal. Makes a mess of the front of the engine, and might look
like it is coming from the head gasket area.
#2 - Since someone was into the front half of the engine recently - I'd look
there. One almost hidden possibility - the main ECM ground - is near the
front camsensor / hood strut and can easily get knocked loose when working
on the front of the engine. It is a big screw in the firewall, 1 inch to the
fender side from the hood strut, holding a black ground wire. Has weird
symptoms and leaves no trail, other than strange codes. (Just ask George!)
Check it.
If that is not it, I'd check out the whole elec system, battery, starter,
etc. Batteries have been known to die (short out) very suddenly.
Good luck
Leigh
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vasquez, Floyd E." <fvasquez@visionbroadcast.com>
To: "SHOtimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
Cc: <NMSHO@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 3:21 PM
Subject: [Shotimes] SHO down, codes pulled, owner worried


> hello SHO-folk,
>
> My 92 (144K) is down and i'm worried.  The car is well maintained, to
include
> full 60K 11 months ago (plus 3 years of constant care).  Always starts
right
> up.  Last friday started 'er up and drove out of the driveway at work and
> "clunk" she died - kinda felt like when my CPS died on the freeway.  This
time
> she won't start back up.  Pushed it back into the secure lot and went back
> today to take a look and pull the codes:
>
> codes say:  542 Fuel pump open  543 - Fuel pump circuit shows no power
556
> fuel pump relay primary circuit failure plus 116 ECT sensor out of range
and
> 114 IAT sensor out of range.
>
> When I turn the ignitition on, the fuel pump seems to spring to life as
> always, sounds exactly the same as always has.  The scary part is that now
> when I engage the starter and turn over the engine, it sounds funny..
possibly
> a grinding sound.. not a screaming scraping or crunching sound, but I note
a
> definite change in the sound and it... umm.. sounds kind of grindy..
>
> Recent work:  bad leak from front oil seal which was under warranty.  Shop
> says they opened front up and replaced front seal - even though it wasn't
> really leaking.  They say leak was from head gasket and wanted $1,500 to
fix.
> Car has been running very strong - leak was steady, but the car has plenty
of
> Mobile One and the cardboard under car is protecting garage floor.
>
> Fuel pump?  other?
>
> floyd
> NMSHOCLUB
> http://nmshoclub.com/images/NMSHOside.gif
> _______________________________________________
> Shotimes mailing list
> Shotimes@autox.team.net
> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes