What's more likely to be the problem

alltrbo · Post by **alltrbo** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:18 pm

With a temp gauge that doesn't much do anything. Bad sensor, or bad gauge?

With an SES that shows the dreaded code 32, but also WIGS OUT sometimes, especially when the car bucks and kicks like a wild dachsund, but not every time it does that.
Bad ECU, bad EGR, bad wiring, or all of the above?

Go Fiero.

Fierocious · Post by **Fierocious** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:47 pm

EGR worthless. I would get rid of that just for sake of simplicity.
Unless you are in one of those gay emission states.

MNFatz · Post by **MNFatz** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:04 pm

Ground each of the two poles in the connector. One is for the idiot light and the other is for the gauge. That'll rule out the sensor as the problem.

alltrbo · Post by **alltrbo** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:10 pm

The gauge and idiot light do work fine when grounded, so it's definitely the sensor. Thank you.

I'm getting a code 32 and 22. That's EGR and TPS. EGR shouldn't affect the way the car runs, but the TPS definitely should. Might this be why at random (but almost always when it's cold) it kicks and screams like a 2 year old? It cuts out real bad.
Sometimes when it does this, the CEL flickers at random very fast, like a loose wire to the CEL would, except it coincides with how crappy it's running at the moment. The only thing I could think of that would make it flicker and run bad like that is a bad ECU, no?

I do have to keep the EGR system because I'm moving to Maryland later this year, and they're gay like that.

MNFatz · Post by **MNFatz** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:11 pm

There are two ground wires you might want to check. You'll see two groups of wiring entering the passenger compartment right in the center of the firewall. The group on the left has two ground wires that are grounded to the block somewhere in the area of the slave cylinder. Make sure those wires are still good.

If you haven't checked a tps before, just hook up an ohmmeter and make sure you get a gradual voltage resistance when you move the lever up and down. I really don't think that's your problem though. Faulty sensors generally don't generate the physical problems you're talking about though. They just throw the car into limp home mode and your car gets shitty mileage and doesn't make power.

Check all of your leads going to your coil; look for voltage drops when you move the harness around. On the junction box by the battery, several positive leads are hooked up underneath it on two posts. Make sure everything is tight there.

Electrical problems suck.

alltrbo · Post by **alltrbo** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 11:40 pm

LOL

Some idiot before me switched 'his' light wire with the temp gauge wire at the sensor. I noticed this when I pulled in the other night and saw that the idiot light was very very dimly lit. I thought "no way, heh". Sure enough I switched 'em and now the temp gauge works like a charm, presumably the idiot light too. I have another gauge to stare at now, it's like Christmas morning.

When I tested them the other day I put them back on the same way I took them off, because that's usually what you do. lol

I haven't had a chance to check the wiring yet, but I have tested and adjusted a TPS before. I'll get to both of those things soon.

I'm definitely thinking it is electrical system related, as I'm noticing that sometimes the horrible stumbling and bucking will cease just from turning off the car and starting it again.
That, and the flickering SES light, is exactly how past flaky ECU's have acted with me, but that's not to rule out something else causing it. I'll still troubleshoot other things until I can do my '730 conversion. I have to get the Talon running before that, and don't feel like spending $80 for a reman'd Fiero ECU if I'm going to.

Series8217 · Post by **Series8217** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 12:34 am

alltrbo wrote:LOL

Some idiot before me switched 'his' light wire with the temp gauge wire at the sensor. I noticed this when I pulled in the other night and saw that the idiot light was very very dimly lit. I thought "no way, heh". Sure enough I switched 'em and now the temp gauge works like a charm, presumably the idiot light too. I have another gauge to stare at now, it's like Christmas morning.

That "idiot" was trying to fix the wiring mistake GM did from the factory. He forgot to do the other half: switching the wires at the instrument pod connectors.
The temp gauge is not supposed to peg in bulb test, the idiot light is supposed to go on..

http://www.fierosails.com/tempgage.html

alltrbo · Post by **alltrbo** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:18 am

Well then, he's still an "idiot", heh. I should be much less negative, though, and just call it a simple mistake or plain ignorance. That doesn't make someone an idiot, really.

I'd rather have the gauge peg at the start, and work, than have the bulb flash at the start and skip knowing the engine temp. I'll switch all that if I get everything else fixed first. Thanks for the info.

The Dark Side of Will · Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:04 am

alltrbo wrote:Well then, he's still an "idiot", heh. I should be much less negative, though, and just call it a simple mistake or plain ignorance. That doesn't make someone an idiot, really.

I'd rather have the gauge peg at the start, and work, than have the bulb flash at the start and skip knowing the engine temp. I'll switch all that if I get everything else fixed first. Thanks for the info.

??
You don't skip knowing the engine temp. Look at the diagrams at that link, dude.

Series8217 · Post by **Series8217** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:29 pm

Yeah.. in fact you're more likely to not know your engine temp if you leave it stock, since the needle can break off or get otherwise messed up when it pegs all the time. It's no fun when your light fails and your gauge doesnt go past 160 so you think you're all right.

alltrbo · Post by **alltrbo** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 5:51 pm

You guys misunderstood me as my post was a bit confusing, sorry. I was talking about the way the previous owner had it, meaning without a temp gauge at all. I'd rather have it peg and work than to have it like he had it, which flashed the bulb only. Of course I'd rather it work the way it 'should' more than the way it was or the way it is, but I have worse problems right now.

How many stock Fieros do you know that had the needle get stuck or break off? Not knowing how long mine was this way I can't say, but if it was a recent crosswire (meaning that it had been in stock 'peg' configuration for some time), then I wouldn't be very worried about it. I'd think that it worked as recently as last summer because of the 100+ temps it gets up to regularly here, but I suppose that he could have taken for granted that his 223,000 mile 20 year old stock cooling system was up to the task of keeping his 80's GM from overheating. I'd hope not, though. He did say he used it as a regular daily driver until this past winter.
Is it a very regular problem to have the gauges flake out because of that start up peg?

I have to get crackin' on figuring out the other issue, it's beginning to happen much more frequently. Out of 6 times that I started and drove it in the last two days, 4 of those had the cutting-out issue most of the drive.
I can't end up having two cars that don't run.