" My Brain Hurts!!!" ECU Strangeness.

[Sonicfrog]

I seem to have a blinking disorder!

 

So, I'm driving down the highway in Murph, the 87 Turbo Wag, and the "Check Engine" light starts to go on. It's flashing weirdly. When I get a chance to pull over, I check the ECU LED. It is flashing, but not in the normal way when it's giving a code. These are random flashed, some real long, and some real short. I've seen the CEL do interesting things when the O2 sensor goes out, but that has thrown a readable code in the past. My ECU is having a seizure.

 

Any one else have this or similar experience?

 

PS.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Sonicfrog

[Txakura]

Yes. I have had my CEL flash codes, and was promptly told they don't do that. And yet, I read somewhere, long gone, that it can. Also unable to verify that either. Unfortunately, after driving around for a week with a video capable cell, I was unable to catch it in the act and prove it. That was in a '90 spfi. Later I replaced the engine, for a long list of reasons, and all that went away. Am I recommending you change your engine to fix possible codes. NO.

 

So, yeah, I believe that it may have been doing something. Keep some scratch paper handy, the next time it does it, jot down the flashes and see if it matches any known code.

 

Did the car do anything obvious? Or was it just messing with you to see if you were paying attention?

[Txakura]

Oh, I had a second ecu, put it in watched it act wonky too... no idea wth that was all about.

[Sonicfrog]

I just put in a new engine a month ago, so that's not it. :-)

[Txakura]

I just put in a new engine a month ago, so that's not it. :-)

 

naw naw, wasn't advocating that... you just asked if anyone had it happen, yes, but it wasn't something I ever resolved

 

peep thought I was nuts, or smokin'... or both

 

maybe someone will have some intelligent comments, not trying to waste your time

 

but, what did the car do? when all this was going on?

Edited April 6, 2010 by Txakura

[Sonicfrog]

OK. Now it's giving me a readaable code - 4 short flashes. My research says that tells me there are no stored codes. Will keep tabs on this.

[ihscout54]

I think the weird flashes you are seeing are normal (from the ECU LED). Thats why the light is coverd up. Its the O2 sensor monitor, once the O2s is heated up and in circuit that lamp flashes its activity. Not sure what it means, but my car does it too. I bet some one here will tell us. Make sure your test connectors are unplugged.

[Sonicfrog]

...And now it's doing the weirdness again.

[Sonicfrog]

I think the weird flashes you are seeing are normal (from the ECU LED). Thats why the light is coverd up. Its the O2 sensor monitor, once the O2s is heated up and in circuit that lamp flashes its activity. Not sure what it means, but my car does it too. I bet some one here will tell us. Make sure your test connectors are unplugged.

 

Except the CEL is also going on and off too. And it's not in sync with the ECU.

[Sonicfrog]

Problem Solved!

 

The CEL finally stayed on and the LED sobered up. It gave me a code 22 - bad knock sensor. Turns out I didn't fasten the connector to the sensor as well as I thought, and it worked its way loose after a month. Made sure it clicked into place and now there is no more CEL.... Yay!