Solved: bogging down after start

[89Ru]

After weeks of intermittant starting problems ('89 EA82 SPFI) I'm back to normal operation. Would run bad, stall, no power for a few miles then mysteriously the CEL would go out and like a switch had been thrown, run fine after that. Figure after 17 years was time for new coil (accel), didn't help. I'll keep the original in the on-board spares.

Ended up replacing the coolant temperature sensor yesterday and no problems in three starts (a bit early to pronounce success?). ECU was blinking code 21. Thanks to Jamie at subarugenuineparts.com for tracking down the part 22630AA030 and other folks who posted on this subject.

[idosubaru]

good job getting it fixed. the sensors rarely, if ever actually fail. your old sensor is fine, if you have it i'd keep it for the permanent fix i'll mention shortly. be sure to check for corrosion on the terminals and in the harness that plugs into the sensor. replacing the sensor temporarily fixes the problem because there is no corrossion on the new sensor. but there's still corrossion on the harness and it will return quickly. replacing the sensor is the short term solution. cleaning your old sensor and wiring harness is the longer term solution and soldering the wires to the sensor is the permanent solution. i did a complete write up on soldering the wires to the sensor with pictures and all on http://www.xt6.net. i've had this problem resurface at least twice, if not three times in a year before finally doing it right.

 

here's a link to the permanent solution with details and pictures:

http://xt6.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1767&highlight=coolant+temperature

[Holmes]

Hey Gary, His car has a different sensor. It has a

harness already attached. Check it out -

 

http://198.208.187.182/internet/PartImage.jsp?&acpartnbr=213-2151

 

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?carcode=1268568&parttype=5100&partGroup=19&EPImodelID=13189&EPIengineID=3437

 

 

Also the one for my 87 has a different harness and it's not

called a "coolant temp. sensor" for some reason. It's referred to

as an "air charge temp. sensor" in the catalogs I've looked through.

Makes sense that the guys at PartsPlus couldn't even find a listing

for a CTS for my year. Check it out -

 

http://198.208.187.182/internet/PartImage.jsp?mfgname=ACDELCO&prodlinecd=15&acpartnbr=15-50323

 

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?carcode=1268467&parttype=5064&partGroup=19&EPImodelID=12118&EPIengineID=717

 

It's weird how big a price difference there is between those two.

[89Ru]

NOT solved! Bringing this old post back up, turns out Gary was right, the problem seems to be back. Weather turns cold, and now she's cranky in the morning again, fine after a few miles of driving, but no codes this time.

 

Either another $65, a trip to the boneyard (any EA82's at crazy ray's in MD?). Found my old sensor, dug into the epoxy to expose the sensor leads, I think corrosion got well into the leads or even the resistive sensor element itself, maybe too far gone to repair as I'm not getting better than 100kohm across the leads, should be 2-3k at room temp.

[WoodsWagon]

The main problem is not the corrosion going down into the sensor but the corrosion going up into the wiring harness on the other side of the connector that plugs onto the sensor. You cut back the wire untill it's not green anymore, then solder on a new section of wire and a connector to replace the old one.

[ivantruckman]

dont forget to use dielectric grease and heat shrink tubing