So I get up to go to work this morning and when I start up the ol' 2000 she starts rough and then just kind of shudders and shakes. The engine never ran smooth. On top of that, I have a check engine light, a tcs light, and an srs light. Yay!

Being that I didn't know WTF was going on, I shut it down and begrudgingly took the spare car. It happens to be a 1991 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency Elite. Emphasis on the Elite. It is a hand me down from my grandmother that is affectionately named "G-Unit".

Looks like I get to make a trip to AutoZone today (if the TL will run) and pull some codes.

What better way to spend Wednesday afternoon? Beer please..

 

Holler with the codes.

Shuddering is indicative of EGR problems.

I hear grounding kits make your car run smoother?

 

My '99 does that every time I start it up. And my TCS light / CEL are always on it seems.

 

Are you serious?

 

someone needs to do an egr port cleaning of the intake manifold~
thats just a start-clogged ports mess up the running big time- needed every 75kmiles, less on 99s

 

a nice 4 wire ground system can improve things slightly but its not going to fix a real problem.

 

I got the code pulled and it was a P0118 - Engine coolant temperature circuit high input

http://www.obd-codes.com/p0118

EGR port and manifold were cleaned less than 25k ago. The grounding idea sounds reasonable - as from the above link a cause could be "An open in the ground circuit between the ECT Sensor and the PCM"

I searched the forum for grounding kit and got some really old threads. Also checked the DIY, but there wasn't one. There was a post by fattyms1 in the DIY that had a mod list and said to make your own using 4 gauge wire, but there wasn't a link. I'd be happy to take some pictures of the process if someone smarter than me could tell me where the wires should go.

From a recent problem/blunder ( https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...hlight=jrdecat ) I replaced a coolant temp sensor. I guess it's time to go back and check my work.

On a positive note, I had the code reset yesterday and the light hasn't come back on. Now I just need to reset the SRS light and Maintenance Required light and I will be free of those annoying lights on my dash.

 

Jump on the SRS light. I'm not 100% sure, but there's a chance the airbags are disabled when the light is on. Not worth risking.

 

You are correct about SRS and airbags. Disabled when light is on. Just reset the light.

 

Also did a little more searching and found somewhat of a DIY ( https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ding+wires+kit ). I think I will try this soon.

So recommended grounding points from the link are:
1. transmission to chassis
2. battery to chassis
3. battery to engine block
4. battery to throttle body (optional)

Sound reasonable?

 

thats not going to fix your problem--
ck some ads for the kits- get idea for diy and points to ground= ps alt batt and eng block to a central point is best,,not linking things together

SRS light On= system Off!!
ck DIY for reset procedure IF you have done ANY electrical work on the car just before the light came on that can sometimes give a false light
If it comes back on - proceed to dealer

Otherwise- call for appt and proceed to dealer for help- we have a special 10 year/150kmiles SRS warranty for a reason! covers 5 of the 6 parts in system,,99.9% chance its covered warranty part/labor
Same for seatbelts that dont retract- special warranty!!

 

codes are CLUES --not diagnosis at face value
Could be as simple as a loose wire you worked on before,,or the one next to where you worked

was egr cleaning done thru length of manifold-with it removed from car,,so passage is clear for exhaust pressure to go thru?
tested if valve is working right--open at idle would be bad bad running!
I ask because there have been errors and only partial cleaning results

 

Yep, manifold was removed from car, disassembled, and cleaned extensively. I haven't checked the valve yet (by checking the valve I'm assuming you mean to slip off the rubber hose at the opening of the throttle body and looking inside at the little flapper thing?).

I checked the wiring around the area where I replaced the coolant temp sensor and everything seemed good.

 

SRS light was reset earlier this morning and hasn't come back on. Too bad the special warranty isn't 158k miles.

 

you can always go talk to the service manager
mileage is whatever the writer puts on the form~