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Never discount the fact that any part can be bad out of the box or fail prematurely. The ECM can be bad too. The majority of repair work I did as a young mechanic was on 1990s GM 2.8L and 3.8L vehicles. I once went through 4 replacement ECMs for a 1992 Buick before I got one that worked properly. ECMs from this generation 3.8L vehicles are extremely failure prone. An interesting trick that we used to do in the shop was take a small hammer and tap on the ECM while the engine was running. If the ECM is bad, the engine will buck, sputter, or stall. If we could tap on the ECM with no effect on the engine, then we assumed it was good and moved on to the next most likely culprits which were the crank sensor and ignition module (The crank sensor signal goes straight to the ignition module, not to the ECM, by the way).
I’m doubtful about the converter solenoid. You can rule it out by unplugging the 4-pin connector at the transmission and then road test. Keep in mind that the overdrive won’t work while this is unplugged.
Put a scope on the crank sensor and check it out. Also check the grounds on the ECM at position A12, D1, and D6/7 (black connector).
As I mentioned in my previous reply, the #1 is on compression stroke if the valve rockers have no tension on them. The intake and exhaust valves are always closed on compression stroke. On exhaust stroke, the intake valves are closed and the exhaust valves are open. If you have tension on any of the rockers, you are not on compression stroke.
Once you are on compression stroke, and the marks are all lined up correctly, then the distributor should point to the #1 tower, provided that the distributor is installed correctly (and as Evil-i pointed out that the correct rotor is installed).
One more comment: it is always advised to use Honda OEM ignition parts. There are a bazillion stories of failures and issues with aftermarket parts.
The crank will be in #1TDC position twice per four stroke cycle. Once for compression, once for exhaust. That means for each four stroke cycle the crank will rotate completely twice while the cam rotates completely only once. Hence, if you’re going by crank position only, there is a chance that the timing belt was installed while the crank was in the correct position but the #1 cylinder was in exhaust stroke. There should be no tension on any of the rockers for #1 cylinder when the timing belt is installed. If there is tension on the rocker, that means the valve isn’t closed, and the cylinder is not on compression stroke. All of the valves for #1 must be closed during compression stroke. Re-check the position of the cam and crank positions, make sure the valves for #1 are all fully closed, that the marks line up, then install the timing belt. When reassembling, make sure the ignition wires are installed on the correct distributor towers and in the correct firing order. When the engine and valve timing is correct, and the distributor is properly installed, the rotor will naturally point to the #1 tower.
Without seeing the car and running tests in person I’m just hazarding “educated guesses” based on past experience. One other thing that I might mention, especially since this is a long-term and ongoing issue, is that the clipping on these waveforms could also be caused by spurious AC riding on the circuit. This can be caused from any component that generates AC, such as alternator ripple. Too much AC noise on the digital lines will definitely wreak havoc. You may want to have the alternator tested, specifically a diode pattern test, even if it is charging properly, as it may be leaking AC onto your DC circuit path.
For comparison, here are ‘good’ waveforms:
There are special sockets made for this purpose. They are called fuel line sockets or some derivative of that depending on who makes them. They have a slot down the side that goes over the fuel line. The image posted below is an example of one. You will have to find one that is the correct size and shape for your application.
Many people mistakenly assume the EGR is just an emissions control. While that may have been true in the 80s, and emissions control is one of its functions, that isn’t all it impacts on engines with computer control. The EGR system allows the engine timing to be advanced much higher than normal. You indicated that the engine internals are stock. Deleting the EGR on a car with the stock cam is risky business. The timing table in the engine computer ends up being too aggressive for an engine without an EGR that used to have one. What results is less oxygen in the exhaust stream causing a rich condition at the O2 sensor so the computer removes fuel to lean the engine out. This can surely cause the driveability issue you mentioned. You might want to either put the EGR back on, or put a cam kit in it to adjust for not having the EGR, or a computer that can take an EGR-delete tune.
A picture is (usually) worth a thousand words:
Just make sure you’re checking these with #1 on compression stroke and not exhaust stroke.
When I see a PIP waveform like that, I think bad crank position sensor (CKP). The image below is from a 95 mustang with a bad CKP. Notice how the PIP is similar to yours.
Check that there aren’t any leaks around the intake where you changed the gasket, and you might want to try a new MAF (OEM, the aftermarket ones are junk). A faulty MAF is a notorious problem on these and cleaning is usually unsuccessful. If you have a scan tool with live data you can check your MAF reading vs engine load and see if the data is good. Also, the fuel adaptions will need to be reset after replacing the MAF. Another possibility is dirty injectors. Just because they “sound good” doesn’t mean they have a good spray pattern.
These engines have a pretty common issue with collapsed lifters. I’ve heard you can get a kit for about $40 to fix it. You might want to call around to some local mower shops, especially those that service Kohler engines, to see if they concur.
[quote=”Michael25″ post=190421]
1) What is your opinion on the way I am chosing to solve the brake line leak?
2) What would you do to to solve the cross threading issue?
3) What I should do to get the metal shavings out of the abs thing when I am done?
4) What fluids are safe to use to clean out the abs thing?
5) What is the real name of the abs thing?
6) Could you provide any more information about the abs thing?
[/quote]I’ll answer #5 and #6 first. What you are describing is the ABS controller. It consists of electrically operated valves, a logic board, and a pump. The pump is what pressurizes the lines when the ABS becomes active.
#1: I don’t like it. The only fix, IMHO, is to replace the controller. Any remaining thread damage could cause the line to blow out of the controller when the pump pressurizes the system. It might not happen right away, but you certainly wouldn’t want this to happen at the ‘wrong time.’ This might turn out to be fairly expensive to fix considering the price of controllers. By now, most of the junkyard controllers will probably have already been removed and sold, unless you can find a yard with ‘fresh’ inventory and a recent truck with the same module. You may be able to find one on eBay, but make sure the seller offers a warranty or has a return policy in case it doesn’t work when you get it.
#2: I answered this in #1. If it was me, I would not do anything other than replace it. This is a critical safety piece, not to be taken lightly.
#3: If you go ahead with the attempt to re-thread the controller, there is virtually no way to guarantee that you won’t get shavings inside the controller, unless you disassemble it and remove the housing from the valves so that the housing and connections can be thoroughly cleaned. Refer to #1 and #2.
#4: Refer to #1 and #2.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is a situation where you really are better off replacing this part.
P0058 means the control circuit for the O2 heater is ‘high’. Forgive the following background info if you already know it, I just like to post info like this since a wide variety of people with different levels of experience read these posts.
When a circuit is high, that means there is positive voltage where there shouldn’t be, such as a wire than should normally be at 0v (ground) is shorted to positive voltage abnormally. The O2 sensor heater has a constant battery voltage applied (when the key is on) and the engine computer (ECM) switches the heater on and off according to its programming by controlling the heater’s ground. This is called a ground-switched circuit. Since the replacement sensor didn’t solve the problem, consider the following. There are three possible scenarios that would cause the control circuit to report a ‘high’ state when it shouldn’t be.
1) The O2 sensor heater has a faulty coil. The heater coil is shorting voltage to the controlled ground. You did replace the sensor, but don’t forget that parts can come bad right out of the box. Put an ohmmeter on that heater (key off!) and measure its resistance. It should be low, but not zero. Exact values vary by year/make/model and I don’t have the specs handy on yours, but if I were testing it without specs, I’d look for a value around 3-5 ohms, across the heater coil. Japanese brands are usually a bit higher, in the 11-15 ohms range.
2) The control wire is broken (open), or the ECM has a fault. Because this is a ground-switched circuit, the ECM has a pull-up resistor inside to make sure that when the ECM is not commanding the heater on that the driver is pulled up to battery voltage. With the voltage potential present and equal on both sides of the circuit, current cannot flow, so the heater does not operate. To turn the heater on, a transistor in the ECM defeats that resistor by pulling that line low (to ground) and because now that the heater has a voltage potential difference (voltage on one side, ground on the other), current flows, operatesperates. Due to the high current demands of some O2 heaters, it is not unusual to sometimes find that the ECM doesn’t directly control the heater, but instead controls a relay which in turn controls the heater. I do not believe your vehicle has a relay, but I do not have the wiring charts handy for yours at the moment so I cannot say for sure. To test this, you will want to connect a test light clip to battery positive and probe the controlled ground. When the sensor is supposed to be on, key on, and some ECMs need the engine running to turn the heater on, the test light should light up. If it does not, then repeat this test at the ECM itself (you will probably need a wiring diagram to locate the correct position of this control wire, and the wire color should be the same at both ends). If you get the expected ground at the ECM but not at the sensor, then the wire is broken between the ECM and the sensor. Sometimes a wire can be broken inside the insulation but visually the wire looks fine. Also make sure to check any intervening connectors for corrosion and proper pin fitment and tight connection. Testing continuity to ground for this test is not reliable since this heater ground is a controlled ground and does not go directly to the main ground. If evidence of ground cannot be obtained in either location and the wire has continuity along its entire length, then the ECM’s driver circuit for the heater has most likely failed.
3) The control wire is shorted to voltage or the ECM has a fault. The wire for the controlled ground has become damaged somewhere and is shorted to a positive voltage source. If visual inspection yields no evidence of damage, check this wire with a voltmeter for voltage while the key is on as in #2, again with some ECMs needing the engine running for this. If there is no voltage present on the wire, and no evidence of physical damage all the way from the sensor to the ECM causing a short, then there is a fault with the ECM’s driver circuit transistor and the pull-up resistor is pulling the circuit up like it is supposed to, but because of the faulty transistor, there is no output on the control wire. This appears as if the control wire is open, even if it has continuity along its entire length, because the wire is actually fine, the fault is most likely inside the ECM.
Education and experience are valuable. When this repair is finished, you will have learned things, so the money is well spent. At this point, since you are questioning the integrity of the valve train, I would just take the head to a machine shop and let them recondition it. You’ll get it back in A-1 tip top shape, and then it’s just a matter of reinstalling it with new gaskets (and perhaps a new set of bolts, too). I would go this route over swapping the entire motor since you feel confident that the block and rotating assembly are good. Just make sure that when putting on the timing set that your timing marks are all lined up and that you’re on the right stroke, and that should be that.