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Thread: Scan tool recommendations?

  1. #1
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    Arrow Scan tool recommendations?

    Hi all,

    I'm looking at purchasing a scanner for my 94 Buick Century Special (4-cyl 2.2L) and was wondering if anybody had any recommendations or if anyone has used the following:

    Actron ScanTool CP9110

    It says it covers GM thru my year but I'm uncertain of how well it works. Buying online doesn't exactly give me a chance to try it out and there is nothing that would work for my car at the local part stores.

    Basically I've been fighting with my car for a year now. I won't post all those details now but basically it sputters severely and dies eventually while driving heavy stop-and-go or sitting in traffic such as rush hour. It was manageable at first but now it's getting worse. When it dies, I may have to wait up to 10min before getting it to start again. Several trips to the shop and the mechanics still don't know...and it won't do it for them (they probably just don't spend enough time in it / test driving. The usual response "change the plugs and wires and air filter" doesn't fix it, so I've decided to invest in a scan tool to help me determine exactly what the computer is thinking when it happens.

    I'd love to get a Tech-2 scanner but if I had $3000 lying around I'd just buy a better used car instead!

    Any advice is welcome! Thanks,
    Joe

  2. #2
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    Sorry but it sounds like you have been at the wrong shop. I would recomend going to a good dealer in your area to have this diag. I would not
    get into buying a scan tool at this time . Help with you car can be made easier if codes are known ,at best they are only part of the diag. process.
    your problem may be found with using basic tools & knowledge. If you could give us some codes or other symptoms, I am sure you will get help with your car.
    Guyopel

  3. #3
    RonLange Guest

    scan tool

    a paper clip makes a great scan tool for a '94. buy a haynes manual, and it'll tell you all about it.

  4. #4
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    Here is what the car does:

    While driving in heavy stop-and-go traffic (either in city traffic or while delivering the mail in a dense residential area), the car begins to misfire / sputter. At first I thought it was a heat-related issue at the temp guage would go to around 200-220F and then it seemed to start cutting out. Almost like it was running on only 2 cylinders and sometimes even down to 1 before dying. But lately it's been getting worse and the temp doesn't seem to matter (yes, it may get up to 200, but drop down to a normal level and then start acting up). Sometimes I have to wait up to 10 minutes before I can start the engine again.

    Lately what seems to help is while sputtering, shifting it into neutral and rev'ing the engine a bit... try to get the gas moving. Sometimes it'll snap out of it...sometimes I just have to manage. I've also checked for spark while it was acting up using a pair of spark plug wire pullers... pulled the #4 wire off while it was sputtering and held it next to a bolt on the engine...I could clearly hear the spark yet there was no difference in the engine sound. So that rules out ignition coils (I think).

    I've been to 4 shops since I've had the car, 3 w/in the last year... none have figured it out and I even went on a short test drive with one of the mechanics who was reading his scanner while driving. They always choose the easy explanation "Oh, it's just a bad plug / wire" but it never fixes it. I've had the codes pulled multiple times and the ones that came out were either not related or never seemed to matter before. The most annoying one was an EGR related error, which I spent several hundred trying to have a shop fix it and they never suceeded. That was a year before it started acting up however.

    My Service Engine Soon light burnt out months ago from being on since I bought it (naturally it didn't come on during the test drive but the dealer was...well... I won't go into that). So the paperclip test is out until I get that replaced.

    The last scan showed these errors:
    13 - Engine Temperature
    27 - Quad Driver Fault
    32 - EGR Fault

    The scan also showed a #4 cylinder with misfire data in the history...but that's when they saw it had an old wire and thought that would fix it.

    Here are some of the attempted fixes that have been done to this problem. Keep in mind some were when I thought it was heat-related...

    -New spark plugs and wireset
    -New thermostats (I tried 2)
    -New coolant temp. sensor
    -New crankshaft position sensor (CKP)
    -Radiator checked and is clean
    -New water pump
    -New Air Filter
    -New Oxygen Sensor
    -New Fuel Filter

    I just replaced the PCV valve but haven't had a chance to match the driving conditions to really test to see if that fixed it. The old one was kinda sludged up a bit. I'm sure there is more that was replaced that I just can't think of right now.

    Thanks for looking, you're guess is as good as mine.
    Joe

  5. #5
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    Joe, Code 27 is not a valid code for your car .. some one input the wrong data in the scan tool 94 car codes start with ( P ) and four numbers . To
    give you the sys. code. I would have to start with checking the PCM
    connectors and while you have the PCM in hand ,then crank car up & get to operating temp. and do a tap test on the PCM and if car then starts to act up ,replace your PCM ( internal short ) also PCM will need to be reprogramed at a Dealer. If PCM checks o.k. I would have to replace the
    #1&4 coil pack assy.( possible internal short , common to happen when hot) .Hope this helps, these are the most common areas that have shown
    to fail and not have codes set . That is why a scan tool is only part of the repair process.This problem can be fixed !! Good luck.
    Guyopel

  6. #6
    RonLange Guest
    ya i agree, coil pack problem

  7. #7
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    I suspected the 1-4 coil... I've gone thru a couple of coils...actually both coil sets are about a year old...they went out one by one w/in 2 weeks. The car actually drives similar to when the coil goes out but it comes back to normal (eventually). I'll try tapping on it tomorrow, I have to be in town anyway so I can try to re-simulate the operating environment. Also, you're right on there being no listing for a code 27. I thought perhaps the shop wrote the wrong one down but one of the other shops wrote the same thing, so I'm thinking they were scanning incorrectly.

    I'm still planning to purchase a scan tool (that's relatively inexpensive compared to the shop-grade ones) to help diagnose this as well as the other codes.

    Thanks,
    Joe

  8. #8
    XXX82 Guest

    Scan tool!

    Look at the fuel system with a pressure gauge a lean condition will set EGR codes

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