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View Full Version : Chasing gremlins


Zelda84
06-19-2002, 02:02 AM
Well the 84 has been running sweet except for a few gremlins. I hope maybe you guys can give me suggestions.

First: The alternator likes to randomly over charge. Well at least I think thats what its doing.....I'll explain.....I fire her up in the morning and things are fine. The voltage gauge comes up to about 13 and then as I begin my drive it climbs up between the 13 volt line and the red line. As it nears the red line I get a chatter from under the dash and my choke light flickers. I turn on my driving lights & rear defogger and it drops down to the normal range (about 13) and stays there. Chatter stops and the light no longer flickers. I can then go about 10 mins and turn of the rear defogger and keep my driving lights on. I can drive about a total of 30 mins or so and then turn off the driving lights and things are fine. This happens regularly and randomly. Cold, warm, hot, ect. Any thoughts?

Next: My gauges are still screwy. My oil gauge all of a sudden wants to chatter and jump all over. This is a totally random thing. I can't make it do it all the time but I know bumps seem to affect it more. It really goes nuts sometimes when I first start the car and sit there for a minute and let it warm up. I again get a chattering noise from the dash. When I put it in gear its ok. I have looked for loose grounds under the dash and under the hood. Any thoughts or should I get an exorcist?

Next: The heater fan now wont work, or so I thought. The other day after our week of straight rain I had some moisture in the car from my T-Tops. (I found why they leak,the t-top seals are shot) So anyhow I went to turn on the defogger and hrmm no fan. So last night I checked the fuses and none were blown. I ran 12 volts straight to the motor and I could feel it trying to spin. I hear the relay chatter (?????) but still no spin up. Now tonight how ever driving home the fan all of a sudden was blowing hot air into my face. I had to switch it to low. Then I tried it later as I went to clean the car. Dead!!!! Any thoughts?

The last thing: On a hard punch of the throttle and I really get on it as the RPMS climb and I near the 5500 RPM area I get a flutter. Again totally random. This could happen one out of three times I hammer on it. I can lightly back out of the throttle as I near the 5500 mark the car hits second hard and I can lay back into it again. Is this a shift point issue in the trans where the RPMS maybe too high with the shift kit in it and the computer is trying to shut down the engine? Is it ignition related? The wires are new (accell 8 mm)new dist cap & rotor and new AC delco plugs. The distibutor was nice and clean. No vacuum advance, its the same one from the 305 now in the 350. Is this the problem?

So guys can you help me kill these annoying little gremlins?

Zelda84
06-19-2002, 09:02 PM
What no responces??? :( Do I smell bad or something? :confused: Did I say something wrong in another post? You guys usually always give me help and advice. I figured I would have had at least 2 suggestions by now.

Is it cuz I'm a Yankee?? I got a southern girlfriend from VA, doesn't that help? graemlins/lol.gif

RobP
06-19-2002, 09:49 PM
Dude, I have so many problems with my ZZ4TPI that I'm unable to solve, I'm not even close to being qualified to give mechanical advice!

Jaysz28
06-19-2002, 10:28 PM
Pull your dash cluster out and clean all the contacts

thats all I have to share right now......

Chvywolf
06-19-2002, 10:35 PM
My oil pressure guage was doing the same thing, right before the sender went out. At first it was intermittent, then more often, then all the time, then dead. Just glad it doesn't cost much.

Rumblin91
06-19-2002, 10:40 PM
Yep..my oil pressure gauge does the same thing. So I got a mechanical auto meter one ;)

irocbsa
06-20-2002, 01:24 AM
I'd go with a new oil pressure sending unit as well.

[ June 19, 2002, 22:24: Message edited by: irocbsa ]

Jaysz28
06-20-2002, 11:03 AM
and I still don't feel like sharing

Zelda84
06-20-2002, 11:34 AM
Thanks guys....This weekend I hope I can dig into her and figure a few of these things out. I do plan on running mechanical guages. I just need to get a little cash first. Bills always pop up when you have plans for the cash.

No one has any ideas on the flutter on a hard punch? That one has me baffled the most.

WS6 VERT
06-21-2002, 12:05 AM
You've got one of them carbamafloppy things, don't you? :confused:

[ June 20, 2002, 21:34: Message edited by: DenaliTech ]

irocbsa
06-21-2002, 12:40 AM
Tarzan no good wit Carbamerators. smile.gif

WS6 VERT
06-21-2002, 12:42 AM
Originally posted by irocbsa:
Tarzan no good wit Carbamerators. smile.gif LOL, apparently Tarzan ain't good at anything... graemlins/roll.gif JUST KIDDING!!! tongue.gif

irocbsa
06-21-2002, 12:42 AM
Tarzan good at breaking parts. Some parts not Tarzan's tho. :(

Zelda84
06-21-2002, 10:53 AM
Yes I gots me one of those carbaburper thingies. I was trying things out last night when I took her out. If she is cold, no 4bbl hit. Once its warm I can hammer on it and get a good strong 4bbl dump. If I keep about 9/10th throttle and the shift hits at 5500 rpm its nice and smooth. Like I said its random when this happens.

Question......
What do you think will happen if I ditch all of the computer controls? I have the computer controled carb. Will it still work? Or will I have to replace the carb with a noncomputer controlled carb?
Please help guys I wish I could afford a TPI swap but I cant.

86IROC
06-21-2002, 08:20 PM
The computer controlled carb will not work w/o the ECM. If I'm not mistaken - the ECM controls the metering rods and such in the carb. Get a non - computer HEI, and new carb. I did that to a certain 86' IROC I used to own. ;)