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Car acting weird, SES light came on this morning.. Any ideas?

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  • #1

    Car acting weird, SES light came on this morning.. Any ideas?

    Hello all.. The other day, I shut my car off to run in a store, and two mins later I started it again, and it idled rough.. Idled at about the same RPM's as normal, the car was just shaking a bit.. I revved it up about 500rpms more, and it was still a little rough. I shut it off, and on again, and it was fine.

    Then this morning while I was in a drivethrough line at DD, the idle dropped a bit, and it started shaking again.. The SES light blinked about 4 or 5 times, then stayed on steady. I kept driving it, and after I got on the highway and to highway speeds it was acting normal again - light stayed on though. No loss in power or anything, car is acting normal.

    Any ideas what this could be? I'm going to bring it to autozone to have them pull the codes, just was wondering what I might expect beforehand.

    Thanks!
    99 SS, MTI Lid, 3.90 gears, Hurst shifter, DMH 3" e-cutout
    Tags: None
  • #2
    OBD2 or 1? if its one you can jump the terminals A&B on the diagnostics port under the drivers side dash. turn the key off, put a paper clip in the top right, and the one to the left of that, and then turn the key on but DONOT START. the ses light will blink off codes and you can get more detail from a haynes manual or a chiltons on what to look for as far as the "hello" code, and then the actual codes and it will break down what each code # means.
    2000 WS6 T/A M6. Monster stage 3 clutch, flowmaster cat back, 4.10's, SLP lid, Hurst shifter.
    1996 Mustang GT 5 speed STOCK DD
    past rides:
    1996 Mustang GTS bright tangerine orange
    2003 Mach 1 azure blue drag car (10.90@118 record holder for fastest N/A mach)
    1969 Mach 1 house of colors candy apple red393 stroker 100 shot (10.829@125 in street trim)
    2003 Mach 1 Torched red FRPP aluminator/vortech 666RWHP
    2008 Mustang GT JDM stroker long block, Saleen 2.3 twin screw
    1980 Mustang L 13.7: 418 stroker
    1994 Z28 A4 rebuilt from wreck
    1994 Z28 A4 totaled

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    • #3
      Originally posted by azkkn
      OBD2 or 1? if its one you can jump the terminals A&B on the diagnostics port under the drivers side dash. turn the key off, put a paper clip in the top right, and the one to the left of that, and then turn the key on but DONOT START. the ses light will blink off codes and you can get more detail from a haynes manual or a chiltons on what to look for as far as the "hello" code, and then the actual codes and it will break down what each code # means.
      Uh, I don't think that will work with a 96. He has an OBDII computer. I think jumping it may fry it. You need a scanner. It could be a lot of things but my bet is a carbon fouled EGR.
      2002 Electron Blue Vette, 1SC, FE3/Z51, G92 3.15 gears, 308.9 RWHP 321.7 RWTQ (before any mods), SLP headers, Z06 exhaust, MSD Ignition Wires, AC Delco Iridium Spark Plugs, 160 t-stat, lots of ECM tuning

      1995 Z28, many mods, SOLD

      A proud member of the "F-Body Dirty Dozen"

      Comment

      • #4
        Do the Autozone trip. The paper clip trick is good for '93 and some early '94's only. It would not work on my mid '94 or newer, Fred posted more info on that awhile back.
        The Old Guy! '94 z-28, m-6, t-tops, go-fast red, 316k. Now with '96 engine w/ Lt-4 hot cam, roller rockers, heavy duty timing chain, and Spec stage 2 clutch.

        Comment

        • #5
          Originally posted by pete
          Do the Autozone trip. The paper clip trick is good for '93 and some early '94's only. It would not work on my mid '94 or newer, Fred posted more info on that awhile back.
          Good idea. I forgot about that. A lot of car part stores will scan an OBDII car for free.
          2002 Electron Blue Vette, 1SC, FE3/Z51, G92 3.15 gears, 308.9 RWHP 321.7 RWTQ (before any mods), SLP headers, Z06 exhaust, MSD Ignition Wires, AC Delco Iridium Spark Plugs, 160 t-stat, lots of ECM tuning

          1995 Z28, many mods, SOLD

          A proud member of the "F-Body Dirty Dozen"

          Comment

          • #6
            Jeff, you need to get yourself some sort of scanner. I couldn't imagine not having one.

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            • #7
              Our local Pep Boys advertisement had an Actron 9145 scanner (full scanner, not just a code reader) for only $179 after rebate. It will scan BOTH OBD-I and OBD-II. Only catch is you need to buy a seperate cable for each OBD-I manufacturer you want to be able to scan.... GM, Ford, Chrysler.
              Fred

              381ci all-forged stroker - 10.8:1 - CNC LT4 heads/intake - CC solid roller - MoTeC engine management - 8 LS1 coils - 58mm TB - 78# injectors - 300-shot dry nitrous - TH400 - Gear Vendor O/D - Strange 12-bolt - 4.11's - AS&M headers - duals - Corbeau seat - AutoMeter gauges - roll bar - Spohn suspension - QA1 shocks - a few other odds 'n ends. 800HP/800lb-ft at the flywheel, on a 300-shot. 11.5 @ 117MPH straight motor

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              • #8
                Had that happen once on the Z after I had it scanned using the paper-clip trick. Started her up afterwards, she idling like crap. Power felt fine, but bad idle. Shut her off, started her again, haven't had the problem since. However, I have had something similar with my sister's Z as far as the SES light goes. Check your plug wires...one might be loose and causing the bad idle. Definitely get it scanned too. Autozone will do it for free, as will some shops. Good luck and let us know what it is.
                Steve
                79 FSJ - most expensive AMC Jeep ever Mods
                87 GN - its just a 6... Mods
                93 Z28 - slightly tweaked Mods
                http://home.comcast.net/~budlopez

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                • #9
                  just an idea but mine did the same thing ran fine then one day i shut it off went to restart and wouldnt fire right shut off and tried again and it started i just put plugs and wires and new opti in it before this happened so i was pretty sure that wasn't it ...turned out to be igntion switch was bad so u might wanna check that ...i don't know alot but it was an idea
                  1995 Firebird Formula M6, hooker long-tube ceramic coated headers, tb bypass, 160 thermostat, b&m ripper shifter

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                  • #10
                    Ok, went to autozone, and they pulled a code that said "Multiple Cylinder Misfire" (PO300 I think?)..

                    I'm guessing plugs and wires? It's weird that it isn't constant though. Only happened twice, and for like one minute each time.. Weird.. Any ideas? It's too dam cold to start a plug/wire change now!
                    99 SS, MTI Lid, 3.90 gears, Hurst shifter, DMH 3" e-cutout

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                    • #11
                      Could be a loose plug or a partially-chewed wire. If you have a timing light, that will help finding where your problem cylinder(s) are (assuming its before the plugs).
                      Steve
                      79 FSJ - most expensive AMC Jeep ever Mods
                      87 GN - its just a 6... Mods
                      93 Z28 - slightly tweaked Mods
                      http://home.comcast.net/~budlopez

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Look at your wiring in the dark, look for blue glow or sparks. If not, then it may be the begining of the opti leaving town..... without you.
                        The Old Guy! '94 z-28, m-6, t-tops, go-fast red, 316k. Now with '96 engine w/ Lt-4 hot cam, roller rockers, heavy duty timing chain, and Spec stage 2 clutch.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by pete
                          Look at your wiring in the dark, look for blue glow or sparks. If not, then it may be the begining of the opti leaving town..... without you.
                          Actually that is not a bad idea. My neighbor had a Firebird that started running bad. He got under it one night and saw it arcing to one of the metal heat shields on the spark plug boot. He took them off and it fixed it.

                          I put a set of wires on mine and it was missing when I cranked it up. I could not figure out what it was. My neighbor came buy and told me about his Firebird. I took the metal heat shields off and it fixed it.
                          2002 Electron Blue Vette, 1SC, FE3/Z51, G92 3.15 gears, 308.9 RWHP 321.7 RWTQ (before any mods), SLP headers, Z06 exhaust, MSD Ignition Wires, AC Delco Iridium Spark Plugs, 160 t-stat, lots of ECM tuning

                          1995 Z28, many mods, SOLD

                          A proud member of the "F-Body Dirty Dozen"

                          Comment

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