So my first post ends up being what seems to me a ridiculous question...
Sorry but I'm a carburated, big-block kinda guy, so this is mostly new idea for tuning to me.
The Problem I'm trying to get to is simply hard starting and fouling plugs, but I cant get this technology thing to cooperate.

What could it mean when you cant get any OBD codes. Tried severall brands of scanners and the all mighty paperclip. The Scanners with an interface just say "failed to link" or something similar, and the with the paperclip there is no blinking service engine light, but as soon as you pull the paperclip back out the service engine light comes back on.

Oh why cant there just be a carburated LT1?

 

Actually, they do have a carburated LT1. You just have to make it yourself. Anyways, I can help you out. You can't hook a scanner up to a 93, it's the old type that requires the paperclip. What you do is stick the paper clip into the right most bottom and top pins of the ALDL port. Leave it there. The SES will flash slow once, then flash fast twice. It will do this 2 more times for a total of 3. This is code 12, or the ground code for the PCM. After it does the 3 code 12s, it will flash the other codes you have. It will flash every code 3 times. So, if it flashes twice slow and four fast, that's code 24. If the SES doesn't blink, you don't have the paperclip in the right pins. The pins are labeled A and M on a diagram, but it is the top and bottom pins on the right side, closest to the passenger side and the stereo.

 

I appreciate the help there DOOM, but I HAVE been trying the paperclip as well.
With the paperclip, it still does nothing, no initial 12 code, or anything else for that matter. I know I must sound like a complete idiot, but I have done this more than a few times on my other chevy for one reason or another...
I really think theres something screwed up, because I'm not the only person thats tried...nobody can get it to give up anything.

and I thought the chevy life was supposed to be easier than my Mopar one...

 

The AutoXray scanner should work with the 93. It works with most GM car from 85-94. Check the ALDL connector to make sure all the wires are connected.

 

The autoxray is one of the scanners we tried, it is the one that said "link failure"...
thanks

 

The only thing that it could be then is a bad port or maybe a bad ground connection. If the paperclip won't work at all, that's about the only things besides a bad PCM itself that it could be. I doubt its a bad PCM, since the car still runs.

 

ok, so I spent quite a bit of time on it today...
heres a new twist...
the car is a 93, but the drivetrain (including pcm) is from a 94...so maybe the wiring does not match well going from 93 body to 94 computer/driveline.
Well the car was wrecked before I owned it, and apparantly its an utter free-for-all in parts imbreeding, but everything I check under the hood is 94... so...

 

Well, that's good you found that out, because the paperclip trick doesn't work on the 94 or 95 PCMs. You need to have either a Tech1 scanner, one of the other scanners made from a place like autoxray, or get Freescan, hook up an ALDL cable to your laptop, and check the trouble codes. If you know anybody that does their own tuning for a 94/95 LT1, you can just d/l freescan and check your codes with a computer and their cable.

 

Yeah, i guess that may be why the autoxray didnt work, because I had to input the p from the VIN number...
so...whats the 8th letter for a 94 VIN?

 

The 8th letter on my 94 is P as well, as well as for all 93-97 F bodies. It should work, unless you need some other letter that is different from 93 to 94.

 

Ahhh...this computer stuff is giving me a headache...
using the autoxray, the only way I could get anything was using P as the 8th in the VIN and 95 as the year...
now heres whats killing me,
Its got a service engine soon light, but no trouble codes, just a antifreeze low in the history.
I still have the problem of hard starting, but no codes to give me any clues, and thats the whole reason I'm killing myself with this OBD problem.
I really dont want to buy new fuel pump, then, new regulator, then distributor, then fuel injectors....blah-blah-blah...just to get this hard start problem under control.
guess maybe it would be a good idea to take this into the lt1 forum before it turns into "Troubleshooting 101"
oh and thanks for your continued support DOOM

 

No problem man. Personally, with my experience, it's probably either your fuel pump or your opti, maybe even both. I know both are getting to the point on my car where they need replaced, just don't have the cash for them both right now, or the time to replace them. Just got done doing the knock sensor, which is a big enough pain in the butt by itself. My only other suggestion is maybe trying a tech 1 or finding someone with a laptop.

 

It could be fuel related, you can check your fuel pressure, and look at BLMs to see if you see anything funky.