flatlander757

Alright guys, just recently I had a coolant leak, it was the waterpump. I have a new one in my garage waiting to be installed by a mechanic(I found all the crap you have to take off to get it off, I don't want to mess something up). Until then I added some leak stopping stuff and it seems to have worked, so I'll hope it works 'til after payday. When I was tearing it apart I noticed that the sensor that plugs into the waterpump was never even plugged in The base that it clicks onto broke off and is dangling with the wire. I believe it is the sensor that tells the fans to turn on, because my fans stay on all the time now Also I found that my intake bellow in cracked and I think it could be causing a small vacuum leak. So I'll be ordering an aluminum Trick Flow replacement so I don't have to worry about that again and I can eliminate that stupid tube that screws with airflow. Now I have an SES light and believe it's either the vacuum leak or the unplugged sensor. Finally I've noticed that when I start it cold it doesn't seem to want to turn over for a few seconds. Usually like 5-10 at most. I let the fuel pump finish priming so I dunno.

I bought a scan tool from Advanced Auto Parts. Its a cheap $25 one that basically makes the SES light flash on and off and you gotta decipher the flashes to tell what the code is. Well, it doesn't flash at all. When it's plugged in with the key in the OFF position, then the key turned ON the light doesn't even come on. But when you turn the key to the ON position and then plug in the scanner, the light stays on. POS thing...

Of course all of this happens right when I need an oil change and inspection

Injuneer

That is the coolant temperature sensor that goes to the PCM. The PCM uses that signal for several thing, in addition to knowing when to turn the fans on and off. It uses it to determine the need for "cold start enrichment".... menaing if the PCM thinks the engine is cold, it enriches the A/F mixture to help the engine start - sorts like a "choke" on a carb setup. If the PCM isn't getting the data it needs form the coolant temp sensor, it isn't unusual for it to make it hard to start the engine, particularly on warm days when it doesn't need much extra fuel. Good chance your hard start is related to the unconnected wire. So is the SES light.
Its not really a vacuum leak. It just means air is bypassing the MAF sensor. Same end result... the PCM doesn't know how much air is entering the engine, and has to use feedback from the O2 sensors, and the long term fuel corrections to get the A/F back where it belongs. Not as likely the cause of the SES light, because there has to be more than 25% difference between the MAF measured air flow and the PCM's calculated air flow before it sets a code.
See above... all the problems are related. Replace the sensor, connect the wire, and patch the hole in the intake bellows temporarily.
Take it back and get your money back. The last year you could flash the codes with a paperclip on the LT1 was 1993. For 1994 and newer LT1's you need a "real" scanner..... either hardware of software type.

A simple replacement of the coolant temp sensor may be all it needs.... and a piece of duct tape over the bellows.

flatlander757

Thank you Injuneer!! Thank God for A mechanic would probably charge me out the *** for that! Do you think Advanced Auto Parts would have the sensor I need? I'm going to go and check it out tomorrow. Grrr, gotta go to work at 5...

flatlander757

just to clarify, would any of these parts be an adequate replacement?

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductL...erature+Sensor

from the looks of it i would have to take out the old sensor and splice the wires and solder them to the new sensor?

shoebox

Likely, the plastic part broke off the sensor and you just need to unplug the harness connector from that. Install your new sensor and plug the harness connector to it.