So, I ve been trying to determine the cause of this engine vibration that I've been having, some people suggested that the car is knocking... I've recently had a thread about an intermittent starting problem, but that turned out to be a Remote Ignition Switch Module, mounted on top center of the steering column... Now that my car starts and runs again, and has a new MAP Sensor, I am back at diagnosing why it vibrates and runs rich in BLMs... Also, knock count did not continue rising after I turned traction controll off, see below...

Here are 4 new Datamster .UNI files that I just recorded... If you want to view them, you will need a free DM35xEE module of TTL Datamster scanner program...

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FILE 1
This file shows the car idling, warming up from 37deg F (outside temp) untill 56 deg F, at which time the laptop somehow lost the connection with the PCM... It happens on occasion, and then the only way to re-estabish the communication is to turn the car on and off

11-22=new_MAPS=1=37deg_to_56deg_IDLE.uni ---> 91.5 Kb, 1.4 min
http://www.mediafire.com/?a3swwgjcem9


FILE 2
This file shows the car idling, warming up for 17.8 mins, from 89 deg F (outside temp) untill 201 deg F, during which time the rpm's gradually decreased from 900 to 625... At 139 deg F the PCM went from Open Loop into Closed Loop, after that O2 levels varied from 32mV up to 879mV, the entire time the PCM was using Cell 16 (Special Load/Less than 700 rpm) and it showed ideal mixture, LBLM 124.3 and RBLM 137.6, and short-term was close to ideal mixture but on the rich side...

11-22=new_MAPS=2=89deg_to_201deg_IDLE.uni ---> 1.25 Mb, 17.8 min
http://www.mediafire.com/?4wct01hz3gl


FILE 3
This file is an interesting one, as it shows the car still idling at 204 def F... However, I found out, that as soon as I touch the brakes (engage the Brake Switch), especially in Neutral or Drive positions, the PCM starts going nuts and flashing all sorts of codes and data errors, so my guess is that the brake switch needs to be replaced also... I dont really understand how a brake switch would make the PCM throw all these codes, but I am not making this up you know...

11-22=new_MAPS=3=brake_on-off_codes_IDLE.uni ---> 274.8 Kb, 3.9 min
http://www.mediafire.com/?6nlod0t103y


FILE 4
This file is the fun one, as I went out on a test drive... Some idles, starts, stops, cruises, I got a chance to rump on it wide-open a few times... Note: about the first half of the run was recorded with ASR on, so when ithe car lost traction during hard acceleration, the computer pulled the timing, etc, then I reallized that it probably won't help with diagnosing things, so I turned the traction control off for the second part of the run... I found it interesting that the Knock Count progressed from 1034 to 1236 to 1947 to 2033 to 3297 to 4709 throughout the first part of the recording with ASR on, and stayed at 4709 after I turned ASR off, I wonder if this means anything... Lots of data in this run...

11-22=new_MAPS=4=Test-DRIVE.uni ---> 1.03 Mb, 15.2 min
http://www.mediafire.com/?5ymfz9xdwmw

 

All I can really say is your getting random DTC errors in the one file, you mention something about hitting the brakes causing all that...

Before you do anything else you need to get those random errors fixed... they are not sensor problems they are the PCM getting the wrong information... anything from MAT, TPS, Brake Stuck On, Brake Stuck OFf, etc.. even saw one about DRP with is the distributor pulse... they all pop up for seconds then go away.. sounds like a bad ground somewhere to me.

If you get the DTC part resolved your problem will probably go away.

The PCM Only knows a high and low range for most sensors, for it to say "TPS Too High" then that means it is physically disconnected or something like that. it's giving readings outside of it's normal range... it's all happening at random so looks like a loose wire, dirty connector, or broken ground.

 

This may help locate the feeds and ground reference wires. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=81088

 

You've got wiring and interference problems. You shouldn't be seeing the disconnects, erratic data and errors, etc.
How did you come to the conclusion that 124L/137R BLM's are the "ideal mixture"? Where did you even get those numbers? At the end of the log, when the BLM's for Cell 16 are fully developed, you have 121L/137R..... the PCM is cutting fuel by 5.5% on the left side, and adding fuel in the amount of 7.0% on the right side..... hardly "ideal" - a 12% difference in the fueling between left and right banks????? You can tell the BLM's are stabilized at the end of the record, because the short terms are only varying slightly above and below 128. They are not "on the rich side" at that point. In your later files, many of the low load Cells show the PCM cutting fuel on the left side. Doesn't seem as bad in the higher load Cells, but you may not have spent enough time driving in those particular cells for them to have developed fully.

Got to check the wiring, got to check the grounds.

When you go to 100% throttle, the left side O2 is generally reading a bit on the lean side (mid-800's) while the right side O2 is generally reading on the rich side (950'ish). Not consistant with the low load BLM's. In PE mode, its operating in Cell 15, with the long terms and short terms locked at 128. That is typical of the way the PCM reacts when the high load Cells are cutting fuel. The fact that the left side is lean at WOT, and the BLM is not pulling out any fuel may indicate you have a false rich condition on the left side of the engine, that is causing the BLM's to drop, when they really don't need to.

You've got to find out why the wiring is all screwed up. You have to figure out why its pulling out so much fuel on the left side. Most of your data looks ok... MAP, MAF, IAT, CLT, system voltage, TPS, IAC, spark advance, etc. You've got to stop focusing on the knock count. It isn't important, unless you are getting knock retard, and you have minimal knock retard when the TCS is off. It's normal for knock count to increment up periodically, without affecting anything.

 

thanks for the link... i will have to double check that for accuracy though, but its a great start!!!

 

I was looking at the cell colors, red vs white vs green... the numbers came up when I clicked on the cell, but later I noticed they also change... I am still trying to figure out Datamaster, its not a simple program, and also what all these BLM numbers mean (I did read your guide) , so if you or anyone else care to elaborate more on the air-fuel number system that Datamaster uses, that would be great

so do I just unplug the connector and test for continuity? which scale should i use?

could that be due to bad O2 sensors? (I hate being back on that topic again) However, if it was the oxygen sensors, then why would this shaking also happen when the car is cold and still running in an open loop mode?

yeah, I wish I knew how I gotta do all that...

***
my tentative plan of action for now...
- I will replace the brake switch and see if that will stop the DTCs and errors
- will visually inspect PCM connectors and can clean with WD40 or 99%alc
- someone suggested to check to see if the alternator is putting out any AC (bad rectifier bridge)
- I was also told to look into "spark knock", and everything related to the ignition, such as the wires that carry the signals to and from the Opti...
- and I someone else suggested checking the Knock Sensor (how?) and there is something about switching to an LT4 Knock Module, but I need to read more about these issues

but this vibration is pretty annoying though...