Backwards CEL / Good morning officer

[jklnhd]

When the CEL is NOT lit, the car runs like crap. It stalls when you stop, if your rolling and you pump the gas it sounds like something in the drive train is knocking (like a clunk when you back off, another when you get on it).

When it IS lit, it runs decent and no clunking noise. Occasionally it'll have a massive cloud of smoke rollin out the back when going uphill on the highway, but not all the time, and doesn't appear to be coming from the tailpipe. It'll be smooth as glass, then it'll sound like its gonna quit.

On top of that, the stuff that leaks out and gets on the driveway turned white after it rained. WTF is that??

Ohh yeah, its got kind of a weird power band. We had an '89 CS, my Grandfather's '88 GM, his '94 GM, and my Dad's '92 CV. NONE of them will do more than chirp a tire in a straight line without a little assistance (corners are a different story). My Merc will obliterate that right rear, like its got massive amounts of torque at like 2k rpm, then it just dies off. Its next to impossible to pull away from a stop at a reasonable speed on a wet road without wheel spin. Like today, when I met a guy with a shiney new P71.

[88grandmarq]

check it for stored trouble codes.
check for vaccuum leaks.

[1987cp]

Sounds like time to upgrade your tires.

[jklnhd]

Its still got the EGR code, it comes and goes. The valve, the sensor, and some other junk were replaced by the last owner earlier this year and it didn't fix it. I even have the old parts he took off.

The tires don't seem to matter. A guy at work has a Town Car with 22" bling bling chrome rims and a slight lift (to fit the rims, its no donk, but def a ghetto supercar), they weigh a ton, they're kinda wide, and it'll rip them apart. Well, one of them anyway. His Town Car won't so much as chirp one.

My intake gaskets should be in today, why I have to order gaskets for an engine they made a billion or two off I don't know, but we'll see what happens now. I'm gonna drop unnecessary vacuum operated stuff too.

btw, why does the shifter get vacuum? My only guess is its either for a parking brake release (had an '86 Sable with that setup), or its in place of actual cables.

[88grandmarq]

3 different types of stored trouble codes. Key On Engine Off... Key On Engine Running and Continuous or Keep Alive.

KOEO codes are current codes that have been set that particular ignition key cycle.
Continuous codes are hard fault codes, meaning the fault has been generated numerous times.
Continuous codes are displayed after the KOEO trouble codes followed by a long, single beep known as seperator 10.

KOER codes are fault codes generated at that particular test while the engine is running.
Most of the less expensive machines you get at the parts store, don't do this test.

which EGR codes did you get and during which test did they appear? a sticking EGR valve sill cause a massive Vaccum leak and the engine will run similar to the way you describe.

Yes, the vaccum hose to the base of the steering column is for the parking automatic parking brake release. if the switch is leaking, plug the black hose coming in from the firewall or simply replace the switch.

[gadget73]

What he said. There are at least 3 different EGR codes, in addition to the different test modes. They each mean something slightly different.

[91waggin]

I'll bet you the reason you can chirp tires and others can't is due to the fact that you have an open diff while others have limited slip. Check the axle code on the door tag, and then look at GoodSamaritan's signature for the translation.

[jklnhd]

The EGR code was done by the last owner about a day before I bought it. I called him up and asked what it was, he said "last time it was egr, I'll check again though."
I can't get the light to stay on when I go to test it. It's on most of the time, when I get stuff together and have a few minutes, it shuts off and runs bad. Except today, the CEL looked like a freakin strobe light and it ran 10 times better than normal, maybe even 11 times better (calculations could be off).

As for variables, I drive the same roads, the same way, same time of day, get gas at either of 2 places (one near home, one by work).

My Dad's '92 spins both tires when it wants to, usually involves a slick road though. The Country Squire spun the right rear in snow/rain/dirt/leaves going forward, and the left rear (any surface) in reverse. My Merc typically goes for the right, but in reverse it just does whatever it wants to.