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1992 Bonneville trouble code 17


tekwyzrd
08-22-2004, 05:57 PM
Last week I bought a 1992 Bonneville SE with the 3800 v6 (no supercharger). For the first 167 miles of the nearly 430 mile trip home it ran great. At that point I decided to stop at a service plaza on the turnpike to get something to eat.
When I tried to start the car again a few minutes later it wouldn't start. About twenty minutes later it started but stalled again about 12 miles down the turnpike. For the rest of the trip back and since then it stalls periodically. It runs great then suddenly...not running and not starting.
It starts and runs for a while once it cools down some (amount of time varies but usually 10 to 20 minutes) but the more it runs the longer it takes to cool down and the shorter the next period of time it stays running is.
When I got the car home I replaced the plugs (platinum 2s) and wires, changed the oil and filter, and flushed and filled the cooling system. Then I ran it and when it was good and warm it stalled. I pulled the codes and got a code 44 (oxygen sensor - lean exhaust indication) and a code 17 (spark reference circuit).
I replaced the oxygen sensor (which eliminated the code 44) and the fuel filter.
Then I ran the car to get it warmed up. Once it died again I pulled the codes. Code 17
It's obviously a temperature related problem so at a friend's suggestion I replaced the ignition module with one from a salvage yard. Still the same problem and code. The car warms up and a few minutes later it dies.
When I unhooked the replacment module and hooked up the original one again it started right up and ran fine. Then I hooked up the replacement module again (still mounted on the engine). No start. About fifteen minutes later it started and ran until it reached that critical temperature.
It seems I got a bad module from the salvage yard. Looks like I go for another module tomorrow.

tekwyzrd
08-24-2004, 12:22 PM
I swapped out the ignition module with another one from the salvage yard. Once it warmed up it stalled again. No trouble code. It started up again the second time I cranked it. I let it run until it died again. Trouble code 17 was back. It started again the fourth time I cranked it. Since I don't have to wait for it to cool down before it'll start it seems I now have a good module and it's time to replace the crank sensor.

tekwyzrd
08-25-2004, 10:07 PM
Ok, I've got the old crank position sensor out. A visual inspection reveals that the magnet is shorter than either of the hall switches and the 3x side is slightly shorter than the 18x side. All three are the same height on the replacment. Now to find a crankshaft position sensor installation tool. There's no way I'm going to pay $352.00 to buy one.

tekwyzrd
08-26-2004, 03:55 PM
The new crank sensor is in. I installed it as per part's accompanying instructions using a feeler gauge to space it .020 from the outer interruptor ring. It runs without stalling and starts now hot or cold but once it warms up I seem to have an occasional misfire. Swapping out coils doesn't eliminate it. There's no trouble code. Could this be a sign that the cam position sensor is going bad too?

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