98 3.8L P1451 code NOT the CV Solenoid!
bkimbel
04-06-2011, 06:44 AM
At least not in my case...
About 3 months ago, I replaced the gear shift rubber boot because it was split. The gear shift looks nice now. I finished up, put away my tools and spent the rest of the weekend on other things.
Monday morning, I started up the car, and had a Check Engine Light (CEL) come on. Using the ScanGauge II, I checked the code, and it was pointing to a Canister Vacuum Solenoid. So I checked with my mechanic, and he said it's something to fix, but not an immediate concern.
So I drove it for a while, clearing the code when I wanted the light off, and checking this and other forums for information. I got a pinpoint test listing, and found that I got the needed voltage for the solenoid (10.5 v), which suggested a bad solenoid. Ordered a replacement, replaced it, and the dang light kept coming on! I measured the resistance of the old solenoid, and it was out of the 48-65 ohm range, so I figured that confirmed the diagnosis of a bad solenoid, so I kept looking for other issues that could cause this problem.
In the meantime, I was also troubleshooting a hard starting when hot problem which was pointed to a possibly bad fuel pump relay (or maybe a PCM relay) by 12ounce.
I checked out the underhood fuse and relay box, switched the fuel pump and washer relays around, and then took a closer look at the diagram for the block, and found that there is a 10 amp fuse the the Transmission Control Switch AND CANISTER VENT SOLENOID!!!! Inspected the fuse, found it to be blown.
I replaced the fuse, reset the codes, and the furshhuginer CEL is staying OFF NOW!
Thinking back, I probably shorted a hot lead while working in the steering column, since I had to have the ignition switch on to remove the lock cylinder, and being a smug electrical engineer, chose not to disconnect the battery while replacing the boot.
Anyway, the P1451 code is gone, and I've been taught a lesson...
Thanks for all of the great posts. Hope this helps someone else!
***ADDITIONAL INFORMATION***
The problem came back, so I put up with it for a while. Then I decided to figure out what was really blowing the fuse.
The lead I shorted was a hot lead coming from the Transmission Control Switch at the end of the shift lever. When I replaced the boot for the shift lever, I didn't route the wire underneath the shifter shaft and then up the left side and into the clips on top of the shaft, but went over it instead (shortest route). When I reconnected the plug inside the dash, it would sometimes short out and blow that fuse (.
When I started examining the 3-wire cable, I found a loose piece of vinyl tape, and some sticky residue on the cable just after it exited the trans shift lever. with a REAL close look, I found a spot where the insulation had been pinched. So I re-insulated the cable with some fresh tape, and routed the cable so it comes out of the shaft, UNDER the rotating shaft, up the left side, and THEN into the retainer clips (one on the boot clip, three as the cable follows the shaft into the dash).
It has now been more than three weeks, with daily driving, and NO FUSE BLOWING or P1451 ERROR CODES!
Again, thanks for the help in the past!
Bill Kimbel
Tallahassee, FL
About 3 months ago, I replaced the gear shift rubber boot because it was split. The gear shift looks nice now. I finished up, put away my tools and spent the rest of the weekend on other things.
Monday morning, I started up the car, and had a Check Engine Light (CEL) come on. Using the ScanGauge II, I checked the code, and it was pointing to a Canister Vacuum Solenoid. So I checked with my mechanic, and he said it's something to fix, but not an immediate concern.
So I drove it for a while, clearing the code when I wanted the light off, and checking this and other forums for information. I got a pinpoint test listing, and found that I got the needed voltage for the solenoid (10.5 v), which suggested a bad solenoid. Ordered a replacement, replaced it, and the dang light kept coming on! I measured the resistance of the old solenoid, and it was out of the 48-65 ohm range, so I figured that confirmed the diagnosis of a bad solenoid, so I kept looking for other issues that could cause this problem.
In the meantime, I was also troubleshooting a hard starting when hot problem which was pointed to a possibly bad fuel pump relay (or maybe a PCM relay) by 12ounce.
I checked out the underhood fuse and relay box, switched the fuel pump and washer relays around, and then took a closer look at the diagram for the block, and found that there is a 10 amp fuse the the Transmission Control Switch AND CANISTER VENT SOLENOID!!!! Inspected the fuse, found it to be blown.
I replaced the fuse, reset the codes, and the furshhuginer CEL is staying OFF NOW!
Thinking back, I probably shorted a hot lead while working in the steering column, since I had to have the ignition switch on to remove the lock cylinder, and being a smug electrical engineer, chose not to disconnect the battery while replacing the boot.
Anyway, the P1451 code is gone, and I've been taught a lesson...
Thanks for all of the great posts. Hope this helps someone else!
***ADDITIONAL INFORMATION***
The problem came back, so I put up with it for a while. Then I decided to figure out what was really blowing the fuse.
The lead I shorted was a hot lead coming from the Transmission Control Switch at the end of the shift lever. When I replaced the boot for the shift lever, I didn't route the wire underneath the shifter shaft and then up the left side and into the clips on top of the shaft, but went over it instead (shortest route). When I reconnected the plug inside the dash, it would sometimes short out and blow that fuse (.
When I started examining the 3-wire cable, I found a loose piece of vinyl tape, and some sticky residue on the cable just after it exited the trans shift lever. with a REAL close look, I found a spot where the insulation had been pinched. So I re-insulated the cable with some fresh tape, and routed the cable so it comes out of the shaft, UNDER the rotating shaft, up the left side, and THEN into the retainer clips (one on the boot clip, three as the cable follows the shaft into the dash).
It has now been more than three weeks, with daily driving, and NO FUSE BLOWING or P1451 ERROR CODES!
Again, thanks for the help in the past!
Bill Kimbel
Tallahassee, FL
CnlK
04-07-2011, 09:34 AM
Thanks for the info, always nice to see and learn from a successful repair.
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