P1351 again, I give up..

[mike2004tct]

3 months ago.
After replacing the Distributor twice, Inition module 4 times, the cap, coil, rotor, and Computer, the darn thing throws a P1351 code today.
No start Saturday. Replaced the Module Sunday. Ran good yesterday. Hard start and threw code today.

I give up. I'm taking it in to my local mechanic.

3 months and $1000.00 in parts, I'm totally disgusted with this thing.
And that doesn't include the fuel pump I replaced 3 weeks ago.

What a money pit.

My wife calls it The Lemon. Reluctantly, I now concur.

69K miles. (hardly broken in)

1 Ignition switch harness
2 computers (possible the third just crapped out)
4 fuel pumps (1 Delco, 1 Carter, 1 Delphi)

[Rick Norwood]

Originally Posted by mike2004tct

3 months ago.
After replacing the Distributor twice, Inition module 4 times, the cap, coil, rotor, and Computer, the darn thing throws a P1351 code today.
No start Saturday. Replaced the Module Sunday. Ran good yesterday. Hard start and threw code today.

I give up. I'm taking it in to my local mechanic.

3 months and $1000.00 in parts, I'm totally disgusted with this thing.
And that doesn't include the fuel pump I replaced 3 weeks ago.

What a money pit.

My wife calls it The Lemon. Reluctantly, I now concur.

69K miles. (hardly broken in)

1 Ignition switch harness
2 computers (possible the third just crapped out)
4 fuel pumps (1 Delco, 1 Carter, 1 Delphi)

I heartily concur.

I got a 2001 S10 4WD Blazer 125K miles that is a money pit too. Fuel Pumps, Intake Manifold Gaskets, Radiators, MAF sensor, ABS Module, Cats, Oil Cooler lines, Distributor body, AC hoses, Fan Clutch and Fan, Ignition switch, MultiFunction Switch, Oxygen Sensors, Muffler, and the list goes on. This doesn't include all of the routine preventative maintenance like Oil, fuel filters, air filters, Oil filters, etc.

I could have bought a new truck for what I've dumped into this thing.

I didn't want to admit it either, But sheepishly I have to agree your wife and mine are both correct. MONEY PITS!

The sad thing is Mike, it only gets worse. Wait until you get to 100k miles and things really start crapping out.

[mike2004tct]

Another Distributor Cap, rotor, and a new set of plug wires.

Being the ShadeTree mechanic I am, I don’t have the proper tools to diagnose
Certain problems. By this, I mean expensive diagnostic tools/machines.

I mentioned in another post that I noticed multiple flashes on my strobe light while checking
For spark on one plug.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=928847

MY mechanic hooked the truck up to his fancy schmancy Analyser, and he noticed the same thing, on all 6 cylinders. The truck wouldn’t
Start for him either, so he pulled the cap, and noticed burnt posts inside of it,
As well as 2 minute cracks on the rotor electrode. One of the things I did prior
To taking it in was replace the cap and rotor with the original units – still no start.

So, the mechanic replaces the 3 month old cap and rotor with another new set, and the truck fires up. Same thing happened for me when I replaced the Ignition module. But, he still sees these random voltage spikes at all cylinders.
So, he says my plug wires are dried out. (They look darn near new, but what can I tell- I’ll hope the machine is correct, perhaps the carbon inside is dissentigrating, and being in the electronic design field, I can believe that explaination-high Voltage crosstalk – never did see any arching though).

His explaination for the P1351 code is, because the random spikes are so bad, they see “tons” of Ignition module failures yearly due to bad plug wires. And that code is a High Voltage Spike in the Ignition system.

So, we shall see if it’s truly “fixed” now. As this is mainly my winter vehicle,
It’ll get a lot of use over the next 5 months. (As long as it will start)

[Rick Norwood]

Did the random spikes go away after replacing the wires?

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by mike2004tct

Another Distributor Cap, rotor, and a new set of plug wires.

Being the ShadeTree mechanic I am, I don’t have the proper tools to diagnose
Certain problems. By this, I mean expensive diagnostic tools/machines.

I mentioned in another post that I noticed multiple flashes on my strobe light while checking
For spark on one plug.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=928847

MY mechanic hooked the truck up to his fancy schmancy Analyser, and he noticed the same thing, on all 6 cylinders. The truck wouldn’t
Start for him either, so he pulled the cap, and noticed burnt posts inside of it,
As well as 2 minute cracks on the rotor electrode. One of the things I did prior
To taking it in was replace the cap and rotor with the original units – still no start.

So, the mechanic replaces the 3 month old cap and rotor with another new set, and the truck fires up. Same thing happened for me when I replaced the Ignition module. But, he still sees these random voltage spikes at all cylinders.
So, he says my plug wires are dried out. (They look darn near new, but what can I tell- I’ll hope the machine is correct, perhaps the carbon inside is dissentigrating, and being in the electronic design field, I can believe that explaination-high Voltage crosstalk – never did see any arching though).

His explaination for the P1351 code is, because the random spikes are so bad, they see “tons” of Ignition module failures yearly due to bad plug wires. And that code is a High Voltage Spike in the Ignition system.

So, we shall see if it’s truly “fixed” now. As this is mainly my winter vehicle,
It’ll get a lot of use over the next 5 months. (As long as it will start)

Yes high restiance in plug wires will do things like that.
Your mechanic made a good find.
It is very possiable your mechanic may have found the root problem.
We hope that takes care of it.
Good Luck

[Blazin1]

Originally Posted by mike2004tct

I give up. I'm taking it in to my local mechanic.

3 months and $1000.00 in parts, I'm totally disgusted with this thing.
And that doesn't include the fuel pump I replaced 3 weeks ago.

What a money pit.

My wife calls it The Lemon. Reluctantly, I now concur.

69K miles. (hardly broken in)

1 Ignition switch harness
2 computers (possible the third just crapped out)
4 fuel pumps (1 Delco, 1 Carter, 1 Delphi)

I feel your pain mike I dumped around $1100 in parts and labor before gettin help from this forum. As soon as I got my blazer I spent that much just to get it running, then just recently it took a cr*p again!!! This time I had the help of this forum which in my opinion save me some hard earned $$$. This time the Cr*p my blazer took only cost me $17.00, the cat was plugged so i just delete it with a straight pipe all the way to the muffler.....Problem solved......That is till I have to smog it in APR.

I was considering selling it but now i completly changed my mind.

[mike2004tct]

Originally Posted by Rick Norwood

Did the random spikes go away after replacing the wires?

He never said he re-checked it, so I'd say no. I had the same thought after I left the shop.
He was quite adamant about how many electrical problems he sees because of bad plug wires.
He did keep it over night, so he could let it sit out in the rain and see if there was a problem restarting today.

Originally Posted by MT2500

It is very possiable your mechanic may have found the root problem.
We hope that takes care of it.

3 + months, and lots of $$, parts, knuckle scrapes, sweat, but no tears (yet).

I sure do hope that was the cause.I trust this guy with any of my cars. I've been using him for 20 + years (private shop) whenever something is beyond my knowledge (which nowadays, is almost everything)

[Rick Norwood]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. But I would ask that he recheck for the random spikes before leaving the shop.