1995 Cutlass Ciera gas, HP and brakes

[Xalis]

I 95% positive I used Gunk Valve Medic. Also do you know any way to retrieve trouble codes without a scan tool, the manual i bought on the car doesnt say anything except use a scan tool basically. I need to find a way to get my positive battery terminal off so I can clearn the codes. I got the negative off but someone stripped the positive bolt and im not sure if just having the negative off clears the codes. If it does something else is setting off a check engine light in my car.

[GTP Dad]

Valve medic shouldn't cause any problems since it is a cleaner with a lubricant in it. As for the positive terminal get a pair of vice grips and hook to the stub that is left you should be able to spin it off that way. Finally, the negative should clear the codes but if not simply find the ecm and unplug the wires from it for a few minutes and it should clear the codes. Reinstall and see what happens. If there are new codes then the light will come back on.

As for the code retrieval, there is a trick where you can use to cross a couple of terminals and read the codes by using the cel but I don't know which ones they are. You can search the Pontiac forum for them especially Grand Am as a lot of folks still have OBD 1 cars.

[Xalis]

My book says how to in 1993 and older cars, but im guessing that wont work with mine. Yeah i knew I could use vice grips, i gotta go get a new bolt though lol. Ill check the pontiac forums.

[mfarell]

I had similar problems as Xalis and this thread worked wonders for me!!! I did everything it says and my cuttlass 93 is running like a charm!!! gas milage got utterly better too!!!

Thanks a million guys

[ragrone]

Is the intake manifold leaking on this thing? any loss of anti-freeze around the backside/driverside of the engine? Take a can of carb cleaner and spray around the intake manifold (with the car running) and check to see if the engine speed changes at all. If this happens I would go ahead and change the head gaskets while your replacing the intake manifold gasket (very common in these 3.1's).... I think the entire shop time is about 6.5 hours plaus parts... Also, FelPro is now manufacturing gasket sets for these beasts and are said to be of better material then the original

[djnoname]

first off you did good changing your 02 sensor. Next clean your IAC hole and IAC then depress pintle and put back in do relearn procedure. Change out your CTS. Make sure your ses lite isn't keeping car stuck in open loop it sounds like it. Clear that ses lite and find out why its coming back intermittently.

Lastly a 3100 likes to blow intake gaskets at 150K, (it is a crappy platic gasket in your car right now) if there is any oil in your coolant resiviour consider your intake gasket blown but if not change it out with the updated version (that is still half plastic not much better but it will do) otherwise itll blow you wont notice then itll take your head gaskets. I guess hope yours is okay and change it out now to avoid head gaskets repairs cuz they suck on a bimetal 3100 trust me.

read bestbrakes.com faq's on brakes to see why you are going thru so much thats just not right. Next time do a good bed in procudure hawk brake pads etc...

fyi pull the ecm fuse for like a minute that will also clear the codes or better yet undo the fusable link thatll work too.

[Infinitrium]

Check this webpage for a guide on how to get your codes.


http://www.troublecodes.net/GM/

And then this page to see what the codes mean

http://www.troublecodes.net/GM/94-95_31M.shtml