1988 Chevrolet 2500 Pickup - Scanner Won’t communicate - Paperclip Won’t work & MORE
September 5th, 2019, 12:16 PM
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1988 Chevrolet 2500 Pickup - Scanner Won’t communicate - Paperclip Won’t work & MORE
1988 Chevrolet 2500 Pickup - Scanner Won’t communicate - Paperclip Won’t work either & More
1988 Chevrolet 2500 pickup with 350 engine, TBI and OBD1. I bought the truck in 1990 with 21,000 miles on it. It is now up to 280,000. Within the last 3 years most of the sensors and connectors have been replaced. A new distributor and coil was put on about a year ago. Fuel pump and filter is brand new and the fuel pressure is right at 12 lbs. Installation of the pump was prompted by poor engine performance and low fuel pressure. Pump was very old and had a break in the suction tube. Engine performance was restored.
For several years I have used a Actron 9145 scanner to trace minor problems and make repairs. About a months ago I had what I thought was a check engine light come on. I discovered that the Actron would not communicate with the ECM and showed I had a Link Error or something similar. I attempted to read the codes the old fashioned way with a paper clip jumper and had negative results. The engine seemed to be running fine and I disconnected the battery and cleared the codes. After a three mile drive, I parked the truck and tried to use the Actron again to look for codes or read data. I could not communicate but the check engine light was not on indicating a problem. Later in the day, I started the truck and the Check Engine Light came on. I turned the engine off and came inside to do some auto repair research on the internet. After about 45 minutes I went out and started the truck and I did not have a Check Engine Light. Again I went for a short drive and everything remained normal and I I did not have a Check Engine Light . Tried to scan and could not communicate. After about 30 minutes I started the truck and had the Check Engine Light back. Tried to scan and could not communicate. After 20 minutes I found that the Check Engine Light had cleared.
Recap of above paragraph:
Had Check Engine Light
Actron 9145 would not communicate with the ECM
Paper clip method would not work either
Went for a drive and parked with Check Engine Light (CEL) still showing
Disconnected the battery and cleared the codes
Went for 3 mile drive…..no CEL…..running fine.
Tried to use the Actron 9145…..could not communicate but the CEL was not on indicating a problem
Later in the day, I started the truck and the CEL came on
After 45 minutes, started truck and CEL had gone off
Short drive…running fine….No CEL
Tried to scan and could not communicate
After about 30 minutes…. Started the truck and CEL was back
Tried to scan and could not communicate
After 20 minutes, started truck and the CEL had cleared
I have ALLDATAdty and ran the GM flow charts to check for missing voltage, broken cables and bad connections between ALDA connector and ECM. My problem does not completely match any of the ALLDATA chains of testing but ran with their thinking in hopes I would stumble into the problem. Didn’t happen. Your help would be appreciated.
1988 Chevrolet 2500 pickup with 350 engine, TBI and OBD1. I bought the truck in 1990 with 21,000 miles on it. It is now up to 280,000. Within the last 3 years most of the sensors and connectors have been replaced. A new distributor and coil was put on about a year ago. Fuel pump and filter is brand new and the fuel pressure is right at 12 lbs. Installation of the pump was prompted by poor engine performance and low fuel pressure. Pump was very old and had a break in the suction tube. Engine performance was restored.
For several years I have used a Actron 9145 scanner to trace minor problems and make repairs. About a months ago I had what I thought was a check engine light come on. I discovered that the Actron would not communicate with the ECM and showed I had a Link Error or something similar. I attempted to read the codes the old fashioned way with a paper clip jumper and had negative results. The engine seemed to be running fine and I disconnected the battery and cleared the codes. After a three mile drive, I parked the truck and tried to use the Actron again to look for codes or read data. I could not communicate but the check engine light was not on indicating a problem. Later in the day, I started the truck and the Check Engine Light came on. I turned the engine off and came inside to do some auto repair research on the internet. After about 45 minutes I went out and started the truck and I did not have a Check Engine Light. Again I went for a short drive and everything remained normal and I I did not have a Check Engine Light . Tried to scan and could not communicate. After about 30 minutes I started the truck and had the Check Engine Light back. Tried to scan and could not communicate. After 20 minutes I found that the Check Engine Light had cleared.
Recap of above paragraph:
Had Check Engine Light
Actron 9145 would not communicate with the ECM
Paper clip method would not work either
Went for a drive and parked with Check Engine Light (CEL) still showing
Disconnected the battery and cleared the codes
Went for 3 mile drive…..no CEL…..running fine.
Tried to use the Actron 9145…..could not communicate but the CEL was not on indicating a problem
Later in the day, I started the truck and the CEL came on
After 45 minutes, started truck and CEL had gone off
Short drive…running fine….No CEL
Tried to scan and could not communicate
After about 30 minutes…. Started the truck and CEL was back
Tried to scan and could not communicate
After 20 minutes, started truck and the CEL had cleared
I have ALLDATAdty and ran the GM flow charts to check for missing voltage, broken cables and bad connections between ALDA connector and ECM. My problem does not completely match any of the ALLDATA chains of testing but ran with their thinking in hopes I would stumble into the problem. Didn’t happen. Your help would be appreciated.
Last edited by John Tyra; September 5th, 2019 at 12:22 PM. Reason: Removing unneeded space
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