I comitted a horrible act of sin against my car!

[55Test]

I installed a (gasp!) Honeywell Defense oil filter today. I picked up a 1990 Olds Cutlass Cruiser wagon yesterday for $150 Canadian, and it runs! And there's no holes in the floor or rocker panels! And the A/C still works! As does the remote starter! As soon as I got it home, I put the oil filter on it and put 4 quarts of cheap Zellers 10w30 in it. It is gonna need a bit of work on the exhaust, it's leaking and it's quite loud, but I do like the sound of the 3300 idling. Windshield is cracked and needs to be replaced. Rear shocks, fuel tank, front swaybar and O2 and either the ignition module or the ECM needs replacing. I'm getting a code 42, something about the electronic spark timing something something when the ECM applied bypass voltage to the something. I can get all the parts I need off the Ciera SL I sent up to the junkyard a bit over a month ago, and it wouldn't cost me more than 200 probably. It'll need a tuneup as well, fluids, filters, plugs and maybe the wires. Yes, I'll use a better oil filter at that time. Check out the pics I took with my crappy digital camera.

http://www.a-body.net/showcase/gallery/Wagon

 

[Pablo]

no biggie - just consider this a preflush enema....

Why do you need a new fuel tank?

 

[55Test]

I was told the tank is leaking somewhere, up on top maybe. I couldn't smell any obvious fumes, but I might as well drop the tank and check it for leaks.

 

[oilboy123]

My Dad had an 89 Buick Century w/3.3 motor and I did 1yr Amsoil oil changes. It runs great, he gave it to my niece.

Those are bullet proof engines. My Dad is a maniac as well as my niece. So I will see how long it holds up with her.

 

[eljefino]

I think the ignition module gets the crank signal and makes spark under 400 rpm. Then the ECM computer is supposed to take over and give more spark advance. The car will run without that signal but with retarted timing. You might find this thing gets horrible mileage.

Could be a busted wire or some maddening thing deep within either the computer or ign module. Throwing cheap junkyard parts at it might help.

Just found this linky: http://www.troublecodes.net/articles/gmmsundrstd42.shtml

 

[55Test]

quote:

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Originally posted by eljefino:
I think the ignition module gets the crank signal and makes spark under 400 rpm. Then the ECM computer is supposed to take over and give more spark advance. The car will run without that signal but with retarted timing. You might find this thing gets horrible mileage.

Could be a busted wire or some maddening thing deep within either the computer or ign module. Throwing cheap junkyard parts at it might help.

Just found this linky: http://www.troublecodes.net/articles/gmmsundrstd42.shtml

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That 1990 Ciera SL I had hauled up to the junkyard had a sweet running 3300, gave almost 28 mpg on the highway. The O2 sensor on the wagon is broke at the connector to the sensor itself, so that would contribute to the bad fuel mileage too. I remember with the Ciera SL, when the O2 was bad, fuel mileage was about 19 mpg. If it's still there when I get the cash rounded up, I'm gonna go pick a bunch of parts off of it. ECM, front sway bar, rear shocks, O2 sensor, ignition module, windshield, gas tank, air filter (put brand new one on it 1 week before it was hauled off), radiator fan motor and whatever else I can think of. I really shouldn't have just junked it like that, or at least I should have hauled a bunch of parts off of it before it was towed.

 

[michaelc80]

Wow. Good score for cheap transportation. It's too bad you didn't hang onto the one you sent to the junkyard-you could have stripped it side by side with the wagon and transferred parts to it. Ah well...hindsight is always 20/20!

 

[eljefino]

Doubt the gas tank from a sedan would fit your wagon.

IIRC you were looking at another cruiser wagon a while ago when you still had the sedan. Same deal RE compatibility.

Oddly my 92 cutlass ciera carcass was nowhere to be seen at the junkyard I gave it to. Missing headlights, radiator, battery, alternator, and not running due to a bad crank sensor (probably) I wonder if it got directly crushed. Hope you find yours.

 

[55Test]

quote:

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Originally posted by eljefino:
Doubt the gas tank from a sedan would fit your wagon.

IIRC you were looking at another cruiser wagon a while ago when you still had the sedan. Same deal RE compatibility.

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This is the exact same wagon I was looking at before. I bought the Celica instead of the wagon, and it turns out that the Celica is in a lot worse shape than the wagon is. Someone on the a-body.net forums seems to think the gas tank will fit, but if it doesn't I'll just grab one off a wagon. I was looking through the pile of receipts that came with the wagon, some of them go back to 92. Crank sensor, water pump, alternator were replaced in 99, and the A/C was recharged sometime in the same year. Apparently, this wagon was owned for the first few years of it's life by the man who owns the Chevrolet dealership in town. It's been taken care of during it's life, and it shows.