I took my 93 sixty special today to get a oil change. While he was talking to me and putting oil in from one of those bulk nozzles, it slipped and it shot a stream over the air cleaner assembly. He wiped it down, but it left a oil film. I figure I would wash it off at the carwash. I bought a can of engine cleaner and did what it said and sprayed the engine off. I noticed when it started it was kind of missing. I drove it down the road 55 mph for about a mile. The COOLANT TEMP light came on. I imeadiately pulled over and turned the engine off. I felt and the engine wasnt hot at all. I could easily touch the intake and never remove my hand. I figured water had gotten to the coolant sensor. I started it back up and started for the house. The SERVICE ENGINE SOON light came on and just as I pulled onto our street the transmission would not shift out of first. I pulled it in the carport and left it there to dry. After drying I started it and it wouldnt run and when it did start it was missing and blowing black smoke. I pulled the codes and got E26 and E34. I cleared them and then tried to drive it. The transmission wont go from first gear, but reverse is fine and the codes that now kept reappearing are E21 E26 E52 . It did have codes E70 and E96, but they quit showing up. What did I do? Is my transmission shot? I pulled the dist. cap and gave it a shot of wd-40 earlier before I pulled the codes and it didnt help. I know what the codes mean, but is it possible it shorted this stuff out or has anyone else had this problem?

Blaze

it has been my experience that it just isnt worth
it to douche these engines in the manner that you
described...

when i do clean them, i buy the extra-thick and big
ziplock bags...i remove everything electrical that can
be removed without messing up the weatherpacks...

i then bag and tape alla the remaining electrical stuff,
exposed weatherpacks included, and then use a ton
of chemical cleaners and only use a garden hose to clean
up...

i then let it dry and then use tuner cleaner on all the connections
as i put it back together...its a lot of work, but not so
bad when one considers the job facing you in figuring out
just what you may have fried...

with the problems you describe, try using tuner cleaner
on the TPS first to get it clean and dried out...

it has been my experience that it just isnt worth
it to douche these engines in the manner that you
described...

when i do clean them, i buy the extra-thick and big
ziplock bags...i remove everything electrical that can
be removed without messing up the weatherpacks...

i then bag and tape alla the remaining electrical stuff,
exposed weatherpacks included, and then use a ton
of chemical cleaners and only use a garden hose to clean
up...

i then let it dry and then use tuner cleaner on all the connections
as i put it back together...its a lot of work, but not so
bad when one considers the job facing you in figuring out
just what you may have fried...

with the problems you describe, try using tuner cleaner
on the TPS first to get it clean and dried out...
I talked to a few people from the board last night and they wash their engines as much as once a week. On my seville I wash it pretty frequently during the summer as the dirt roads can dust one up pretty bad. It did this once before only it was just the idle speed motor and it fixed itself overnight. The transmission is what has me worried. But you dont know what effect the TPS and the ISC are having on it. According to the service manual before you can diagnose a transmission problem you have to fix and clear any PCM codes. What I gather from that is that the transmission can be effected by any of these sensors. I would like to find where it is leaking or whatever so it can be sealed. But that would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Blaze

purple power and a pressure washer at the car wash.... keeps my (engines) squeeky clean... then (on the 4.9 atleast) I go back and detail it all

the *only* problem I ever had when pressure washing an engine, between my 4.9, 425 and 3800.... when I first got the Olds, and washed the enigne for the second time, she didn't want to start... keept cranking... so I let the fuel pump prime a few times (whatever you call it) waited a minute, then she fired right up.... dunno what the problem was, but it never happened again...

I also havn't washed the 425 down in a long time because of the open element air filter and oil breather filter... I am just too lazy to cover them or and stuff...

Went out this morning and pushed it into the warm sunshine with the hood up. Maybe that will help.

Blaze

If all was well before the engine wash, it is most likely that you just got water in some electrical connection. It is gonna take more than sun to dry it out. If you have compressed air available, disconnect any connections you can get to and blow them out. You might also try some WD-40 on the connections. Don't overlook the battery cables. If you can get it to run, take it for a good long ride and get it up to normal operating tempurature and keep it there for an hour or so. If that is not an option atleast let it idle for an hour to heat everything up good and dry itself out. I'm quite sure she'll come back to her old self again once she dries out.

I'm thinking wet plug wires.

I have hosed my engine down with a high pressure nozzle on a garden hose without taking any precautions like covering electrical connections. I have had no problems doing this.

These engines are somewhat covered but still exposed to the elements. They are subject to water and moisture more than we think. The engineer's know this and have done a wonderful job of designing connections that are highly moisture resistant. Just ask Bbob and I'm sure he will agree to a point.

That being said, common sense should prevail and it is not wise to concentrate the water directly at the distributor or ignition modules etc.!

Now, Blaze, if this car is one that you have done extensive repairs on then you need to re-check the electrical connections that you have un-plugged and re-plugged. The fittings usually have a rubber gasket in them. They should be clean, in good shape, free of grit and grime and I like to use dielectric grease for extra protection against moisture.

Don't forget that wonderful product as a result of our NASA space program, WD-40 (water displacement formula #40) That will do a nice job of cleaning and removing moisture from those electrical connections and help you get back on the road with a smooth running Caddy.

Good luck!

sure wish my engine was clean and pretty ...its pretty nasty in there , missing plastic and broken wire loom covers from the "hackers" that are called mechanics that apprently worked on this car before i got it ....

take those codes and run them down int he sticky in this forums and find out what they are ...with each code there will be a area you need to look at ....if there is a coolant temp sensor problem pull the connector off it and clean it up and restest ...if it doesnt cure it start traceing the wire back to another connector and take it apart and clean it ...those codes you got out of it will be your best freind

sure wish my engine was clean and pretty ...its pretty nasty in there , missing plastic and broken wire loom covers from the "hackers" that are called mechanics that apprently worked on this car before i got it ....

take those codes and run them down int he sticky in this forums and find out what they are ...with each code there will be a area you need to look at ....if there is a coolant temp sensor problem pull the connector off it and clean it up and restest ...if it doesnt cure it start traceing the wire back to another connector and take it apart and clean it ...those codes you got out of it will be your best freind
Im pretty sure the ISC is shot. It acted up another time I did this, but this bad. I bought another one and I will install it in another few minutes I guess.

Blaze

dont feel bad if it dont fix the problem , everyone with a 4.9 has had to do that ....

Blaze,
Check your email.

Before I was going to put that $90.00 ISC on it, I thought maybe I should have it checked out and just bite the bullett. I had it hauled to Turner Chevy Cadillac. They called a little while ago and said the TPS sensor had shorted out. They said someone at one time or another had pierced the wires right at the TPS connector. They said some people do that when checking circuits. The water entered there and shorted out the sensor. The sensor was basically telling the computer that the throttle was wide open, making the fuel mixture richer. That explains the black smoke rolling out of it. They said the ISC is not bad. It wont work right with the TPS messed up. The computer just determines it isnt working right, right off the bat so it throws a ISC code. He said the computer had a intermittent problem as well. They seen it do that once when it was there before, but couldnt get it to do it again and thought it was just a ground fluke. So all in all they wanted to know if they could go ahead and replace the TPS connector and wiring. They also wanted to replace the ECM. I gave them the go ahead and said "TO IT TO IT BABY." I just want it fixed. It should be ready this evening if all the parts arrived at noon. We shall wait and see. Oh they did say that the engine should be able to be cleaned that way with no problems. Sometimes after they clean a engine it will throw a ISC throttle switch code, but it will go out when it dries. In the future I guess I wont go postal with the carwash nozzle.


Blaze

Before I was going to put that $90.00 ISC on it, I thought maybe I should have it checked out and just bite the bullett. I had it hauled to Turner Chevy Cadillac. They called a little while ago and said the TPS sensor had shorted out. They said someone at one time or another had pierced the wires right at the TPS connector. They said some people do that when checking circuits. The water entered there and shorted out the sensor. The sensor was basically telling the computer that the throttle was wide open, making the fuel mixture richer. That explains the black smoke rolling out of it. They said the ISC is not bad. It wont work right with the TPS messed up. The computer just determines it isnt working right, right off the bat so it throws a ISC code. He said the computer had a intermittent problem as well. They seen it do that once when it was there before, but couldnt get it to do it again and thought it was just a ground fluke. So all in all they wanted to know if they could go ahead and replace the TPS connector and wiring. They also wanted to replace the ECM. I gave them the go ahead and said "TO IT TO IT BABY." I just want it fixed. It should be ready this evening if all the parts arrived at noon. We shall wait and see. Oh they did say that the engine should be able to be cleaned that way with no problems. Sometimes after they clean a engine it will throw a ISC throttle switch code, but it will go out when it dries. In the future I guess I wont go postal with the carwash nozzle.


Blaze

Great! Glad it seems to be handled. I've seen TPS and ISC codes go away by themselves from time to time but more often than not they don't and the component must be replaced.
As for cleaning the engine, I'd just suggest that you never blast water directly at any sensors, modules, or harness connections.

Well I got it back and 342.00 dollars later I am back in business. It drives totaly different now. It still has a slight hesitation, but they said it will get better as the plugs clean theirself off. It idles a bit high when you first start it but goes right down in a few seconds. Its real touchy on the gas now. One tap send you hauling.

Blaze

EXACTLY like mine, now. Touchy gas pedal, takes off like a scared cat running outta heII and a slightly elevated idle on start up for like 35 seconds. Been like that since Day-1 - 'ya, 9,821 miles ago :)

VERY TOUCHY, and all that torque!

EXACTLY like mine, now. Touchy gas pedal, takes off like a scared cat running outta heII and a slightly elevated idle on start up for like 35 seconds. Been like that since Day-1 - 'ya, 9,821 miles ago :)
To me your car is still in Day 1.

Blaze

Actually, it's in "Month-1"

Well I got it back and 342.00 dollars later I am back in business. It drives totaly different now. It still has a slight hesitation, but they said it will get better as the plugs clean theirself off. It idles a bit high when you first start it but goes right down in a few seconds. Its real touchy on the gas now. One tap send you hauling.

Blaze
Good to hear that, man.