My 88 vette is running really good!
04-27-2005, 09:11 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
My 88 vette is running really good!
My 1988, auto, coupe, is running really well – normally I post when I have a problem, but it has been going so well for the last 2 – 3 weeks I thought it would make a change to post about something positive.
I’ve had the car for just over 2 years, been replacing and fixing a heap of things.
I ‘think’ the difference happened at the same time I put a new memcal in the ECM – but I can’t say for sure.
I bought a chip and adapter board from Moates – it uses the original chip plus the newly programmed chip, so at any time I can change back to standard. The new memcal is re-programmable so I can get it changed over and over..
My car is standard – all I changed were the on/off temps of the cooling fan and the open/closed loop settings because I fitted a heated O2 sensor.
So really there should have been no alteration to the way the car runs. But I noticed it immediately, just a SOTP thing, and I know that often cars feel like that after you wash them or change the oil. This feeling has lasted 2-3 weeks – the car is even more of a joy to drive, I describe it as ‘Crisper’.
The friend who burned the new memcal said,” there were 4 different chip calibrations used in your year.. (the 4 letter code).. we don't know which one you were running before, but its possible I used a different one that is not so emissions strict (california cars are different etc) and has a bit more timing in it, and higher NOx emissions and performance.. just a wild guess - next time you are in there, get the code and I'll tell you!”
So perhaps that’s it. My car is a Canadian Vette so I would have thought not very emissions strict?
At the same time as I fitted the chip, my courtesy lights dimmer blew. Previous to that, my door lock solenoids wouldn’t budge the door locks, but now, because there are no lights on when I close the door, there are more spare volts and the solenoids work!! Surely that can’t affect the running of the car!!
Over the last two years I have replaced the radiator, had the tranny rebuilt to heavy duty, by experts. Fixed a heap of minor things – new plug leads, headlamps, s/s brake hoses, brake bias spring, revalved shockies – bought a fuel pressure gauge and set the FPR and TPS etc as per the tech tip – all done before last Christmas. Everything helps to contribute to the overall feeling, but for the last few weeks the car is better!!!
So that’s it. I’m really enjoying my vette, which is my daily driver. There’s a heap of things that can go wrong any minute now –thanks to the forum I’m semi prepared for them.
Hope I haven’t jinxed it by sharing my current joy.
S’nut
I’ve had the car for just over 2 years, been replacing and fixing a heap of things.
I ‘think’ the difference happened at the same time I put a new memcal in the ECM – but I can’t say for sure.
I bought a chip and adapter board from Moates – it uses the original chip plus the newly programmed chip, so at any time I can change back to standard. The new memcal is re-programmable so I can get it changed over and over..
My car is standard – all I changed were the on/off temps of the cooling fan and the open/closed loop settings because I fitted a heated O2 sensor.
So really there should have been no alteration to the way the car runs. But I noticed it immediately, just a SOTP thing, and I know that often cars feel like that after you wash them or change the oil. This feeling has lasted 2-3 weeks – the car is even more of a joy to drive, I describe it as ‘Crisper’.
The friend who burned the new memcal said,” there were 4 different chip calibrations used in your year.. (the 4 letter code).. we don't know which one you were running before, but its possible I used a different one that is not so emissions strict (california cars are different etc) and has a bit more timing in it, and higher NOx emissions and performance.. just a wild guess - next time you are in there, get the code and I'll tell you!”
So perhaps that’s it. My car is a Canadian Vette so I would have thought not very emissions strict?
At the same time as I fitted the chip, my courtesy lights dimmer blew. Previous to that, my door lock solenoids wouldn’t budge the door locks, but now, because there are no lights on when I close the door, there are more spare volts and the solenoids work!! Surely that can’t affect the running of the car!!
Over the last two years I have replaced the radiator, had the tranny rebuilt to heavy duty, by experts. Fixed a heap of minor things – new plug leads, headlamps, s/s brake hoses, brake bias spring, revalved shockies – bought a fuel pressure gauge and set the FPR and TPS etc as per the tech tip – all done before last Christmas. Everything helps to contribute to the overall feeling, but for the last few weeks the car is better!!!
So that’s it. I’m really enjoying my vette, which is my daily driver. There’s a heap of things that can go wrong any minute now –thanks to the forum I’m semi prepared for them.
Hope I haven’t jinxed it by sharing my current joy.
S’nut
04-27-2005, 10:26 AM
#2
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '05
You read Doug's thread, didn't you? 
04-27-2005, 03:06 PM
#3
Drifting
Member Since: May 1999
Location: Sacramento, CA Money can't buy happiness - but it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than a Yugo.
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Originally Posted by Stingraynut
I ‘think’ the difference happened at the same time I put a new memcal in the ECM – but I can’t say for sure.
The friend who burned the new memcal said,” there were 4 different chip calibrations used in your year.. (the 4 letter code).. we don't know which one you were running before, but its possible I used a different one that is not so emissions strict (california cars are different etc) and has a bit more timing in it, and higher NOx emissions and performance.. just a wild guess - next time you are in there, get the code and I'll tell you!”
The friend who burned the new memcal said,” there were 4 different chip calibrations used in your year.. (the 4 letter code).. we don't know which one you were running before, but its possible I used a different one that is not so emissions strict (california cars are different etc) and has a bit more timing in it, and higher NOx emissions and performance.. just a wild guess - next time you are in there, get the code and I'll tell you!”
A lot of 88 Auto guys have been known to replace their default 88 chip program with that from an 89 Auto. The 89 was an improved version of the 88 minus the 9th (cold start) injector. You could just disconnect the wiring from the cold start injector and use the 89 program if you so desired. As it is, it sounds like you have hit on a good combination now.
Originally Posted by Stingraynut
At the same time as I fitted the chip, my courtesy lights dimmer blew. Previous to that, my door lock solenoids wouldn’t budge the door locks, but now, because there are no lights on when I close the door, there are more spare volts and the solenoids work!! Surely that can’t affect the running of the car!!
04-27-2005, 06:38 PM
#5
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
cuisinartvette - yeah, read Dougs thread, I had just posted this - amazing isn't it. I posted there with a link. I think that we expect our cars to run well as the norm and so we post here when they don't.It's not a very interesting subject,"My car is running well' - but as I suspect it's the new chip, I thought I'd post to help our general knowledge.
It's taken me 2 years to get the car into good shape, and as I said before, I know there'll be some more problems - but I'll enjoy this moment.
Mike88Z_51 - I have considered that power draw thing, it could be the reason everything's so good now. Could the courtsey light dimmer draw power all the time, if it was faulty?
All the parts on the board look fine. I have detailed these parts and have a tech friend working on the board, hoping to find the faulty part and it's current replacement - I have a web page with info on it, as it seems a very common problem and is not replaceable. I'll post a tech tip if I find enough info to help others.
http://www.users.bigpond.com/mpheale...mer/Dimmer.htm
But basically I think the door locks work now because there aren't 6 globes drawing excess power away from the solenoids, which get their ground from the courtesy lights dimmer module.
That's the kind of weird thing you find out when you are fault finding!
S'nut
It's taken me 2 years to get the car into good shape, and as I said before, I know there'll be some more problems - but I'll enjoy this moment.
Mike88Z_51 - I have considered that power draw thing, it could be the reason everything's so good now. Could the courtsey light dimmer draw power all the time, if it was faulty?
All the parts on the board look fine. I have detailed these parts and have a tech friend working on the board, hoping to find the faulty part and it's current replacement - I have a web page with info on it, as it seems a very common problem and is not replaceable. I'll post a tech tip if I find enough info to help others.
http://www.users.bigpond.com/mpheale...mer/Dimmer.htm
But basically I think the door locks work now because there aren't 6 globes drawing excess power away from the solenoids, which get their ground from the courtesy lights dimmer module.
That's the kind of weird thing you find out when you are fault finding!
S'nut
04-27-2005, 08:28 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jul 2003
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Originally Posted by Stingraynut
...But basically I think the door locks work now because there aren't 6 globes drawing excess power away from the solenoids, which get their ground from the courtesy lights dimmer module.
That's the kind of weird thing you find out when you are fault finding!
S'nut
That's the kind of weird thing you find out when you are fault finding!
S'nut
04-27-2005, 08:56 PM
#7
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Hi smacko, it is weird - mine's running perfect and yours is in a thousand pieces!
When are you going to get the hood ornament fitted back ?
(Check smacko's gallery to see his hood ornament)
S'nut
When are you going to get the hood ornament fitted back ?
(Check smacko's gallery to see his hood ornament)
S'nut