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2000 Buick Sleeper build - 2nd engine trashed!

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No big updates. Got a stock head unit for $18 on eBay, wired a line-in to the back of it and put the 1/8" input jack in the little flip up cubby where the ashtray and lighter are. I can't see buying $90 of PAC audio adapters and cables just to listen to my mp3 player in the car. I would like to get something cool later, but too many other things to do and buy for it now.

This "Monsoon" system is kind of interesting. It's 8 or 10 speakers, each with it's own amplifier. They used 2 Ohm 6x9s in the back to get more power without having to use switching power supplies.
 
Got sick over the weekend could hardly do anything, so not a lot of progress. I'm chasing down detail items like exhaust leaks and ABS signals. The car is driveable and I have maybe 5 miles on it now. I would cruise around more, but it's not registered yet. I've fixed 3 exhaust leaks so far and it's still making noise down there - I can only hear it on the road. I do think the low-throttle shifts are a little soft. I need to get the TPS tables re-scaled since this throttle is so much bigger and the whole intake is bigger.

The whole exhaust from resonator back is pretty rusty - it seems to be mild steel. I've welded some holes shut in it, so that it seems to be sort of working. I was debating finding a junkyard/stock exhaust for the GTP and stealing the GMPP exhaust from it before selling. It's a full stainless system that I bought so that I wouldn't have to buy car exhaust again - I kind of hate to lose it. I think the rear split is OK with dual mufflers, all 2.25", but the whole resonator and front part is 2.5", which is a bit small. There are lots of reports of reducing knock on these cars going from 2.5" (single) exhaust to 3", some with less mods than I have (and cutting knock is crucial to ALL L67 builds). But I would have to cut the bumper cover to convert from single exhaust to dual. It's probably better to just get another 3" back section custom run at an exhaust shop.
 
For the power and displacement you are working with, you need a single 3" system as far up the line as you can get to get the most out of it. And if you split it down the line, like at the muffler, a 3" in and dual 2.5" outlets would suffice. Or a single 3" in/out would work too and maybe you wouldn't have to cut the bumper and can retain the sleeper look.

I know in the RWD Volvo 4 cyl world a 3" exh right from the turbo back is the first requirement to push 350-400 hp at the rear wheels. Some of the guys running massive turbos and higher power numbers run 3.5"-4" exh. And that's on a 2.3 liter engine. :eek1:
 
Yeah, it's all 3" now, from the header collector to the tip. The resonator is just a "bullet" straight-through thing and the muffler is a magnaflow straight-through design. It's probably too noisy to be a true sleeper exhaust. I'll have to see how loud it is on the highway. I probably won't mess with cutting up the nice GMPP system to get rid of all the 2.5" stuff. Too much hassle for the payoff, plus having to source another exhaust for the GP.
 
I haven't put a lot of time in the Buick and all of that is going into little details.

I tore apart the dash to see why there is no passenger temperature adjustment. The little actuator motor isn't broken, but it's not turning. Don't know if it's the actuator or the control panel. Maybe I'll find one in the junkyard.

I fixed the power mirrors tonight. Cleaned the switch and went from no movement to having only left and up. Checking deeper, I found a bad trace on the switch circuit board (see where I was scraping):

PICT0645.jpg


This was an easy solder fix with a strand of wire:

PICT0646.jpg


Now it all works.

I'm thinking to put a plate and insurance on this week. Here's the current annoyance list:
-ABS fault -wheel sensors and wiring check OK, maybe bad module?
-No temp control for passenger
-annoying exhaust leak type sound
-sometimes throwing a code for "evap small leak" or something like that.
 
Is it giving you a specific code for the abs light?

The temp control is more than likely the actuator, it's pretty common.

Evap small leak could be the gas cap, check the seal and if there is any rust on the sealing surface. Or possibly the vent solenoid or purge solenoid, those are the most common issues.
 
I can't read ABS codes. The evap code is P0442. I plan to check out the purge solenoid and the hoses I built for that. I actually may have a spare one of those even though it's not the same as on the '97. I haven't found the other solenoid yet, it must be near the fuel tank.
 
The vent solenoid will be near the fuel tank, usually mounted on the body behind the rear bumper near the fill cap.
 
Small evap leaks (p0442) can be a pain. Even a smoke test can be inconclusive, if its a sol intermittently hanging up. Id start with cheking rusted neck and or fill cap seal.

Vent solenoid is attached to the charcoal canister (on top of the tank) with this one.
Purge solenoid is up on the engine (near coil packs)
 
It's insured, plated and made it 35 miles in to work today, so that feels like progress.

That evap code didn't come back today, but I will at least check out the gas cap later. It also is taking longer and longer for the ABS light to come on after starting the car. I don't know what that means. It has been putting up a pending "O2 heater circuit" code sometimes, but I'm not sure why. Both sensors have good heaters. I guess I could check for 12V at the connectors to make sure the wiring/fuses/relays are OK. I understood that code to be an open circuit detected - or does it log if the voltage doesn't come up in the time frame expected?
 
PCM will do a heater circuit test only on a cold engine.
When the o2 starts shifting rich/lean at a normal rate the PCM calculates if it took to long.
"The time it should take the HO2S to reach operating temperature is based on the engine coolant temperature at start-up and the average mass air flow since start-up. Higher average airflow or higher start-up engine coolant temperature = shorter time to HO2S activity."

Modified programing/larger MAF/MAS may be part of it.:dunno:
(looks like cold heater circuit cold should be 4-6 ohms)
 
Cili said:
Is it giving you a specific code for the abs light?

The temp control is more than likely the actuator, it's pretty common.
Click to expand...

I scored an actuator at the pick-n-pull and this one moves, so that was clearly the problem. I had opened the old one and the motor and gears were fine, so something went bad on the PCB. I'm guessing the difference between the LH and RH actuators is on the PCB, so I won't be able to swap boards with my spare. Anyway, it's fixed for now.

I suspect the ABS failure is an electrical problem in the actuator module. It never makes any noise. I pulled the controller off to look at it - I will have to find some equipment to desolder the PCB from the lead frame and attempt a repair.
 
I was running Mustang wheels on the GTP for summer tires and had grafted Pontiac center caps where the horse logo went. I swapped them onto the Buick to check them out:

PICT0647crop.jpg


I decided to keep them, so I converted the center caps again:

PICT0648.jpg
 
I had a NIB gas cap that doesn't fit any of my cars, but the seal was the same, so I swapped it on. The old seal was a little cracked. No CEL today, but I will scan for codes later. I also checked the purge solenoid last night by blowing through it with and without 12V and it seems perfect.

Here's a question for you - how does the car apply pressure to the fuel system and how does it measure leaks?

Car tried to burn itself to the ground this morning when the fuel line came off the fuel rail. Fortunately no fire, just a late start to work. Put a zip tie under the little plastic retainer clip so the tabs can't be depressed - will definitely look at this in more depth later.
 
Blue85 said:
I had a NIB gas cap that doesn't fit any of my cars, but the seal was the same, so I swapped it on. The old seal was a little cracked. No CEL today, but I will scan for codes later. I also checked the purge solenoid last night by blowing through it with and without 12V and it seems perfect.
Click to expand...
:thumb: almost any crack will do it.

Blue85 said:
Here's a question for you - how does the car apply pressure to the fuel system and how does it measure leaks?
Click to expand...
Uses vacuum from the engine pulled threw the vent sol (the vsv near the coil pack) pulses it open while the purge sol is closed. There is a pressure sensor on the tank(looks/can be the same as the manifold pressure sensor). pcm closes both valves(vent and purge) and monitors vac. drop has to be less than so many inches in a set time. after test vent reopens to release vac.
 
Well the P0442 code is coming back on sometimes. I'll have to check out the other solenoid and stuff.

As for the O2 heater code - I traced out the wiring tonight to a blown fuse. Why didn't I start there? I think I caused this when I grafted the connector onto another O2 sensor I had on hand (for the after-cat sensor). The rear sensor has reverse gender connectors compared to the front one and I assumed the pinouts were the same. So the ground must be connected to the sensor case. A new sensor was put in there since then and both sensors were giving readings, so I didn't look into it any further.

I also made progress on my exhaust leaks by putting one of these on the back of the crossover pipe:

555-30731.jpg


So now I have those at both end of the crossover. I also pulled the heat shield off the cat to look for holes under there because the stethoscope picks up some "whoosing" noise there, but it looks pretty solid. The exhaust almost sounds leak free now, but the SLP headers are famous for "ticking" flex joints, so that might be all I have left. I can't find any leaks with the stethoscope now, even with a rag and block of wood mostly blocking the tailpipe.
 
I upgraded the GTP with F-body rotors several years back, using the caliper brackets off an Intrigue or something like that. So now I've swapped those brackets with the Regal to keep the bigger rotors. (will post pics later) I also replaced a tie-rod end and worked on wheel alignment this weekend. It's driving better and I think I'll gain even more when I align the rear toe as well.

Also cleaned the carpets and leather.
 
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