well good news(i didn't say great)ron sent me a ecu that wasn't the problem put the ecu chip in the tcu courtesy of bad instructions. Fried the tcu got a new one. Now that is taken care of the tranny shifts fine and the car runs fine. Well almost fine. Still smokes from time to time. Noticed that it was leaking from the rad where the tranny fluid tubes connect. Took out put back in fixed that leak. Drove to town and all day then back about 100 miles and it smoked once at a stop light but was small stream of smoke then nothing for the rest of the day or since. Now the check engine light is on full time not just above specific rpm. I think it is time to take it to a shop and have them look it over. I don't think that I can fix this one. But who knows. It also had a hard time starting, had it cranked for like 15 seconds. after I parked from driving 30 miles to town on the highway. Got it started and ran/started fine the rest of the day. That morning it was 20 some degrees out and didn't start with out using the battery charger. Now fine. I wish I could fix this but I think a check engine light is a pull codes thing.

But that's good news!

Because with codes you can actually find out whats happening. For most stuff it's a pick and replace thing (granted its not without tis costs), and for somethings look at "why" not just.. replace that one thing or you may be doing it again..

Remember some things are a result not a cause.

Good Luck!

-Scott

try cranking for 2-5 seconds
wait 3 seconds
crank again.

The one think I really like about domestic vehicles is how they prime the fuel system with ignition on (i.e. run the fuel pump for a few seconds). Bosch Motronic vehicles will not run the fuel pump unless the vehicle has an rpm of >200 (or something like that)... which means you have to crank the car to turn on the fuel pump. If there's any issue with holding pressure in the fuel system, which there usually is after 18 years, it takes it awhile to build pressure.

Scott..

While I agree wit (its a Philly thing) you, if you have to crank the car for more than 5 seconds, chances are that the check valve on top of the fuel pump (or the pump) is failing.

On my DD, the pump has made noise (you can hear it inside the car) since I got it a year ago, and about a month ago, I started to have to crank it, turn the key off and it would start up on the following attempt (every time). I replaced the entire pump (with the check valve) Bosch 040 and the included check valve and the issues went away completely.. starts right up (<5sec).

While the pump was noisy and was still functioning "fine" I could have reused it becuase the real issue was a leaking check valve. So I could have just replaced the valve, but seeing that I was there anyway.. It's a fairly "easy" job, just not one I wanted to do twice.

While it's true the external check valve on the pump will cause the extra cranking problem, so will leaky injector seals and/or the pressure regulator on V8s. By this age, most fuel pumps will have needed replacement, and the newer models (unless you stick with the old ones) have internal check valves.

So I call up the shop to get work done and have them check the codes. Oh yah it is the start of winter here in Alaska. So they say they are backed up for a couple of weeks. They said it is because of people who can't take there tire problems to a tire shop. So they haven't been working on customers cars because they are doing tire jobs. Makes the mechanics mad because it is a repair shop that does tire jobs too. Thanks for the input. Yah it never takes more than 5 seconds to start the car. Just that one time. Can the engine get hot then form condensation and when it starts to go below freezing at night freeze?

I know my check valve is bad. I wrote that reply this morning so I wasn't really... awake. I intended to talk about the valve but... no coffee.

Mine is bad but I haven't really had the big enthuisitic inclination to go digging around in my gas tank! ;) I'll be doing a pump here probably next year, though. I'll change it on a nice day, with an empty tank before it fails on a nasty day with a full tank.

If he has to crank for 15 seconds, I'd be willing to bet it's not a check valve. I don't know why I even replied.. ah well.

I'd just be warning about cranking for 15 seconds straight... you'll cook your starter with that.

I'd count the seconds it takes (accurately) and count how many revolutions it takes.

I wouldn't, on the other hand, crank for more than five or six consecutive seconds.

<b> Can the engine get hot then form condensation and when it starts to go below freezing at night freeze?</b>

Murphys Law "If anything can go wrong, it will and usually does".

Anything that gots hot and then cools has the ability to form condensation, provided that there is enough moisture in the air.

If the dew point is below freezing, the chance of condensate forming are almost nil, as the air temp is already below the point at which water freezes.

Granted that may not specifically answer the questions, but may give you what you need.

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2082/1763370649_28e4718210_o.jpg">

The LED is already rated for 12-14V. got it at Radio Shack in their little bins. All I had to do was solder on the tips.

Used a toggle switch for power control because it's eaiser to use than hooking/unhooking.