1998 sidekick sport auto - no key start - push button start

[fixkick]

the A/T hacked on your car can in fact cause ECU to go nuts.

the ECU (PCM) monitors 2 wires (of the many)
1: THE START LINE (STARTER ACTIVE.) most go 0v after release key, at ECU actual input pin.
2: THE A/T BOX "PRNDL" SWITCH STATE, (my guess is this was only hacked, but IDK.)

IF ANY OF THOSE ARE WRONG , THE ECU WILL FAIL TO IDLE OR EVEN START CORRECTLY

when you shift to drive the ECU changes idle profiles radially, if you lie to this pin wire, the ECU will do crazy things. (or fail to inject, IDK firmware that deep on any car made)
as they say fix the easy stuff first. for sure this.

the ECu sees you keyon, and boots and glows the CEL (does it), the sees the starter go active , then sees the RPMs go way over 300 to 500 rpm and set the I am running flag.
then the ECU injects based on all inputs. even coolant temps.
the hack was to tell the ECU you are in park (a lie if in drive)
and if you do that in drive idle will fail. for sure.
after all I do not know the level or extent of the hack but , is all very serious. (or sure starting in gear, and danger to others and worse)

what is a rule on EFI try not to fool the ECU too much, many just go nuts, or even hunt the ISC IDLE speed, like mad like the 89-95 do with vacuum leaks.

[thebanjoman]

OK,

I must be a complete xxxxx or cannot understand your instructions, nor the FSM instructions so I am going to lay it out and you can show me just how much of an idiot I am.

THE FSM diagram says test for TPS voltage at the ECM, giving an ECU at E33 17. ( this is SUZUKI's sick idea that getting to the ECU is easier than standing from of car hood up at TPS is hard (some daft engineer dreamed that up?) IDK

But your instructions state to use meter at the TOP itself backprobing the wire. (with needle probes) (Yours makes much more sense)
Gee I hope so unless pulling out front drivers seat is fun and laying in snow slush on foot wells and trying to get to the ECU jack is fun.?


Connect the DMM volt meter to ground , TB casing, and the red lead to the TP pin, via back probing of the TPS connector .
The water temp activated IAC must be retracked fist the IAC must retracted or this calibration is useless. i posted a photo of the IAC able, did you see that?

Keep in mind 2 things,
1: all TPS made with actual pigtails (8v) have no color code, each maker is different, (like O2 sensors are)
2: the wiring harness , we reference is for USA cars only, learn that other countries, dictate other rules on colors, for example EU or Canada cars.
3: i do not have 1998 books only 96/97. but alldata.has it and the far better mitchells does too.

best is meter to TP angle pin meter red, and black lead to TPS ground pin.
Well On the TPS connector there are 3 wires

Gray with red tracer - firewall side ( this pin should be +5vdc (refr) at all times key on, this is power from the ECU a precision 5vdc +-0.25v)
Gray with blue tracer - Center (this is the throttle angle pin put meter red test lead here and set TPS to 0.5vdc make sure the IAC is not holding the THROTTLE open (the water powered IAC must be retraced first , so hot engine does that)
Gray with yellow tracer - Radiator side (this is ground put your meter neg black lead here.)

SO, 'Gray with red tracer" is what you mean by your instructions. I now Im being extremely literal but just to be sure when I get to that.
96 drawing is here. but ecu has totally different pins is 1997 and 1998 due to moviing the TCM brain inside the ECU and renaming it PCM, so only 1998 books are correct ok?
here is 97 that I do have. see the TPS> see the pin numbers not the same and the colors are for USA 97

http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/18L/18LiterECU1.pdf


Haven't begun the adjustment yet. I've decided that I need to get back to 'level' by fixing that stupid switch problem because
as you stated,
KEEP in MIND at all times, IDLE controls are the last thing to work, right, all else must be correct first, imagine gross misfiring engine and the PCM can not raise idle or is out of control.
---
The A/T hacked on your car can in fact cause ECU to go nuts.

the ECU (PCM) monitors 2 wires (of the many)
1: THE START LINE (STARTER ACTIVE.) most go 0v after release key, at ECU actual input pin.
2: THE A/T BOX "PRNDL" SWITCH STATE, (my guess is this was only hacked, but IDK.)

IF ANY OF THOSE ARE WRONG , THE ECU WILL FAIL TO IDLE OR EVEN START CORRECTLY
---

Without this being right, I'm just 'flailing' so that is where i am at, working that mess out first.

Part of me wants to find the 'rocket scientist' that decided that a switch like this was the answer and punch him in the nose.. Won't solve the problem, but it will make me feel a little better. YES ! hacks are manytimes , make it worse

this must be retracted to do TPS calibration, it is mounted to the TB and when cold opens the TV valve open for cold faster idle and easier starts.

[fixkick]

keep in mind i have not seen the see your PRNDL hack
no country codes. on car, (vin or?)
all i know is what is in these text boxes, blind.

the car when new and PRNLD working (aka park lockout)
when you crank the engine the ECU sees that, and uses a special set of rules for cranking (start pin on PCM)
the PCM also knows where the shifter is selected.
if in park one idle profile is used
then when D,L,R is selected the TC clutch puts a huge load on the engine (stall speed RPM is 2000 rpm and hints at such a load with brakes on)
that PCM then uses special set of idle controls for all that, cold , and hot engine.
its not simple at all but fooling the PCM is always a bad idea, unless done perfectly.
this car PCM has 6 rangeswitch inputs from A/T PRNDL switch. and PCM A3 is the start pin , and 4wd pin so that OD is defeated in 4wd i think....
usually the scanning of the PCM will set range switch errors. got those yet? P1717 ( P1 are factory codes some scan tools cant read P1 errors) P17xx and P07xx are all transmission errors. x = wild card.


your USA 98 ECU p/n is 78E50 (E70 for calif) 97- 78ek0 (usa)

[thebanjoman]

keep in mind i have not seen the see your PRNDL hack
no country codes. on car, (vin or?)
all i know is what is in these text boxes, blind.

the car when new and PRNLD working (aka park lockout)
when you crank the engine the ECU sees that, and uses a special set of rules for cranking (start pin on PCM)
the PCM also knows where the shifter is selected.
if in park one idle profile is used
then when D,L,R is selected the TC clutch puts a huge load on the engine (stall speed RPM is 2000 rpm and hints at such a load with brakes on)
that PCM then uses special set of idle controls for all that, cold , and hot engine.
its not simple at all but fooling the PCM is always a bad idea, unless done perfectly.
this car PCM has 6 rangeswitch inputs from A/T PRNDL switch. and PCM A3 is the start pin , and 4wd pin so that OD is defeated in 4wd i think....
usually the scanning of the PCM will set range switch errors. got those yet? P1717 ( P1 are factory codes some scan tools cant read P1 errors) P17xx and P07xx are all transmission errors. x = wild card.

your USA 98 ECU p/n is 78E50 (E70 for calif) 97- 78ek0 (usa)

Going into the holidays I was pulled away from doing anything more on this vehicle till New Years Day,

I pulled out the 'obnoxious and soon to find out, irrelevant' push button start and removed the separate + battery cable running directly to the starter.
I pulled the piggyback fuse from the Right headlight circuit, hooked back up the original + battery cable to the battery post and to the starter.
I then soldered and shrink wrapped the Black/Yellow cable to the spade bit on the starter.

Felt it was best to put things back to where they belong to get a good base to start from to remove stupid stuff.

She crank started no problem with the key, No Idea why they wired this thing up this way, I did notice that 'sometimes' you had to fiddle with the gearshift in park to get it to crank and it will not crank in Neutral, and I have no backup lights but this is progress.

She still won't idle but I needed to take 'baby steps' to figure out the wiring mess. Still don't know why it was done but it appears to be because of the intermittent Park/crank.

I don't have a compression tester so I will need to find a decent low cost one as that still needs to be done. It needs a rear main seal and I'll be degreasing everything underneath for a long time to come.

I need to pick up some MAF cleaner and finish getting the TPS adjusted so lots of work still to do.

It still amazes me how solid this vehicle is even after 20 years. The only rusty place is the metal behind the left rear bumper support, The bumper 'flaps' a little so I have some welding to do. The floors are solid with no rust, the rockers are in good shape. I need to steam clean the heck out of the interior and it needs new carpet but the black carpet from my old Sport I scrapped will work perfectly as it's in great shape.

[fixkick]

J18 sport, A/T
the leak of the rear engine main is the last in the list of possible (it is super robust this seal) so is not ATF fluild leaks for sure.?
the fast idle,does the TV fast idle plunger retract hot engine, and does engine hit 180 to 200f when normal hot>
your PRNDL is bad. sure.
it must signal drive,and and PARK (the TCM does all actual gear shifts with solenoids) 4sp.
or idle will wrong. if PRNDL signalling wrong, an OBD2 scan too will warn of this 1997 to now.

[fixkick]

cold idle speeds are the domain of the idle plunger (thermal auto cold idle speed controller
then it retracts and the PCM + ISC valve (electric) controls idle, at 800 rpm if AC/turned off.
the thermostat must hold temps steady at 180f or above, some have 200f thermostat. so...
301 misfire can be lots of things, spark coil or plug, injector or low #1 cyclinder compresssion, a gage is$20 in many stores.
tps calibrated, so that is not it.

[thebanjoman]

J18 sport, A/T
the leak of the rear engine main is the last in the list of possible (it is super robust this seal) so is not ATF fluild leaks for sure.?
the fast idle,does the TV fast idle plunger retract hot engine, and does engine hit 180 to 200f when normal hot>
your PRNDL is bad. sure.
it must signal drive,and and PARK (the TCM does all actual gear shifts with solenoids) 4sp.
or idle will wrong. if PRNDL signalling wrong, an OBD2 scan too will warn of this 1997 to now.

Yes, it's oil not ATF, BOTH valve cover and rear main seal so replacing is necessary. I have cleaned/degreased and ran the engine again, Yep. OIL.
I have both seal and gasket.

iF PRNDL is bad then who's replacement to buy? See lots of remans but as usual (I HATE DORMAN) who's is better and not just some chinese garbage.

I see no ODBII codes for anything trans. Working on reading/understanding plunger and confirming. Looks like exhaust manifold is cracked too. No worries. I have another, and have brazed them before.

[fixkick]

yes dorman was good, the china goons took it over and sell there piss poor clones in the stead.. a real pain that.
use rock auto.
wish i had you around to braze my manfolds .. all I have is stick and tig,
i too can find a new pRNDL
also know as. AKA: netrual safety switch, (NSS) or ARS automatic range switch, and other names,
the worse is the switch in my wifes jeep,deep,deep inside transbox. pan off, valve body off deep.
ill look later in the , smp catalogs.

SMP makes many parts for Suzuki vitara series.

[fixkick]

here are 2 pages cover the j18 4speed, wiring' 97+
http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/automatic-...CM-4sp.jpg

http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/automatic-...CM-4sp.jpg

off my slush-pump page

as you can see it is very complex. not some simple p/n switch


the actual transmission is i think GM (not Aisin) and is made in France. GM plant there.
so transmission re-builders parts supply houses may carry this, IDK

http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com/A44D.../17512.htm

makco? (my links to it are dead)

[thebanjoman]

IDLE speeds J18( response to have to hold foot in throttle and cant start or wont stay running cold.) besides bad fuel
link 2 above is the TB idle bleed screw. (red-neck way, said with love not hate) I love methods that work even off road far far from a shop of any kind.
it is only set this way. (if at all ever. but if molested by others do this)
1: engine hot.180f+ no DTC122 !!! no misfiring allowed, heard or seen DTC errors like P030x codes.
2: ISC ELECTRIC NOT JAMMED UP, it sets hot idle speeds. bolted to TB body, clean and free ISC.
3: the IAC water activated there IAC must now be retracted hot. (eyes only glance see its not touching TB arm)
4: engine races too fast or slow, for idle add air or subtract air with the TB bleed screw. if engine races, and this CW turns is no cure you have vacuum leaks.
6: if too slow idle, add air turn screw CCW, (out) and this adds missing air, and suddenly the ISC electric valve wakes up and 800RPM happens. turn crew 1/4 turn more CCW. for (for what I call DUTY centering) BTW perfect duty is 50% ISC ranged.

this not the official way in the book the book way is called IDLE duty cycle setting
( there is a pin on the under hood, DLC (6pins)) that is for dutycycle setting the ISC , precision settings) but the above can work if engine not SICK (misfiring is sick)

if cold started engine fails to race from 1000 to 1500 range (varies by outdoor temper.) J18 rules.
the IAC thermal device is bad. link 1 in post just above. it must hold the TB Trottle valve open cold , MUST, or will stall or fail to run once it does start.

Small victories today. Still nowhere near running well but some progress.

I got the Neutral Safety switch swapped out. Lot more work than I thought. Had to disconnect hard transmission lines just for access but it's done.

I now have Reverse lights and she cranks properly and starts.. Won't stay running but at least I know the switch was bad after all and she cranks good and I get a spark. Now to move onto the next step.