this is for my friend's 1999 cavalier 2.2 automatic tranny with 110,000 miles. the coolant light comes on going up or down a steep hill,and it takes up to 20 seconds to start sometimes,as far as i know when the engine is at operating temperature. not sure if the long cranking time goes for the 1st start of the day on a cold engine or not. The spark plugs are new,and the fuel filter has been changed in the last 5,000 miles or so. Is there a way to pull codes from the computer without having a diagnostic tool? the car is not here for me to look at,is there a valve on the fuel rail that I can hook a fuel gague up to to get a quick fuel pressure check,or do I have to use another method? sorry for the long post,I don't have much experience with GM vehicles. My friend is leaving in a couple days for a 4 hour road trip,I would like to have these problems fixed for her to give her a little more peace of mind about the trip. thanks for any advice/suggestions given
#1coolant light coming on while going up/down a hill.
Well now lets see here, your going up/down a steep hill, so the coolant is going to fo forwards or backwards, and the float thing in the tank will see no coolant for a few seconds. Sounds to me like its normal.
Coolant level is full correct
#2 Hard starting a cold engine, and it may die a few times before finally starting, correct.
This is caused by a faulty engine coolant temp. sensor. It senses how hot the coolant is. Now if it says coolant is 190F it will think the car was just run and tell the computer to send out a leaner mixture, thus have a hard time starting because the engine isnt 190F it may 50F or something.
Anyways those sensors are cheap like $20 and that sounds like the problem there.
#3 Nope need an OBD II scan tool
#4 I believe there is a shrader valve you unscrew than hook up a fuel pressure tester to. I cant remember seeing a newer car without one. Sometimes you need to look hard to find it.
Also be careful, you are dealing with fuel, so be smart and think before doing something.
Unless you get the problem with starting fixed I would cancel the roadtrip.
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
thanks Rob,kind of what I was thinking about the car not going on the road trip until I get the hard starting problem fixed. also what I was thinking about the coolant light since it is not losing coolant or have a low coolant level,just wanted a second opinion before I fix problems that don't exist. I know about being careful with fuel,not my 1st fuel injected vehicle I have worked on,just he 1st GM EFI I have had experience with.I only wish it were like my jeep xj cherokee,and I could turn the key and get the codes
