SeanR Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I successfully replaced the harmonic balancer in my 88. Slid the new balancer on and made sure to align and lock the balancer on the factory keyway slot. Ran the car after putting the belt back on for over 20 minutes. There seemed to still be some rubbing noises but I couldnt distinguish if it was coming from the HB or the alternator. So I took the belt off and started it up again to see if the noise would stop from what appeared to be the alternator.HB still had some noise to it and didn't really sound that much different than before. The 48k original HB didnt look shredded or bad compared to the new one. Didn't appear anything was rubbing against the cam sensor. I put the belt back on, started it up, and it was running fine for over 5 minutes and then it just shut off as if I turned the key off. Now it just turns over and doesnt hit at all when turning over the crank. There are no ECM codes present or in history. I checked all the fuses on the passenger panel and none are failed.I looked at the sensor plug and everything is still aligned up, nothing is broken off with no interference. The sensor could be wiggled some but nothing out of the ordinary prior to the no-crank problem. What should I look at next? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Have you checked to see if it is getting spark to the plugs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanR Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 Have you checked to see if it is getting spark to the plugs?Hmm no I have not. If the cam sensor was disturbed I was more focused in that direction. If the sensor is somewhat out of order, will the engine fire at all or do nothing just like a failed ignition module? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 When an engine will not start at all, it is better to begin with the basic no-start troubleshooting techniques. A logical step by step procedure will lead to the reason the engine won't start. Check for spark, fuel pressure and injectors opening in that order.Cam sensor will not keep the engine from starting. If you mean the crankshaft position censor, there will be no spark if that is the problem. That is the reason I asked about whether or not the engine was getting spark. Check for spark and let me know what you find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mc_Reatta Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Check that the connector on the crank sensor is still connected and the wires are OK. I would fear the sensor shifted position or the wires got snagged by something and caused the sensor to fail again.Of course the ICM might have picked that exact moment to die, but the rubbing noise makes me think this is unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanR Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 I just got done running a wire from the coil pack to a metal ground on the cowel while turning it over and didnt see not one spark. I also took some time to read old posts and this seems to be a too common problem where we all should have replaced the CPS while the balancer was already off! Dammit! So if I read historical posts correctly, the CPS is what makes the coil packs use to determine fire order? It appears the CPS is completely dead. Most outcomes from the other posts indicate the car was fixed after replacing the CPS. I doubt the coil packs are bad because they are aftermarket replaced by the dealer about 8 months ago. I see that Autozone and Oreillys has CPS units for 27.99 and 25.99 respectively. The Autozone has a lifetime warranty and Oreillys only 1 year warranty. Which one would you pick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-a-n-i-e-l Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 make sure the balancer did not break. sounds crazy but I had it happened a little after I installed one it broke into three peaces and was not turning so the CPS was not getting a signal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mc_Reatta Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Yes, you should always replace the CPS when you replace the balancer unless you know it's new and in good shape. That's like replacing a clutch disk and not replacing the pressure plate and throw-out bearing after you spent all that labor getting the tranny out.Doubt it makes much difference which one you get, they're probably both made in Mexico or China.They are usually very reliable sensors but 20 years attached to a hot engine is expecting a lot.You probably don't need the retaining bracket unless your in a rust zone if that makes much difference.The sensor sends two signals to the ICM which processes them and the cam signal to create another signal used to fire the coil for the correct cylinder. So no Crank signal, and/or bad ICM, no spark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 A note regarding the CPS. When installing a new one, be sure that it is properly aligned. When I had the balancer replaced on my 89, my car did just what yours did. Ran for about 20 minutes then stopped. The shop replaced the CPS and the car did the same thing after another 20 minutes. I took the car to another shop and they replaced the CPS again. This time, success. Before, the CPS had not be properly aligned. The tabs located inside the balancer rubbed a hole through the CPS the other two times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCReatta Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 If you can get a new Delco CPS, I'd buy that. Probably more expen$ive, but not some Chinese-made piece of crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) I just looked in The Reatta Store and the price of the ACDelco Crankshaft Position Sensor has dropped to $18.53. That is a good price. Current price in RockAuto is $37.89.Sometimes the Delphi CPS is the cheapest but right now it is $34.97. I keep both brands listed because they are both good brands and the prices fluctuate often. They are in the Computers & Sensors category. Edited June 18, 2012 by Ronnie (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanR Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thank you EVERYONE for the input! It was the CPS!! I can't stress this enough that it should be replaced when replacing the HB. Nothing like getting pissy after having to basically perform the same job TWICE!I sure do hope I got that balancer on tight enough. I admit, I did not use a torque wrench for the job. I just pushed and pushed on that breaker bar as best I could. I also broke off the plastic flywheel cover. I found one bolt on the outside and couldn't figure out how to get it removed and just snapped it off because I was mostly frustrated. It's okay, got the cover on good with just that one center bolt. I double measured when putting the HB back and the clearance with the CPS. I then took the HB back off and tightened up the CPS retainer bolt. I tried to spin the HB and guesstimate the clearance. When I got it all put back together and fired it up, absolutely no noise like I had yesterday! So I'm assuming the blades aren't touching the CPS fins. Drove it all afternoon close to home and it ran great. Maybe even had more pep? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanR Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 I don't know what my Reatta's problem is lately. Yesterday drove it over 25 miles to get oil changed, grocery store, etc and not once did it give me any problems.This morning I tried to start it and it sputtered and died. Finally got it running steady around 475-500rpm! I remembered you guys said it had a power steering switch. I flicked the steering ever so slightly and the RPM's jumped to 875 or so. Made it about two blocks away and the car died while coasting to a stop sign. It restarted again and I kept driving. It was shuddering ever so slightly while coming to a stop but it wasn't anything like a TCC issue. I drove it another 23 miles and it's fine now. I pulled into the parking lot and restarted it multiple times with no issue. I hope I make it home today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Have you ever cleaned your IAC per Padgett's instructions? It might help with your problem.Cleaning the IAC (3800)*-*ReattaOwner.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanR Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Have you ever cleaned your IAC per Padgett's instructions? It might help with your problem.Cleaning the IAC (3800)*-*ReattaOwner.comThank you for the suggestion! Next on my to-do list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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