bikemikey Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 This morning I cleaned my TB and IAC. I unplugged the MAF sensor and the IAC sensor, the battery was still hooked up. I put it all back together then took it for a test drive. The car idled a lot better, no problems, then I got a service engine soon, electrical problem. So I took the car back home, everything was okay, ran fine when I shut the engine off, I have not restarted the car. I'm wondering if the computer sensed that I had unplugged the two sensors and will the warning light go away when I start the engine? If not, assuming everything is alright, how can I get rid of the warning light.Appreciate any info.Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry yarnell Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 First, pull codes.Together, press OFF and COOLER on the HVAC.Codes will then appear. Write them down. Note which are history (h) or current ©.There should be a prompt to CLEAR CODES. Press fan button up (increase speed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikemikey Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Back again. I did a little more investigation, started the car and went to diagnostics, it has been awhile since I had done this . It told me that the cruise control had been disconnected, I check the fuse and it is okay. I wonder if by pushing down on the throttle cables it did something to the cruise control. I'm thinking maybe disconnect the battery and erase the history? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikemikey Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 First, pull codes.Together, press OFF and COOLER on the HVAC.Codes will then appear. Write them down. Note which are history (h) or current ©.There should be a prompt to CLEAR CODES. Press fan button up (increase speed).Sorry, I just missed your post while writing mine. I'll try your suggestion and see what happens.Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Check the vacuum hoses to the cruise. If you "leaned" on them they could either have broken or become disconnected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikemikey Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 Okay, this is what I have so far. I have a current E041 code with two history codes, B552, C553, although I don't think the history codes matter because I disconnected the battery thinking I could get rid of the codes, wrong. I also noticed that one of the three relays on the firewall had fallen off its bracket. It is the far right one on the passenger side. I don't think it matters that it did that, but tomorrow I'll swap out a relay and see if that is the problem. I'll also check those hoses for a vacuum leak. I got to the part on the screen where it says clear code reset, I touched "yes" but it did not go away. I probably did something wrong, I'll try again tomorrow. ThanksMike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ttotired Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Just did a google search on your code You dont say what car it is, but I assume this is correct Might help http://forums.aaca.org/topic/231928-code-e041-cam-sensor-circuit-3800-vin-c-1989-e-series-question/page-2 Fuel injection guessing games can be fun (if not pricey) Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry yarnell Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Code 41 is cam sensor.Most likely the magnet has disintegrated on the cam sprocket, not the sensor itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Harry is probably correct in thinking that the code 041 is caused by a bad magnet. However, since the problem started when you disconnected other sensors I would check to be sure cam sensor connector is clean and tight. It is possible you tugged on it when you were disconnecting the other sensors. Disconnecting the battery cable should clear the codes but the 041 will be set again a few seconds after the engine is started if the problem isn't corrected. A code 041 will have little effect on how the car runs that you will notice. It will hurt power and gas mileage slightly. The other codes can be attributed to a disconnected battery cable or a bad connection in the cables or grounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikemikey Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 My Reatta is an 89, sorry about that. I think you are right about the problem being a cam sensor or the little interrupter . It was probably just a coincidence that it happened at the same time. This car has about 122,000 on it, so it needs to be replaced anyway.Everything has been replaced on this car except the harmonic balancer , timing chain, camshaft sensor and the interrupter. This car has always had an erratic idle, so it is probably related to the 041. I will also check the connection on the cam sensor just to be sure it is okay. Unfortunately I have to pull off of this car to work on my other car which is my daily driver. ( It's a Ford, please don't tell anyone ). I'll get back to you when I get it all done.Thanks everyone.Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikemikey Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Well, it ended up being the little magnet, it was about totally gone. Since the 89 has a chain tensioner, I figure I could get a few more miles out of the timing chain, so I went with the "fix". I installed the little magnet, tomorrow I will smear some more J B weld on it. I noticed the magnet that I used is a little different than some of the pictures I have seen of them. Mine has four little rods on the side, I guess they hold the magnet inside. It also has the top hat design. Just thinking out loud here, it would seem like they could make a new design, ( aftermarket ) like a rubber grommet ( magnet inside ) with a lip that just pops in place from the front with a push. Or, maybe not. Hopefully, I have the car running again by Friday. I anxious to see if that erratic idle goes away.Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drtidmore Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 I anxious to see if that erratic idle goes away.Mike You may find that replacing the cam sensor does NOT resolve your rough idle issue. My experience is when chasing a rough idle, a good place to start is with the vacuum lines as they really screw up the computer since they feed air into the intake AFTER the MAF. You need to pull off the injector rail beauty cover and inspect the vacuum line to the fuel rail pressure regulator. The longer runs at the front of the engine transition from rubber to metal back to rubber so you have to follow them all the way to ensure that both ends are in good shape. The one to the AC controls is a bad leak culprit as it transitions to a small hard plastic line that in turn runs in a wiring loom thru the firewall. As it is at the back of the engine, over the years, the heat makes the plastic brittle and working at the back of the engine, it is easy to break the line without realizing what you have done. The other line that is not easy to inspect is the one to the evap canister. It is buried underneath the windshield washer fluid tank which is easy enough to remove. The ones to the vacuum tank and cruise control are plainly visible. It is really a good idea to simply replace ALL the rubber hoses no matter how good they might look. I had a situation on my vette about a year ago where it suddenly started popping a code indicating a too lean mixture. I chased it for a good month, replacing questionable hoses all over the place, but still the code would pop up at random. I finally found a rubber hose sitting just above the intake manifold that fed UNDER the throttle body. The hose looked perfectly good and felt fine as well, but when I actually pulled it, there was a small hole on the UNDERSIDE and that was the culprit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikemikey Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share Posted January 28, 2016 That's a good idea . I have changed out most of the vacuum tubes, but like you say there might be one hiding from me. I'll break out my little bottle of butane to find it if there is one. I know one culprit is that hose that has a radical bend to it, close to the tps. I changed it out with a bigger hose because you can't buy the original one. I had thought about cutting the metal tube further back, which I still might do, to smooth it out. On the other hand I like to keep things original. If the bad idle is still there, I'll keep looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikemikey Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 I took the Reatta out for a drive today, no more codes, it looks the magnet fix worked. I put about 250 miles on the car, so it was a good test run. I would like to thank Padgett for the well illustrated page on the E041 magnet fix, it is a great idea and it worked for me. I still have that weird idle, but I think I know what it might be. When I got back from my trip I smelled a whiff of gas. I noticed the fuel injectors were not sitting all the same in their perspective holes. I also noticed a little piece of rubber sitting in its well. It might have come off of the o-ring, there could be a vacuum leak there. I'm thinking about spraying some carb cleaner around the fuel injectors to see if the engine rpms change. Does that sound like a good idea? Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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