Nope, completely stock. CD player doesn't work - huge surprise.

Yes, it was the starter!!! Still have SES/SYS lights, replacing the PROM soon...

Yeah, this battery is good. I ended up getting some bolts from my dad that have a better connection to charge with and they weren't trying to charge while on car. I'm excited cause I think this was my problem to begin with. We'll see though, don't want to get my hopes up too much.

Thank you!! Very informative post. I made a list of things to do this weekend when I have a chance to get my hands on the car... starter/ignition are first on the list. I do want to add however I have had tons of problems trying to start the car prior to this event and have been having crazy electrical issues. I do want to replace the starter as well as check all the wires down there more importantly the fusible link. I also believe that my battery did not charge correctly or charge at all being that I possibly damaged a cell? I'm going to retry charging the battery and if I have to - am prepared to buy a new one.

Alright, I'm keeping the ignition switch in mind as well as the starter. How much do you think it would be to replace the ignition switch? I know a starter is probably around $30?

I will admit I'm still gaining a ton of info but I don't believe it is my ignition, all problems point to the starter solenoid.

I have a 1990 and lately have been having issues with my car and I'm sure many of you have seen a post or two by me the past few weeks. I finally got it down to thinking it was the ECM, replaced that and problems were still there, after tapping the ECM one day I thought the reman ECM was faulty so I was about to buy a new ECM and PROM to see if this would fix it. My girlfriend bought me new headlights for my birthday which was yesterday so after I install them I turn the car around and put it back into the garage. As I turn the car off the car will not shut off and the starter keeps trying to engage when I pull out the key, when I put it back in the car will start right up without having to turn it or anything. I try wiggling the key in the ignition to see if it will do anything but nothing happens and during this time the starter ends up killing my battery - car slowly dies down. I hooked it up to a charger and come out after work and nothing has happened - I have no lights when I put the key in, NOTHING. I am replacing the starter this weekend but what can I do to get some power to this car in the meantime?

Alright, something new happened today... installed new headlights today and turned the car around and put it back in the garage and when I pulled the key out... car wouldn't turn off!!! When I would put the key back in and turn it to the "on" position, the car would just fire up. I finally tried moving the key in the ignition some to see if I could get it to do anything but nothing was working and it finally drained my battery and now I have nothing. I was to believe the replacement ECM was faulty so I was about to buy a new one when this happened so now I'm thinking it could be the starter??? Any more input before I buy something else I don't need to?

I already e-mailed them, they don't have what I'm looking for.

UPDATE!!! Now know what the problem is, tapped the ECM while car was running light immediately went out, tapped it again and came back on so it must be the PROM, didn't get around to seeing if it was seated correctly but am going to do that soon and if not I guess I will try to hunt down a new one.

Yeah, looks like I'll be going straight for that PROM today. The car would idle low last night and if I put my foot in it to hold the idle up it would be ok. I ended up getting the car home and started her up this morning and no lights, started up great and my voltage was a lot higher than normal and my right tip was smoking but not the left???

I'd like to try that but seeing as a PROM is a little harder to get a hold of I'll try to reseat it first. I also plan to check the IAC/TPS, check for vacuum leaks and maybe check the MAP sensor.

Well after a hunch from research I suspected my problems to be coming from the Coolant Temperature Sensor. Since it was only $15 I said what the hell because a few weeks after buying the car I did have some coolant issues. Anyways, turns out that wasn't it. I did buy an FSM and am going to go over the troubleshooting. In the FSM however, it said if getting a Code 41 at start up it (which it does) could be a bad mem-cal/prom? How can I test this - the ECM is brand new, btw. I'm not throwing any more money at it until I can figure what's going on here.

Also wanted to add the knock sensor on the left side has a broken clip on the plug, could this affect anything?

Wanted to add a few more observations...

Everytime I go to start the car after unhooking the battery that is when the problem is the worst. I have also noticed that before replacing my ECM we checked to see if the PROM was seated correctly and after putting it back in the car ran WORSE than ever before but after replacing the ECM the problems went back to more-so normal. Fans also come on when the key is in "ON" position.

Hey guys, new to the forum. I have a white 1990 coupe with FX3, love this car although my recent electrical problems are frankly pissing me off. I think I may have narrowed it to coolant temp sensor or the temp sensor on the side of the block (drivers side)? Anywho, going to go over these tomorrow and hopefully that is what has been giving me my troubles. I bought her on 01/01/08 so I haven't had her long and have already installed custom muffler eliminators and love how the car sounds. I want to replace the main cat for more flow and better sound but these electrical issues come first!!! Bogus introduced me to the forums after e-mailing him and has given me a lot of greatly appreciated help. Thanks again Bogus and look forward to talking to more of you.

[web]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/sexasomniac/zlove.jpg[/web]

Hey guys, cleaned up the ground for the CCM by the oil filter and even replaced a connector (corroded), did NOT fix the problem. Upon restart the SYS/SES immediately came on. I'm thinking of rechecking all fuses, checking to see if my prom is 'seated' correctly, and to also check if I have a short somewhere in the system. Any one else have any more advice?

One more question: How can I check the connections to the CCM?

Tomorrow morning I'm going straight for that ground, if that isn't the problem its going to an auto electrician.

The way the car drove with no lights would lead me to believe that you are right about it not being the alternator, it was holding normal volts. I also had it tested ON car the other night and it was still showing normal voltage so I would suspect it's a ground or maybe a short to a wire somewhere. I got rides to and from work lined up for tomorrow so saturday I can tackle this ASAP. I also wanted to share that I meant to say the code 33 is for the manifold absolute pressure sensor - voltage high.

Alright well, I had to work at 7am so I decided to take my chances and see what would happen with the car. When I started the car the SES/SYS lights came on and I was scared the car would try to stall while I went to the gas station first. Started right up after getting gas and about 1/3rd the way to work the lights went out and the car drove like normal. I started it up all day at breaks and lunch, no SES/SYS lights and idle would stay consistent. I left work and about 1/3rd the way home the light came on and flickered on/off until about 2/3rds the way home. The light then went off and came on again when I stopped after getting off the freeway. I made it home again and noticed that only the SES light was coming on now, not the SYS light so I pulled a code 33 which I just read for my year is mass air flow sensor high? What exactly does that mean? Was I putting too much strain on the engine trying to get home? I can get around not driving it tomorrow but this will be fixed this weekend. I've deteremind I think it is the ground to the CCM above the oil filter cause when I would go over a bigger bump in the road the light would blink at me like one of the wires was loose. I also didn't mention that the ground for the CCM was filthy but I don't see corrosion and I don't have the room to clean it up so I'm gonna try to get the car on a lift this weekend. I read that the code 33 can come on if the car is below 1/4 throttle? That would make sense if I'm having problems with my ECM then, yes?

New update: Took off the ECM off the bracket plate and unplugged everything wearing rubber gloves and disconnected battery not to cause any static electricity. Connected it back together, then checked all the grounds and they all looked good. I then jacked up the car and found the ground for the CCM above the oil filter but have no room to clean it up so if I can get the car to get me to work the next two days I can clean it up this weekend. Part of one of the wires was exposed as well and I could see no damage but I still don't like that. After I finished I started the car up and the SES and SYS light came on IMMEDIATELY and the voltmeter was moving back and forth rapidly and the lights dimmed very noticably - have not seen lights dim prior but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Is there still anyway it CAN'T be the alternator? I wouldn't ask if the voltmeter wasn't moving up and down SO much.

Yeah, it's a '90. I'm just about to go out, just researching a bit more. Thinking about checking all my fuses, checking the ground to the CCM (above the oil filter??) and checking the ECM.

I have not done anything to the car that would affect the battery and know about the new stereo - sys issues - I still have stock. I do need to buy a Helms manual but don't have access to one right now. The only codes stored in the car are 1.1 H41 and C41. I did e-mail Bogus who said I should post my question here to get more answers. I told him I thought it could be the alternator which I guess it isn't; he informed me about how the ECM, CCM and EBCM all work and when something isn't connected it gets screwy. About to go check all the wires and connections, see if I can't find something out of the normal, any suggestions? I was thinking about unplugging everything from the ECM, seeing if I can clean things up some and putting it all back together.

Hey guys, I had been having some trouble with my car recently. The SES and SYS lights were coming on at the same time and would go away pretty quickly, they would come on about the same times going to work. One day I had trouble starting the car at work so my dad and I replaced the battery that weekend and things were going well but the light started coming on again. Then this weekend we cleaned up some grounds and checked all the connections to the starter, alternator and distributor and all seemed tight and clean. The following evening the light came on again (damn!), and has been getting progressively worse. Today when I got to work the car would idle pretty rough and try to die on me and the voltmeter would go up and down. I tried starting it a few times on my breaks and at lunch and would take a try or two but would turn over ok and then driving home after work the light stayed on continuously until I got off the freeway. The light turned off then started blinking and when I stopped at the first light on the way home the car tried to die on me again. I finally got her home and had to actually push her into the garage and could not get the car to start again. This is my daily driver and need to fix this possibly today. I also found out how to pull CCM codes last night as opposed to ECM codes and pulled a C and H41 in 1.1, could the alternator cause this? The car would read normal voltage when driving but not while stopped/at idle.

Found out it is not the alternator, so is it my CCM or ECM? I'm going to check all connections later and clean them up - hopefully I can get this fix itself. Where is the CCM by chance? I want to check all connections to it as well.