4.3 Vortec Problems

[fishinwrench]

6 hours ago, MrGiggles said:

I found this for models that don't have the wheel buttons. Apparently that didn't show up into 05 or 06.

As for why yours seems to be flip flopping between modes, that's a tough one.

Programmable Automatic Door Locks

(If Equipped)

Your vehicle may be equipped with an auto lock/unlock

feature which enables you to program your power door

locks. The following instructions detail how to program

your door locks.

To enter the program mode you need to:

1. Pull back on the the turn signal/multifunction lever

all the way toward you and hold it while you

perform the next step.

2. Beginning with the ignition in OFF, turn your key to

ON. Return it to OFF and turn to ON again. Then

return it to OFF. Once you do this, you will hear the

lock switch lock and unlock.

3. You are now ready to program the automatic door

locks. You will have ten seconds to program once

you release the turn signal/multifunction lever.

The following is a list of the available

programming options:

Press the lock side of the lock switch on the driver’s

side door panel once to turn on the automatic door

lock feature. All doors lock. No doors will unlock.

Do the same twice to turn off the automatic door

lock feature. No doors will lock or unlock. Auto

unlocking will not work if auto locking is turned off.

Press the unlock side of the lock switch on the door

panel once to unlock the driver’s door and lock all

other doors.

Do the same twice to unlock all the doors. All doors

lock and unlock. (This is the factory setting).

Do the same three times to turn off the automatic

door lock feature. No doors will lock or unlock.

You can exit the program mode any time by turning the

ignition to ON.

The automatic lock feature will lock all the doors when the

vehicle speed is greater that 15 mph (24 km/h) for two

seconds. Your vehicle left the factory programmed to have

all the doors unlock once the key is removed from the

ignition and lock when vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph

(24 km/h). See your dealer for more information.

If the lock/unlock switches are not pressed while in the

programming mode, the respective auto lock/unlock

setting will not be modified.

 

As for adding grounds, that is a possibility. There should be a couple on the engine that go to the body and frame.

If you wanted, it is not hard to add them. Big stereo guys do what they call the the big 3 upgrade, replace the alternator charge wire, ground from battery to engine, and the ground from battery to body with heavy 4 or 1/0 gauge wire.

The factory charge wire and ground straps are comically undersized for the alternator capacity, those braided ground straps don't last long in the rust belt, and if the truck has ever had any engine/transmission work done, who knows if they got put back in the right place or even put back at all.

This is awesome 👍. Thank you.    I'll mess with it here in a bit. 

[fishinwrench]

Ha!    Worked like a charm!!!!!

 

Thanks man!  🙇‍♂️

[MrGiggles]

Happy to help.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

13 hours ago, MrGiggles said:

 

That would fit the diagnosis for leaking injectors. 

A fuel pressure test would tell you. Fuel trims would be in the negative too.

I was kinda thinking something like that may be there culprit.  I may just replace them all since they have a few miles on them.  Any suggestion on what kind.  Prices ive looked at seem to range all over the place from $100 a set to closer to $500

[MrGiggles]

10 hours ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

I was kinda thinking something like that may be there culprit.  I may just replace them all since they have a few miles on them.  Any suggestion on what kind.  Prices ive looked at seem to range all over the place from $100 a set to closer to $500

Some refurbed OEM injectors should do fine. Lots of places rebuild them. I'd trust those more than an aftermarket replacement, and they'll be quite a bit cheaper.

[ollie]

Well, found out a couple of things wrong with the truck last week. The MAF sensor was indeed bad, even the one I picked up from the salvage yard. After that was replaced with a brand new one it runs better, but there is still a misfire. After clearing all the codes only one remained and it pointed to the 3 cylinder. Checked the plug and it was hardly firing so to speak. We have determined the fuel injector is the culprit and in a week when I can get some more money saved up we will fix that. That is something my mechanic is going to do since I have never taken the top half of a motor apart! Everything else checked out and this was basically the only other thing left.

[ollie]

So now I am looking for injectors and I can't believe how much they are! 🤬 Since this year is a split year I am having a hard time finding what I want. I found individual ones on several websites, but jeez, they want anywhere from $70-120 bucks. I figure since I am going to have that all apart I might as well get all six replaced because my luck six months to a year down the road another one will go bad and then I will have to spend the money all over again to take the top half of the motor apart. I found a complete kit with the plenum and injectors, but now I find out the code is different than mine and won't fit. Too bad since it was a new one and was less than $300. So my question now is do I go with reman injectors and take the chance or not. I am skeptical about using a reman on this job so I'm not too sure. Anyone have good luck using reman parts on their vehicle for something like this?  I have used rebuilt before for other items such as alternator, but never for something like this. Opinions?

[fishinwrench]

Never tried it on an automotive injector, but I refresh outboard injectors with carb cleaner- a 9 volt battery- and compressed air.  

[MrGiggles]

On 4/23/2021 at 7:28 AM, ollie said:

So now I am looking for injectors and I can't believe how much they are! 🤬 Since this year is a split year I am having a hard time finding what I want. I found individual ones on several websites, but jeez, they want anywhere from $70-120 bucks. I figure since I am going to have that all apart I might as well get all six replaced because my luck six months to a year down the road another one will go bad and then I will have to spend the money all over again to take the top half of the motor apart. I found a complete kit with the plenum and injectors, but now I find out the code is different than mine and won't fit. Too bad since it was a new one and was less than $300. So my question now is do I go with reman injectors and take the chance or not. I am skeptical about using a reman on this job so I'm not too sure. Anyone have good luck using reman parts on their vehicle for something like this?  I have used rebuilt before for other items such as alternator, but never for something like this. Opinions?

If you can find one from a company based in America that rebuilds them, definitely. White box chinese stuff, probably not.

If that were a more common engine I'd say run to pick-n-pull and grab a handful for $50, but I'm not sure you'd have much luck finding a late 4.3, but you never know. 

I put a set of remans on a 7.4 Vortec once and they worked fine for many years, but that was a totally different style injector.

Might give these guys a call.

https://www.motormanfuelinjection.com/page/subpage/gm-vortec-spider-injector/Returnless-Fuel-V6-Vortec-Spider.htm

[ollie]

I ordered 6 remans from Rock Auto and they were by an American company called GB Remanufacturing out of CA I think. I tried so many places online to get the whole kit or even a discount on 6 news ones, but to no avail. Hopefully they will be in by Friday so I can get the job done this weekend! Two places online had advertised kits for this particular engine, but when I actually made the phone call to them they both didn't have what I needed. One told me they had no idea why it was still listed on the website since the one pictured only fitted up to 2002 models and the other one was a rebuilt kit that the guy told me they had just got out of remans for gas engines. They only did diesel anymore. At least they were both honest and saved me time and money in the long run.