1994 ZR1 Not getting full power (32valves) when key turned to "full"

[ericbwood]

I have been trying to figure this out for a long time. Even when the valet key is turned to full I can't feel the difference between it being off and on -- ie. no power difference either way. I had the EGR valve replaced (twice) by a dealer after they determined that was the culprit but it still does the same things. Usually the "service soon" light will come on. I read that the vacuum pump in the front passenger side below the headlight should come off when I put my finger on the secondary vacuum line after disconnecting it. Should the pump turn on when the vacuum line is connected and I have the ignition turned to "ON" but the engine is not yet on? I don't know if it is a vacuum line issue or something else. I may have the original spark plugs and wires as well so perhaps that is causing an issue. The dealer said it looked good but I am skeptical. The car has 39,000 miles on it.

Any ideas or suggestions on who to call. I live in Hawaii so I don't know of any good places to take it in here.

Thank you!

[Aurora40]

What code(s) is/are set when the SES light comes on? Any time that comes on, getting the code that set it is a good starting point.

[A26B]

Aloha!

Sounds like you're going to have to troubleshoot by remote control. The first thing you should do is to pull the DTC's (diagnostic trouble code) & report back with the results. Anytime there is a SES (service engine soon) light displayed, a DTC will be stored and the secondary system disabled resulting in no "full power." The codes will allow us to provide systematic direction related to your problem rather than random procedures.

Scroll down to Reading DTC's on 94-95 ZR-1s

http://zr1netregistry.com/ZR1_troubleshooting.htm Scroll down to Reading DTC's on 94-95 ZR-1s

Once you have done that, I suggest that you disconnect the battery for 1 minute to clear all stored codes, then reconnect. Drive the car in full power mode to see if there is any difference and whether the SES light reappears, then recheck the stored codes. This procedure will focus on the current problem.

Generally, the underlying problem is pretty simple to fix once it's properly analyzed. Let's deal with the vacuum issues, if necessary, after the codes have been obtained.

[ericbwood]

Thank you for the responses. Does anyone know where I can buy a decent scanner to check the codes or is it recommended to take it to a shop for that?

[Aurora40]

Like Jerry mentioned, you can check the codes with a paperclip. See the link he included.

[ericbwood]

Thanks for the great advice. I found that I am getting codes 32 and 12. Is there a place on this website that shows the meaning of individual error codes?

Thank you everyone!

12 means you are entering and exiting the code sequence.

Code 32 is the EGR circuit.

[tccrab]

For future reference, here's a list of error codes:
http://www.troublecodes.net/GM/94-95_57J.shtml

TomC
"Crabs"