i just tried to do the diagnostic mode with the paper clip and i tried for about 15 minutes. my service light just stayed on the entire time and i could never get it to flash anything? am i just really stupid and doing something wrong or is there something wrong? please help?

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Anson Craig

turn the engine off.
insert paper clip
turn key to "on" position

are you sure you are in the right holes?

Actually, I tried as well and the light didn't turn on at all. Aren't you supposed to short out the last two on the bottom, passenger side of the thing next to the cig lighter? That's what I did, as the Haynes manual instructed...

try the other two

i did do it just like the haynes manual and this site said to. i tried it several times. i did it right, im positive. what does it mean? could it be a bad ALDL or a ECM? could the fact that i put a new battery in it friday have anything to do with it. thats when the light first showed up and i let run for about 25 min and it didnt go away. thats when i tried the diagnostic. nothing. ran it again and still no diagnostic mode.

and moleman, does your car run good or is it giving you trouble?
thanks

[This message has been edited by Ac Fiero (edited 07-10-2006).]

Try a wire --instead of the paper clip--that may help... By the way Welcome to the Forum..

be sure you have a good connection.
the link on the home page has a nice picture, and the codes.
if it;s on solid with key on and not running it is likely you are not making a good connection, or using the wrong pins.
https://www.fiero.nl/cgi-bin/main.cgi?ECMCodes

[This message has been edited by tjm4fun (edited 07-10-2006).]

Here's a pic of the ALDL connector, you run a jumper from GROUND to the terminal labelled DIAGNOSTIC, then turn the key to RUN but don't start the car.



If the light doesn't blink at least a code 12 and the car runs then the bulb is out in the socket on the dash.

If the light doesn't ever light and the car won't run, check for power to the ECM.

The fuel pump test terminal is connected straight to the fuel pump so you can use a grounded test light to see if there's power on the terminal when there's supposed to be, or to apply power with a jumper to the cigarette lighter orange wire if you want to manually run the pump.

JazzMan

[This message has been edited by JazzMan (edited 07-10-2006).]

i tried using a wire instead and i still cant get it. the service light is always on, no flashing nothing. could it be bad connections to the back of the ALDL?

You may want to remove the console and inspect the wires. if nothing obvious, disconnect the battery and reseat the connectors to the ecm. then retry .

quote Originally posted by Ac Fiero: i did do it just like the haynes manual and this site said to. i tried it several times. i did it right, im positive. what does it mean? could it be a bad ALDL or a ECM? could the fact that i put a new battery in it friday have anything to do with it. thats when the light first showed up and i let run for about 25 min and it didnt go away. thats when i tried the diagnostic. nothing. ran it again and still no diagnostic mode. and moleman, does your car run good or is it giving you trouble? thanks

hehehe... I pulled the distributor to check the o-ring, then after a few tries put it back in and got the Fiero to start, but I turned it off and it hasn't started since. Yesterday I tried a timing light, but the light didn't flash, so it's off to the mechanic tomorrow.

But the main thing is that it did run fine before I pulled the distributor, without any codes. If I don't short out the two jumpers, when I turn the key the "check engine" light does turn on, as it's supposed to. It's only when I put the paper clip in that it doesn't flash...

I've heard, perhaps incorrectly, that the terminal was actually installed upside down on some fiero's. Maybe you are getting the wrong pins?

thanks guys for trying to help, i appreciate it, but im positive im in the right pins. ill keep trying and checking the wires. ill pull the console and reseat them like you said. hope it works. thanks

I don't think so. I got the ones on the bottom, the side with the notch on it. Just as in Jazzman's pic. I think that it has to do with my car's history. It's missing the blue dhingy thingy, the cooling system runs all the time, etc... This may be the doing of one of the previous owners. I hope that the mechanics can figure it out, though...

quote Originally posted by Xanth: I've heard, perhaps incorrectly, that the terminal was actually installed upside down on some fiero's. Maybe you are getting the wrong pins?

The ALDL connector is installed the same way in all Fieros, screwed down to the plastic console skeleton. The problem is that when GM published all the service information for the Fiero they copy and pasted from the front wheel drive cars' manuals which show the ALDL connector installed screwed to the underside of the dash support structure. That means that the picture shown in all the manuals is upside down relative to how it's installed in the Fiero. This is normally not an issue per se because the technicians using the manual understand the keying (the ears on either side of the connector) and therefor don't have a problem interpreting the manual illustrations. Also, most times the technicians are using scantools and as such the keying only allows the connector to go on one way.

JazzMan