Check Engine light...resolved (longish).

From: Grady Ogburn (jgo@uswest.net)
Date: Wed Apr 11 2001 - 13:20:37 EDT


Well, I live in Denver, and we got pounded with 14" of snow. The office
closed, so I took the Dak to John Elway Dodge on Arapahoe to get my code
scanned.

Had a cylinder misfire (One of my 3923s went bad after only 'bout 6k miles,
but no visible physical deterioration at all.) and something that I hadn't
heard anyone mention yet, so I thought I'd bring it up. The mechanic (20+
year master tech) said my "In Synch" (my spelling might be off) was, well,
out of synch. This is apparently a computer-based synchronization between
the crank and the cam. He fixed it.

I had a scare, though, 'cuz as soon as he lifted the hood, he said "I can
tell you right now what the problem is. It's those wires." I disagreed
with him, and BOY did he get pissed. "I been doin' this 20 #$&* years, and
(blah blah blah) Master Tech (blah blah blah) experience (blah blah blah)
tell *ME* what's wrong (blah blah blah)!!!?!. I told him that I wasn't
questioning his skills, and showed him why I thought it was something OTHER
than the wires. The Magnecors have only about 6k on 'em, and they're nicely
loomed and separated, so I *knew* he'd jumped the gun on that count. After
he calmed down, he agreed. WHEW. Last thing I want is a pissed off
mechanic under my hood. After he was done working, he said that he liked
what I'd done so far, asked me what I was gonna do next, and started talking
about the mods he's putting on HIS '92 5.2 Dak.

I'm going back tomorrow to get a new power window switch installed -- I'm
gonna invite him to join the DML. How many master techs do we have here
already?

He also said he's spent MANY hours talking to the engineers behind the
Magnum engines, and that at high altitudes colder plugs might not be the
best suited. Further, he said that the Magnum engines just "don't like
Autolites". Remembering the problem in our initial conversation, I kept my
trap shut about THAT comment ;). Since I had a bad plug anyway AND the
originals that I replaced with 3923s were in little tiny pieces (remember
the 800 pound gorilla?), I let him talk me into a set of the factory spec
Champions. I'll give 'em a whirl.

Grady Ogburn
'98 Sport CC 4x4 5.2l, 5 Speed, 3.55 LSD
Mesa Headers & Cat, K&N GenII, F&B Billet TB
JET PCM, MSD 6A, Magnecor 8.5, [Autolite 3923s GONE]
Gibson/MagnaFlow 3" Exhaust
Leer Topper



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