Kirk Papazian

PetePorsche

Just when you'd think WD-40 fixes everything right..
I don't know too much about these lines and how this all works, but I am going to try to help because it sounds like something educational.
I found this picture for you to give you a sense of how everything connects there:


So, If I get this correctly, after the Idle Control Valve the WD-40 would've gone into your intake manifold (somebody correct me if I am wrong)?

What I do know, is that the temperature on the instrument cluster is controlled by this little sensor:


I'd check the leads on it, make sure everything is still connected properly because it's near the TPS where you've worked.
As for the coolant leak you describe, make sure your hoses are in a good condition. You could also check the thermostat while you're at it. After checking the condition of the hoses bleed the system to get all the air out.

It may also be worth stating what model / year your car is, it'll help us helping you!

Kirk Papazian

Dan Martinic

PetePorsche has explained it perfectly: spraying WD40 into the ISV means at startup, the vacuum--which draws into the cylinders--pulls the WD40 through the ISV and into the intake, eventually burning (or not burning) in the cylinders.

The WD40 might cause initial running problems which should disappear after it's all gone.

"Now the temperature is showing red hot overheating levels when it’s ice cold and the alternator decided to stop charging from what it looks like and the DME went bad all at the same time"

Whoa there! That's some list of 'sudden' issues! If you turn the key to "ON" (not starting the car), what does the coolant gauge read? How do you know the alternator has stopped charging? And what makes you think the DME has gone bad?

Your coolant hose sounds like it's loose or has an issue; fix that right away first

Kirk Papazian

I did a quick bypass on the DME and the car decided to start reason why I feel the DME has gone bad. When I have the key to the on position without starting the car the temperature gauge reads red hot still. With the alternator I turned on the lights when I had hard wired the DME to move around in the driveway and the instrument cluster went dim and when I would hit the gas it would not move the charge gauge at all it was stuck at 12. Maybe a voltage regulator?

Dan Martinic

Please explain what exactly you did to "hard wired the DME" ?

Kirk Papazian

I found a diagram on pelican parts and used a wire to connect three pins on the DME plug, slipped it back onto the fuse box and started the car, before doing this the car was running perfect at idle and randomly died. Even with the DME hard-wired it would start and then stop after a few seconds. Now I'm starting to think it would be a fuel pump? but I head the fuel pump when I turn the key with the DME hard-wired but without it being hard-wired I did not hear the fuel pump.

PetePorsche

I think you mean a DME relay bypass, that's a common trick to get the car started after the relay fails. This trick essentially powers the DME itself and injectors, as well as running the fuel pump. I am familiar with the car stalling after a few seconds, check the connector on your MAF. If the plug isn't connected it will stall after a few seconds.

As for the remaining WD40, I think it will all end up in the intake. I would pull a few vac lines and see if I can smell that typical odor, and if so I'd remove the other end of the line and just use compressed air to get out as much as I could.

Kirk Papazian

PetePorsche

I wouldn't necessarily say out of the woods, but it sounds like yours is faulty, besides, it's not that expensive to put in a new relay. If it doesn't work you at least ruled out one possible cause of the issue.
Try to be a little more accurate with the names of parts. If you only mention DME, people will think you are talking about the main computer of the car, as can be seen in Dan's reaction. Pretty sure his thoughts were with the computer rather than the relay.

Dan Martinic

Yep: I thought you were speaking of the computer (DME = ECU)!

If you don't want to wait for a new DME relay to come (the part you are playing with), you can repair your flaky DME relay. I did this. Carefully take it apart. It's a rectangle box with the base containing the pins and all the rest. You might see tiny (and I mean TINY) hairline lines in some solder joints. It's pretty easy to re-solder these joints; just heat them up a little and flow a bit of fresh solder.

"Now I'm starting to think it would be a fuel pump? but I head the fuel pump when I turn the key with the DME hard-wired but without it being hard-wired I did not hear the fuel pump."

The three-wire homemade jumper, if properly installed, activates the fuel pump immediately and continues to power the FP until you pull the jumper. This is why using the jumper is a temporary measure to get you home, after which you take it out while the car rests.

If you're not getting the FP running with a properly installed jumper until you turn the key to START or ON, something's up. Again, the FP should immediately activate by installing the jumper even without the key in the ignition.

Listen again. If the hard wiring turns on the FP right away, your DME relay is flaky and you can fix it plus order a spare

Dan Martinic

Here's a link to my fixing of the DME relay pics: https://photos.app.goo.gl/N1cJExYKFNQyFNdH8

MAGK944

Dan Martinic

I heard the SS ones are good!

I have to say, though, during one problem last year, I did re-solder some joints in my relay but turns out the relay wasn't the issue. Although I have a new one in the glove box, I am still running my original relay. Re-solder or not, it has never given me problems.

Strange

Kirk Papazian

Ok I got a new DME relay and plugged it in and a few minutes into smoke started to fill the cabin thankfully i turned the car off and unplugged the battery. I went tocheck the relay and it was stuck in its fuse box slot. I got it out and smelled the area and it smelled like an electrical fire smell or plastic burning smell mixture of both maybe but that was a failure. The car stayed on thankfully but I still haven't been able to take it for a test drive to see if it will stall after the TPS has been changed. The temperature is still going straight to red when I started the car so I will take a look at the wiring on the sensor. I wanted to know what you guys think. Am I just on a bad luck streak with this car right now or is there something I should be worried about. Is the temp sensor the only thing that controls the gauge or is there a fuse or relay of some kind I should know about.

Also when the car was running with the lights off the voltage gauge was showing healthy around 13 or so then when I turned on the lights it went down to 12. After it went down to 12 I played with the instrument cluster dimmer and when the lights would turn off in the instrument cluster it would raise the voltage a bit. It wouldn't change the voltage if I turned off the headlights only and left the parking lights on it still would stay at 12. Help on this one please I am completely dumb when it comes to electrical diagnostics. I'm hoping it is a simple voltage regulator.