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'92 Bonneville SSEi novice who needs some help

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Old 12-09-2002, 07:48 PM
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Default '92 Bonneville SSEi novice who needs some help

to anyone who can help...
a few days ago I baught a very clean '92 SSEi (white with tan interior ) with 154,000 miles on it. It drives fine, but I've noticed a few small problems with the car...
(by the way, I don't have an owners manual)
One problem is the "warning screen" on the dash board, at the bottom of the screen, where the odm. readings are, the numbers don't all light up. Some are very dim, and other don't show up at all. This usually happens after a few minutes of driving.
also, on the screen, at the rear of the diogram of the car, it has a yellow bar lit up and it'* telling me that some rear light is out. I know my trunk is shut, and all of the break lights work??
Onother "dash problem," when I turn the traction contro off, the little light shows up telling me that it is off, but after a minute or two the light turns off. After the light turns off it wont come back on, no matter how many times I press the TC button ( I did figure out that the car has to be stopped in order to turn the TC on and off )
Another problem that has puzzled me is that underneath (on top of) the two sun visors, the roof is wet?? The sun roof does not leak, but somehow the roof got wet under the sun visors, more on the drives side. It snowed a good 4 inches the other day, and there is a crack in the windshild if that hepls anyone come to a conclusion.
Oh, and the car does the little empty gas guage thingy--but I read about that.
and last but not least, I am a preformance guy! a few years ago, when I was a sof. in high school ( I am now a fresh. at college ), my dad and I baught an '86 Buick T-Type, so I am not stranger to the "wonderful world of BOOST!!!!" I've taken many low 12 sec. trips down the track in the buick at around 22 psi! But I'm wondering, is it normal for the Bonneville to only register about 2psi?? the car has a lot of miles on it, but I don't know if that will effect the superchargers output or not?? remember, I'm used to turbos!! =)
thanks for your time, I really do appreciete it!
Brandon
p.*. If anyone has any ideas I can do to the car to keep it runing good and strong, please let me know. most cars usually start needing some new parts around the big 100,000 mile mark to my knowledge ( and I do think I read something about putting an EGR on the 91-92 moddles? ).
thanks again!
Old 12-10-2002, 02:32 AM
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#1 You'll have to replace the systems monitor display. Electronics are heating up and flaking out on you. Go to a wrecker.

#2 You can usually find owner'* manuals on Ebay.

#3 Your Lamp Monitor should be telling you exactly what light is out. It'* usually a taillight, one of the 6 or 8 194 bulbs in any of the 4 sections is probalby out, or is it the hi-mount brake light? You should be able to find it fairly easily.

#4 Are you getting a traction warning light on the dash? Does the traction work normally when you turn it back on?

#5 I'm betting you have a broken or plugged drain tube in one of your pillars for the sunroof. Only other option is the windshield leaking. Car insurance should pay for that, it did for mine. Hope you have a low deductible. If you have the HUD, the WS is much more expensive, but still covered.

#6 In cold or humid weather, at WOT, you should be getting very close to 10lbs of boost. Idle should be -10 in vacuum, normal to heavy throttle should get you about mid range. Romp on that sucker. If it doesn't nearly peg, you have problems.

#7 Welcome to the forum! Hope I didn't miss any of that!
Old 12-10-2002, 08:40 AM
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Default Re: '92 Bonneville SSEi novice who needs some help

Originally Posted by Brandon
to anyone who can help...
a few days ago I baught a very clean '92 SSEi (white with tan interior ) with 154,000 miles on it. It drives fine, but I've noticed a few small problems with the car...
(by the way, I don't have an owners manual)
One problem is the "warning screen" on the dash board, at the bottom of the screen, where the odm. readings are, the numbers don't all light up. Some are very dim, and other don't show up at all. This usually happens after a few minutes of driving.
also, on the screen, at the rear of the diogram of the car, it has a yellow bar lit up and it'* telling me that some rear light is out. I know my trunk is shut, and all of the break lights work??
Onother "dash problem," when I turn the traction contro off, the little light shows up telling me that it is off, but after a minute or two the light turns off. After the light turns off it wont come back on, no matter how many times I press the TC button ( I did figure out that the car has to be stopped in order to turn the TC on and off )
Another problem that has puzzled me is that underneath (on top of) the two sun visors, the roof is wet?? The sun roof does not leak, but somehow the roof got wet under the sun visors, more on the drives side. It snowed a good 4 inches the other day, and there is a crack in the windshild if that hepls anyone come to a conclusion.
Oh, and the car does the little empty gas guage thingy--but I read about that.
and last but not least, I am a preformance guy! a few years ago, when I was a sof. in high school ( I am now a fresh. at college ), my dad and I baught an '86 Buick T-Type, so I am not stranger to the "wonderful world of BOOST!!!!" I've taken many low 12 sec. trips down the track in the buick at around 22 psi! But I'm wondering, is it normal for the Bonneville to only register about 2psi?? the car has a lot of miles on it, but I don't know if that will effect the superchargers output or not?? remember, I'm used to turbos!! =)
thanks for your time, I really do appreciete it!
Brandon
p.*. If anyone has any ideas I can do to the car to keep it runing good and strong, please let me know. most cars usually start needing some new parts around the big 100,000 mile mark to my knowledge ( and I do think I read something about putting an EGR on the 91-92 moddles? ).
thanks again!
As Will said, there are usually manuals on ebay..here is one there now. (Dec 10th 2002)
Good luck.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=1874441540
Old 12-10-2002, 03:10 PM
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Just to add to what Will said:

Check your license plate lamps as well. Those may also cause the lamp monitor to signal "Tail Lamp."
Old 12-13-2002, 06:28 PM
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Hye guys,
thanks for the instant replies!!!!! this is all very useful info!!!
I was driving it again today, and I started running low on gas, and the little creen on the dash told me I was getting low, and all of the other warnins went off?? ( on said MONITOR LAMP, and the other said something about a rear light)
The traction control seems to work, I found a wet parking lot, I break torqued it and there was no spinning at all, I tried to turn it off, but it doesn't seem to work. when i first turn the car on, the light on the dash will tell me that'* it'* off, but after a while the light goes away, and it will never come back again?
and yes, I have stomped on the gas many times, and the best I can get is barely over #2, and this is in 30 deg. weather!!
about the leak, today I noticed water dripping from the plastic "hinge" that the sun visor is attached to.
thanks again guys
and oh ya, my horn doesn't work.... so if I can fix it, I'd like to throw one of those confederate horns, lol =D
Brandon
Old 12-13-2002, 11:03 PM
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If it is a clogged sunroof drain, then you need to have it blown out with water. First check at the bottom by opening the front door and look behind the bottom rear part of the fender for a dirt buildup. Scoop the dirt out if it'* there, because the tubes drain all of that crap down there, and it gets built up. I hooked a tube up to a pressurized sprayer and blew water down through each hole until the flow was free and clear.
Old 12-16-2002, 01:14 AM
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Default change the boost cont

mine was reading 2lbs of boost to to check it pull the vac line off the bottom of it and see if you have better boost
Old 12-20-2002, 12:35 PM
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Default New update on the car...

Dear Bonneville guys,

I took the car to a pontiac dealership the other day and had one of my dad'* friends look at it. He found broken motor mount, the front left one. I'm wondering if that could be my boost problem. And I've noticed some mild to sometimes heavy vibrating when the car is at idle, Larry, the mechanic friend, said that if the motor mount doesn't fix that, it could be my injectors. That caught my attention, I have just driven the car home from Virginia to Missouri and averaged about 20mpg!! Plus, when I'm sitting at red lights, sometimes the car will idle at only 5lbs of vacume!?!?
If this problem if "feul injection" related, could this be fixed by just simply cleaning my injectors??
thanks,
Brandon
Old 12-22-2002, 01:15 PM
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Default Low boost; what to do and where to start my search

Hello,
First off-THANKS to all who replied to my original post. We found the reason for the sunroof leak; it seems a previous owner filled the drain tubes with some of that spray foam insulatoin. My guess is they saw two holes and tried to fill them in, but now I have to figure out how to get that stuff out of there!!!!

The erratic idle turned out to be a disconnected vacuum line under the plastic cover on top of the *-charger. Standing in front of the car it was on the front right side of the *-charger on a "block" with two other lines. I re-connected it and the idle is fine. I am also hoping this might help with the fuel mileage as i was only geting about 20 on the highway at a constant 80mph cruise. we'll see.

Also found a broken front right (looking from front of the car) motor mount.

Still have a low boost indication. Car idles at about 10" vacuum and under half pedal acceleration it goes right up to about "0". But under WOT it does not get above 2-3 pounds. Can anyone tell me where to look for possible problems?? Also, could the *-charger just be worn out??? If so, what does it cost to rebuild them?? Does anyone know of a reliable *-charger source. ALSO, can I put a newer style charger on the 92 Bonne??
I plan to check the boost with another gage before going into panic mode.

Also, before I get a manual, does anyone know what those three hoses are connected to the vacuum block on top of the *-charger?? Could I pick up a boost signal from any of them, or are they all vacuum??

Otherwise the car runs fine and it cruises well on the road, but I'd like to get full use of my boost gage. It'* a crime to not be able to get the needle in the 10 pound range......you know what I mean.

thanks again for any advice, and please be specific with info as I am still a dummie with this car.

Thanks,

Brandon
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