1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'

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1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'

Home > Discussion Forum > Mechanic's Corner - Engines

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All Messages in Thread	Author	Date
1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'	John Hillsman	9-10-03
1996 GMC Safari 82k miles. The 'Service Engine Soon' light came on the next day after the shop replaced the AC compressor. The light will sometimes go off for a few days and come back. Took it to Autozone where they scanned 2 codes. Fuel trim rich for bank 1 and bank 2. Van runs well. The engine bay has never been opened. I did replace the fuel filter about a week before the light started coming on also. Air filter is clean. Any ideas? I have read the Haynes manual. The spark plugs are at 82K. Thanks.
Re: 1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'	Russel	9-10-03
I would love to know how anyone changed the AC compressor without opening the engine bay. If they did maybe that is a reason why the MIL is on. Autozone is a wonderful place to get your diagnostics done. It's cheap(free) and is worth even less. If your safari is really running rich and you don't get it fixed correctly by someone who knows what to look for you will melt the Catalytic convertor and then autozone will be an even better bargin.
Re: 1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'	Douglas	1-20-06
My '98 Safari has had this problem for some time now. Rough start in the morning and the Service Engine Soon light comes on. I Drive it for a while and the light goes off. It idles rough at times if it is damp outside, on somedays it runs ok. I took it in for inspection twice this week and the same code comes up, P0300 Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected. Replaced the plugs, wires, distributer cap, roter in dc, EGR valve. Won't pass emissions test. Does anyone have a suggestion?? I have taken it to a couple of shops. Don't want to have to take it to the dealer if it is something minor that I am overlooking.
Re: 1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'	phillip	9-18-03
John, I have the same vehicle, 105K miles. about 15K ago the same thing happened to me. After a day, It went off. I kept a close eye on it for a year, it never came back. at about 100K miles, it came back on. I went to my local AZ store and bought an OBD2 code scanner (they dont do the code thing anymore). I pulled the codes, Rich o2 sensor. I cleared the codes drove the vehicle again with no problems. About a week later It came back with a fury. It was back, flashing and the van was running badly. I pulled the codes again, Rich o2 and misfire cyl 6 and 3. TUNE UP!! ACDelco OEM platinum plugs, wires, cap rotor. I cleaned the air filter, (K&N) and she runs like a top now! My advice is not to "go cheap" on this tune up. The heat in that doghouse kills ignition parts!
Re: 1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'	Guy	1-11-04
I have a 1998 GMC Safari and my service engine soon light came on and went off at 113K miles several times for different periods of time each time it came on. It would occasionally flash as well. I took it to a garage and they downloaded code P0100, Mass Air Flow (MAF) Insufficient Activity, and P0300, Engine Misfire detected, non-cylinder specific. Operating temperature was also below normal expected temp. We replaced the thermostat and reset the codes. The light remained out for about a week but came back on steady when at going up a steeper hill at speed. This is the P0100 code. The misfire code and condition did not return. I've done the layman's test of the MAF by lightly tapping it with a screwdriver and the engine does not stumble or stall. Does anyone know what may be causing this?
Re: 1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'	Robert Densford	8-15-04
I have a 96 gmc safari 4.3L v6 and have been fighting the same problem.Service eng light comes on, usually in the morning when its cool or damp and accelerating under load. It stores the code PO300 random multiple cylinder misfire. I was running bosch plugs for a while then switched back to ac delco,s. It ran much better but that did'nt cure the problem. the cure for me seems to be replacing the distributor cap. I dont think the delco replacement cap is equivalant to the one the factory installed, which lasted 80,000 miles. I,m curently trying a more expensive one called duralast gold which has brass electrodes as opposed to aluminum. I've also read that the fuel injection sys. is failing on these vehicles requiring replacement. associated symtoms are hard starting and rough idle. dealers are suppose to try cleaning the injection sys. first prior to the replacement. It makes sense to me that if the plugs cant fire and burn the fuel, a rich mixture will be detected by the o2 sensor.Good Luck Bob.
Re: 1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'	John Hillsman	9-10-03
Thanks for the reply. By engine bay I meant under the engine cover inside the passenger part of the van. I raised my hood on the front of the van and it certainly looks like a bright shiney new compressor. What are some of the common causes of running rich? I thought of O2 sensors but the light is on at startup. I thought it had to be warmed up or running at least 2 mins for the O2 sensors to come into play.
Re: 1996 Safari 'Service Engine Soon'	Sam Watson	9-10-03
If your vehicle is equipped with OBD-I system---check underhood label---I'd start by erasing any codes set in memory. To do this, remove the ground cable from the battery, wait 15 minutes, and reconnect. Start engine, if the Check engine light comes on at startup, it means the computer has detected an open circuit in one of the sensors/activators, (the computer does this diagnosis at each start). If there is a circuit fault, then the computer sets a "hard" fault code and the Check eng light stays on.If you have OBD-II system, then it takes other procedures to erase codes. The OBD-II system moniters the exhaust stream via sensors, and thus can detect misfires, overly rich conditions, even checks the evaporative control system, up to and including a gas cap that is not sealing. The "fuel trim" is the fine control the computer exercises over the injectors ontime in order to try and achieve a 14.7:1 air fuel ratio, (which would be reflected by the O2 and CO2 content of the exhaust stream. The O2 sensors, as you noted, are the heart of the fuel trim function in the Bosch system. I agree with Russel on these "technicians" at the FLAPs, (Friendly Local Auto Parts Store), only a TRAINED and experienced tech can really determine what is wrong with your vehicle.