First of all I want to thank you all for your guidance and help it is greatly appreciated. I started with the scanner and ran a quick scan to check the engine. The results were not good as expected fuel trim values were at negative 25 % and positive 31 % and then there it was fuel alcohol level sitting at 32%. Reset to 0 % alcohol and reset fuel trim values and ran a graphical test , long term eventually re learned and came back around with short term and long term values coming back into range the car started running smoothly O2 sensor code gone. I just did this tonight and will still look for vacuum leaks. Going to put in new air filter and cabin filter clean the MAF some new plugs and a wire inspect on coil paks...etc...Oil and coolant levels OK and we have lift off...Thanks gentlemen.

 

Yep, ethanol content went out of whack, apparently, assuming you were using E10. Resetting the ethanol content to zero was a good move.

I also think Blue's advive to clean the MAF sensor and Donbrew's to look at the O2 sensor wiring were on the mark.

This is a rare but known problem in GM Flexfuel cars. As you seem to have learned, the ECM gets confused and thinks there's a LOT more ethanol in the tank than there actually is. GM doesn't seem to know why it happens, or ain't sayin'. I would have expected a P0172 in this case, though. I do recall a TSB describing this. Exactly what happened to me.

I think maybe the onset of cold weather can be associated with these problems.

in your case, it seems the problem might have initiated with bad readings from the #1 O2 sensor. Could be a bad wire or connecter, causing intermittent problems.

Yeah, fueling procedure might have something to do with it. But the car shouldn't initiate the the sequence that recalculated the ethanol content unless a certain amount of fuel is added. One should definitely obey the manual and turn off the car for refueling, tho.

Do you every use E85? It's great stuff, the added complexity of the Flexfuel system carries hazards. Does no good to avoid E85, as problem can ensue running only E10. Again, these are rare problems.

 

So, how did that fix the P0134 "Insufficient Activity Sensor 1" and P2A00 "HO2S Circuit Closed Loop Performance Sensor 1" that caused the P0172/P0171 and P0300 and bad alcohol content and bad trims?
Why completely ignore the sensor that senses all of the complaints? Just because the codes went away for a while doesn't mean it is fixed.

 

I’m hoping those new spark plugs are AC Delco 41-103 Iridium. Do not attempt to gap them, just carefully install them , torque to 15 ft lbs.

 

so the new checklist for rickmoo that i am working on,

1 fuel pressure
2 cam shaft actuator solenoid ohm test
3 check for flex pipe leak
4 search for any vac leaks
5 check g107 ground

does anyone have wiring diagram for fuse #33?

 

For what car ? Your bio says you have a 1969 HHR.

 

Looks like magicmat is working on rickymoo’s 2009 HHR.

 

Why do all of that?

 

What codes are you seeing? (The numbers, not the descriptions.)

What's it doing wrong?