[TR] Bit of a problem unrelated to Triumphs....

[Michael Porter]

I have a friend who now lives in central Florida who seems to have a 
helluva problem with his 1995 Pontiac Bonneville.  He's called a few 
times in the last couple of weeks, wanting advice on what to do with the 
car.  He had some coolant leakage into the crankcase, and after his 
local mechanic tried to solve the problem (and couldn't) the owner opted 
to buy a used engine and have his mechanic install it (because the cost 
was only marginally greater than having the heads pulled and shaved, etc.).


The used engine is now installed (it's a 2004 V-6 engine installed in a 
1995 Bonneville SSE), and he's suddenly having a bunch of electrical and 
operational problems.  Can't get the ignition key removed (which might 
be mechanical, or might be the loss of an electrical signal from the 
brake system or the trans insuring the trans is in park); when he turns 
the lights on, and then off, the interior lights stay on.  The check 
engine light is still on all the time (which I think is related to the 
original engine computer and harness being OBD1, or 1.5, and the 
replacement engine being OBD3), and he's kind of freaked about the 
problems.  I can't really diagnose over the phone without knowing how 
the existing harness was mated up to the replacement engine, and without 
schematics. 


Does anyone know of a good independent electrical/engine computer shop 
in the Sebring, FL area that won't gouge him (he's trying to live on 
about $700/mo. in SS, so, he won't be able to avail himself of a 
top-flight shop charging premium rates). Yeah, the obvious answer would 
be to have the original shop doing the engine swap make it right, but, I 
think that shop has screwed things up enough that he doesn't trust it, 
and just wants it right without having to take out another home loan to 
do it. He's trying to get if fixed before he tries to take the car back 
to Michigan for the summer.


Any suggestions, Floridians?


Thanks.

-- 


Michael Porter
Roswell, NM


Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....