1985 Laser issues

**moparman76_69** · 03-29-2015, 07:23 PM

I'm helping a local from TD with a 85 laser. The car seems to be all original 85 (seems is the keyword). Eariler today, I did new timing belt, set the timing properly, went through the vacuum lines, etc. Got the car running, but it bogs off idle. Hooked my OTC to it and pulled the codes; 12,13,22,42,54. The 13 is more than likely related to the map vacuum being disconnected when I got there. The coolant temp sensor might be related to pulling the wire off to set the timing. I'm not sure what the 42 is for, assuming a bad ASD.

The 54 is the puzzling one. The car is an 85, but it has the short/fat distributor in it. I'm almost positive that the car should have the skinny distributor if it was all stock 85 stuff. The car might have been updated to 86 electronics at some point in the past. According to minimopar though, code 54 is a hep signal issue and it will set a limp mode, but only on 85 models. 86 and up the car won't start with a code 54. Is it possible someone changed the distributor without changing the rest of the car over to an 86 LM? If so that could explain the code 54 and the way the car runs. If that's the case how hard is it to change over to an 86 LM?

**GLHNSLHT2** · 03-29-2015, 07:38 PM

yep, 85 should have the skinny distrib, Compare the pinouts on minimopar for the 85-86 LM's and if they match it's plug and play. I seem to remember them matching, I think it was from 86-87 they changed pinout locations.

**moparman76_69** · 03-29-2015, 07:55 PM

So it'd be safe to say the car is running the later distributor on the '85 LM? That's the only way I can see the car actually running with a code 54.

**moparman76_69** · 04-01-2015, 05:59 PM

New problem. When I left Sunday the alternator would screech loudly whenever the car was ran. It wasn't a belt noise, it sounded like the bearings were shot. I told him to get a new alternator and see if it ran better. He texted me eariler saying a new alternator did the same thing. When you disconnect the wires from the back no screech, with the wires connected it screams loudly. Had him swap the PM with another one he received with the car and same thing. I'm assuming the alternator field is being grounded out? I'm sort of at a loss now.