Quad Driver Code 29

I have a '95 GA 2.3 4 cyl. with four spd auto. It also has 132,000+ miles.

It showed up last night with Code "29 Quad Driver Fault D" I'm more or less set on replacing the ECU but wonderered if anyone thought otherwise. From what I read a Quad Driver is sort of like a partition on an old PC. In a sense anyway. I also read both that the ECU is the fix, and that something outside, like a short, will cause a quad driver fault.

The only recent things to maybe consider is that we had pretty good rainfall all day before this code showed up. Also, a few weeks ago the front window motors were replaced.

Any ideas appreciated.

Tony

Reply to
Tony V.
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A quad driver has nothing at all to do with partitions on old PCs!

You know what a relay is? Well, if you take the solid-state version of a relay, that is often called a driver. If you put four units of that into one module, you have a quad driver. Often these are found as a piece of the car computer, and that is what "turns things on and off", to put it bluntly. If you have a short circuit on a load, e.g. a window motor, you might blow one part of a quad driver.

---Bob Gross---

Reply to
Robertwgross

Scroll down to code 26:

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Reply to
=?x-user-defined?Q?=AB?= Paul =?x-user-defined?Q?=BB?=

Thanks for the link Paul. Thanks for the info Bob. I learned a lot researching this. I did not change anything including the ECM. I did remove it and the PROM from the ECM believing I would purchase a new one, but backed out and reinstalled the old one. It's never happened again. So, I'm just going to chalk this one up to the extremely heavy rain possibly shorting a power window relay, and just wait until it gets worse or shows up for good. It can't be fixed until it's broke.

Thanks again,

Tony

Reply to
Tony V.

For future reference, does anyone know where to look to see what each quad driver controls? For instance, mine said quad driver fault D. So I take that to mean that quad driver D faulted. Whatever it controls.

Thanks

Tony

Reply to
Tony V.

Back in '91, I purchased my first GM car, and immediately I ordered the Helm manual for it. The Helm manual shows virtually everything that a shop technician might need in diagrams, schematics, and description. So, it goes into the detail that you need. Later on, I moved from that GM car to a new GM car, and I got the Helm manual for it. In fact, somebody asked me if I had my used Helm manual for the '91, which I did, so he ended up buying it from me. To some owners, a Helm manual is worth its weight in gold. At a minimum, it is worth several times its considerable cost.

---Bob Gross---

Reply to
Robertwgross

It could be either a problem with the quad driver in the ECM, OR a short in something the ECM controls on that quad driver (often something like the canister purge solenoid, TCC solenoid, etc.)

Reply to
Robert Hancock

Hi all. I have gotten the same problem with a 1993 Grand AM 2.3 Quad4 SOHC. The interesting thing here is I replaced my front window motors also. From what little I understand about this code, a short can cause this to show up. This is highly possible in my case. When I was removing the Rivets that hold the power window motor regulator in place, I cut in to the power window wires. I thought I had fixed them pretty good, but, I guess I will have to check again. My question is... If this turns out to be the case, and I fix the wires, has irrepairable damage occured to the computer already? Might this just be coincidence that both of us relaced the window motors? If so, what is the first course of action here? Replace the ECM? you can directly get to me via email at richard.tawney at andritz.com

Reply to
Phlegethon

I can't see this being related - the quad driver code indicates either that the quad driver in the ECM is bad or that there's a short on one of the outputs that the quad driver controls, and the ECM is not connected into the power window circuits..

Reply to
Robert Hancock

RH says that the computer is not connected to the power windows, but either that is wrong, there is a very strange coincidence, or electricity has a funny way of making travel. Reason I say this is in late March or early April I had my power windows replaced at my dad's shop. Interestingly, the very next day I got code 29, quad driver "D" fault on my '95 Grand Am.

I extensively researched this subject afterwards, and reset my computer to see if it would happen again. It never has happened again. Also, on older computers it would permanantly damage the computer but on newer ones they simply shut the circuit down and try again. I'm sure you don't have any damage on your '93, although I'm sure it's possible, but not likely.

Tony

Reply to
Tony V.

I have to agree with Mr Hancock on this one. The quad drivers have nothing to do with power window operation on that vehicle. Either pure co-incidence or the shop screwed up something else by accident while fixing your windows.

Regards, Al.

Reply to
Al Haunts

I had a similar problem with a GM 3.8 -Quad Failure code- turns out it was the EVAP canister -shorted coil.First thing to do is get a electrical schematic and trace out what devices derive power from the same fuse that powers the ECM Quad Driver Circuit that is giving the code-there are usually several Quad drivers in the ECM. Dom

Reply to
Dom Plati

Tony V. wrote in alt.autos.gm

Bingo, electricity can, and does, funny things. An arc on one wire can cause noise on another wire which the computer will interpret as a problem.

Reply to
Dick C

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