Computer behind passage side kick panel
- Thread starter John Chamberlain
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Maybe this car's previous owner put a vacuum hose on the computer as a way of saying the computer setup "sucks." 😀
There is a MAP sensor in the passenger kick; mine didn't have an extension off the nipple, just the electrical plug.
My 87 base V6 Regal had a baro sensor in the kick panel with no vacuum lines. It did have a vacuum sensor mounted on the passenger side inner fender on the same bracket with the ESC module and ran a long vacuum line to the engine. Baro and MAP sensors are the same thing, just that MAPs are usually conected to engine vacuum and Baro just reads the open atmosphere. Some CCC cars like MCSSs use a vacuum sensor instead of a MAP, it does the same job but reads inverse of standard MAP sensors.
I somehow got the idea the Buick V6 setup was the only one that used a baro sensor. If others had one in the kick panel with the computer, that must be what the OP was talking about. Does it piggyback on the computer case? Maybe a previous owner thought the sensor was choking for air in there. 😀
Maybe the Buick V6 was just the only one that had it under the dash outside the kick panel? Fuzzy memory on my part, remembering just enough to get confused. 😀
EDIT: The info I have runs through '85. It says that through '83 the Buick V6 was the only motor with a baro sensor, behind the glove box. In '84 the SBC and SBO got one, also behind the glove box. In '85, for the SBC only, it moved under the hood to the passenger-side wheel well. So through '85, anyway, I still can't find any baro sensor inside the kick panel with the computer.
(I'm not surprised Chevy moved it to the wheel well, it's very hard to get at behind the glove box.)
EDIT EDIT: BTW, this info also says that the SBC had its vac sensor on the intake manifold.
Maybe the Buick V6 was just the only one that had it under the dash outside the kick panel? Fuzzy memory on my part, remembering just enough to get confused. 😀
EDIT: The info I have runs through '85. It says that through '83 the Buick V6 was the only motor with a baro sensor, behind the glove box. In '84 the SBC and SBO got one, also behind the glove box. In '85, for the SBC only, it moved under the hood to the passenger-side wheel well. So through '85, anyway, I still can't find any baro sensor inside the kick panel with the computer.
(I'm not surprised Chevy moved it to the wheel well, it's very hard to get at behind the glove box.)
EDIT EDIT: BTW, this info also says that the SBC had its vac sensor on the intake manifold.
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On my Regal, the baro just hanged off the plug loose, as Buick didn't care very much about their base drivetrains which they never upgraded during G body production. Of course my baro was moved to the fender with my SBC swap which included SBC CCC harness swap. Early SBC had the vac sensor on the wheel well with a long vacuum hose while late SBC moved the vac sensor to the intake manifold which used a very short hose.
Over on MCSS.com forums, it was disscussed that MAP and vacuum sensors are different. They largely operate the same except their signal outputs are different. MAP decreases voltage as vacuum increases while vacuum sensors (aka differential pressure sensor) increase voltage as vacuum increases. Using the wrong type of sensor can really throw off the computer. MAP and Baro sensors are the same thing while Vac sensors are different and of course discontinued. Sb sure to pick up spares at the junkyard.
MAP/Baro and Vac sensors look the same, just a black rectangle with a hose barb and a 3 prong wire socket. Both have GM printed on top, but have different part numbers printed on them.
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It was just stuffed into the kick panel with the computer, without anchoring it to anything? On my Malibu, it's crammed in behind the glove box where it's hard to see and feel around. It may be hanging off the plug and resting on the IP harness.
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