Error code 44 and a miss on a 3.8L 1990

I've got an error code 44 and a miss. I've changed the spark plugs and wires for the miss, didn't fix it, and the guys at Advance said they didn't have a book to check what the code means..... Oh, and the center info thing has a matrix look to it (lol)

Anybody know an easy fix that I can do at home, or a way I can track down the miss? I don't have a lot of tools, just basic ratchet sets and stuff...

Since I've got the car (about 2 years) I've changed/fixed...

Harmonic Balancer (I didn't even try to do this, lol)
Plugs and Wires
Fuel Filter
Alternator/battery
Brake lines (or this....)
I've drained and flushed the gas tank
Changed the Trans fluid and filter


****UPDATE****

I found this about error code 44

"Check the ECM wiring connections, particularly terminals 15 and 8. Check for vacuum leakage at the carb base gasket, vacuum hoses or the intake manifold gasket. Replace the oxygen sensor."

and this

"Typical causes for this code include:

1) O2 sensor defective or lead shorted
2) Lean injectors (dirty or blocked)
3) Water in fuel
4) Exhaust leaks upstream of O2 sensor
5) Fuel pressure or volume too low
6) MAF sensor reading lower airflow than is actually present
7) Vacuum leaks
8) Incorrect or poorly calibrated PROM"


Ok, I'm gonna go ahead and say that I'm a blond...so.....where to start? Where is an O2 sensor?

O2 sensor is threaded into the rear exhaust manifold. Similar in size & shape to a spark plug. Make sure none of the spark plug wires are touching it.

Um...how close is it to the plugs? I remember having a hard time getting one of the plugs in...the rear left one...it seemed to be loose and the plug had dark matter on it...kinda like ash...not a light pink ash like the others, just dark brown/black...could I have messed up that badly? :banghead:

You won't confuse the o2 sensor with a spark plug. Here's a pic of the sensor on a later year (L36). Make sure none of your spark plug wires are as close to it as this one. I think the sensor for your year will just have one wire going to it.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/BCGearhead/95-99%20Series%202%20L36/L36RearPlugLocations.jpg

:) Awesome, thanks. Now how about the ECM wiring connections and vacuum fittings???

OK, I found the O2 sensor. (thanks for the pic) The middle spark plug comes out right over it though, so there's no way to keep the wire away...I mean the boot is less than a half inch away from the O2 sensor...When I change it I'll try and use a zip tie or something to keep it from resting on it.

I've got a feeling this isn't the problem tho...I remember when I changed the plugs awhile back either one or two of the plugs had oil or something dark on them, the back middle (the one resting on the O2 sensor) and the back left one. The others had a very light pink/grey ash like stuff on them. I don't seem to have an oil leak as it set for over a year and I never even had to add oil to it. I'll check them again today for gap and tell you people about any collor on them.

New thing though...every day I'm putting about a half bottle of steering fluid into it...

:banghead:
Ok, so here's this I found about error code 44...
"Check the ECM wiring connections, particularly terminals 15 and 8. Check for vacuum leakage at the carb base gasket, vacuum hoses or the intake manifold gasket. Replace the oxygen sensor."

ECM? Carb base gasket? Intake manifold gasket? I'll do a search for them on google, but it's not helping much. lol, It keeps coming here.

i would check the maf sensor first. but look up how to do it because im not experience with them

check for gasket leaks is easy. use carb cleaner and spray it around the gaskets until you are certain you haven't got one or your engine revs which means you've found the leak.

you can also use this trick to check for a vacuum leak. just spray by the skinny hoses. careful you don't accidentally spray near the intake though, because that could make you think you have a leak when... you don't

Awesome, thanks again guys. I just came back from Auto Zone. I told them about the problem and they went to go get "the old Olds nut" so I got lucky, lol. He says he loves this site BTW. Told me the same thing you did about the gasket leak. I'll check that in a few. I'm letting the engine cool down so I can check the plugs. He wants to know for sure what color ash is on the plugs. He says one or two of the cylinders aren't working. (already knew that...):banghead:

He also handed me a can of Sea Foam, a Haynes Repair Manual, and a can of Rust Fix. Said I'll need them, lol. On that note, I've got some body work questions as soon as she's all tuned up. (I live in the mountains of West Virginia, :icon16: so I'm lucky it's not all rust, I swear the roads STILL have that white salt covered look...in MAY!)

All the plugs were fine except for the back left one. It had a black ash on it. I changed it and it made no difference. Still the cylinder would not fire. I tried the SeaFoam, not as much smoke as I thought... Half a can in the oil, half in the vacuum port, and a whole can in the gas. Just as much smoke came from the exhaust connections, spark plugs, and a black plastic round thing on the back of the engine block...so I'll see about a gasket or something...? Or is that normal when using SeaFoam? I'm letting it "soak in" for about an hour and well see what happens when I start it back up... :popcorn:

**update**

Ok...after about a half hour it stopped smoking...no difference in performance except that now my idle RPM is between 720 and 800...before SeaFoam it was 840-880??? What now? Injectors? I know my problem is in this one cylinder...the back left one...anyway, it's poring the rain out and I"m soaked...I'm gonna take a break and read my new Haynes manual and wait for a reply...thanks for the help so far.