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What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

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Old 04-13-2006, 07:57 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

Originally Posted by WheelmanZ28
......

BTW, Another thing I forgot to mention: I'm getting HORRENDOUS gas mileage. It's definitely in the 10-12 mpg range on the street and barely more on the highway. This lead you all towards anything?

Again, thank you all for your insight and help. I knew I came to the right place
Maybe you're running "pig" rich. Did you increase fuel pressure? Injector size? Is your exhaust pipe stone black? Does it bog at tip in? Have you pulled a plug? Is it black?

BTW, I get ~8mpg on a good day.
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Old 04-13-2006, 08:06 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

I don't think it is too rich, fuel pressue is standard - right where it should be, injector size is still stock. The tips of my exhaust are a little black, but thats edelbrock catback for ya. Car still has amazing torque, no bog, no problems at all till upper RPMs. I have'nt check the plugs yet actually.

I think I'll try the dyno tune and see what happens. My mechanic claims he check the valve lash many times, as I suggested it before, but he has never test driven the car in the high RPMs, only little driving around the parking lot.
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Old 04-13-2006, 09:02 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

I am guessing that Franko worked on your car? Am I correct??

I live about 3 blocks from the dealer. Know him fairly well. He is good, real good.

Did you ever ask him about it being slower than what you expected.

My buddy works up at the corvette repair shop at quentin and rand. If you want a second look at it I am sure him and I can give it a once over.

When I used to run a hotcam kit I ran a 12.8 with stock heads. Bunch of other mods like yours and a 1.8 60 foot.

Last edited by LJ93Z28GM; 04-13-2006 at 09:05 PM.
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Old 04-13-2006, 11:54 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

Originally Posted by WheelmanZ28
I'm getting HORRENDOUS gas mileage. It's definitely in the 10-12 mpg range on the street and barely more on the highway. This lead you all towards anything?
That could be another sign of a failing cat, or could be a bad front O2 sensor. It sounds a bit low to me for just a hotcam car. Do you have the ability to scan your car? I think there are some free OBD I scanning software tools available for download out there. You might be able to see if the O2 is causing you to run rich, or if you're getting lots of knock and the PCM is pulling timing out.

Does your scanmaster give you O2 and knock counts, or timing information?

I have also read that people have a really hard time tuning a PCM when the MAF has been descreened. You might want to try putting the MAF screen back in and see what happens.

Thomas.
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Old 04-14-2006, 09:50 AM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

[QUOTE=LJ93Z28GM]I am guessing that Franko worked on your car? Am I correct??

I live about 3 blocks from the dealer. Know him fairly well. He is good, real good.

Did you ever ask him about it being slower than what you expected.
QUOTE]


Wow, your absolutely right.

He is a great guy and has always given me great advice. The problem is he was too busy to drive my car, and at the time I sent the car to him, I didn't have plates on the car so legally, he couldnt really drive it much.

He is aware of the issues as I have told him, he has looked into things I have heard on this board before and said that everything was fine. I trust him and only him with my car, which is why I doubt anything is wrong from a technical standpoint. Its not that I think you guys are wrong, I just have a hard time believing it.

This is why I'm at a loss. He really is damn good.

Man this car is a pain in my ***.
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Old 04-14-2006, 01:30 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

Enough already: have the guy who worked on it fix it. As far as a dyno tune you are wasting your money: if the car is a pig on the top end, it will be a pig on the dyno and they are really not going to tell you why or what to do about it--save your money for the fix and then you can dyno tune for max performance.JMHO---------------your mechanic may be (probably is) the greatest, but if that is so, then have him fix the car............
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Old 04-14-2006, 04:14 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

Stick the car on the dyno with the wideband O2 and check numbers. Get us a log of BLMs and knock. All we are going off of right now is pure speculation. One dyno graph with a wideband readout would seriously help. A log would be best.
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Old 04-14-2006, 05:05 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

Well if he has not really driven it, I would be hard pressed to say that he believes there is nothing wrong with it. Putting around on the streets is one thing but actually getting into it is another.

Is he willing to take the time and run it through the gears?

He is good but not GOD, there is nothing wrong with a second opinion, not having one is just stupidity.

I doubt he messed up somethine stupid such as lining up the cam and crank gears or skipping a tooth. I am also sure he adjusted the rockers correctly and for installed heights on the valve springs they are typically very close from the factory.

My guess is that there is just something else lacking or failing but seat time is needed by someone who has the knowledge to pinpoint it.

Last edited by LJ93Z28GM; 04-14-2006 at 05:08 PM.
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Old 04-14-2006, 05:16 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

Also looking at your mods I would try another MAF sensor on your car since your is descreened it could be possible that there is something not correct. I would also ditch the 52mmm TB and try a stock one.

Just easy things since you should have your stock piece or be able to track on down at no cost.

Also what are the plugs gapped at?

Does the car really bog at any point, cut out, studder, or does it run perfect but is just a dog.
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Old 04-27-2006, 05:09 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

I was intermitently getting trouble code 16 on my scanmaster, which i think has something to do with the opti. Can anyone confirm that? The code wasn't on when I moved the car, but I remember it showing up a lot during the period I was driving the car.
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Old 04-27-2006, 06:30 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

There is two codes that the opti will throw code 36 and code 16.

Code 36 which is high res when this goes on it resorts to low res and reduces the accuracy.

When code 16 is on it looses the low res pulse for more than 2 crank revolutions, the PCM shuts down the fuel system.

So pretty much you are in need of an opti if you are throwing code 16.
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Old 04-28-2006, 10:15 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

Originally Posted by LJ93Z28GM
There is two codes that the opti will throw code 36 and code 16.

Code 36 which is high res when this goes on it resorts to low res and reduces the accuracy.

When code 16 is on it looses the low res pulse for more than 2 crank revolutions, the PCM shuts down the fuel system.

So pretty much you are in need of an opti if you are throwing code 16.
Mine has been displaying 16 and 36 off and on for 2 years now. Eventually, I'll get around to replacing the Opti with the new MSD replacement.
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Old 04-28-2006, 10:54 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

Originally Posted by WheelmanZ28
Hey all,

I have been a member of this site for several years, and a camaro enthusiast for many more. I used to post here quite often and some of the old members might remember me and my cars issues. I BEG of you experts to give me a hand with this one. (Fred )

So here it is, I’m going to take ONE last stab at trying to figure out what is up with my car, so lets make it a good one! Lol.

Anyways, some history before we get into it.

Bought the car used, 77k miles on it. Car ran VERY strong, couldn’t have been happier. I started with the simple mods first, the usual filter and catback. I could tell the difference, car ran even better!

Then after owning the car a little over a year, and doing some suspension mods and basic stuff, soundsystem, etc., I decided to go bigger. I went with Hotcam kit, headers, wires, and plugs. I had them professionally installed just because I wanted everything done right. Car sounded great, but I wasn’t impressed performance wise. I felt a bigger improvement from filter and catback then from Cam and headers.

The car seemed to have LOST top end. Torque was and still is awesome! However, it feels like the car is falling on its face on the top end, around 5600 and up, its shifts, then feels fine until it gets in the same RPM range. It makes the subtle sound of a blow-off valve when it shifts sometimes too.

Anyways, a friend of mine said I probably needed a good tune, I agreed. I tried several times to get a PCMforless tune, but had the same problems still. Went back and forth between Knock Moduls, etc. Fuel pressure was checked, it was normal. I tried going with some Pro Magnum lifters thinking is was maybe a valvetrain problem. Still no top end. Thought it was a transmission slippage. Got a race-built trans and Vigilante 3200. SAME PROBLEM.

I have NO idea why this car is as slow as it is. You can see the awful track times in my sig. And before you blame the 60 foot, I cut 1.9 and 2.0s on street tires all day long. I mean come on, I should have a low 12s car here.

My current theories (even though I thought they may have been disproved):

-Tuning: never right from the get go? But could this be soooo off that I’m losing all this power?
-Clogged Cat: The cat is the only stock part of my exhaust. Thought of this one, but many ppl, even my mechanic, have said they doubt it. My headers don't get red or anything.
-Valvetrain: Something off here from the start here as well possibly? Bad lifters right away? Bad springs? Did I break the cam in wrong some how? But again all this was professionally installed.

I apologize for the long post, but these issues with the car have really hurt my love for working on cars. I got so discouraged a few years ago with the car I put it in storage. All the money and time invested and still no results.

So anyone out there that has some constructive ideas, I would love to hear them. Please let me know if you need more information to diagnose

Thanks all

something you might have over looked is the instalation of the cam if the cam was installed incorectly that means degreed in too much advanced or retarted it can sure as hell cause this .might want to degree the cam your self to make sure.if you need help on that let me know i can write you some instructions.hope that helps
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Old 04-29-2006, 03:03 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

Originally Posted by JPSartre12
Mine has been displaying 16 and 36 off and on for 2 years now. Eventually, I'll get around to replacing the Opti with the new MSD replacement.
Oops, that's 16 and 33, not 36. 33 is low MAP.
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Old 04-29-2006, 08:32 PM
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Re: What's wrong with my car! Desperate here! Plz Help!

i had a problem like this but not as many mods. found out it was my cat and intake manifold along with some vacum hosses, was a number of things all in 1, fixed those and my top end came back.
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