What the hell could be wrong???

My wife has an 89 Camaro...

Yeah, I know, it's old, etc., etc. but she loves the thing, so we'll keep putting money into her as long as she runs....(the car)....

So, lately it has an issue where it acts like it's about to cut off. So far, the mechanics have replaced the spark plugs, wires, distributor cap, even the distributor itself, and they've cleaned the fuel injector...

What the hell else could be wrong? They've had this thing since SATURDAY, and can't seem to figure it out.... I'm really at the end of my rope in patience....and my current thinking is that if it isn't done tomorrow, I'm taking the car elsewhere...but already some money into this repair...

Dammit!

reply to post by Gazrok


The Altenator

I had an issue with my truck where it wouldn't idle, turns out the battery was bad. Worth a shot.

reply to post by LiquidLight


Yep battery or alternator that keeps it charged.

Both the Alternator and the Battery were replaced less than a year ago...
Thanks for the suggestions though..

At this point, most of the darn components are new, LOL!!!

EDIT: You would think these would have been easy things to check...(and the first garage probably did....) can't hurt to ask though....thanks!

[edit on 28-1-2010 by Gazrok]

Good news, bad news...

Good news: They believe they know what is wrong...(fuel intake, and some other nonsense...my slight knowledge of cars is pre-computerized crap)

Bad news: It will be another $240 (for a total of $750) (which isn't including the nearly $400 already spent at the FIRST place)...

It damn well better run like a Camaro when it's done!!!!

For that price, i'd want it to run like a gold plated rocket.

Have you replaced the fuel filter?

I had an old car that did the same thing, landed up being a crack in the rubber fuel line. I found it by feeling every inch of the line, from tank to carb.

Yep, that was done some time ago (fuel filter), about a year or so...

Well, they called, and its fixed, and running great (so they say), so I'll find out tonight when I pick it up... Thanks for the tips all...

Check for vacuum leaks... then
Check the terminator block at the firewall for insulation problems....then
and if its not those problems,check you Oil Pressure Sensor for leaks or to be on the safe side,swap it out for a new one.

Luckily, it's running great... ought to be, for what we paid to fix it...
Actually runs better than it has since we've owned it, so all is good there...I just feel they should have been able to resolve it much sooner (and cheaper, since obviously some of the first stuff they "fixed" wasn't really the issue....)

Thanks for all of your suggestions!

reply to post by Gazrok


well what the heck was it after all that lol! don't leave us in suspense!

reply to post by Gazrok


Ok, I know what the matter with the car is, but you will have to fix it, Garages will not do this. Since cars went to computers, on GM cars, the power wires are all orange in color. Since 1990 all GMs were built with a built in flaw. All of the power wires all come together with no fuse, no power breaker, nothing but a metal connector and a small piece of tape. So, when the cigarette lighter shorts, or that door light switch shorts out, you loose voltage in all power devices.

You have to remove the dashboard to do this. Don't freak out, it's a lot easier than it sounds. when that is done, take the wire bundle in your hands and begin to unwrap the wires, looking for the orange ones. You will find a place, under where the dash was, where they all come together. Unwrap that good, and get yourself a 50 Watt breaker from the local auto parts store, about $10, and a roll of electrical tape. Cut the wires off, one at a time, and bare the wire, and apply a ring connector. Place all the rings on one side of the harness on one pole of the breaker, and the rest on the other pole. Tape the harness up good, and reinstall the dash, making sure all connectors are plugged in and cables attached right. Start the car, and drive trouble free for many miles.

My son and I have repaired over 20 GM cars this way, when the dealership said it could not be fixed. One Chevy dealer paid me $500 to do this for them, they said it would void the warranty, but told me to fix it, and the money was mine. This fix works great, and you have it from a former GM engineer. Later perhaps I will tell you how to double your mileage on any gasoline burning car.

reply to post by autowrench


You leave us hanging on that my friend,I'll hunt you down,now tell us!Please.

Sounds like you had a fuel pump issue. It is a common problem with some of the older models as sediment from the tank clogs the in-tank pump, I had it happen with one of my cars. Not a very easy home-mechanic fix but it can be done.





[edit on 23-2-2010 by AugustusMasonicus]

Originally posted by autowrench
reply to post by Gazrok

 

Later perhaps I will tell you how to double your mileage on any gasoline burning car.

How much later? I'm about to invest in an electric car. Should I hold-off?

I guess the OP isn't worried about telling us what was really wrong

Having worked at a mechanic shop I can say two things from what he posted:

1) Sometimes repairs and diagnosis can take a while, especially on old cars. Be patient... it wasn't uncommon for a shop to keep a car up to a week if the problem had to be tracked down. They're not always working on YOUR car all day, everyday. Sometimes you need to step back and think about the problem when it comes to something like you described.

2) Part replacing isn't how you diagnose a car. Anyone can start buying parts and putting them on to see if it fixes. A good shop doesn't replace something until it is verified to be the problem.

To me it sounds like a half-*** repair job. They probably had some new guy working on it and finally put the real mechanic on it after a while

The extra parts didn't NEED to be replaced (unless it was a double-malfunction compounded by the old age of the car.. I've seen it happen) but it surely didn't hurt if you described it as "Actually runs better than it has since we've owned it"

Hopefully you get many more years of service from your car~

reply to post by Gazrok


C.A.S

Sounds like the Crank Angle Sensor to me.

OR

Check the voltage of the throttle body sensor on the butterfly valve.had then unplugging the sensor and wiring boot so that you can fit in a multimeter, There should be 6 wires, adjust it to 4.0 volts , should fix the problems. AAc always get sticky on the oldies.

[edit on 25/3/2010 by scubagravy]

Eh? I'm guessing it was the coil. Maybe a loose ground? Water in the gas?

Originally posted by AugustusMasonicus

Sounds like you had a fuel pump issue. It is a common problem with some of the older models as sediment from the tank clogs the in-tank pump, I had it happen with one of my cars. Not a very easy home-mechanic fix but it can be done.





[edit on 23-2-2010 by AugustusMasonicus]

Was going to suggest the same thing.


What did it really turn out to be though?


Raist