Hey, hoping this awesome board can help! '89 Camaro RS, with 40k miles - car has started rough running, service engine light on and occasionally dies.

Recently after taking it on a 300 mile roundtrip (in which it ran perfectly all the way, as it usually does) I brought it back home with a very low tank. It was night, and hammering rain, and I told myself i'd top it up at a later date. I went out the next day and started it up, after 5 mins it started running really rough - it was then I noticed quite how low the fuel was. The service engine light also came on. I went and got some fuel, brought it home and topped it up and it seemed to improve.

On taking it to the gas station to get a full tank, it ran fine. However after filling, it hugely struggled to start. First few times it wouldn't, and then it finally did after flooring the throttle, coughing into life. It's now a consistent problem - it runs rough on start up, I can just about get it running smooth but almost the moment you put it in gear and put the engine under load, it splutters and dies (reverse seems worst). It'll then start up again, and the problem repeats. Service engine light is off at first, and comes on the moment the issue starts - i've never had it come on before.

My question is, could I have done something by running it so low on gas that's causing these issues? It could of course be unrelated but being that it did a big roundtrip just a day before, I feel like this likely isn't a coincidence. I obviously don't have a code reader (although i've read about the paperclip trick) but any likely causes or good place to start would be massively appreciated! I'm kicking myself.

 

That's not a "trick". It IS a code reader for the early cars. Gotta remember, the computer systems from back then were CRUDE; much less data is available, and at a MUCH slower rate, than anything modern. Think back to your smartphone in 1989.

Likely cause of the problem, especially if the car sits around alot as it sounds like it does (40k miles on a 40-yr-old car isn't much driving), is gunk or debris in the bottom of the tank getting picked up and contaminating the fuel system. If your car has a fuel filter, might want to just go ahead and replace it.

What engine does it have?

 

Ah ok, that makes sense! Thank you. It doesn't get a lot of usage no, probably 1k a year roughly. Engine is a 5.0 (305) TBI - i've not changed the fuel filter before, but i'm guessing it has one?

 

Not sure but I think so. It would be underneath, near the tank.

And of course, get out your trusty box of 100 code readers for $3.99 and see what the engine is unhappy about.

 

Ha, much appreciated. I'll get code reading and change the filter!