'95 3800 V6 Camaro Mystery

My wife calls to tell me she ran out of gas 4 blocks from the house, please come help!

The car is a 1995 Camaro with the V6 3800 200 hp engine. I responded to where she broke down with a 5 gallon can of fuel. Replaced the filter, did a switch on the fuel relay, primed the fuel pump from the underhood connector, Sprayed gas into the Throttle body and the thing would not start. I towed it home about 4 blocks and spent the weekend getting it to start. I did a number of things and finally got it started late Sunday afternoon. I have a Tec l but it needs a new keypad. Most likely could have reset something with the tech l and saved myself about 20 hours of labor pulling stuff and putting it back. I have know clue what I did to finally get it to run but it finally fired up. I reset the PCM and you name it I checked it. Well ever since this incident the check engine light comes on and stays on even after I reset it.
The car runs terrible right now. I would really appreciate it if someone can help me with telling me what the problem could be. Here is what the car does. These symptoms are intermittent.. The car runs great on the freeway but really sucks gas now where before it got great milelage city and highway.

Whenever I pull out of a driveway such as at a gas station and the driveway is at a certain angle the car stalls but will start up after sveral cranks. Occasionally dies right after getting off the freeway when I come to a stop.

Cranking time is excessively long. When the car has been parked overnight or for several hours it fires up immediately on first turn of the key.

The gas milelage is worse than my '98 Z28 with the LS1. It compares more to a gas hog V8 maybe about 10 mpg city and 14 freeway.

I change the oil every 3000 miles and have always used Mobil 1 since day 1. The car has about 95k on it but 80% of the miles are freeway miles.

If none of you can help me with this I will send my tech 1 in to have them replace my broken keypad since that is the only way you can get one fixed. They will not sell you the parts. They will replace my keypad for $150.00 and send it back to me the whole thing taking about 4 weeks.

I have always fixed my own cars and taking it to someone else like the dealership is not an option unless it is for a recall to replace a transmission like they did shortly after buying the car. So if any of you Camaro Guru's have the answer to my problem I'll send you a 6 pack of your favorite beer or soda or water or cooler or your preference if it's within my price range. lol

Many thanks in advance to all who may help.

Joe
CALIROCZ228

 

fuel pump?

 

Could it be a bad coil pack putting out a weak spark? I think when the coil packs go bad and they get hot is when you begin to have problems with them.

 

Both answers submitted so far are good possibilities. Fuel Pump was my 1st guess but it checks out. The coil Pack is ok but I have have not checked the igniter under it.

Keep them coming Guru's! Someone has expierienced the same problem and holds the answer.

 

I remeber my frinds car was running terrable and when cold would start then when he would drive it would die has dimalar symptoms that you have his turned out to be a clogged catalytic converter

 

Electrical
Was the car ever in an accident?
Check wiring junction boxes/connections close by there.
My Firebird...
Got it used
The POS was that car would not SHUT OFF AFTER YA TURN OFF KEY
No matter what ya did
Was was it?
The wire junction block front passenger fender.
Ends of wires there were crossing due to previous accident. After wires "cooled" down (by me pulling coil wire to shut off ride oh the joy to jump!), car would shut down, normal. When car used long time, car would not shut off, due to expansion of crossed wires.
Electric Gremlins suck
PS after all tricks I tired, I took it to a guy.
I bowed when he showed me problem.
Ask around for someone that is realistic priced & talented.
This guy is at Venice/Santa Monica border, 104 Lincoln Blvd. JS Automotive 310-399-8828 (tell Steve or Jose I sent ya). I still truck in from valley for them to "work" on my ride.
Oh more joy is to ask me about those 6 ECMs that fried on me. It's fun to drive a car that suddendly dies. Ask my Wife, too.

 

I say send the tool in anyway, you will need it sometime.

1. Check the coils, but my neighbors developed a BAD studder when his went out.

2. Where is the ICM on them? Under the coils? Have it checked.

3. When was last tuneup?

4. After you figure it out, replace the front O2 sensor. Running this rich will leave deposits on it giving false readings later.

I also belive autozone *gasp* reads the ecm for free.

 

EGR? off highway stuck full open can and will run like crap. At speed it will get better as the engine has the vacuum to deal with it.

If the car is running at highway speeds great, it cannot be the F/P. the car is running at the highest fuel demand. Again for the coil and all other ignition componets.
If I am not mistaken it has the distributorless ignition?

It would be better if you could get a code, hell go by an auto parts place they will most likely do it for free.

Just my opinion, it sounds like the car is getting a vacuum leak(getting more air then it should at various times). When the ECM trys to compensate, it has a fit.

I would double/tripple check the vac hoses, and the EGR. If it is intermitant, it can be getting stuck on crap in the housing only after a certain point. Gets stuck hot, cools off stays stuck untill it gets warm again and works itself free. Just a continuous cycle.

Also, just to check the C/C idea, remove an 02 sensor, it will relieve the pressure feedback. If the engine starts purring, you found the prob.

 

The engine can handle the excess vacuum at load, but not without it. Our cars are not the end all in body regidity, you could be flexing enough to creep the valve open enough to cause a problem, again no load, no run.

See my reply above.
When my EGR went out cranking was excessive. Next time it does that, BEFORE THE CAR STARTS pull the plugs. Smell 'em. Fuel you got low spark, or low compression, but we know what that is right?

The mileage thing I cannot pin down yet.

To test the C/C remove an 02 sensor for a llittle bit. If the car starts purring, you got the culprit and I have wasted ALOT of typing time LOL as I have written this 3 times now.

I think I have given enough to check out...

 

Hey guys,

You all have some very good ideas. I was thinking EGR also but have not checked it yet. That will be the next item on my list to check.

Yes I decided to go ahead and send my GM Tech l in to have a new keypad installed and they will also update my cartridge for an additional $25.00 so the total job will cost me $175.00 but what the heck, the thing new was $2,700 and once you have owned one you think how did I ever do without it! It does so much and with the 4th gen Camaro and other GM's you can program and change settings with it. I will send it in next Tuesday and Get it back toward the end of July.

About breaking down "Yes my wife and I both have been there, done that!" I was stranded in Goleta, CA for 3 days due to my Vats going south for no reason, but that was in my '89 Z28. Although my wife and I had a really great time being alone together in the motel, something you don't get to much of when you have kids. You know what I'm talking about! Enough of that.

I know doing a scanner check will tell me right away what to repair or replace but how can we all learn if we don't try and use or own common expierience and skills without having to rely on a computer. Whatever it turns out to be the first person who diagnosed it correctly will be receiving the 6 pack of something.

I will test the Coil's again after I check the EGR. Also will be doing a major tune-up this weekend just because it's time. I bought new plugs and a new set of plug wires, Mobil l and transfluid and filters. Also, a new fuel filter.

Thanks guys for all your reply's.

 

As an FYI, my 6 ICMs were fried by a bad alternator.
Replaced alternator (which was the second very good parts store extreme rebuild at $110) problem eventually went away. ANd has been over a year of no troubles.
Goleta is a decent place to be stuck.
Atleast it wasn't Newark NJ during the summer. I still can smell those trash towers buring & it's been so long since I saw that sight.

 

Does it have the 12 pin or the 16 pin aldl connector?

 

I had similar problems with my car when the fuel filter was old... just a thought, it makes it die at lights a lot... also, I could have sworn cars had more vacuum at idle than they did at high rpms...

 

Could be alot of things. Try forcing it into limp mode by disconnecting the coolant sensor (OBD II trick). It sounds more or less like a fuel issue though. I would test the fuel pressure and make sure the MAF is working properly.

 

I would tend to guess either the MAF is on it's way or the ECT is bad. The ect is the most neglected sensor on anyones car, but tends to make the biggest difference in overall reliability, pull the code...it's OBD-I, so there has to be a way to get it out. Too bad it's not OBD-II.