Hello everyone, I have a Camaro 2.8 V6 from 1988 and I am dealing with an engine malfunction after it heats up. It starts fine when cold - almost immediately. The idle isn't completely steady - the diagnostics report error 34 (I have the TPS set to 0.55V, the MAF sensor and the air sensor are new, and I’m waiting for new hoses to be certain about the vacuum).

However, when I drive and the engine heats up (about 10 minutes of driving is enough), the engine stalls when I shift to neutral or stop. Initially, it can be started again and driven for a little longer, but eventually, that becomes impossible as well. It sounds as if neither the engine nor the starter wants to turn over. When I let the car cool down, it starts up again right away.

I have browsed through this forum and came across threads where they discuss starter overheating, ignition coils, or replacing starting cables... I am from Europe, from the Czech Republic, and not many people here repair American cars - one service that does told me that it might be cracked pistons, that this happens with these engines, and when they heat up, they expand and then it doesn't work. They said it would require a complete engine overhaul... What do you think?

I have had the car for a few months; during that time, I have cleaned the fuel line, installed a new exhaust (I am still addressing a minor leak at one manifold), a new radiator, new relays everywhere, new spark plugs, and now I am dealing with water and oil temperature sensors, fan switch, etc.
THX guys!

 

There are two things you need to do here;

#1, you need an accurate measure of the engine's temperature when it gets to the point of it not starting/running. It sounds from your description that it's overheating.

#2, you need to go at midnight and torch the shop where you were told the "cracked pistons" nonsense, abject automotive stupidity (or malicious, knowing attempts at deceit) like that deserve capital punishment.....

 

Thanks! I will borrow a laser thermometer and measure it. Otherwise, I have coolant in the radiator and the fan runs non-stop (it is connect that way, I assume that's due to a faulty switch), so do you think it might not have cooled down due to a malfunctioning water pump?

 

Hi Vondy, I'd be more interested in the thermostat, have you replaced that?

 

Not yet, I will try it

 

It's a good cheap thing to try, and if it hasn't been replaced in a while it could very well be a reason for the engine to get too hot (that is, if in fact the engine IS getting so hot it won't run).

When it has it's trouble, does it push coolant into the plastic overflow tank ?

 

I don't think so, the coolant level in the reservoir seemed the same to me - it's at the "Full Cold" mark even when heated.

 

Then it may not be overheating. Does the battery voltage stay good, or does it drop when it won't start/run ? Of course, the fact that the coolant level doesn't change in the overflow tank from cold engine to warm engine still makes me quite suspicious of the cooling system, the laser thermometer sure sounds like a great idea to try