My 92 Camaro has been in the shop for 3 weeks. Part of the computer has been replaced, the coil, and the battery cables. The car still stutters and now Im afraid to drive it. Any advice?
Plugs, plug wires? Fuel filter? How long as it been doing this? Did it start doing it slowly or all at once? Any connection with weather, or how long you have been driving it? Three weeks seems like a long time to replace a coil and battery cables. What exactly is a partial replacement of a computer?
Which engine? V-6 or V-8? If a V-8, is it the 5.0 with TBI (LO3, available for the RS) or TPI (available for the IROC or Z28)?
Last service replaced the distributor and had a total tune up. Car has always driven like a dream when it stalled while warming up I took it to the mechanic right away and he plugged it into the computer… said the computer was reading the car too hot… replaced that part of computer. I got it home and is stuttered again… took it back… he replaced the coil. I took it home and it stuttered/stalled/battery died… had to tow it back to the garage. He said the battery cables were corroded and fixed that… but let the car overheat and he cracked the radiator. $700 bucks later It stuttered on the way home last night so I know its still not fixed.
V8 5.0 its a RS
I have the same engine in my 1993 Caprice. I have not had any problems since I got it in 2002.
There is a Yahoo group fop GM TBI (Throttle Body Injection) engines. Here is a link to a thread discribing a similar problem. It turned out to be a bad fuel pressure regulator. I believe the regulator is attached to the throttle body.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/GM_TBI/message/9017
A couple of questions.
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Was the entire distributor replaced or just the cap and rotor? If the cap was replaced and the spark plug wires were connected in the wrong order the engine would run poorly. I know from experience.
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What did the “tune up” consist of? When I tuned up the Caprice in 2003, the spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap and rotor, air filter, and fuel filter were replaced with GM parts.
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“said the computer was reading the car too hot… replaced that part of computer” - I assume the coolant sensor was replaced not the computer. Did the mechanic tell you the Code number?
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How did the mechanic overheat the engine and “crack” the radiator? Is this a trusted mechanic? If not, it sounds like he/she’s throwing parts at problem instead of diagnosing it. A second opinion may be in order.
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Was the sputtering/stalling the original problem? Did the sputtering start after the first visit to the mechanic?
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As an aside, how old is the battery? If it’s more than 3 or 4 years old, you may want to replace it. I replaced the alternator in the Caprice last weekend. I bought a rebuilt one from a specialist repair shop. The owner told me it would be a good idea to replace the battery if it was that old. The continual charging of an older battery puts a lot of strain on the alternator and can wear it out prematurely.
If you can tell us more, hopefully more experienced forum members can help. I have the shop manual for the Caprice. I will do a little research and try and post back later. It’s a nice looking car with a good simple motor, don’t give up on it.
Ed B.
Maybe get the car away from that mechanic before he changes every part under the hood. If I had two turntables and a microphone, I still wouldn’t be qualified to be a disc-jockey. I dress like a mechanic but I can’t fix everything.
The DTC codes for the Engine Coolant Sensor are DTC14 (High Temp indicated) and DTC15 (Low Temp indicated). If you can provide the DTC numbers I can look up the code in the service manual.
The manual lists probable causes for the following conditions.
Hesitation, Sag, Stumble
Fuel System
Check Throttle Position (TP) Sensor (TPS). Check TP sensor for binding or sticking.
Check Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor response and accuracy
Ignition System
Check spark plug wires
Check spark plugs for being fouled
Check open ignition system ground
Check ignition timing
Additional Checks
Check for correct PROM. I had a stalling/stumbling problem with an 1988 Chevy Beretta. The prom was replaced to fix it.
Check Alternator output voltage
Check Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve operation
Rough, Unstable or Incorrect Idle, Stalling
Sensors
Check O2 sensor
Check TP sensor
Check Engine Coolant Sensor (ECT)
Check MAP sensor
Fuel System
Check Evaporative emission control system
Check Cylinder compression
Check fuel injectors for leaking. Check fuel pressure (regulator?)
Ignition System
Check Ignition System
Check Ignition timing
Additional Checks
Check for Vacuum leaks
Check Idle Air Controller (IAC) operation
Check ECM grounds
Check Park/Neutral Position (PNP) switch circuit
Check EGR on while idling will cause roughness, stalling, and hard starting.
Check Battery cables and ground straps clean and secure. Erratic voltage will cause IAC valve to change position causing poor idle.
Check AC refrigerant pressure too high or faulty High pressure switch.
Check Positive Crankcase Valve (PCV) for proper operation.
Engine Mechanical
Check for broken motor mounts.
Check for low compression.
My 92 camaro 350 TPI is doing a similar thing but only when it is hot outside. I have NO emmisions setup on it and it is all disabled in the computer. I replaced the fuel pump and checked the lines all plugs and wires are new. I had this problem before and I have just replaced the whole engine and computer system. I still got the problem. I would think it has to be in the fuel lines somewhere. Could the gas cap do it? OH yeah also it does not do it if I keep it 3/4 full of gas and drive it short distances in the hot weather only.