looking at a 96 camaro, need help

[huckseed]

I just joined the board,

I am looking at a 96 camaro, 3.8, A4 hardtop, about 189,000km (115,00 miles) on it.

I took it for a drive, let it warm up, checked the usual stuff when you go for a car.

The check engine light was on. However the car didn't hesitate, miss, bog or anything, it worked like a champ (trust me I dogged it for a few minutes making sure there were no trans problems, plus I wanted to check out the 3.8 for how it preformed)

I owned a thirdgen with the V-6 and it had the check engine light on all the time for EGR problems (that weren't really there). I am wondering if the 4th generations have simular problems, or is it most likely an O2 sensor?

[vampyr]

this could be caused by a few things that are not readily noticeable. I would make the seller take the car somewhere and get the code scanned before you buy it. Mine has a trans code that has been popping up for like 4 years and when my trans finally goes it is going to be expensive to get fixed. I can tell you that I have not really noticed any driving difference on the highway but when I take the car up to 68MPH the computer thinks that the tranny is slipping and throws the code. The result of the code is the computer raises the pressure in the tranny to protect its self and after you stop the first to second shift will snap your neck. so like I said I would either make the seller scan it or go get it scanned yourself. I would never purchase a car with an unknown code being displayed. hope this helps.

[Flowbee V6]

Yea thats good advice, either that or make him come down another couple hundred when u raise the issue up. For me, My SES light has gone on and off (usually on) for the past year and a half and it seems to be trivial issues that have no effect on performance whatsoever

[JimmyFranc]

Couldnt modding something without replacing the o2 sensors throw codes like that? Hence why on RKsport on the headers for the 3.8 it says FOR OFF ROAD USE ONLY. I figure thats why. Take it to a shop and let them plug it in and see whats up.

[brink]

mine was on when i bought it b/c someone had removed the cat.

[shenanigans]

Just ask the dude if you can test drive it to an autozone and get teh codes scanned.

[wantmorepower]

I have a 96 ---- get the "fake" EGR code 1441. Its a false code that doesn't effect performance and can not be fixed cheaply.

If thats your only issue shouldn't be a problem at all unless......

You have to go through emmissions checks.....

[the bandit]

the 1441 code isnt an egr code its a emmisions purge during non-flow code. They get mixed up alot. I think egr might be 0441.Dont qoute me on that though.

[wantmorepower]

you may be right... trying to quote the code from memory..... take my 1441 with a grain of salt ;)

[huckseed]

Thanks for the reply's

Vampyr, I had the car over 140 km/h, which is well in excess of 68mph, and back to zero, and started driving again with no noticable hard trans shifts or slips. So I am assuming that problem can be ruled out. Nontheless I will look into that.

We bartered down a few hundred more so I am going to pick it up tomorrow.

I don't have to deal with emissions where I live, I am in Nova Scotia Canada, so no Autozone. But I will have it in next week to a local shop and see what that code is.

Thanks for the info, it helped me close the deal.

[ June 16, 2005, 06:43 PM: Message edited by: huckseed ]