Maybe the PASS key??

[mike h]

I have a 3.8L 1995 camaro.

When I start the car, it runs O.K. then dies after a few seconds (2-3). When I rev up the engine after starting it it doesn't sound smooth and the engine dies anyways. Also, a cloud of smoke comes out of my tailpipes. To me it looks white but a friend described it as white but then turning black after I rev it. Some previous problems I have had are a very small head gasket leak (it was at 50 ppm a few months ago, and the technician added a GM cooling tablet to the coolant to fill in the crack), and I got a new MAF recently. I think that if it was the head gasket the car would still run, just really crappy, am I right? It also might be the key, incorrect code or something, but I doubt it becuase I had 3 copies of the key made and it still doesnt work. Also it would be important to mention that this isnt the first incident of this, 3 fridays ago that morning the engine was doing the same thing but it started after 10 or so tries and it worked fine all day, then the day after I didnt drive the car, then the next night I tried and it was doing this. So I've gone 3 weeks without driving my car and I'm going crazy!!!! Any ideas? Please? :(

[BLLDOGG]

if the security system wasnt liking things, it wouldnt start at all. if you blow a head gasket, you will get smoke out of the exhaust, it will be hard to start, the engine will run really rough and will be hard to keep running. does it smoke in the engine compartment? are there bubbles in the coolant system? white smoke means coolant in the fuel mixture and black is a rich fuel mixture. i would guess your really gasing it to keep it going putting and collecting alot of unburnt fuel in your cylinders causing black smoke. i cant explain why it would do this and go away after awhile if it was a blown head gasket. IMOi wouldnt drive your car anymore unless you want to replace even more internal engine parts until you figure this out ;)

real quick, why did you trust a gasket sealant tablet

[ April 03, 2005, 08:41 PM: Message edited by: BLLDOGG ]

[mike h]

50 ppm (parts per million) is an extremely small leak. I think a full blown is 400 and a serious crack is 150-200. And also, why I thought it was the key is beacuse my mom's Grand Am 2004 does the same thing when you try to use the spare key that isnt coded correctly, it starts then dies a few seconds afterwards.

[mike h]

:(

[Razzer]

Have a new vats key made from your original, go to Roseville automall, the pontiac cad dealer. I get most of my parts there, no problem with any keys I have had made, also ckech the wire connection off the key assembly, the single wire is proone to breaking after years of use, this could also be the culprit. I live down the road in Rocklin and attend Sierra College. Good luck post if you find the problem. PS the key will cost 40$, cheap fix if that is the problem. Key assembly is like 120 ish plus new keys.

[mike h]

Haha, I bought this turd at the Sierra College Auto Fair.

[Razzer]

So have you diagnosed it yet? Key no key, Pass wire loose or what?

[Razzer]

You have obd1 don't you, if you had obd2 for smog and comp it would be much easier to diagnose. That would be the easy way to see what the problem is. My dad hooked up a tech 2 to my car and we could see just about everything we need to see, it would tell you if there is a pass problem or if the cyclender 1 was missfiring, its great. If all else fails take it to the dealer to have the comp read. I don't know what obd1 could tell you though. Just a thought.

[mike h]

I have OBDII, I ahve one of the rare 3.8L 1995 cars that were only made in the late part of the year. For some reason it doesn't work very well. :( When I hooked it up it just told me my transmission was overheating (something like 200*) so I took it in and they did thermal scans and it wasn't even close to that. `