1st post here, story w/ a few questions

[Chiodos]

My name is Aaron
I am 19 years old.

I recently traded my iroc camaro for my friends 94 Camaro 3.4l v6 5 spd. The iroc had a blown motor, and this 3.4l runs pretty good.

Facts about the car...

Its r-titled
its been wrecked twice and drifted a good bit
the people who welded the frame before i got the car did a pretty nice job
the car has 152,000 miles
the motor has about 100,000 but doesnt feel like it really
mods are cold air induction, and a z28 muffler w/ dual outlets and no cat...yes loud is right
the oil needs changed soon
v8 tranny mount, 10k miles

So for, ive replaced the front rotors and drums, rear shocks, tires, and given the car a very good clean up. It definetly still needs front struts badly, and maybe even some other things.

Problem 1: Sometimes it takes 3 times trying to start it and then it starts fine the third time. Key on, start, fail, key off(repeat 2 times) Key on, start, run

Any ideas?

Problem 2: Even after replacing the rear shocks with quality units, the rear axle seems to still rise high enough in the axel with a load of passengers to make a horrenously bad crashing noise into the structure of the car. No damage has entailed so far but it makes a really bad sound. Bumpstops maybe? or something bigger than that...

Problem 3: I need to wire my rear hatch lighting/defrogger up. I have a purple, black, and yellow coming from the car and I have a purple, black, and blue coming from the hatch. The hatch is also equipped with a 3rd brake light. I don't have a test light and would prefer to just have someone with the schematics ensure me of which wires to hook up as I do not believe the hatch wires are fused links and do not want to short anything up there.

I'm sure I will have a few more questions as the days go by, and will definetly be back shortly to see if any of my questions have had consideration.

thanks in advance

[Chiodos]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

also like i said i was sure to remember a few more things...

1: What would cause the ABS INOP light to variate between being off for a while, to flashing, to staying on?

2: Ive heard something about swapping heads and intake off a newer 3.4 and using it with my 3.4 would produce a substantial amount of power. Would that be heads, intake, fuel rails, harnesses, off of a newer grand am gt? I'm sure there are a few of those at the local junk dealer i could get my hands on if thats the case...

3: Would 225/50/16s be acceptable over 225/60/16s which the stock spec is i believe. I just had a new set of 225/50's mounted because of their price.

4: What other types of maintenence could I perform being as though the car has endured 150,000 miles of roading? Ive changed manual gear lube, rear diff fluid(by the way anyone know where I could get a positraction unit i think i found one on ebay once for around 200 but i didnt snag it...my gf drives the car and it snows here where i live and she is used to my previous gt mustang w/ posi and wants it again with this car for when it snows here.)
Plugs and wires were supposedly changed 10,000 miles ago.

5: Car has lately been shaking somewhat at speed in front end, when braking it stiffens up substantially. I blame this on poor strut quality, the one of left is black, one in right is orange and says de carbon on it. They both seem to be old and blown out by the way the car rides and I blame much of the strut assembly to be culprit for the shaking and overall loose feeling in the front end. Am i assuming correctly?




I appreciate anyone who actually takes the time to read this and share advice.

[bob80]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

hi Aaron, im no pro still pretty new but give ya my 2 cents worth:

1.bad starter ground? wire connections?

2.not really sure, bushings possibly if the car was beat fairly bad

3.tires should work fine, may look a lil small

ABS light could be as simple as tire pressures out of wack setting it off, as for your questions about the 3.4 heads i got no clue! anyways welcome to the site, I"m sure others will be of more help and my best advice would be to use the search key and search the forums, lots of info. just takes time to read threw it all.

Good Luck

[Camaro Dom]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

as far as starting goes, i'd do a full scale tune up:
-plugs, wires, pcv, fuel and air filters, oil change, coolant check (if its gotta get changed, flush it)... the works.
if that doesnt fix it, start taking a wire brush and a paste of baking soda and water and start scrubbing not just battery terminals, but every body ground you can find under the hood (especially the one right by the battery)

Yeah, you probably lost your bump stops, there should be 2 of them on the axle... it might be your exhaust hanging down too...

hatch wires... i dunno but a dealership should print u off a wiring schmatic for free.... you could use a multimeter just to be extra sure...

no, go with 245/50/16... that second number is a percentage of the first number... if you reduce the size of the sidewall your overall wheel size will be too small and you'll run at higher rpms on the highway and your speedo will be off.

as far as heads go, theres a HUGE sticky at the top of the gen tech list... thatll answer any question you have (theres alot of info on this site that you dont have to wait for an answer... in the stickies and in the mod encyclopedia)

as for front end: i would raise the front of the car up, grab the wheel and try to shake the wheel in and out on the sides and at the top and bottom. if theres any movement, have a friend keep it moving and you look under the car to see exactly where the movements coming from. Struts hold your car, they should'nt allow it to get "shakey"... that sounds like a steering problem. After you're done w/ that, get it aligned, otherwise you're gonna burn out those new tires real quick...

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

:wavey: welcome!

ABS INOP light can and will be triggered if the rear 3rd tail light is out, or the computer believes it is (if you replace the bulbs with LEDS) You said something about your 3rd brake light and the hatch, so i assume this may be part of your problem. The ABS INOP light will shut off sometimes, but come back on when the computer goes through it's scanning cycle again, so some trips it may be off, but the next it will be on.

Those tires will work just fine. I would recommend 245/50/16 for the stock wheels, but 225s work too. stock sizes were 215, 235, and 245 on Z28s.

BTW, our cars don't have struts :)

[Chiodos]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

Okay, im back.

Thank you all for the help.


I will check starter grounds and close wiring tomorrow, though I have a hunch its still going to do it...something fuel related i think so a new filter makes its way on the priority list.
(when i replace am I going to find out that i need a special tool from GM or are the fuel filters easy to replace with little o-rings)

As of ABS INOP issues, i had no idea the 3rd brake light could activate its appearence and blame the unwired state of it to be the cause of my light.
Called the dealer and they dont have the time to look it up they said, so I still need some reference or else im just going to find out the hard way.

The 225/50 series tires mounted do look rather small, and being as though i drive a lot at night w/ work i havent much noticed besides for slight handling compromise. I wanted the 245's they were just out of reach. I would prefer to have 17" rims on it, im sure i could price some locally.

Tune-up would be wise also. Kid said he changed the plugs and wires close to when we traded cars but im not sure. pvc could probably use being replaced along with clean batt. terminals and grounds.

As far as the front shock absorbers(sorry i referred to them as struts, i can now see how much of an abused word that probably is at advanced auto parts haha), they definetly need changed. Best prices im finding locally are around 230 for the parts. That about right?

3.4 head swap, ive been in the sticky, and dont think pistons are something i am willing to change also. I didnt plan on pulling the whole motor just wanted heads and intake. no thanks head swap ill live without you now, lol.

thanks so much everyone

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

Another common fix for the ABS INOP light that the ABS sensors are just dirty. They get covered in road grime and dirt and stop working sometimes, so for starters, you might want to try and clean those up, and go from there.

As for front shocks, you should be able to pick up some bilsteins or something nicer for under 200. What brand were the ones you were looking at?

[Camaro Dom]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

gonna hafta reiterate: check how "tight" all your steering components are b4 bothering w. the shocks.

[josh98bird]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

instead of looking locally you can search around on here... ls1tech.com fullthrottlev6.com... and ebay. But camarov6/firebirdv6 is best by far. Just wait a little bit and you'll find what you want. Good luck on everything. Got any pics of the car?

sorry... Welcome

[Chiodos]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

Lets see, where do I start?

-my gf has a digital camera ill get pics up here soon, the cars not really that great to look at currently anyway,

the kid painted flat black primer overtop the factory clearcoat. The car was even repainted 2003 Dark Yellow Green so why he would paint over such a new paintjob with primer is outrageous to me. I have managed to wet sand the black primer off the fenders and doors and quarters/roof but havent yet buffed the car as its sitting in the garage so the paint is still dull.

I don't have much painting ability, so not sure what paint scheme i might consider if it doesnt look well after i buff it because i simply dont know what I would be able to paint like. I do have all of the equipment compressor and gun and even a garage with enough room. thoughts?

I should go out to the junkyard and see if i could get any already painted panels and get all the same color panels. LOL I have a silver hatch on it now, so its green and silver.


-ABS INOP-

Replaced front rotors, front brake pads, dot 4 brake fluid bled thru lines, greased front chassis, cleaned sensor on wheel(abs?)very well, reconnected, observed blown front sway bar bushings and also the other ones which are? ____________... ,wired rear hatch with luck that the blk was gnd, purp was pwr, and the other smaller one was 3rd brake light. 3rd Brake light works, but only one of two bulbs is good. I cleaned it all up real good but didnt have another bulb handy and its easy to change again. Also replaced front tires 225/50/16s last week.



Light illuminates now at 70 miles an hour or higher, and not instantly always, but never below 70. Wheels were balanced again yesterday i did it myself, vibrations in wheel are nearly gone and no noticeable difference was apparent with the light. _________________?________________


Now my left turn signal doesnt work and i keep blowing tailight fuses.

I already need another back left tire, (? not right oh well) so i think im just goin to replace the rear tires again when i purchase the bushings i need and the front shocks. What is one of the biggest tires with a sidewall of 50 or 55 that I could mount in the back. 255+265+>>>? Must be 16"

also are motor flush products worth the action of actually flushing the motor with a thinner liquid that oil before changing it? I want to maybe change it again now with some type of flush (do it myself) 5w30 to get out any particles or metal that might be in that motor.

thanks for the warm welcome, workin on making a sig now too and will post more!!

[CamaroJeff™]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

I don't have much painting ability, so not sure what paint scheme i might consider if it doesnt look well after i buff it because i simply dont know what I would be able to paint like. I do have all of the equipment compressor and gun and even a garage with enough room. thoughts?

my suggestion is if you dont know what youre doing with paint dont try. ive seen far too many people try it themselves only to make it look worse.
if you can wetsand that primer off you can bring the finish underneath back. youll have to do a finish sand with 1500 grit wetsanding, followed by buffing with a wool pad and some kind of rubbing compound. clean it then wax it right away.
unless you have a good size compressor (at least an 80 gallon tank with comparable motor) and a very clean area i personally wouldnt bother. it takes a good bit of skill, materials, tools, and facilities to make paint look nice.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

on stock 16s you can fit up to 255s.

agreed with above as far as painting.

[Chiodos]

Re: 1st post here, story w/ a few questions

It seems like everytime I post i have some other problem.

About painting, you guys are right i might just hold off on it its not a big big deal..

ABS light is wacko, it is on all the time now not just above 70, brakes work fine so idk what the problem is. I replaced 3rd brake lights, fuses, so idk.


As for the shocks, i believe the brand i was looking at were monroes sensatrac units.

I have so many stupid little things wrong with this car i could write pages upon pages, but it starts, runs, turns, and drives, and thankfully still stops so oh well.