> We have a problem, not sure what it is

[FFORMULA78]

Just got a 1994 Firebird Formual a few weeks ago. It has been running perfect until this morning. I took it for a drive and it ran fine, i took it on the highway at about 90 miles per hour and it felt fine.

After i got off the highway i noticed it was running weird. Im not a big technical info guy so i'll just explain how it is riding now.

Known problems are:
Car has an exhaust leak that im about to get taken care of
Car has had recent engine head repair work done

While at idle, it has a "mini shaking in the car"

While accelerating from a stop, it feels like the engine is weak so i have to press the gas pedal harder to make it go, the car shakes slightly while i do this.

Once i hit about 40 miles per hour, the problem isnt as noticable, probably because the car isnt straining to stay at 40mph as it is to get to 40mph. Car starts right up every time. No check engine lights or any dummy lights at all.

Teh cars engine is still under warranty from the stealership wher i bought it so hopefully its nothing at all or its the engine failing and i'll make them fix it. What do u guys think.

[Kronic Budz]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

spark plugs?

[coolbet13]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

check all the plug wires sounds like one may have burnt on the exhaust manifold?

[vanbibber]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

could be the opti spark, when mine went on the t/a it couldnt get out of its own way at low speeds and at idle the motor loped like it had a small cam in it. but at higher speeds it cleared up.

most lt1 people will tell you to try and rev it up to red line and see if it misfires ifit does thats a good sign the opti is on the way out if its missing at high rpms. mine never did though mine missed at low rpms and was a dog at low speeds.

the only things that come to mind are:
opti on its way out
plugs

keep in mind one thing about lt1s and the opti spark. water+opti spark= bad news. usually the opti goes when the water pump is leaking or donzo. any excessive moisture that gets into it will fry it instantly. by that i mean, avoid water puddles and never EVER spray the motor down.

my best advice is to notdrive until you get it checked out. if the opti goes it will wreak havoc on damn near everything.

edit: just saw its a 94, they have non vented opti sparks. 95-97s have vented ones. the non vented optis suck. if moisture has gotten in there, there is no way for it to get out and thats not good. 93-94 optis are very prone to failure compared to the 95-97s

[vanbibber]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

p.s. for some stupid reason. when the opti goes, it wont set the ses light off or throw a code.

[cybercide]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

I had a 97 T/A bought in 99 with 36k. I also bought an extended GM warranty, I think it was $1500 or so. Very wise investment, that extended warranty was. It paid for itself immediately and then probably a few times over. The day after I bought the car it lost power / died / wouldn't start while flying down I-90. Had it towed to the stealership and they replaced the optispark and some other stuff (dont remember) and said it was like $2k in repairs but I didn't pay anything. Even if I hadn't purchased the warranty I still would have raised hell and not paid anything, but hey, that could have easily happened a month later. That was not the only repairs it needed during my ownership either... and quite frankly I am not enough of a mechanic to do any kind of work on a car like that especially back then... Loved the car tho, my favorite!

Anyhow, hope you have a good warranty. If not you prob should look for some forums specializing in LT1's and befriend some good mechanics!

[vanbibber]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

ive said it many times over. lt1s are moody little b1tches and they are always in need of attention.

[Vanquish]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

It is either the opti(which we hope for your wallet's sake it isn't) or a misfire on your 1st or 2nd cylinder. So check your plugs and wires as mentioned before. Also, check for any vac leaks and check your oil pressure.

Does it idle erratically after starting and letting it sit there for a few minutes?

[FFORMULA78]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

Well, my mechanic checked it out pretty well today. I might get some of it wrong so bear with me.

Basically he says, it has an exhaust leak from one of the heads, and its getting into the radiator. Its having a big problem with coolant now. He says eventually its going to overheat and the engine will blow. He says they did a bad job when they repaired it originally.

I called the stealership tonight and talked to the sales person. I told him the car is having major engine problems. His response, "What do you want me to do, you bought the car as is, i mean......" I responded with, "actually i bought the car with a one month 1000 mile warranty on the engine so it should be covered" He said i have to talk to the sales manager in the morning. What a d**k head. I mean, they are so nice when you are buying the car but couldnt care less once they have the money in their pocket. One way or another, im getting either my money back or my car fixed. Im not gonna roll over for some dirt bag car salesmen a-holes. Aint gonna happen.

What is my recourse if they try and stiff me?? Do i go to small claims court or what?? Also, if they do fix it, do i get another warranty or is it basically i have 8 more days whether or not it gets fixed right? Thanks for all your help once again guys and i'll keep you posted.

[vanbibber]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

not sure how an exhaust leak would cause you to overheat. depending on where the exhaust leak is (such as at the exhaust manifold and head) the 02 sensors wont get the right readings and that'll cause the car to run as you said.

sounds like a head gasket is either leaking or blown. DONT DRIVE IT. if thats the case, you could have fouled plugs on top of all sorts of other problems. talking to the dealership douches is useless trust me. if its that bad off you need to get ahold of a lawyer asap because it sounds like they sold you a lemon. dont let the bastards screw you. let the car sit as it is and raise some hell until its fixed, if its under warranty they HAVE to fix it, thats the whole point of a warranty.

[cybercide]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

Consulting a lawyer may be a good idea.

What kind of dealership is this? New cars too? Do they even have a service department?

Since it does sound like they may try to screw you, I think there are at least 2 things that you should make sure you do:

1) Did Your mechanic give you something in writing (and dated) that outlines the problems? If not, get something.

2) And find some way to have documented proof that you attempted to get it fixed within your warranty period. Not sure what to suggest for that as it is unlikely to get a sleazy dealer to sign and date a letter telling you that they will not honor the warranty. More likely that they would just try to blow you off until after the warranty period expires, and then if you try to take action later they will deny that you tried to redeem the warranty during the time it was in effect.

Now would be a good time to read your warranty paperwork and see exactly what it covers and what the proper procedure is for redeeming it.

I would first try getting it resolved peacefully, cause if you go in all pissed off and screaming and threatening legal action right off the bat it just makes people less likely to want to help you. You have only talked to a sales rep so far so you don't know yet that they don't want to honor the warranty. But playing the assh0le card at the right time can also be very useful in getting your way. Oh and "driving home from work/school" sounds better than "driving 90 mph on the hwy" ;)

Hmmm... If it is a real dealership with a service department and everything maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have it towed in for repair then you have a tow receipt proving it was towed in for service?

if its just a greasy little outfit in a gravel lot with a mobile trailer office, maybe a hidden camera and mic?

Good luck

[FFORMULA78]

Re: > We have a problem, not sure what it is

Consulting a lawyer may be a good idea.

What kind of dealership is this? New cars too? Do they even have a service department?

Since it does sound like they may try to screw you, I think there are at least 2 things that you should make sure you do:

1) Did Your mechanic give you something in writing (and dated) that outlines the problems? If not, get something.

2) And find some way to have documented proof that you attempted to get it fixed within your warranty period. Not sure what to suggest for that as it is unlikely to get a sleazy dealer to sign and date a letter telling you that they will not honor the warranty. More likely that they would just try to blow you off until after the warranty period expires, and then if you try to take action later they will deny that you tried to redeem the warranty during the time it was in effect.

Now would be a good time to read your warranty paperwork and see exactly what it covers and what the proper procedure is for redeeming it.

I would first try getting it resolved peacefully, cause if you go in all pissed off and screaming and threatening legal action right off the bat it just makes people less likely to want to help you. You have only talked to a sales rep so far so you don't know yet that they don't want to honor the warranty. But playing the assh0le card at the right time can also be very useful in getting your way. Oh and "driving home from work/school" sounds better than "driving 90 mph on the hwy" ;)

Hmmm... If it is a real dealership with a service department and everything maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have it towed in for repair then you have a tow receipt proving it was towed in for service?

if its just a greasy little outfit in a gravel lot with a mobile trailer office, maybe a hidden camera and mic?

Good luck

Thanks for all your advice, it really helped me not forget anything.

I talked to the sales mgr and he is taking care of me. I am to take my car back to the person they had repair the engine originally and he will fix it again at no charge. Im going to see how long the warranty is on his work this time around and if it is through maroone or directly with me. If they wont warranty the work for over a month, im going to sell the car because i cant make this a habbit. Im just going to have my mechanic print out a sheet saying everything that is wrong and what needs to be fixed. Hopefully he will do a good job this time since he knows another mechanic will be looking at the work and so he wont have to keep spending the time fixing my car over and over.

The sales manager told me when i bought the car that i had a 1 month warranty through maroone and that is in writing. But if there was a problem after one month and after 1000 miles, i could call him up and he would make the guy warranty his work for me. I think it was up to 12000 miles on his work and one year. I just got worried because that agreement was not in writing but everything seems to be working out. I have a new found trust in car salesmen. Im bringing the car to the mechanic tomorrow most likely.

Thanks for all your help guys and i'll keep you posted.

[cybercide]

awesome news... hope it works out well!

but still make sure you have some kind of paper before your warranty expires just in case