Stock firebird LS1 uses oil and carbon deposits
#1
Stock firebird 5.7L uses oil and carbon deposits
Stock 2002 firebird Trans Am 5.7L
30,000 miles
Bought used at 15,000 miles - ran last 15,000 miles mostly on 87-88 octane.
1. Started giving a check engine light - intermittent. Dealer said was code 430: "CAT low efficiency". They explained that checked O2 sensor and CAT as OK. Fault supposed to indicate running too lean - so they guessed a dirty injector and put some injector cleaner in the tank. Could be I guess. It sat all winter and I did not put Stabil in the tank. Will try couple more tanks of cleaner.
2. During cold start has a knocking sound. It did not always do that, but has gotten worse. Was really bad when starting for the first time after the winter. Dealer says that there is a bulletin that addresses - common problem but "not harmful". Dealer offered "top engine cleaning " for $90 - not under warrantee because is "normal".
3. I still need to verify - but it appears that the engine is using oil - at least a quart in 3000 miles. I changed the oil last season, there are no leaks and after 3000 miles I am about a quart low. I filled, drove about 500 miles and might be about 1/4 of a quart low. I did not monitor the oil real close last summer.
Goes out of warrantee (3 years) in a few days. Dealer says excessive oil consumption is "one quart in 900 miles" before they do anything.
I am guessing that running <91 octane did not help matters for the carbon deposit anyway. I will run >=91 octane now.
Comments?
30,000 miles
Bought used at 15,000 miles - ran last 15,000 miles mostly on 87-88 octane.
1. Started giving a check engine light - intermittent. Dealer said was code 430: "CAT low efficiency". They explained that checked O2 sensor and CAT as OK. Fault supposed to indicate running too lean - so they guessed a dirty injector and put some injector cleaner in the tank. Could be I guess. It sat all winter and I did not put Stabil in the tank. Will try couple more tanks of cleaner.
2. During cold start has a knocking sound. It did not always do that, but has gotten worse. Was really bad when starting for the first time after the winter. Dealer says that there is a bulletin that addresses - common problem but "not harmful". Dealer offered "top engine cleaning " for $90 - not under warrantee because is "normal".
3. I still need to verify - but it appears that the engine is using oil - at least a quart in 3000 miles. I changed the oil last season, there are no leaks and after 3000 miles I am about a quart low. I filled, drove about 500 miles and might be about 1/4 of a quart low. I did not monitor the oil real close last summer.
Goes out of warrantee (3 years) in a few days. Dealer says excessive oil consumption is "one quart in 900 miles" before they do anything.
I am guessing that running <91 octane did not help matters for the carbon deposit anyway. I will run >=91 octane now.
Comments?
Last edited by mfx007; 05-26-2005 at 03:00 PM.