LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

1994 camaro lt1 all stock running terrible and seems to be miss firing..

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Old 08-10-2012, 12:53 AM
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Default 1994 camaro lt1 all stock running terrible and seems to be miss firing..

I just got a 94 z28 camaro, it has 89k miles. When driving it runs like horse ****, when you lay into it has no power and sputters and dances rpm's up and down. Any idea what could cause it to run like complete crap? No check engine light just running terrible.
Old 08-10-2012, 01:02 AM
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Had the same problem on my car and couldn't figure it out for the longest time... threw no codes, but clearly ran like **** and couldn't go WOT without breaking up and popping.

CHECK ALL YOUR SPARK PLUGS/WIRES. I heard a clicking/snapping on and off in the engine bay one day and looked in with a mechanics mirror to find the farthest back plug on the drivers side was arching out nasty! The boot somehow slipped off and the plug was arching onto the manifold & 02 sensor.. not good. Popped it back on good and tight, car runs A1 never sputters, and can actually go WOT again.

If you find nothing wrong, it also sounds like opti problems. Check and see if your waterpump is weeping, or if any fluid/oil has soaked your opti. They also are just prone to failure from age and high rpm...

Seems ignition related though. There's many things to check, but start small with your plugs, wires, ect. If that's no good, rent a fuel pressure gauge and test, make sure everything is as it should be before you dig deep.
Old 08-10-2012, 01:07 AM
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When I got the car it was throwing EGR codes but the egr was unplugged so I plugged it back in. Also the low coolant light is on but the coolant is perfectly full.
Old 08-10-2012, 08:25 AM
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Did you buy it from the origiinal owner? Do you have any maintenance records? When you say it runs like crap, is it driveable? How does it run when it isn't under load? My car sat in storage for several years. We had to replace a lot of stuff to get it running, like the fuel pump, injectors, MAF etc. After we did all of that, it would run pretty good until you put it under a load, and you would have thought it was going to explode. In my case, it turned out to be the optispark. At some point the water pump had been leaking down onto it, and it was in pretty bad shape after sitting around for years.
Old 08-10-2012, 09:03 AM
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only been sitting for about a year and yes I think its the opti in my case also. Just seeing hot to tell for sure if the opti is bad.
Old 08-10-2012, 11:16 PM
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change the coolant sensor in the water pump first!!!
Old 08-11-2012, 04:52 PM
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Any more input?
Old 08-12-2012, 10:10 PM
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Low coolant temp is definitely the sensor. Take it from recent expierience. I was suffering the same problems (still am but...) and most of the hard idle, and miss firing cleared up when I r2 the sensor.
Old 08-12-2012, 10:50 PM
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If the low coolant light is on, that probably just means the printed circuit board in the sensor got coolant on it and is ruined. This won't affect the vehicles performance. The Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor in the water pump can affect performance and is a rather inexpensive fix to attempt.
Old 08-16-2012, 12:37 AM
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Where can I find this sensor new? Link? What is the best aftermarket opti to use? I wanted to get a NAPA brand one.
Old 08-16-2012, 06:07 PM
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The best Opti you can get is an OEM AC Delco. And I know my local NAPA would have to get it from the warehouse but you can probably order an OEM ECT Sensor from gmpartsdirect.com
Old 08-22-2012, 06:01 PM
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I think it needs a fuel pump
Old 08-23-2012, 07:56 AM
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Did you check the fuel pressure? Changing the fuel pump isn't something I would want to do if it isn't necessary.
Old 08-25-2012, 12:43 AM
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Changed the fuel pump and still having the problem.... The mechanic thought it was the pump cause it was losing pressure. And it seems the car runs like **** only after it gets warmed up...
Old 10-05-2012, 02:47 AM
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And the cure was?
Old 10-05-2012, 08:05 AM
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Originally Posted by nastyiroc
Changed the fuel pump and still having the problem.... The mechanic thought it was the pump cause it was losing pressure. And it seems the car runs like **** only after it gets warmed up...
There could be an issue with the O2 sensors.
Old 10-05-2012, 12:16 PM
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I would look into the fuel pressure regulator, if your mechanics telling you your dropping pressure then the fpr could very well be your problem here

Pull the vacuum hose running from the FPR to the intake manifold (on the intake end) and see if it smells like raw fuel
Old 10-05-2012, 12:21 PM
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Originally Posted by nastyiroc
When I got the car it was throwing EGR codes but the EGR was unplugged so I plugged it back in. Also the low coolant light is on but the coolant is perfectly full.
Most have had the low coolant light mine still does. Just needs a sensor as already stated
Old 10-06-2012, 11:09 AM
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I had a fouled out O2 sensor causing similar concerns, it would run ok when cold, but after it warmed up and went into closed loop it wouldn't run worth a damn. Looked at the blms and found the left bank went full rich every time it would run and that the O2 voltage was pegged at about .02 volts. Changed the one sensor and it's run as good as it ever has.
Old 10-07-2012, 10:03 AM
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I have a 95 z28 it ran like **** at high rpm right before shift popping and sputtering. My water pump was bad and leaked all over the opti spark replaced with MSD dis,wires,a/c delco plugs and MSD coil. That solved the problem and gave me better throttle response


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