Ive been searching craigslist recently for a used fourth gen camaro. I found a 98 v6 with only 81,000 miles on it and the guy is asking for 4k. I just want to know if there are any common problems known with the v6 engine. I dont have money to be fixing any major problems anytime soon that may arise. If I can expect this car to be really reliable for the next 60k miles then that would awesome but if not I may need to look else where for a new car. Also what should I be looking for if I go out and test drive this?

Thanks in advance

 

the 3800 series are army tanks of engines, but when they 'go bad', they really go bad!!! the 3800 that was in mine blew up a piston. it also had a rod knock. it was at 169,000 miles

figures, because that is about all these camaroes will give. MOST (not all) only last this long before something happens..
$4,000 is a great price for that camaro.. thats actually an amazing price if there isnt any known damage and da body is in good shape. so go for it, it should last you a long time yet if you maintain it and dont beat on it.

 

i think 4k is a bit hot for a v6, i got my z at 102k for 4500, so when u compare the two, i think 3300 would be more fair, just my .01

 

KBB has the car at 5100 for a private seller. Idk could be the region difference. Around here it is very rare to find a v8 camaro up for sale and when it is its usually in the 8k+ range.

Also i was reading through a few things on the interwebz and a few people were saying that the v6 gets lower mpg then is advertised? Is there any truth to that

 

The most common issue is intake gasket leaks. If the intake gasket has not been done yet it will need to be done soon. New gaskets are better so once its been done it should not be a problem anymore. Next in line is head gasket. This is a pretty major repair and far less common then the intake gaskets. Fuel pumps are pretty common on all GM products of this age. If you take it to a mechainc to have a fuel pump put in it can cost $1000. There is a work around for a DIYer.

Anytime you buy an older car from a private party you should get it checked out by a mechanic. He should be able to check out the cars general condition and let you know how well it has been maintained. Just going by mileage is not a good way to deterime the condition of a car. A country owned car with proper maintenance can be trouble free to 200K miles. A great many city cars never make it to 100K. It is very common for owners to dump car because they have seen very small signs of a up coming large repair. Trannys will slip but on after a hour of driving (indicate a failure is not far away). Found some metal in the last oil change (thats never good long term). Car starts to use a small amount of coolant and fails a pressure test. This COULD indicate blown headgaskets that would run fine for weeks or months before getting bad. Not to mention all the way a seller could hide stuff.

 

I get 30+ on the highway mid 20's mixed driving with a stick. The 3800s, when maintained, do pretty good.

 

Sorry to thread jack, but are 3.4 v6 engines similar to the 3.8 in terms of reliability and issues?

 

Watch for a rear-end growl or whirring -- mean you need new bearings. Also, any check engine light -- find out what the codes are before you buy. Ask when last the plugs/wires were changed. Look and smell all the fluids -- look for neglect. If you have any worries -- buy an extended warranty for the car -- mine have always more than paid for themselves on 4th Gens!

Also, ALL DeCarbon/Delphi 4th Gen shocks suck -- replace them. V6 Sways are too whimpy -- upgrade them.

 

These engines are nothing alike. The 3.4L is a dog that has chased too many cars before being put in a camaro. You will find them to be under powerd and have a bad habbit of leaking at the timing cover. This leak can put water in the oil and put both outside the engine as well.

The 3800 is a good engine that had some poor intake gaskets from the factory. The Felpro replacments are much better and dont have the leaking issues the factory ones did. THe only other draw back of the 3800 are the little plastic elbows that go to the tensioner/heater hose manifold. They can leak and cause some minor issues there.

Massey

 

YES i 100% agree. guess why? mine snapped with no effort when i originally pulled the engine...