You can test the clutch by putting the car in a high gear under 2,000 RPM and giving it lots of throttle. The RPM and speed should both steadily increase.

The emergency brake light and the ABS are typically related. Both will come on if the ABS fuse is gone or the whole system needs a bleed or two.

 

Mike, The modern 3400 is the 3400 that grew out of the FWD cars and they are different. The parts do not interchange. Dating all the way back to the late 1980's the the FWD and RWD 3.1's went in different directions the 95 Camaro marked the end of the RWD Cast iron motor. There are NO parts that are the same between an 05 and a 95. Infact very few parts off a 96 FWD 3400 will fit a 95 RWD 3400.

I work in Lansdale and I am a former GM/ASE master tech and I have owned a driven Camaros for over 30 years. If you would like to bring the car by for me to check it out I would be glad to. I used to get paid to go to Auto auction and check out cars and I know most of the trick people do to make cars appear in good working order. You would be better off taking it to some place with a lift because the older T-tops are known to rotted floors. Take your time and find the right car. Most of our member love their cars but I think you will find most of the 3400 owners wish they would have waited and got a 3800 if a V8 was not possible. You picked the absolute worst time of the year to buy a Camaro. You could have bought 96-97 3800\5 speeds all day long for below 3K in the late fall.

1998 Chevrolet Camaro

2002 Chevrolet Camaro 2dr Cpe WHITE

2000 CAMARO (T-TOPS) BLUE--LEATHER

My bad, I went to look up the specs of the FWD 3400 vs the RWD 3400 GM does not call the RWD a 3400. They call the RWD motors 3.4 I guess they do that to clairify it is a different motor.

 

I'd go with Gorn's advice and hold off for a bit if you can. Look around and find a nice 3.8L/5 speed. Or even and automatic. A friend owned a Firebird with the 3.8L/A4 and still enjoyed it. But then again, he's easy to please.


Off topic, but I think they designate them by the way the FI is setup. For example, 90s Cavaliers where designated as 3.1 MPFI, where else a 90s Buick Century was designated as 3100 SFI. Both FWD, both 189 cu. in., both 60* V6's. Correct me if I'm wrong...but wouldn't that hold true to the 3400 and the 3.4?

Edit: Found this out, may or may not add to the above....but the main difference between the 3.4 (L32) and the 3400 (LA1) is the 3.4L in F-body cars "used the Generation I architecture, with iron heads, and without splayed valves, where else, the 3400 was a bored out version of the 3100 making 20 more horsepower".

 

Noramlly SFI means "Sequential Fuel Injection". This is when the injector is timed, like the spark, to fire in time with the engine stroke. We first saw this on Grand National 3.8 turbo motor. MPFI is a much more generic term meaning "Multi Point Fuel Injection" meaning the injectors are placed at the cylinders in stead of the in a central loacation like in a Throttle Body injection system.

I have seen early GM documents calling MPFI calling it "Multi Port Fuel Injection" but at some point GM got their act together and all training books and bulletins called it Multi Point. Since I was trained by GM before the cars were even releast in my head it is alway Port I have to remind myself it is point.

That kind follows along with what I was saying the FWD 3400 was getting major upgrades as the years went on but I guess since the RWD 3.4 had so little usage it did not get the upgrades. The splayed Valves would be a huge upgrade to the 3.4 The angle could allow for larger valves and larger ports. Poor flowing heads was always what help back the 2.8/3.1/3.4.

 

Awe, see if I were asked, I would have told you MPFI was "Multi-port". Good to know now that it is "Multi-point". Helps with my knowledge for GM's.

I suppose it's good that the 3.4 didn't pan out. May have taken longer to get the 3.8 in the rest of the states.

MSCanon99, Have you found/decided on a Camaro for your son yet?