A check engine light on may not be a big deal but a check engine light flashing is. This mean you have dead cylinder and raw gas is getting to the catalytic converter. This will destroy the Cat fairly quickly. It will plug the cat up and can be a pricy repair just in parts. If you read your owners manual I think it will warn you about driving the car with a flashing check engine light. An air cleaners miss aligned is a long term issue. It will allow dirty air into the motor and could take years to actual hurt anything assume you not a dirt roads all the time. The flashing check engine light is a dead plug or bad wire unless something else father up stream has failed. I seriously doubt that a weak connection caused by anti-seize would cause a flashing light.

 

Hi, Gorn,

just got ur msg at 6:35 am calif. time, went down stairs to my "Gone in 60 Seconds," 1974 underground garage LoL...and noticed that the "service engine" lite on solid, not flashing, *my mistake*

i turned over the engine on start and it turns off, like always, * even with the Chevron Fuel Injector Cleaner dumped on only quarter gas and then filled up with a full tank of hi priced $5.25 / gal. california Super Premium Chevron gas I put in 2 eays ago

then I turned over the engine on start and kept pushing the gas pedal lightly for a count of 4 seconds and the car stayed on smooth

In the grand scheme of things, after pumping gas to keep it on after start it runs smooth *except for when I've driven her for a long period of time like 40 minutes on surface streets, and then I stop, reverse, and then drive to for example park her, at which time she shakes a lot and then stalls (at least that's what happened 2 days ago)

A similar problem happened in December 2019 which I posted here on this forum, *after an oil leak repair, a different mechanic close to the Tijuana border between So. CAl and Mexico on the U.S. side, gave me the car back after repairing the oil leak successfully. It started to shake with I recall roughly a "service engine" lite on solid, too...and that rough engine was A lot worse, stalling in the middle of the road for a bit. I don't know what he did to make it run smooth later, but one of his concerns was there wasn't enough gas in, to which I said no way, there is more than enough.

Anyway,
Later today, Monday 1/10, at about 1 pm pst,
I'm waiting for a ASE certified Mobile Mechanic who has 4.8 out of 5 star on both google.com reviews *and* Yelp.com with like 30 ratings to show up today

He said over the phone that E-3 spark plugs he had a bad experience on a customer with a Ford Truck, and he suggested NgK brand spark plugs, but my freelance mechanic said those are better on import cars.

Freelance mechanic who works 3 jobs and lost his phone and who's also a friend lost my business on trying to make it right yesterday, I need someone more attentive, but
Freelance mechanic did say "I'd just swap out the Autolite plugs with your E-3 performance plugs and before I do that, I will spray "Gum Out Carb Cleaner" on the outlets where the spark plugs go inside to remove any interference like excess or misapplied anti-seize

He did a tune up 3 years ago, including changing plugs & plug wires, *the only difference between that tune up which went well and this tune up is this tune up he applied anti-seize (aluminum copper blend)

Why did I mention anti-seize aluminum & copper blend? Because some folks on the web say that it doesn't matter where you apply it or even too much cause it has a metallic base that still maintains conductivity

Mind you my freelance mechanic also did, take out the air filter which sits right at the front to the right hand side of my 3.4 Liter, v-6, 93, but that's an easy replacement and probably wouldn't cause all my current problems with roughness and a solid "service engine" lite

Thanks, I will keep you all updated later today

 

I am gonna add a comment to this thread. Op is not really going to like it. Your car is almost 30 years old. Your going to have lots of small issues. I have a 94 3.4 with 245k miles. It seems every time i get in it, a seal or llightbulb or what ever...something new breaks. Driving home from a store last week i noticed a grinding noise from my rear. I looked underneath when i got home and the diff was wet with oil. The front diff yoke seal is now leaking. My point is If you are going to own a 30 year old car and drive it every day. You might want to go and buy a multimeter and some sockets and wrenches, cause these cars need constant care once they go over a certain mileage. As for your plugs use A/C delco they have never givin me any issues. Good Luck.

 

what a concise good message, On the contrary, i did like it & learned from it
so true, Gorn mentioned this one time before
it is at the point of nickle and diming me with expenses although not so much since the pandemic, i haven't been driving her much. i always used her sparingly, like 4,000 miles per year
i have 149,000 miles on her now

will be buying a daily driver more recent model

yep AC Delco spark plugs, been around for ages, and who can forget the AirForce ace pilot, Chuck Yeager tv ads in like 1985 or so
thanks so much for your help and good advice.

 

AC Delco is also what came with your car when new and had a 6 year 60,000 mile warranty from the factory.

 

Update:

I'd be remiss to not let you know what happened and to may be of use to others similarly situated:

I found a very gifted mobile mechanic early this week
he said rough start requiring gas pedal pushing for a count of 4 and then shaking from stop to reverse and drive again is a problem with the IAC or other vaccuum leakks


1) Idle Air Control Valve (IAC) had a bunch of carbon on it, a new mobile mechanic sprayed gum out carb cleaner and used a toothbrush to clean it off
2) My backyard mechanic who works 3 jobs, but when he was effective only worked 1 job, *forgot to plug in EGR wire (it was disconnected & accounted for check engine light being on solid, not flashing)
3) another wire was disconnected on accident by backyard mechanic
4) spark plugs were changed, with Ngk made for a v-6, 3.4 (a these plugs good for 60k miles) by this new mobile mechanic and the current ones revealed that the clip of the AutoLite plugs (top part shaped like an upside down letter "L") was not directly over the dot (not in alignment) maybe from fastening by the backyard mechanic or maybe damaged by amazon dot com in transit, maybe because autolite plugs are the worst and defective by manufacturer
5) Intake tube had a slight tear (temporary fix with gorilla glue glue)

*i asked him as sort of preventitive medicine what else might be a prob, if fan belt looked ok, he noticed a microcut, so i'm getting a serpetine belt, new IAC valve, new intake tube next week

thanks everyone, have a good weekend

 

It sounds like you found a good tech, many mechanics I have met don't know to check the electrode alignment, they just set/verify gap and let it go. It was never mentioned in school. I leaned about it by working with experienced mechanic that all he did was tune ups and engine running issue. (AKA a Drivability Tech)
A good tech assumes the plug gap and the alignment of the plugs is wrong until it is proven to be right. There was very few times I have done a plug change and I did not have to align at least one plug. It was not uncommon I would have make small adjustment.

 

Thanks, Gorn

This is the part that needs replacing and is hard to find

Intake Tube for a V-6, 3.4 liter Camaro

Part 25099217 (that's what's written on this piece)

most autoparts store have the v-8 version, my mobile mechanic needs the v-6 version

 

I'm not sure if the attached / following pic is the right part...

(it just seems there's more to it)

today my mobile mechanic replaced the
1) IAC
2) the fan belt
3) fuel filter
4) attached the hazard lite and it works now

another 4 good things to attach to my accomplishments so far in 2022

*Is this the part? attached / following... *seems like there's a lot more than this Dorman Part (It seems like just a pasta elbow & needs more?)

1993-1994 Chevrolet Camaro - Air Intake Hose - Dorman

Review Fitment Notes
Part Number: 3102-05907372
Brand: Dorman
Notes: Engine Air Intake Hose -- Without Air Conditioning

• Fits and functions like original equipment
• Made from premium materials for a long service life
• Original manufacturer quality
• 
  

 

from parksgeek.com

a Dorman part in the right price range that my mechanic estimated $40 (this ones $51)

1993-1994 Chevrolet Camaro - Air Intake Hose - Dorman

Review Fitment Notes
Part Number: 3102-05907372
Brand: Dorman
Notes: Engine Air Intake Hose -- Without Air Conditioning

• Fits and functions like original equipment
• Made from premium materials for a long service life
• Original manufacturer quality