I have a 1997 Chevy Camaro RS, V6 3.8 Liter. 81,000 miles. Automatic Trans. I have had the car for about six years, stored all winters (I am originally from Ohio) Just pulled it out of stored and drove it to AZ in March. Never had a problem till then. Upon getting to AZ on one occasion the car backfired really bad, would not idle at all, check engine light came on. I took it to auto zone and had all spark plugs, and the coil replaced. Ran close to normal but still noticed a hesitation. It only hesitated around 65 (sounded like when a carbuerator is clogged on an atv) So my dad suggested getting fuel filter changed. I put it off. I noticed oil in the driveway one day, and apparantly the bottom of the car rusted real bad while in storage and the oil pan needed to be replaced. I took it to a recommended shop in which they replaced fuel filter and oil pan and thermostate (can never be to careful in AZ!). In the process they busted the bolts off the manifold (I think thats right- where exhaust hooks up to engine) and O2 sensor. Apparantly they could not get the O2 sensor out of the exhaust soo they drilled a hole in the exhaust and attached it there. Car sounded terrible, ran terrible and check engine light came back on. So I dropped a grand got a full exhaust from manifold back, new cat, the works. Ran great for two days and then check engine light came back on and started running terrible again.
I went to Autozone the code reads low input O2 sensor Bank 1. So I gathered that is the one by the manifold left of engine. I also checked the engine sensor fuse (still good). So now, the engine hesitates (mostly when accelerating slowly) Never consistently shows no difference whether hot or not. Sometimes it just does not feel like it wants to go. Others it just rocks out! Does not seem to do it in cruise control either. Also sometimes i will be at a stop light and it will jump forward slightly (maybe an inch or so- you can just hear the engine rev up) Sometimes it does not idle smoothly. Also I noticed around the same time the car after being parked over night kinda sticks in park. So to get it out of park I have to really apply force but otherwise shifts fine. So will an O2 sensor cause all these problems? When replacing the exhaust did they mess up the linkage and how do you tell? Could it be fuel lines (I dont notice any gas leaking but it seems to link to when I put my foot on the gas). I tried fuel injector cleaner seemed to help alittle but no major improvements. Im at a loss with no gear heads here in AZ- HELLLPPP.

 

throttle pos. sensor? poltergiest? Possible pinched nerve in your right leg?

 

Don't know about the poltergeist, but it could be one of the other two. TPS seems to be the most likely suspect. But then again, today is Halloween, and it could even be an AMC Gremlin, lol. However, if you are getting an O2 sensor code, you should attend to it, as a bad sensor can confuse the PCM. You may have a misfire that is causing the O2 sensors to go bad. Look at the O2 with a scanner & see if it is cycling up & down at rapid rate, if not it is bad even if throws no codes.

 

Yeah I have no idea. I didn't think that an O2 sensor could cause those problems, but i guess so. Someone brought up the fuel filter, even though I changed it I used some Sea Foam I guess **** gets so dirt out here and from my car sitting for so long- they said the sea foam will get rid of all that build up and dirty the filter quickly like biodiesel. I don't know so fix the O2 sensor? I think the sensor just never got put in right. The exhaust shop said they used all the same O2 sensors, including the one that they ground down (to fit in the apparantly way to small of a hole they drilled in my exhaust-idiots) I wish you guys were in AZ!

 

HOLLY CRAP.. ive got almost the exact same problem..... my check engine ligh came on then would go off.. come on then off. so i changes 2 of the 4 o2 censors it gots.. and got a cat back with flowmasters. then the light came back. so now i am guessing that i need to replace the other 2 censors... but i also get that little hesitation you talk about. i have a 96 RS 5 speed. and when im on city stree going in second or third and up i feel the little stutter. like it doesnt want to get up then after the hesitation it goes... and also every morning when i go to warm up the car, i hear a couple of little backfires, not too bad but i can hear them..so sorry im not of help.. i need it too!!!

 

I'm in AZ but I'm not much of a mechanic. I can work on these cars but it takes me forever to figure things out....

Good luck!!

 

hey I had the same problem... I got a 95 3.8 auto.... it would not idle right kinda ruff....
I got a new cat and new pipes done to my car with a flowmaster i change the plugs and wire and coils.. I took the whole airflow sensor off and cleaned it.. Damm it was dirty so I took brake cleaner and sprayed the part.. Yeah brake cleaner works fine.. by the way... So i did that the check engine is off now... It' still runs kinda ruff.. I said the gas hmmm 87 not for my camaro? I started using shell and put in 89 octine a few miles later the car was freakin sweet. So since that day the car runs like a champ so I think your problem might be the octine? it was for me... well I
beaware of cheap gas dont use valero or other crappy brands they might have water in them
hope this helps

later

 

hey dude.. i think i found OUR problem.. i was dealing with the same thing... i did the scann then looked up the code.. check this out

http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_cod...e-detected.php

let me know if this helps