Hi all, newbie here. I have a 1999 Camaro 3800 that has a few issues let me start from the beginning. I bought this car from a woman that I can assume since buying the car from her never knew to do anything to it but put fuel in it and have the oil changed. I'm guessing it had been sitting for atleast 6 months or more. When I got the car it had a bad, and I mean bad miss in it. It would not even stay running without your foot on gas pedal. I've replaced the following, AC Delco plugs, wires, all 3 coil packs and plate, tensioner pully, New AC Delco fuel pump and fuel filter. Since replacing all those things, the car will now run at idle with no miss but when it idles for a bout 5 min I still get a rich fuel smell and as soon as you try to drive it and give it gas it has a cough? ( thats what I call it ) and starts missing again when you take out. I know it still needs the A/C compressor replaced due to a bad bearing issue, the catalyic convertor (had checked and was told guts of it were gone) as does the muffler (rusted out). The car only has 98,900 miles on it. Am I missing something to cause it to still run bad like this? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

Check to see if there is a bad injector possibly leaking or a vacuum leak maybe a bad intake gasket. U can for vacuum leak by with the engine running, spraying the intake base with either starter fluid or carb cleaner. If the rpms increase when u spray, u know its a vacuum leak. Possible a fuel pressure regulator maybe.. do u see gas on the Intake where that injectors fit in the upper intake?

 

Check to see if there is a bad injector possibly leaking or a vacuum leak maybe a bad intake gasket. U can check for vacuum leak by with the engine running, spraying the intake base with either starter fluid or carb cleaner. If the rpms increase when u spray, u know its a vacuum leak. Possible a fuel pressure regulator maybe.. do u see gas on the Intake where that injectors fit in the upper intake?

 

Hi, Thanks for the reply. I don't see any fuel on the intake or smell any fuel as the car sits. I'll try your suggestion and post what the results are. Thanks Keith

 

mine has the same problem....... i know my computer is partially fried, so have you checked that yet?

 

Sorry for the late update. I had to have the fuel pump replaced and that took care of the gas smell and no intake leak. Now after all that was done I still had a miss when I would try to drive the car. Had my friend who did the work for me look at it and he could find nothing wrong. So I took it to a garage and had a diagnostic scans done on the car to see what he could figure out what was causing the miss. Turns out the guy I had do the plugs and coil packs for me crossed 2 plug wires and the car now runs GREAT! I called him and told him he owes me $40 bucks for the diagnostic scan.

 

Lol!!!

 

Despite it now running great, for good measure, try some MAF cleaner spray to clean the MAF wire -- be sure not to touch it (fragile/sensitive). Check your air filter? Run a few tanks of Lucas Fuel System cleaner, or similar.

 

I have already put Lucas in the tank and it has a new air filter in it. I will check the other. Thanks to everyone that replied.

 

I had the same issue. Had to replace the MAF. The part was not cheap at all. Also was told by several mechanics on a car this old to never put any kind of fuel cleaner in the gas tank. Reason is because you will end up stiring up what is in the gas tank and shoot it down the gas lines into your injectors. The best thing to do is the get you injectors professionaly cleaned and replace the filter. I did the same to my other 08 vehicle by placing Lucas in the gas tank and it messed up a fuel injector.