I recently noticed a big change in how my 1998 camaro 3.8l v6 was running. Since I was told that the manifold gasket on this model was a common problem, I added a more anti freeze not just in the radiatior, but in the expansion tank. Im not sure if that will cause the problem, but every time I either try to accelerate, or while im accelerating and it drops the RPM's the engine will start to sputter. Sometimes if I floor it, it seems to be ok, but other times it will not reach anywheres past 3500 RPM's. I was reading online about problems with sputtering engines, and it went from a fuel filter, a fuel pump, a coil, coil packets, distributor, plug wires, and carbon build up in the throttle body. I am not too handy with advanced problems, so I am not sure where to start. I already changed my gas to 93 octane because my manual said that could be the problem, but Im still having a problem and it does not seem to be getting any better. Also, I noticed if it the engine is cold, I do not have any problems until it starts to warm up, so that was what gave me the idea with the anti freeze and the manifold gasket. So if you can, please help me it is so frusterating and im losing sleep at night because of it and i do not want to take it to the shop until I know that its something I cant do on my own.

Thank you all help is appreciated very much.

 

I cant see it being the antifreeze. The filters on these things are fairly stout, so unless it has over 120k I would worry about ....yet.... Check the MAF and o2 sensor. Give it a good tune up, easy to do - change out the plugs, wires, oil and air and oil filter. You might have some carbon build up so a treatment of 'sea foam' might help as well.

If you have oil or antifreeze leaking out of the rear of the engine, near the tranny - I would worry about the gasket.

It's new Years eve so I am sure more experianced member are out, tommorrow you might get advice from someone who has experianced this problem before.

 

It has about 124,450 miles on it, but I did not have a problem until the day or the day after i added the anti freeze so thats why I was saying about it.

 

Unless you spilled the anti freeze on top of some electrical stuff, it should have no effect on how the engine runs.Just for grins & giggles,disconnect the wiring plug from the MAF sensor.This will bring up the trouble lite, but don't worry about it, and put the PCM into the open loop mode. See how the car runs with the MAF unplugged, if it now runs better there is a bad sensor that has to be identified.

 

How low was the anti-freeze? There is almost no chance that adding the anti-freeze caused your issue. Unless you spilled some and it is causing the ignition to short instead of firing the plug. Sometimes spills can lay in the rad support and once the car get going it blows all over the engine.

Or if your car had a very bad leak into the cyclinder head (AKA head gasket)and you had run almost out of anti-freeze. If that was the case then the new anti-freeze is shorting your plug from the inside. This type of blown head gasket is easy for find. Start the car on a cold morning and see if the rad hoses get hard (pressure) right away. Normally it take a few minute for the car to warmup.

Most likely itis coincidence. It is oneof the things that was stated in a earlyer post. I have seen it many time. Like the guy who put new spark plugs and wires on the car then it would not start. He brought into the dealership for us to get it running. After he told me what he did and how it ran ok before he did it he convinced me it was something he did. An hour later I figured out it was the fuel pump. I lost a good bit of time checking and double checking the Wires/Cap/Plugs. Normally a bad fuel pump takes 10 minutes to diagnose.