If you have a smart phone, I highly recommend this app: https://www.bluedriver.com/products/bluedriver-scan-tool Really cheap, and does a great job with my truck.
that one is nice about 100can off Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00JQW9NCE?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share I have that one and is 25 off Amazon and work dam good for the price
I just bought this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/MaxiScan-M...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
Another chapter in the saga of my Camaro... The idle has been fucked up all week, but only once the car warms up....like in the 210 range. Anyways, I decided to give the shop another crack at figuring it out today. I brought it in and told the guy "No compression check, it's not needed" and listed the reasons why it's not needed. He was adamant that a compression check was part of the diagnostic flow chart and it had to be followed and that it wasn't going to cost me any extra money. Fine. Then they retrieved the codes. Every single cylinder had reported a miss fire. At least then he agreed with me that it didn't need a compression check. So, they fucked with it for 4 hours. It ran perfect. Hot, cold, it didn't matter...it just hummed like a sewing machine. And once again....we have no idea what's wrong. But...one of the guys had been a GM mechanic and brought up that with the corrosion from being on the coast so much of it's life, it's possible that one of the ground wires is intermittently faulty. That doesn't exactly explain why it only happens when it's hot, but it makes some sense. I'm also wondering if possibly this might be the Opti Spark finally deciding to take a shit? I'm still leaning to a vacuum leak somewhere, but the damn thing ran perfect the whole time they had it. Any ideas?
Yeah, a bad ground is possible, but I'm still learning toward vacuum leak. Try this easy test: buy a can of starting fluid, then get your car warmed up. Open the hood and spray down every joint on the engine that sees vacuum, and all the vacuum hoses and accessories. If the idle speed changes notably, you've found your leak. Carry the can with you at all times, that way you can pull over and try it when it starts happening. "The diagnostic flowchart says a compression check is warranted." What a load of clownshit.
Having dealt with notorious BMW vacuum leaks just get it smoke tested. You can half ass it with a cigar and rubber glove but it wasnt until I got one of those air compressor attachable ones with the 1 psi regulator did I really start seeing the major leaks that were hidden by the half assed swisher sweet route.
Coming home from work I had an epiphany... The idle was all jacked up as I was heading home.I stopped to buy gas and as I was undoing the cap and releasing pressure I remembered that the last time I bought fuel on the way home the idle stabilized after fueling it. I examined the cap seal and it looked fine. When I fired the car back off the idle was normal and stayed normal all the way home. I'd put even money my fuel cap is fucked up. Saturday I'll replace it, clear the codes and see what happens.... I'll be thankful if that's all it is, but I'll be kind of pissed it took me a month to figure it out.
Would that give me a hint of fuel smell through the vents when it's first fired off? Because that does make a lot of sense. Where is the purge solenoid on an LT1? Also the idle was fine all 27 miles to work today, after work I undid the cap, put it back on and the idle was fine all the way home.
If I could ask...what exactly is the purge valve? I get what the premise is by the name, but remember I'm old and grew up with Q-Jets and Holleys. And since my car is a manual, I'm guessing that the trans dipstick would be on the right side of the car as is traditional? I'm also guessing the purge valve and solenoid would be somewhere up by the intake on the passenger side? Also is the valve/solenoid one single unit?
I just did a bit of checking and possibly it's not the solenoid, but a vacuum line that's no longer available. Apparently there's a way to use a spark plug boot as a fix. Damn it, I don't like that idea. I want to fix the car right So we're back to a vacuum leak. And an unavailable part.
Barring it being the solenoid and being the more obvious vacuum hose...would it be the hose that goes from the Evap solenoid to the Evap Vacuum Switch? I actually tracked down a new one. EDIT: Screw it, if I don't need it now I probably will in the future. I bought it. It was the last one available anywhere. As popular as these cars were, how are parts so impossible now? EDIT II: I also bought the solenoid. I think Dixie once again came to the rescue...his diagnosis appears to be spot on given the symptoms. Thanks Dixie!
All the parts are here, tomorrow they get replaced. I'm sure Dixie was correct. After filling the car up again on the way home today, the idle smoothed out again. And since I'm so sure this will be the end of this issue....I ordered new springs for the car. She seems to be listing slightly to the starboard side, which may be part of the reason the front end can't be aligned correctly. So, I ordered a full set of factory SS level II springs. They're progressive springs, so I doubt the ride will suffer much and I've already got Bilstiens valved for the SS level II on the car, so with any luck I can level the car and cure the alignment issues. The car is 25 years old, I'm sure the springs are sagging. Just how much, I guess I'm about to figure out.
New solenoid and hose are on and the car runs like a sewing machine. If sewing machines growled and rumbled. The fun part? The service writer told me that all the hoses to the solenoid were off. It was completely disconnected. I looked at him and said "So much for your diagnostic flow chart." Not to mention me telling them all along it was a vacuum issue. How the fuck they completely missed unhooked vacuum lines in the 8 hours or so they were trying to diagnose the issue is beyond me. God I miss having somewhere to work on my own car. And having a back that can bend while I mess around under the hood. I HATE having to pay idiots that don't know their ass from a hole in the dirt to do shit for me.
Project Binky Epidose 32... almost 45 glorious bracket-filled minutes long. My Saturday night is complete.
Do used car dealerships haggle anymore? I found too much stuff wrong with the vehicle to buy at their price, but they would only come off it $100.
From what I've read, the internet has become the great equalizer. They know people aren't stupid and can pull up prices of cars all over and price compare. So they're sort of forced to put their lowest price first. The days off tacking on a few grand for negotiating (or just fucking people over) are gone. Why go look at a car for $X,XXX when the same car with the same options across town is two grand less? That being said, I bought a new to me truck in Jan and they were asking $33k. I "got them down" to $30,500 but that means they probably just screwed me on my trade in. I love cars, I just hate buying them.
I tell them what I’m going to pay. If they say no I leave. I don’t deal with their manager. I don’t give a shit I just leave. 4 out of 5 times they call you back and give it to you at that price. No haggling. I fucking hate car dealers.