Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello, owner of a 2001 Camaro Z28 with 92,500 miles on the clock. I figure the car is old enough already and becoming high mileage enough now that I ought to start working on some serious maintenance for the car before things start falling into catastrophic disrepair. Just wanted an idea of things I should work on or get replaced/fixed, I have my own list, but if I leave anything out please let me know.
Timing belt? On Camaro engine? You sure? Tming chains usually are lifetime.
Yes on spark plugs and wires. Opt for Iridium tipped NGKs, no matter what they tell you. NGK makes Ac/Delco plugs anyway.
Likely yes on coolant, but keep in mind, if you have old GM coolant in it (red) it has tendency to coagulate when mixed with other coolants, so you have to use GM one again.
DO NOT FLUSH TRANSMISSION.
Yes, if you want to on fule filter. I am yet to see clogged one though.
After done, locate ECM fuse and pull it out for about 2 minutes. What will happen, you will reset all driving "habits" it had stored, and it will re-learn how to run engine on all the new stuff.
Oh, and buy K&N air filter. Do yourself and your engine favor.
And if it's not taking oil, switch to synthetic.
Timing belt? On Camaro engine? You sure? Tming chains usually are lifetime.
Yes on spark plugs and wires. Opt for Iridium tipped NGKs, no matter what they tell you. NGK makes Ac/Delco plugs anyway.
Likely yes on coolant, but keep in mind, if you have old GM coolant in it (red) it has tendency to coagulate when mixed with other coolants, so you have to use GM one again.
DO NOT FLUSH TRANSMISSION.
Yes, if you want to on fule filter. I am yet to see clogged one though.
After done, locate ECM fuse and pull it out for about 2 minutes. What will happen, you will reset all driving "habits" it had stored, and it will re-learn how to run engine on all the new stuff.
Oh, and buy K&N air filter. Do yourself and your engine favor.
And if it's not taking oil, switch to synthetic.
I really have no idea on the belts or the chains for this car.
Should I at least do a transmission fluid swap? Like drain the fluid and put new fluid in there? The fluid locked up in the converter would still be stuck in there, but most of it would be fresh new fluid, and I could swap out the filter.
Wasn't aware the car "learned" my driving habits. By learning my driving habits, what does that accomplish? And why should I reset it?
I stay away from K&N air filters because they oil theirs. And when that oil gets inside the TB it messes things up and can cause things to malfunction.
Fuel filters are only about $15, but I wouldn't be able to do it myself, and it's $90 to get done at most shops.
Go with the Delco replacement plugs and red wires. You can find them online for pretty good prices.
The LS1 should also be using DexCool, which is orange in color. Make sure you replace it with DexCool.
Unless you are racing, I would not touch the timing chain.
I would not flush the trans fluid but I would drain and fill with fresh fluid.
Your car really isn't that old. The LS motors are some of the finest motors that GM has ever put out.
I have a '03 Z06 with the LS6, it has about 70k miles on it, would have more but I don't daily drive the car anymore.
I'm using Mobil 1 full synthetic on my car, also use the K&N racing oil filter too. My car is my daily driver, so it sees a lot of use. It gets the ocassional street race or sometimes I'll beat on it a little bit for fun, but for the most part it's a street driven car without too hard of driving on it.
When draining and replacing the fluid should I also replace the filter for the transmission?
I've heard nothing but great things about the LS motors and being bullet proof, but I still want to take good care of it. And honestly, it's the transmission that worries me the most.
ColdAilment, I'm assuming that you are using the regular Mobil One in 5w-30. If so, you need to quit immediately. The M1 of 5w-30 only has been failing IVA testing now for about 2 years. The IVA test is in regards to cam wear and the allowables. M1 exceeds the allowables by 3 times meaning the cam is wearing quicker than it should. This is researchable on the net if you like. If you are a Mobil fan, switch to their EP version which is not having the issue. Mobil has been silent in this despite being challenged by every oil company out there. I'm assuming their position is that most of the new engines are an overhead cam and it's not an issue with a roller cam engine. Despite popular belief, it is not a requirement to use Mobil One in that engine. If that were true, GM would be liable under law to furnish it to you for free. It's a GM business deal with Exxon/Mobil, nothing more. Synthetics you buy today are yesterdays blends. Gone are the PAO based motor oils you bought when the car was new. All of it today is a Gp III base which a lot of folks like to call fake dino synthetic. The eythelene gas used to make the old PAOs has become scare and expensive. Mobil changed to Gp III after they lost their PAO production from Katrina. For the most part it's still a quality product. Almost any of the blends will beat M1 in wear metals and are the best you can buy.
Not sure why anyone would tell you not to change the ATF but if you'll look at the scheduled maintenance for that car, they recommend it every 30,000 miles. ATF gets old and does oxidize over time. If you've never changed it, I can assure you there's a lot of varnish in the transmission. Changing it will cause the new fluid to dissolve the varnish which may lead to a leak at the seals. There are various ester products out there that can restore the seals suppleness. Timing chains will stretch over time and mileage. If you are going to replace the water or when you replace the water pump, I'd replace the timing chain as well. If you have a timing light, put it on the engine. Use chalk to mark the lower pulley at TDC. If the mark moves around a lot, it needs to be changed. If not, you're still good to go. The newer brake fluids are alcohol based and require changing. Otherwise you can end up with rust in the brake system from the alcohol absorbing moisture from the air. If the car has a positrac rear axle, you need to change it too as the friction modifier in the axle oil is also alcohol based. I'd be looking at new hoses/belts for the entire engine if it was mine. Yours are 11 years old now.
Car does not. ECM does. They have basic "learning" algorithm, that tunes engine performance to what is there. Any change like this is good to be followed by re-learning. Newer cars "learn" driving habits too.
Everyone has opinions. I have K&N filters on all cars since 2001, without any problem. Only time it "oils" anything is when it's incorrectly oiled, pun intended.
Reason you reset ECM is because as parts deteriorate, so does vehicle performance. Powertrain performance. With new spark plugs, and wires you will have better spark, eg, and ECM needs to adjust fuel air mixture and timing accordingly.
BTW, if you really want to, you may want to swap out O2 sensors either.
Like I said, AcDelco plugs are made by NGK.
You can do ATF swap in simple but time taking manner. It is also safe flush. Say, overall ATF volume is 12 qrts, and drain is 3. Or 4. Which is average. You drain 4, refill 4, drive for about 15 minutes, drain 4, refill 4, drive again, drain 4, refill 4. You have just completely flushed your transmission. Safely.
If I were you, should you decide to do this, add can of Transtune to ATF, drive on it for about 500 miles, and then drain.
Same goes for engine. Before oil change, and I am opening can of warms here, pour can of Seafoam into crankcase, drive for about 500 miles, drain oil, fill with cheapest Walmart oil (Supertech), run engine for about 15 minutes, occasionally revving and holding at 2500, drain and refill. Replace filter. Best market filters are Mobil 1, followed by K&N again.
I would be heavy on suspension rubber parts now.... Dig at them with a dull screw driver to see if they are still firm or they are mooshy, cracked or brittle. Engine and tranny mounts too. Rubber parts are usually the first to really go when they get older. That also counts vac lines and assorted other rubber like materials everywhere.
Okay I'm in a similar situation with a 99 Chevy that just clicked over 90,000 miles. I've done the following:
New air filter about two months ago.
New fuel filter about a year ago
Transmission drain about 3 year ago. No slipping. Works fine.
Radiator drain and refill about 3 year ago. Intake manifold gasket was replaced two years ago.
New plugs and wires 3 years ago.
New battery last summer.
I do a fuel cleaner every 3,000 miles, Lucas or Gumout. Maybe a cheap STP in between. No misfiring or trouble starting.
New front brakes and rotors about 18 months ago.
A/C still works great for the most part.
I do the oil change about every 3,000 miles/ 5 months or so. No oil burning no oil consumption.
Its due for new ear brakes and I plan on getting new tires very soon. They wore evenly and performed well. They still have tread left but are over 7 years old and I'd say they have about 55,000 miles on them. BF Goodrichs. Good tire but I'm seeing some early signs of tire rot on one. I'm thinking about replacing them with BF Goodrich advantage tires or General Altimax RTs. Opinions? I don't want to spend a lot on new tires but want ones with good hydroplane resistance and a quiet ride.
Its on its second serpentine belt and original water pump. The belt looks okay with just minor cracking. Its on its second alternator. Probably 7 years old.
Hoses are original and look okay. I worry about these more than anything. Shocks and struts are original. No squeaks or rattles.
I did get a check engine soon light last summer that was the camshaft sensor. It went away and seemed to be from high humidity at the time, maybe the wiring is getting dry and brittle. A misfire light made me change the wiring and plugs earlier.
If I see any problems its the following:
Gas mileage is down. Maybe its the winter blend but I average from a low of 16 MPG to about 21 MPG depending on how much highway driving I do and cold weather idling. Ethanol gas sucks.
Driving up very steep mountain roads it gets hot but I don't do that often. Problems with the hoses/water pump/radiator? Or just an older car? No fluid leaks.
Likewise driving up a steep slope the air conditioner kicks off until it levels out.
Overall the cars been pretty much problem free and had held together well. I'd like to keep it another 4 or 5 years at least as long as it stays reliable and avoids any accidents. So what should I really get done? Its due for an inspection next month.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
