trouble with 92' camaro rs 25th ann.

[david_0161]

Im only 16 and i dont know a whole lot about cars and I was having trouble so i thought i would ask you guys.

Ok my car is 1992 CHEVROLET CAMARO RS, it has 6 Cylinders 191 T 3.1L MFI. I also have a flowmaster exhaust.

Ok my problem is one day i started up my car and it sounded really funny so i checked under the hood and one of my spark plugs wires had came off. I then put it back on. Lately when i have started up my car my rpm's will jump up and down and it sounds like my exuast is missing out. When my car idols for about a minute black smoke will start pouring out of the exaust. I also noticed when i reved up the engine smoke coming out from under the hood. When i pulled the throttle knob under the hood i saw the same smoke coming out from the left side of the motor near the spark plugs except now i would hear a little pop. I thought it could just be my spark plugs so i took a trip to auto zone. I had picked up 6 bosch platinum +4 spark plugs. When i went to replace my spark plugs they were totally shot i had 3 break in half when taking them out. I replaced the spark plugs and when i first fired up the car white smoke was coming out of my exhuast so i thought i had fixed it...5 minutes later the same black smoke comes pouring out. Yesterday i went to drive my car and when i pulled out on the highway i had got my car up to 4500 rpm's and at that time i smelled smoke really bad. I probably need a new motor but i hope not!!!! i have 152,000 thousand miles on the car. PLEASE IF YOU CAN HELP ME!!!!!

[GTPgirl]

did you check if any of your gaskets are leaking or if you are running on five cylinders instead of six

Just for the record, this was not posted by me, it was posted by my best friend...the one I mentioned who has the '92 RS.

[89IROC&RS]

ok, i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the prognosis is not good. first off, it looks like you have a leaking exhaust manifold on the left side where the smoke was coming from the spark plugs, that or there is a major oil leak that is seeping on the manifolds. but as for the black smoke pouring out, it sounds like you desperately need to rebuild the engine, new rings at the least, but with that many miles, new bearings would be a no brainer while everything was taken apart already. but the motor should be salvageable. you said you put in new plugs, did you go aheaad and do the whole tuen up? as in cap, rotor, and setting the ignition timing? that might help. also, to determine if you have blown piston rings, get a compression tester, you said you dont know alot about cars, so please dont take offence if i tell you something you already know, but ill assume you dont. a compression tester is a air pressure guage that screws into your spark plug hole. take out all your spark plugs, and go around the engine one cylender at a time. at each cylender, screw in the guage, and bump the eingein over four times. thats four whole times all the way around. write down the PSI rating. should be around 120 psi, but the number isnt that important. what is important is that all the cyenders are at about the same rating, if you have widly varying pressure readings, your piston rings are blown. you can also have damaged valves, which will create a backfire, and rough running, but i think you would think the engine was about to explode in that point, so i dont really think thats what you have. slso, look at your PCV valve, (positive crankcase ventalation) should be in one of the valve covers, and run a tube into your intake manifold. if there is an enormous ammount of oil in it, or if the inside valve does not rattle back and forth when you shake it, you probly have blown rings. if its ok, then go according to the pressure test. also, look at your wiring, from the distributor to your cylenders, and make SURE that you have the right firing order, if you cross two of the wires, it will still run, but your tach will bounce up and down very rapidly. and may under stress and long term use, cause the kind of engine probems you are having. my advice, do the compression test, do the full tune up, and if it all looks normal, and is still running poorly and smoking, bite the bullet, and take it to someone who knows more about it and can diagnose it in person, its very hard to give accurate advice from the internet, too many variables, but mad props for jumpin on it and tryin to fix it yourself. good luck

[smokn92camaro]

Hey, I had the same problem with my 3.1L Sounds to me like your EGR valve has gone on you. Go to a local junk yard and pick one up for 20 bucks. Doesnt have to come off a camaro as long as its a digetal EGR valve off 3.1 or 3100 GM engine

[89IROC&RS]

good call smokin, didnt even think of that, it would explain the black smoke, if the egr goes, the engine richens the mix so your dumpin a whole lot of fuel in the engine, and your spittin raw fuel out that back. which comes out all sooty like black smoke. id do like smokin sez first, look at the egr valve, and see if that fixes it, its alot cheaper and easier than tearin down the engine.

[1992RS]

Yup, had the same problem too in my 92v6. EGR was shot and I thought I was going to shoot my car. then 20 bucks later all was good. but after that even if it works you should do like iroc said and do a full out tune up.

[Genopsyde]

wouldn't that throw a trouble code tho?

[89IROC&RS]

should, he never mentioned if he ran it for codes.... oh geezus, of all people, did I fail to tell him to run the codes?!?!?!??!?! wow, im a faliure. thats like my patented suggestion lol. yeah man, run it for codes, if ya dont know how, lemmi know and ill post how to do it with a paperclip.

[1992RS]

slacker...LOL

[89IROC&RS]

hey hey now, i am human.. SAVY!!!!

[1992RS]

Yeah I supose I can cut you some slack this time scalywag.

[89IROC&RS]

good ta know ya salty sea dog

[1992RS]

better than a mangey dog

[89IROC&RS]

howd you know i had mange???????

[1992RS]

lets just call it a hunch...LOL