Tech Section

Not sure if this is tech help, but does anyone here know a site to decode the VIN for a '68 Camaro? My dad has a black RS/SS that he's trying to restore to original condition and a lot of the parts had been replaced with racing stuff by the guy who had it before. Thanks.

We just revised and edited our installation instructions for window tint. These instructions are not just for our films but are intended to be used by anyone who wants to do their own tint. The instructions cover side windows and rear windshield cleaning, prep and installation but not front visor installations. We will be adding another section on that soon. Please check it out and let me know if there is anything you think needs clarifying or correction: http://www.rvinyl.com/Window-Tint-Installation-Instructions.html

My caprice today had a problem of shifting way to early into 3rd making the car shake and want to stall. any ideas? fluid is clean and cherry red. engine is solid for the most part.

So I noticed today someone put a very small ding in the front fender of the GTO I took a picture, and it doesn't show up that well but you can see it because of the high-resolution. It's in a rather odd place and I'm not sure if it can be popped out, so I thought I'd ask to see if anyone knows. The ding is in the upper part of red "circle," above the crease in the wheel flare.

We just revised and edited our installation instructions for window tint. These instructions are not just for our films but are intended to be used by anyone who wants to do their own tint. The instructions cover side windows and rear windshield cleaning, prep and installation but not front visor installations. We will be adding another section on that soon. Please check it out and let me know if there is anything you think needs clarifying or correction: http://www.rvinyl.com/Window-Tint-Installation-Instructions.html

I need help to find the location of the crank sensor for the 1986 century crank sensor. Also is there a coil sensor? And where is the brain located and can it be tested? Is there a site with pictures and instructions? Thanks Eric

Less than three years ago, I had a pressure control solenoid installed in the transmission on my 2000 Century. It cured a intermittent hard shifting problem and whine when starting out from a stop. I could usually stop this problem if I turned off the ignition for a few seconds but this became diffcult in stop and go traffic. The problem is coming back, about once or twice a week. Is this a known problem? Is there a TSB? Should GM help pay for repair because the same part has to be replaced?

Whats up with the nes emission standards for the diesel engines? couple friends noticed that on fuel pumps at stations there are stickers saying that new model year diesel trucks will only be able to use the fuel. any idea?

I have a 2006 Pontiac G5 with the 2.4 VVT Ecotec. At about 1500kms, I started to get a startup noise that sounds eerily like piston slap from a GM V6 or V8. I wasn't aware that the Ecotec also suffered from this. Anyone else have this misfortune on the Ecotec?

Hey guys, I expect to be leaving my Regal parked from mid-June until the beginning of August. I will be out of the country. I will be taking the car up to Portland but, since my Mom doesn't drive, I wouldn't even want her to start it and move it up and back a few feet to get things moving...though maybe a neighbor could do it. Still, it may wind up sitting there. I've heard that leaving them parked for that long can cause some problems. Namely, the battery may fail but more so than that, tires are supposed to get a "flat spot" or something to that effect. Is there any truth to that? What other car components could be adversely affected by being parked for a long …

...Tires? Not for me....a neighbor likes the 3 and get one free.... And I really don't know much about them....(none around me) I think he said Futura tires....for his Focus....and he wants my Opinion.......

Will any one of these valve covers fit on an LT1 pulled from a 1994 Caprice police cruiser? 12497978 12497985 12355350 My dad's putting that engine in a 1955 Bel Air (after modding the heck out of it), and I might get them for my dad for Christmas. About the only thing I know about the current covers is that they're the center bolt style. TIA!

After trying to figure the light out for a while, I think I might have figured it out... Turns out-it looks to be idle air control valve. Though this gives me a few questions to ask.. Could this be the major cause of my shaking at idle? (and my all-over mpgs?) I was told this part lasted a bit too long..true? (140k) I need to know a little more about this little guy...as I thought I knew what I was doing... While replacing this, I was planning on replacing the fuel filter and Pcv valve too... Any suggestions? (expect for setting it on fire and rolling it down a hill.. )

Can you just cut the liner and spray that liner adhesive in there or is it harder than that? I was think of removing the light on the top and cutting the hole ther and spray that stuff in then level it and put the exces material under the light and call it done. Does that sound right? Or is there another way? Advice Please?

Glad I found you guys on here! This is my first post on the site, I hope it helps! I'm looking at ordering a new 2008 GMC 2500 HD. I am in the construction buisness and my Yukon is just not cutting it anymore. I have some questions that when I ask the local dealer, I'm not so sure they really know what they're talking about, hopefully someone on here does. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Is the 6.0L V8 available in the HD with Active Fuel management? IF so, how do I spec it on my order? Why does the trailering capacity drop almost 3000lbs when you select 3.73 gears vs 4.10 in the gas motor? I want the better economy of the 3.73 rear end, but don't know i…

Anyone know if it will fit on a G6? Does the G6 and Malibu have the same strut tower distance?

This may potentially be a silly question, but what is the name of the highlighted part of my engine? Because whatever it is, oil is leaking out of it where it attatches to the block. Also, would anyone know what would cause an alternator to make a loud screechy-whirring noise when the engine first starts up? Mine makes a terrible noise, but after the engine's been running for a little while, it quiets down a bit. Dad squirted some WD-40 into it, which also helped quiet the noise, but he thinks I may be due for a replacement. Any help is greatly appreciated.

So the last two times I've fueled up my truck it will lag out for a second when accelerating after being stopped at a stoplight. The first time it did it it was about 15 miles after I had filled up and lagged at two stoplights one right after another then was fine until the next fill up. This last time it did it about 20 miles after filling up and lagged out at three stops one right after another then was fine. I just replaced the fuel filter about 2,000 miles ago. Anyone think it could already be clogged or do you think my fuel injectors or fuel pump is bad?

The 1992 Regal has had a slight shimmy for quite a while. By rotating the tires often, they are wearing exceptionally well despite the shimmy (6/32 after almost 40,000 miles). The shimmy was weird in that it was really noticeable between 55 and 65 mph, and then, by minute adjustments of the steering wheel, it might go away. A long time ago, I told a West Coast chain about this and they identified the tie rods as the probable culprits. They fixed these, when I had front struts put in, and everything seemed better...but not perfect. Within the last couple of weeks, there was a popping sound in the front passenger side, accompanied by too much bounce by pushing down. …

Hey, you guys know how fanatical I am about prevent(at)ive maintenance. The Regal is a few days away from 260,000 miles (422,396 km), all of which are MINE! I got there by changing to oil anywhere from every 2,000 to 2,500 miles. At any rate, here's my question: Would you defer, or not do, a minor tune-up (spark plugs and having it scoped) and trans fluid change at this point? Last tune-up was 211,000. Last trans fluid was 222,000. If I did both near 260,000, I should theoretically go to 300,000 within the next scheduled interval. However, I am still getting excellent gas mileage (high 20s on the freeway) and shifts are smooth and detectable (sort of unchanged) an…

Does this car have one of the plastic gaskets or is it the newer redesigned type?

Basically, I need to figure out whether or not the Prizm was a base or LSi model. The insurance company is being anal retentive ass monkeys. They say that they got their $1,500 value basing it off the car being a base model because they couldn't find out whether it was an LSi or not. The paperwork I sent them had 4 Prizms for sale, 2 Lsi 2 base models, and two NADA printouts...one of the value of an LSi and one of the base model. The difference is $100 dollars... $2,325 VS $2,425...but they're idiots...how dumb you ask? Today the woman asked if I had a "5 speed manual or a standard transmission?" I tried calling a few dealers to find out and they couldn't...the only thi…

This is actually a serious inquiry. the Aztek turned 105k this week and I am generally faced with the possibility of needing to keep the vehicle for quite awhile. Good, since its a slight few payments left and its all mine. WOO HOO. Anyways, it's been great so far. Good on gas (prob avg 21-22 mpg over the life of the vehicle). Immense utility. Great errand hopper and road trip vehicle. Quiet and comfortable. Oil changes, one set of tires, one brake job, radiator and tranny flushes for maintenance. Only.....ONLY...... repairs on the vehicle to date have been the two front wheel bearings, done under warranty. Also a recall on a wiring harness. THAT'S IT. …

The vinyl on the dashboard has begun to separate at the bottom of the dashboard...i.e. above the emergency brake pedal on the driver's side and, on the passenger side, below the glove box, where it sweeps back into the area where the lower a/c ducts are located. I can tell there was some old glue between the vinyl and the dash because I can feel the bumps with my fingers. It's only noticeable to me, since most people wouldn't look at the bottom edge of the dashboard...and the car is 17.5 years old. A few questions: How do I reattach the vinyl that is beginning to separate? What is the name of the type of adhesive that is used? Where do I get it? Any tips on the p…

Guys, I have the distibutorless ignition on my Series I 3800 FWD Buick V6. 3 pods of 2...so to speak. I need to replace spark plug wires. It looks easy to do, but is it? The fronts are staring me in the face. The rears...are they hard to get to in the back of the engine compartment over the intake manifold cover? Also, are there are tricky clips or gymnastics as they go over and through the intake manifold area? Any help is always appreciated!

I have an '03 GMC Sierra and I wanna buy an ECU tuner to give me some extra pulling power. What do ya'll recommend? I was told a Jet Stage 1 module would not even be noticable. Anyone tried it? What about the Hypertech or some of the others?

Any of you guys had the pleasure of replacing a bearing/hub assembly? It seems I'll be doing that for the first time soon. Recently the car has been making scraping noises coming from the front passenger wheel when turning left near full lock. I thought it might have been the dust shield making contact with the rotor but that's not the case. Had to drive the car 70 miles or so today, 10 of which on the highway and by the end it sounded much worse, especially coming off the highway. By then it would make noise wheel driving straight. The wheel on the side in question was much warmer, basically hit, compared to the other wheels or even the brake caliper. After sitting fr …

as far as I know it's never been changed, my 99 monte has 140,000miles on it, would you get it serviced or not? nothing seems wrong with it other than seldom (a couple times a year) and random not locking of the torque converter, when it shouldn't do that.

OK, so here's the deal. On my Bonneville ('01 SLE), I've been unable to engage the parking brake since I got the car. I don't know if there's anything wrong with the cables or anything... ...but what I have found is that there's some kind of obstruction that keeps the pedal from traveling at all... almost like it was disassembled and then put back together wrong. Look at the uploaded picture... the piece right in the middle is what's blocked from traveling anywhere by the metal piece right behind it. (Sorry I don't have any more technical terms other than "piece") Has anyone (on a Bonnie or Park Avenue) seen something like this before? How might I go about r…

I have this adhesive AC foam used to shove in between the glass when you put an AC in the window, So I had an idea since the radio console in my 1998 Saturn SL1 rattles frequently, I took the plastic around the radio off and I stuck the adhesive foam on the inside and reattached the plastic and it doesn't rattle anymore. But, I still hear rattles from other places in the car, does anyone know where i could stick the foam to, to make it stop? I hope I didnt confuse anyone

Hi CHEVY people, I am tryin to change brakes , rotors and pads from 1986 caprice ( wagon ) onto 1988 caprice classic ( 4 door) my dilema is ... both cars are 15 in. but not to long ago I tried to take the rims off the 86 to put on the 88 , tire wouldn't fit ( not far off , but enuff ) I measured the rotor so I'm wondering will this work cause the lady has no funds , wagon is being used for PARTS PLEASE HELP

I'm wondering if I should be worried about the oil pressure on my 3.1..... Granted it had a valve cover replaced about 25k ago.... It runs top line (all the way to 80-which is as high as you can go), and at idle, it drops to the half way point. it has well over 100k (140k) on it..... It seems to be driving ok (expect for the lack of pick-up Need the MAF sensor)............ I'm just worried about the high end thing.....

what is the best way to rebuild a 305 with more horse power the motor now has 170000 miles on it and when i hit the gas the oil pressure drops instead of getting higher and i want more horsepower

My friend has one with the automatic transmission and he says it is shifting hard. It appears to be a sealed system. Can those be drained by any shop or is that a dealer only thing?

what is the best way to rebuild a 305 with more horse power the motor now has 170000 miles on it and when i hit the gas the oil pressure drops instead of getting higher and i want more horsepower i have a 96 k1500 z71 and i do often play in the mud i have the stock transmission but i have 4.10 gears in the rear if i upgraded to a crate 350 would i have to convert to a carb or could i still use my fuel injection what should i do build the 305 or get a 350 crate motor

Well this morning dawned liked an ordinary day. The old Chevrolet fired up like always, and the 3.4 came to life. Drove fine until this afternoon when it began shifting hard while driving it. It gave you a little more a jerk and whining sound. I haven't had the trans serviced in a while (maybe not at all) it is 7 years old and has 76,xxx miles on it. Is my trans going? It doesn't feel like slipping tho, but hell it could be? Does it need to be serviced or am I out a tranny? Please help my trans knowledge is limited. PLEASE HELP! Thanks in advance.

I found a 1992 Cadillac 4.9L PFI V8 to transplant into the $300 Celebrity I bought which just isn't going to run right. Water in the oil, oil in the water, backfiring when cold, damn near impossible to start even with starting fluid, and I'm thinking with a free 200hp engine, why bother messing with the stock motor? The first issue is getting the engine home from 10 miles away. The tailgate is jammed on the Suburban and it won't fit in the doors or through the window. So I'd either need the guy to bring it to me, or else rent a trailer. In either case I need to buy an engine crane, engine stand, jackstands, and a good solid floor jack. I've done some checking aroun…

Ses light went off today and heat was not working properly. So I checked the coolant and it was quite low. Took it straight to the dealership but service was already closed. Any idea what could have caused sudden coolant loss? Also, would a problem like this be covered under the power train portion of the warranty? I'm just over the 60,000 km bumper to bumper portion.

in my dads nova's instrument cluster the numbers dashes words whatnot are the white-green color the luminescent type markings. is that correct for a 68? my 69 impala's are the green-white but i was under the impression, as was he, that the lettering and all was supposed to be plain white. can anyone confirm this for me?

its a 1998 Buick LeSabre limited 3800 When I got the car the Security light stays solid any idea what could cause that? When I turn the heat on normally use the Auto button and set a temp. but I can see the fan meter on the read out go to 100% but the blower motor won't do anything. In a couple minutes you will hear it rev up and then shut off then repeats that a couple times (the blower motor will stay on for a little longer than the first rev.) then about 15-20 into my drive the blower motor kicks on and stays on and generally don't have any issues after that. Any thoughts? also where is the blower located? I spent 15 minutes trying to find it but no luck... Also doe…

i noticed alot that if my car is hot and I run in to a store or junkyard for about 30-45 minutes then i get in the car go to start it it will start then kinda misfire and stall it will do this repeatedly untill after you start it you floor it until it revs up then let it back down to idle and it runs fine after that. never does this on cold starts or if it was just running. pretty much all the ignition system was replaced in feburary this year. plugs wire cap rotor coil and ignition module any ideas? 1990 Caprice classic 305 TBI TH-200 trans

Hey guys, Do you know if it is possible to add steering wheel-mounted audio controls to the new body style 2007 Chevy Silverado without the convenience package because I am looking at at truck that doesn't have it equipped. This doesn't bother me other than the fact it doesn't have steering wheel audio controls. If I happened to get my hands on the audio control module that goes onto the side of the steering wheel, can I just plug it in? Sometime on these sorts of things the wiring is all in place, they just don't give you the actual module without the proper package. Is this the case with steering wheel-mounted audio controls? I am looking at a LT1 Crew Cab if tha…

Anyways my "new" 2005 Impala LS has one slight issue with the head unit, at night all the buttons light up and "glow" like they do in my 2001 Impala except these two buttons circled in the buttom right. So I know they are suppose to glow right? Or was the a change in the head unit? (I doubt it but just throwing that out there.) So are there bulbs inside the head unit that can be replaced? Or in order to fix this would I need a new/different head unit? Anyone know or have any idea's? I just would like to know before I take it to the dealer for its first oil change and new mudflaps. If possible and not a ton of money I would like to get this fixed, or get a used head unit o…

Hey guys, I'm back!! Got a tech question. One of my local shops is getting their butt kicked by this Buick. I haven't seen it mind you, I'm passing on second hand information. He says the control arm shafts thread through the frame and they are having a monster of a time getting them in and out. He asked if there was a special tool or a procedure to do this. Any suggestions?

my power steering pump is making noises and im pretty sure its goin out and i dont know what ratio it is but if i have a free pump from anouther motor and the ratio is 12 to 1 will it still work? does anyone know how to find out my ratio

I need a rear for the '92 K-Blazer and I'm fairly sure that I found the right one (from a Tahoe). But I'd like to be sure.

Well, Just after getting the Cavalier back from the dealership for a 700 dollar Brake Job, as well as a Wheel/Front End Alignment and A the replacement of a broken bolt that was causing the clopping noise that I described earlier. Now something new has popped up. Whenever I turn the steering wheel either when the car is stopped, or at <35KPH, I get this high pitched "Wheeeeeeee" sound coming from the column? It's lower pitch than the sound of the electric steering on the Maxx, but it's a new sound that has now only popped up... Any Insight??

...And I also have a problem with my GA. :lol: The fuel door will not open. Pull the lever and nothing happens. I can't find out what's wrong with it. I don't want to have to open it manually against its will... but I'm down to less than 1/8th of a tank of gas...

Yeah so I was realy pissed and since my head linner sags alot (the whole thing) and It was in my way when i was pissed so I just grabed the fabric and ripped it down. So Where do i get new fabric since there is a gapping hole in my fabric now. also that foam thats on there was deteriated so im in the process of taking that off the head linner board. Any tips? And I need all new head linner clips since being pissed off and working on your car is never a good combo. good thing i didnt break the pillars yet. I was thinking i doubt a dealler will have head linner fabric so any of you think joans fabric would have some? or some place like it? On a side not that foam its li…

Am restoring a 1967 Camaro with the 350 v-8 (295 HP) not interested in high performance just original type performance using regular or mid grade gasoline, the engine will be a .30 over bore with the stock double hump heads.. Should I use dished or the original type flat top pistons? What about camshafts?? There sure a lot of options out their.. Thanks.. hipirn

Was looking for info on my new Malibu Maxx's engine/tranny and ran across the GM Powetrain site. Wow, what a fantastic time-sink that is going to turn out to be (I'm such a geek)! http://www.gm.com/explore/technology/gmpow...ther_engine.jsp

Mobil 1 right now. Granted, it is protecting, but it doesn't stay clean very long. I figure if I pay good money for a better oil-it should at least hold up better. I haven't even noticed a change in my Cobalt.... Makes me wonder if I make should change to a blend oil instead... Sorry, I had to vent....

I know I read somewhere about computerized transmissions that incorporated some degree of 'learning' capability, where periods of consistent driving styles (say; aggressive throttle) could move shift points to a degree. I had thought this was told to me WRT my '94 Ford's EOA trans, but that certainly could be wrong. Reason I am wondering is, lately I have been driving my wife ex-'03 GP 3.1L about once a week. In that gas is cheaper and it gets about 23, whereas my diesel 2500HD gets around 16, it's decent for whipping around/ taxi-ing. I don't think she's driven it since she got her Malibu in Aug of '09; it's been me 97% of the time (my son the other 3%... maybe). I'…

Am replacing the front springs on a 1967 Camaro resto. Is it possible to get the springs back into their perches with out some kind of spring compressor? I noticed when I removed the old ones that they had to be pried out as they were under some compression, my manual doesn't mention any advice on this issue! Thanks again, hipirn..

I know that the modern way to align a vehicle involves mounting optical sensors to the wheels and reading the computer screen to tell you how far to adjust the caster/Camber/toe etc, I've done it a hundred times. But how was alignment checked before computers? Toe I can imagine using some sort of metered stick and eyeballing it, but how caster and camber were measured I can't figure out.

For some time now the Shadow has had some stalling issues. Usually this would happen when the car was cold, and almost always on cool/colder days. In the winter it was a bitch until the car warmed up. It would stall either when coming to a stop and almost being stopped, or when just starting to accelerate. Since I got back from Kansas I have discovered that it stalls when going in revers. Not always, but sometimes it will either want to stalls, and the tack swings wildly between 0 and 1200 RPM...sometimes it stalls, sometimes it doesn't, but it sounds like it. I think it might be the throttle body, but I'm not sure. It's a fuel-injected 2.5 4-cylinder. Any thoughts? It'…

My wife purchased a 2003 Envoy brand new and it has always had problems with overflowing at the gas pump. It doesn't happen all the time, so I can't seem to figure out if it is just the position of the pump spout, or a defect part. We haven't mentioned it to the dealership yet, but my sister-in-law has the same vehicle(SLT vs. SLE is only difference), and experiences the same problem. I believe she has spoken to the service department about it, but can't recall what they responded. Its rather annoying since the gas spills all over the paint and the smell all over our hands/clothes. Anyone else notice this with their Envoys and does anyone know why it does this/how…