1997 Chevy Camaro 1997 Camaro Stumbles/Hesitates

Tiny
EDS97CAMARO
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 CHEVROLET CAMARO
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 105,000 MILES
OK, I got one for you! My 1997 Camaro hesitates SEVERELY when accelerating out of a right hand turn AND ONLY when the fuel tank is below 1/2 full. If I fill up. No problem. Also, it doesn't have the problem with left hand turns at all. After I come off the turn and try to accelerate moderately (not heavy), the engine stumbles EXACTLY like you're running out of gas. 3-4 seconds later, wham. Normal acceleration, problem gone (until the next turn).

Over the past several months, I've noticed that the lower the fuel level gets, the less of a turn I have to make before the engine does this, eventually making even a 90 degree right hand turn challenging, as you have to plan on waiting 3-4 seconds after stopping the turn for the power to return.

At first, I thought I was simply running out of fuel, but an immediate fill-up took only 8 gallons (15 gallon tank). Then I replaced the fuel filter. No change. Spark plugs, wires, coils. Same problem.

Three mechanics I've talked to are baffled, and aside from the items I've already repaired, they have no remedies.

Any thoughts?
Friday, May 7th, 2010 AT 8:10 AM

4 Replies

Tiny
LEOMNR2008
  • MEMBER
  • 22 POSTS
You may have a short to ground in the fuel pump this would cause the hesation you feel when makeing a right hand turn when the wiring harness moves and the short opens.

However you said that this gets worse when the tank is lower so this ground short may be located in the tank with a wire on the fuel pump itself.

You will need to have this checked out by a certified tech who can handel the volital mix of fuel and electircty. And to the next question you might ask NO if the short is on a ground wire it would not cause a spark that could ignight the vapors from the fuel.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Friday, May 7th, 2010 AT 1:03 PM
Tiny
EDS97CAMARO
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thank you leomnr. I appreciate your input. Playing devil's advocate however, wouldn't a grounding issue (even inside the tank) be problematic all of the time?

The problem never happens at all. If the tank is full.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Saturday, May 8th, 2010 AT 10:34 AM
Tiny
LEOMNR2008
  • MEMBER
  • 22 POSTS
If the ground is intermitant it would only happen on occassions not all the time espically if it is in the tank when you fill up the gas acts as a good dgornd and when the car gets lower on fuel the wire then becomes an open or shorted wire. Had the same problem with my neon and when I replaced the pump it whent away.

I had a interminat ground in the wire to the fuel pump and it would go away when the tank was full but when I emptyied it would start to hessatait.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 AT 10:33 AM
Tiny
DAYANDNITEAUTO
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I have run across this problem several times. And I know dropping the tank on these camaros is a pain, however it sounds like either the fuel pump assembly has come apart or that the hose between the pump and pick up screen miht have a hole in it.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 AT 2:32 AM

Please login or register to post a reply.

Sponsored links