FullPerformance

Hey guys! I have a 97 Camaro V6 3.8. I have been misfiring and have been going down the list. I have AC Delco Rapid Fire spark plugs. Race wire's, and Jegs 42,000 Volt Coils. (126,000 volts total)
I am so fed up with the misfires now. The last thing I can think of is my ICM (Ignition Control Module) . I already know its not my fuel injectors because the code I pull is a (Random cylinder misfire). Its never one specific cylinder. Unless all my injectors are bad. Please help!

moparman

When it is good and dark, raise the hood, start the engine and look for any fireworks. You may have to mist some water on the wires/plugs with a spray bottle to see it.

FullPerformance

Thats whn the wires are bad. I already replaced the wires.. there wont be any arcing... and Im only misfiring under load. it doesn't misfire while idling.. When I drive and its under 2k-RPM's I misfire like no tomorrow.. When Im over 70MPH I only misfire once or twice. I need this fixed asap.. Im done working on it!

transamtom

THe nice thing about OBD2 is it tells you where the problem is,301 is cyl #1 302 is #2 ect ect.

Get a $99.00 OBD2 code reader,they make life with one of these cars so much easier.

Change back to the stock type coils and your problem will probably disappear.

There is no need for aftermarket hi-po stuff on the 3800 or LS engines.

In most cases it usually causes problems.

moparman

Apparently he has already pulled the codes and got the old catchall code P0300, for multiple random misfires. However, it wouldn't hurt to pull the code(s) again to see if the PCM has zeroed in on any particular cylinder(s).

When did the problem start? If it started after you changed something, that's where to start looking.

Since I know nothing about the V6, and any idiosyncrasies it might have, I'm out of here.

mrwoopass

Mine has had a hint of a miss since I got her at 42K miles, but about four months ago it actually turned into a legitimate miss. I did the same thing you did, except I refused to take out the ICM for a bit. I had already tested it a year ago, and didn't see why it would fail.

After about a days worth of working on her, I finally decided to take out the ICM, and have it tested. Lo and behold, it was bad; real bad to be exact. I bought a replacement one, and about 3 hours later (I have a bad back) she started right up without any problems. She now feel's as strong as ever, and it even resolved the craptastic MPG that I was getting. She is now back to 20+ MPG, and as they say in McD's... I'm loving it!

Best of luck!

--Rex


2001 Camaro V6 Onyx Black "Karina"

Swavely

I am having the exact same problem as you as soon as you hit about 2k RPM it will hesitate and just not drive right i actually just had a tune up down hopping ti would fix and it didnt????

FullPerformance

Hmm, well I was misfiring before I replaced any of the parts. And no, the V6 is actually a Large V6, and a strong engine being capable of using aftermarket parts. Its built for it!

Like I said, I replaced my wires, plugs, and coils to:

Coils-Jegs 42,000V (126,000V Total)
Wire's-Race Package wires
Plugs-AC Delco Rapid Fires.

Im pulling the P0300 code for the (Multiple Cyl Misfire).

Im going to replace the ICM this week. Hopefully it will fix the problem!

ACE1252

Do you have a scanner that can access the misfire counters? I think you have to have one that has the GM Enhanced parameters to see them. If you can get to them, what are the counts per cylinder? When the code P0300 is set, those counters should be updating every 200rpm...so logging the vehicle during the trouble should help you isolate the issue.

You want to start with the cylinder with the most misfires. Many times, one cylinder misfiring will cause others to indicate false misfires due to the erratic rotation of the crankshaft. Granted, the false ones will not show as high a count as the real ones.

I am also of the opinion that you need to stick with the factory coils(if they are not damaged). There is no need to go with anything different. The ignition secondary coil resistance should be 5000 to 8000 ohms. Spark plug wires should be under 30,000 ohms.

I've owned a 96 3.8 and my brother owned a 99 3.8. I've worked on them both and even replaced the engine in my brother's 99(the old one is still sitting in my garage). I've seen spark plug wires go bad on these engines on a regular basis. Replaced one set on my 96 and two sets on my brother's 99. Black carbon tracking in the spark plug boot is a dead give away as to the offending plug wire(could be either end...coil or plug boot).

I used AC Delco wires as the replacements.

Are any other codes being set along with the P0300?

Is the car an automatic or manual? Also, what brand injectors do you have in the car(are they stock)?

FULLSLP1

What's up ace. This is my nephews car and we are really having trouble. It's an auto tranny and is stock. With 60k original miles. We have reason to believe that carcsat for a long period of time which may have affected some parts. The car ran perfect upon purchase and within 3 weeks started the misfire. It is throwing the random p0300 but none of the counts are consistent and is intermittent. Like he said the entire ignition system has now been replaced including ICM to no avail. It occurs under load only and at low rpm. By 3k rpm it is gone all the way to redline. Spark misfire is so previlent on this motor I'm blown away that this did not fix the prob. Didn't even go to fuel because wasnt running a lick out of fuel trim as well as no lean/ rich codes and no high rpm miss. Going to test fuel press reg next maybe diaphragm is sticking. ??

FULLSLP1

Well we checked the fuel pressure and it primed at 40 psi and held 40-45 running never exceeding 45 and never lower than 39 psi. Also checked fuel pressure regulator and was also working fine. Data logged it and everything came back normal except 2 things. Did not throw the p0300 or any other misfire code. I held the car in constant misfire at 22 mph uphill and still no code. Also noticed the car returning to Open Loop mode during the misfires and then returning to closed loop immediately. Again the Entire ignition system has been replaced and the misfire continues. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated to help out a young camaro guy.

whitdog54

find stock replacement coilpacks (stock is the best, if theyre not dying) or MSD coilpacks(the new ones) and plugs go tr55.

A bad ICM will kill coils and plugs. i went through 3 sets of tr55s on my v6 in less then a year.

Need4Camaro

What he means is that aftermarket coilpacks are a waste of money on these engines. The stock coil packs have more than enough to handle the 3.8L engine and many use the stock coils in turbo cars up to 500 HP or more. The Aftermarket ones are just overkill.

As for your random miss, you most likely have a bad wire. I have had this problem with the 97's because they have log manifolds and often times the wire rests on the manifold itself and it cooks. You need heat sheathing and boot protectors for the wires to survive on any V6 F-Body older than 2000. As far as having just "replaced" your wires...It won't matter. I went through a set of three wires in the matter of 2 months with my 97 before finally rectifying the problem.

FULLSLP1

I highly doubt the new wires"cooked" within the first 2 minutes of driving to produce the exact same miss fire. And he went with " new "aftermarket coils because they were cheaper than stock. And a " new" ICM all which did absolutey nothing to resolve the misfire. Need to find another cause it is not coil, wires, plugs, ICM or fuel pump/ regulator. All are " new" and have been triple checked.

rick121

I hope y'all find the problem cuz I have this EXACT problem right now. I was told that my ignition 2 wire was bad but somehow the problem continued to persist. btw, borg warner wires and coils are FINE for this motor! I work at a parts store, I sell them all day long for GM v6 cars and mine are the only ones that have been warrantied or returned for two years! I have put this car through every type of check including all new igniton and spark components, new ICM, and even cut off the cat to eliminate the possibility of a clog. only misfires under load until i get above 70 mph as well. my buddy's 97 v6 is having the same thing start up. wtf...