I have a 2000 SS Camaro I bought new Dec. 1999. It is a 6 speed. 30,000 miles. Warranty is history and I am unemployed at the time so I have no money to take it in.

A couple of years ago this started and is getting worse. It started doing it only when it was cold out, when I would take off after starting the car. When I let off the gas and pushed in the clutch to shift from first to second. You would here a cackling or popping type sound from the exhaust. Now it does it everytime I take off, hot or cold out. It also does it through all the gears now. After the engine warms up it doesn't do it.

I used to hear other cars do this, like Mustangs. I thought it sounded like crap. Now my car does it. It is embarrassing. I hate leaving places. People seeing me off and telling me how cool my car is and I take off slow and drive down the road in first gear. Embarrassed to let off the gas.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

 

I assume you have stock exhaust, perhaps your muffler bearing is dying on you?

 

ur gonna have to learn to deal with , all the manual cars ive heard do this and theres nothing u can do about it , the louder teh exhaust teh more noticeable its gonna be ,

it has somthign to do with the sudden change of flow in ur exhaust from throttle to shift back to throttle, im sure other ppl can explain this better

 

Popping from the exhaust? or what? Explain the sound better please.. what type of gas are you using? Tuneup?

Whats the general state the cars in? (of tune.. )

 

So it's an engine thing?

 

You probably need another muffler. Get a stock muffeler or go with a little more muscle sound but not overly loud, get a magnaflow. But, I think what you are describing is normal. Every once and I while I get this driving in (D) but get this crackle, a lot in 3rd gear D every since I've upgraded with performance stuff. Or it could be you are running to lean -possable cause I've heard. Some people like I, like that sound.....but it can get annoying.

My final conclusion get another muffler, im assuming you have an aftermarket muffer or catback exhuast system or other?

 

CrabhartZ28, I don't know if it's an engine thing, that's why I asked.

As for gas I run Shell premium. 93 octane I think.

Car is 100% stock. Exhaust is the stock SLP. The one with 4 tips. Supposedly 15hp upgrade.

The best way I can describe it is a cackle. When I let off gas it makes a bunch of uneven popping sounds. Sounds like ****.

If it is normal why didn't it do it when it was new and why is it getting worse. If I need new exhaust why did it start going bad around 20,000 miles. I would hope a car with a sticker of almost $40,000 would last longer than that.

 

Perhaps your cats are going south on you??

Very odd..
But...
Stainless Steel can and does go bad. Much sooner than aluminized steel.
You should have your exhaust checked out..

The snap crackle pop sound you speak of, I only get initially for about 1-2 min tops.. and its very minor.. nothing near backfire sounds... My car is stock and has 60K miles. Its a 2002 Z28..


side note - SS shouldnt of stickered at $40K, more like $28K

 

i actually like that popping sound, especially when slowing down from a higher rev (3,000rpm) and you press the clutch in... CraCKle pop... with a cutout, sounds cool to me

 

If so, my buddy here tells me his ' 99 SS factory stock did it ( 6 speed ) , but his '00 SS ( A4 ) does not.

The ' 99 had the "base" exhaust - his ' 00 has the dual dual.

My ' 99 has a Borla, and it definitely ! does it - it reminds me of a glass pack.

Heh heh heh !!


My theory to the cause is that a cold engine runs richer, and some of those noises are caused by unburned fuel burning while in the exhaust.

When the engine reaches operating temp, the PCM goes into a closed loop mode and some of that is eliminated.

(Closed loop = PCM is reading & reacting to the inputs from the various sensors on the engine & in the exhaust.)

Not sure there is a real fix, other than finding a way to further quiet the exhaust, which would be detrimental to HP's .

The factory plugs are in theory rated for 100K , but I have heard - and had my changed due to - the fact that the platinum tips erode within about 30K.

My auto mechanics charged $ 100.00 labor for a plug change - not too terrible, although if you don't have it, you don't have it.


Good Luck !


Britt

 

Unless he's Canadian and then that's about right - I think the base Z28 stickered around $30 or 32K and the SS package was worth another $5K roughly

If I remember right from when I ordered my '02 Z28

 

I have just about every option including all of the SLP options. Sticker was right under $39,000. Of course I didn't pay that.

 

My 98 SS does that when I shift, but only when it's cold, so maybe NEWBIE T/A's theory is right. I just did a plug change, haven't noticed if it stopped doing it. I got so used to it I didn't pay attention to it. I'm out of town for a month, so I can't check

 

"My theory to the cause is that a cold engine runs richer, and some of those noises are caused by unburned fuel burning while in the exhaust."

sounds logical, but when the engine is cold so is the cat, no burning will take place in the exhaust till the cat is over 600 degrees, which is probibly 1- 2 mins after startup

 

Some O2 sensor info Here !

Some sensors are heated to make the cats light off that much earlier - I think that our cars have this feature.

Britt