j_43

Hello all..new to this forum..just purchased a 1994 z28 Lt1..stock motor, rebuilt tranny..6 speed..110,000 original miles on it. I am new to Camaro's and don't really know much about this kind of car..was wondering how reliable it is and how much mileage do yours have?

I know about the optispark issue..the one in mine has been replaced recently..so I should be ok..

what routine maintenance do you do on yours? mind you, i don't abuse it and don't plan to..i plan on keeping it for a while..as a DD (i drive 100 miles a day) so reliability is a must..thanks for all the heads-up..

popo8

Maintain it like u would any other vehicle. There is nothing delicate about the lt1 cars. I dont suggest using water to clean tge engine...but even with a conventional distributor...u wouldnt want water in it.

Keep ur oil clean.... Top off all ur fluids and if it aint broke...leave it alone. Lol


Larry (Popo8) Co-owner
LTXtech.com

timnfxr

My 95z has 220k+ miles on it, and has been a reliable DD for the orignal owner since purchaced in 95, and myself for the past 2.5 years I've owned it. It still has the original opti, as well as all other engine parts, except for the water pump. It was serviced on a regular basis (fluids and filters).

Also, as with any car with an in-tank fuel pump, don't make a habit of running it low (1/4 tank minimum). This will prolong the life of the puimp by keeping it cool.

Have fun and enjoy it.

kevhogaz

208K on mine. The previous owner did regular routine maintemance, and had everything done at the dealer. It still has over 40 lbs. of oil pressure when cold, and at idle it pulls down ~20 no problem. Its basically a small block chevy, so it should last a real long time!

KW Baraka

Well.....well maintained Caprices (mostly cabs) and Impala SS are known to get over 300K miles on the original engine.

You can look to do a rebuild on the motor to ensure that you got a fresh engine.......but IF it's been maintained properly, I'd say that it's got at least another 100K miles left in it.

KW

KW Baraka

^^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^

bw_hunter

When buying a used car you really don't know the maintanence history. I would change all the fluids and do everything that you should do for the mileage. For example, change the plugs and wires as the stock plugs are good for 100K miles. Change the fuel filter. Here's one that everyone forgets...flush the brake fluid. The orange coolant is supposedly good for 150,000K miles but the fine print says 5 years as well. If it's the green stuff, change it. Change the thermostat as well. Change the fan belt as well.

While a lot of guys suggest that if it ain't broke don't worry about it but I disagree. For a 100 mile a day daily driver I'd start looking at the alternator, the starter and the power steering pump. These do wear out and it's always better to change them at home than 40 miles from anywear. You can save some bucks and take the alternator and starter to a local shop for rebuilding. It's cheaper than whatever it is they sell at autozone and you know where to go if something isn't right.

The waterpump is another point of concern. The stocker is a good piece but it often leaks when it starts to fail...taking the optispark with it. Watch it closely...

Taken care of, this car will last a good long time......

Good luck!

timnfxr

Also included in "change all fluids" mentioned, but worth highlighting, the transmission and differential lubricants should be changed, since you don't know when or if it's done. Both are suggested at 30,000mi/24 months intervals.

j_43

Thank you so much for the feedback..all of you bring up good points..actually, this car was previously owned by my mechanic..so it's pretty much up to date..couple of things I have learned since having the car: it tends to run hot--in traffic, drove without the a/c and temp gauge creeped up pretty high..slapped the a/c on before it could get to 260, temp went down..been doing it ever since..never had a problem..been putting a/c on since..

Check engine light comes on randomly on the hwy, and then disappears after 10 minutes..idle is good, doesn't run rough..had it checked..no codes came up..so i'm just observing it..

had a problem with the hatch locking..so I looked up this forum, reset the hatch release as other people have done and problem solved..just worried bout the check engine light..

my previous ride was a '92 Jeep..had a straight 6 in it..very reliable--took me everywhere..so hoping this car is as reliable..i'm learning something new everyday with these Camaro's..thanks again for all the input..

j_43

btw, thought i'd share a picture on how she looks..

Zfbod94

You mentioned the temp gauge creeping up when sitting in traffic. All our car tend to do this, because the factory set the fans to come on at such a high temp. Like you said turning on the AC will bring it back down, as it turns the fans on. You can also program the computer to turn them on at a lower temp. A hypertech tuner or a laptop w/cable and tuning software will do this. You can also wire in a manual switch if it ever becomes a problem.

Good luck with everything.

brandons94lt1

I just want to add to this, in regards to the temp creeping up.. mine does this too...and I'm running long tubes...the heat soak is horrible..

I've seen the ait sensor can be moved out to the top of you cai filter, so the car pulls less timing when it is hot...but some people say its hog wash...

I'm no scientist but it seems that cooler air to the sensor, and not hot air from under the hood would make the car a adjust for slightly cooler conditions and thus not pull as much timing... less chance of a spark knock???

I'm sure one of the pros here will chine in...sorry to butt in, but I'm thinking of spending the 5$ and doing the mod...

Injuneer

A properly maintained STOCK cooling system will not cause that level of overheating. I would almost suspect the coolant temp sensor in the water pump housing, not giving the PCM the correct coolant temp. The PCM turns the first fan (or low speed if you have a "late" 94) on at 226*F and the second one (or high speed) at 235*F. There is no reason the needle should approach the red if the fans are working correctly. I'm surprised your mechanic would allow this condition to persist.

I'd try and fix it, rather than turning the AC on.

Again - not normal. If the SES light comes on, the code is stored. What did they use to check for codes? Some people try the "short the ALDL pins method" to flash the codes on the SES light, and that will not work on a 94. Others try and use a combination OBD-I/OBD-II scanner, with the correct 12-pin connector. But some of these scanners look for a 12V pin in the ALDL connector, and there is none in your 94. The Actron CP9145 withe the optional OBD-I cable seems to be one that works. There is also free scanning software, simply requiring that you buy a cable for a laptop.