It's about that time and I'm doing it myself so here's what I need from you guys:

*How do I change out the O2's? and where are the other two under the car?

*where's the belt tensioner?

*What plugs are best (not splitfires)?

*Injection cleaning?

Ive already changed the wires and 2 ignition coils (though I might need one more) so I'm almost there. It's still gotta rough idle and is loosing power in the lower rpm range.

Note- to all V6 owners, if your O2's go out it will start a chain reaction you will not like!!!

1) O2's burn out
2) sends wrong message to FI's
3) FI's dump too much gas
a) also leaves heavy carbon deposits in your intake
4) fouls out your plugs and ignition coils (and wires)
5) runs your gas too rich and gas runs down to your exhaust
6) runs cat hot (like it's stopped up) and the fumes will seep into your interior (not good, unless you like falling asleep at the wheel)
this will eventually have your car runnin like str8 crap

 

How do you know your O2's are out?

 

There should be a belt diagram on the radiator shroud that tells you where the tensioner is. Much easier than me jumbling up trying to describe which one it is.

I like plain old Delco Rapidfires. They work well enough for the $$$.

Unless you want to remove the injectors and clean them throughly, you can just add some fuel injector/fuel system cleaner.

Run the cleaner before changing the plugs...the Techron cleaner I use gave the plugs a slight redish color. No big deal but better you do it on the old plugs on the way out.

 

make sure your timing is correct, and make sure your distrib is tight bolted down

 

welcome to 20 years ago....

 

 

"Note- to all V6 owners, if your O2's go out it will start a chain reaction you will not like!!!"

this is true! my service engine light came on with a o2 code, i thought it was no big deal and ignored it for about 4 months, last month it started to misfire, i had to replace all the o2 sensors the ignition module all the plugs and wires, 2 new coils and the cat!! all due to the o2 sensors goin out.

 

thank god for o2 sims and no cat lol

 

Yea I'm just going to have to run the O2 sims (not what I wanted to do yet). The tune up will be done Sat.


" Welcome to 20 years ago".................

I'm just new to 3800 series V6's and V6's peroid!!! I've always owned V8's since I was 15 and I'm 29 now. I've had 305's, 327's (63 impala w/ matching numbers), 2 many 350's, and a 400 Sb. So dont get your head to full of yourselves. I think a few egos are inflating because of knowlege of Lt1's, LS1's and 3800's. It's something I dont have time study that well. But aside from that I think you outta know a lil somethin.


I started racing in 1989 in San Francisco, CA running a Toyota celica with a R22 motor (yea I still remember), I've raced every street car you can imagine and 1 exotic (Lotus esprit), To date I'm up to almost 800 races since 1989. I race for real, you can sit and think that all the mod now-how you have is valuable (which it is) but I'm the one who actually tests it and can tell YOU what is lacking from your engine performance and handling. I have been doing this so long that I treat the Atlanta Highways as one huge track. I dont know were you where when Norcal racers started this street racing scene that you thrive off of , and that I live, but because I ask a simple question does'nt mean that I'm a simple person. Me and other "allnighters" helped start this all out , 140mph, F & F, and it's something I dont dwell on but it's nice to still be doing it and have that under my belt too.

Ya probably wondering why the long response huh? Well I dont play that ignorant " ego-tripping" hating thats all over cardomain nowadayz. (thread closed.........)

 

i think they were making fun of me,
i was just stating what could have helped your situation out from my experience of my v6. i had the same symptoms when i got the car back from a dealership, and they broke more than they fixed. my new mechanic told me the distributer wasnt bolted and it threw the timing way off and if i had made the trip to nova scotia it would have fried my engine.
though i havent owned a car newer than 1986, so i dont know what they are making fun of, :rolleyes unless the 3.8's dont have distributers and are computer timed.
some people are like that though.

 

Yup 3.8 is distributorless.

Good 'ol PCM.

 

(OK back to business...)

I found out that two of my ignition coils were gone and when I replaced them I felt a huge difference. I was searching around and found some heavy duty ignition coils. I think it was RKsport. But for now I have to find out where in the world the other two O2 sensors are. the tech at the dealership said they're under the car. And I have'nt found em yet!!

I've been finding out that this 3800 is'nt that hard to work on. the layout is basically the same as a V8 except for the FI.



oh yea about the other comments I left. I hate to have to pull rank!!!!!! I rather do, than talk. it's alot more fun and after a while it's not about what you can tell someone. Pull ya car out and "run it"

 

not sure if there the same on the 2000 but my other 2 o2 were before and after the cat

 

before and after the cat huh? hmmmm gotta see how much light is left outside lol. thanks

 

yea man on the OBD-II on these cars you should have one right before and one right after the cat.. if you order an o2 sim you only need 1 and it will go in the post cat o2.. this is because regardless of how your cat is doing the first o2 will pull the right numbers since it is pre-cat