Sorry in advance for a long winded post . This question is actually about the LT1 in my wife's 1994 Trans Am. This car has 31,000 original miles. We bought it last year and so far have put on 1000 miles on and off, neither of us use it much , obviously not a winter car.
This problem is intermittent and goes like this : The car runs great and is very strong and will have no issues for days at a time, but then it will develop a miss at idle, and acceleration will bog, sputter and detonate. Sometimes it will be hard starting on the first start in the morning and sometimes it starts perfectly, same thing with idle,in neutral ,sometimes 1000 rpm and smooth, other times 700 rpm and smooth, it has a mind of its own. Then it will all go away again for days, car will run normal, but problems will return. Never flashes a check engine light. It has a new fuel filter and air filter.
This car was in storage the prior 3 years before we bought it from original owner, who did not want to drive it around NYC while she was living there. Could storage have ruined the opti, even with low mileage ? Does this sound like opti ? Any ideas from those with a lot more LT1 experience than I ? TIA, Craig

 

???

You gonna' have to get a scanner plugged in when it's misbehavin'.

If you're gonna' keep it, you might wanna' pick up a hardwire and software to plug your laptop into the ALDL.

Opti? Doubtful...

 

it could be the opti you will need to pull the cap of to check it. it should have thrown a code if it was the opti though. change your fuel filter and check your fuel pressure at he fuel rail. if all is good may be a clogged injecter.

 

I would start with the fuel filter.

 

Sorry, forgot to put in original post, new fuel filter and air filter done this past fall..........

 

It does sound like a possible opti going bad. Do the paperclip scan for codes and see what it is showing.

 

Sounds like dirty injectors.

 

Are you still driving on three year old gas? A can of Sea Foam in the gas tank would help.

 

No old gas, but I will give that a try............

 

I hate myself but I have to ask. What is an original mile?

 

What does original miles mean on a car?
In: Cars and Vehicles

Answer

It is just another way of saying "actual" miles. If you replace an engine it is not going to be the same mileage as the odometer says. Also replacing the transmission wont be original/actual mileage. Original mileage means actual mileage on all the main components of the car. It is just terminology used for sales.

That is from WikiAnswers, I always wondered the same thing............

 

Thanks skybolt , I should have said actual miles , but you cleared it up

I ran the car tonight in dark with hood open, and could see arcing in distributor area and on a couple of plugs.Wires and plugs to start, I have some work to do..............