i just got a 96. lt1 auto. i have discovered that on the passenger side the upper ball joint rubs on the inside of the wheel. it does not do this all of the time. the car has the c5 wheels on it. yes they are 17". any suggestions. and sometimes i have to hold throttle to the floor to start the car. is this normal. thanks in advance.

 

Well as I understand it the C5 wheels require a 1" spacer in order to clear. As for holding the throttle down no that is wrong for sure. Is the service engine light on? You need to pull the codes from the computer if there are any and let us know what they are.

Let me guess, you have to hold it to the floor when the car is cold or being started for the first time in a day?

 

i will check to see if it has spacers on it marrow. and there is no service engine light on. and yes you are correct about when i have to hold to floor. how do i fix it? thanks

 

WELL! that kinda depends. There are lots of things that could cause this. The Mass Air Flow(MAF) could cause this. Sometimes just a cleaning, other times replace. The Idle Air Control Motor(IAC) could. So could the Manifold Absolute Pressure(MAP)sensor. Those would be my top 3 choices if there are no other driveability issues.

How does the car run otherwise? Does it miss or shake at idle even after it has warmed up? Does it idle higher than around 700RPM? Does it hesitate or stumble when you step on the throttle(light or heavy)? Does it smell like fuel or exhaust vapor?

There is quite a bit of info we are going to need to figure this out across the internet.

It would also be good to know if you have tools or any automotive experience.

 

there are no other driveability issues. car runs great. idles right there around 700 no odd smells. i have plenty of tools and my experience i would say is pretty good. im just new to vettes. you have been very helpful so far thank you.

 

Okay well in that case start with the easy stuff. Your going to need a fuel pressure gauge. With it attached to the schrader valve on the fuel rail start the engine and run it for 30 seconds. Shut it off and watch the pressure. There is REAL good chance it is going to drop to zero in anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. It shouldn't do this.

This would leave two options. Both are VERY common! One would be that you have a leaking fuel injector(s). The other would be the fuel pressure regulator is leaking.

To check the fuel pressure regulator, pull the vacuum line off of it and plug it(the vacuum line). Start the car and let it run. Watch the now vacant vacuum nipple on the regulator to see if fuel appears in the hole. If so it's bad and most likely your issue.

If there is no sign of fuel then it has the other and most common issue, leaking injectors. The Multec injectors that went in these cars were absolute crap from the word go. Here is a link to a gentleman that owns an injector shop. He is a sponsoring member of the sight and cuts us ONE HELL OF A GOOD DEAL on the much improved Bosch III injectors. Do yourself and your car a favor, if this is your issue remedy it quickly.

http://fuelinjectorconnection.com/

You should call him and let him know you are a member here so you get the discount. With it my injectors are under $170 for all 8.

This is his member profile, you can send him a private message also.

FICINJECTORS

 

ill do those checks this weekend then give him a call thanks. you have been so much help.

 

No prob. Just be sure to do these things before you toss the money for the injectors. Although it is a good idea to have them regardless

 

He has a 96, I don't think they had multecs that year. It still could be a injector issue though..WW

 

Really? I wonder what year they changed? My 94' does, not for much longer though. It starts up beautifully, but I know these injectors are not long for this world, and the BOSCH III's are such an improvement!

FIC's videos got me!

 

Speaking of him and his videos you should watch the ones here. Especially the second one

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...questions.html

 

I'd check the car for trouble codes first. If none....clean or replace the air filter or check for blockage on the air filter cover...and clean the throttle body up with some spray. Maybe pull 1 spark plug and check the gap and burn. Your cats could be colapsing/blocked/failing as well. If you just got the car i'd do some basic maintenance all around (fluids and filters)and just drive it for awhile and see what you got before you just start tearing into stuff. Pick up a 1996 FSM (factory service manual ~$195) OBD2 code reader and fuel pressure gage to help with DIY problem diagnosis.

 

Can't stress that enough! Good information, a fuel pressure gauge, a vacuum gauge, and a multimeter are a MUST! Code readers are great, but if your going to drop the coin on one get one that will give you live data as well or save the money.

 

BluRay,
I just checked and I stand corrected, the LT1s did have Multec injectors but after doing a search it seems all the problems were with the 89-91 Multecs. I didn't see one post that had problems with the later years, maybe they were changed in some way.If anyone knows I would be interested to hear...WW