nmarine2

Hey guys, was on a trip from Nashville to Atlanta over the weekend, and noticed that after the 4/5 hours of driving, the car seemed a little sluggish on acceleration, and the idle seemed to dip down to 350/400 very briefly after pushing the clutch in during stop and go traffic. My car is just shy of 50,000 miles, and it makes me wonder what I can do to refresh some of the bits and pieces that might be getting lethargic after 12 years. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

jimijam

blower

FAUEE

At 50k your engine is barely broken in. Run some techron or other fuel cleaner in it, change the air filter, and rev it out a good bit. Sounds like you may have some carbon build uo or something.

meadowz06

Make sure and clean the throttle body. If it has carbon buildup, it will cause some minor problems. Plugs, coil packs ok?

nmarine2

I’ll have to grab some Techron and run it through. I’ve got a K&N filter that hasn’t been cleaned in at least 8k miles, so I’m sure that needs some love. I’ll have to check the throttle body and intake. I would assume the coil pack and plugs are fine at 50k, but it wouldn’t hurt to give them a once over and replace the plugs since they are cheap.

jimijam

Ah hell no. Leave it alone! And if you have been cleaning it, I've got a buck that says this is what caused your problem.

WW7

The plugs don't need replacing, plugs in these cars are good for 100,000 miles just like GM says.. Replacing before that is a waste of time and money...WW

nmarine2

I personally have never cleaned it, no idea if the PO had. I was under the impression that they needed to be cleaned and re-oiled every so often, is that wrong?

Gman in NC

I think you're just getting used to it. My LS2 is still running great after 56,000 miles.

myredhead1

If you really want to wake up your LS2, invest in a ported FAST 102. Will feel like a different car.

cadyshac

they do need to be cleaned and re oiled periodically but the oil can be a problem. DON'T overdo it with the oil or it can get on the mass airflow sensor and mess it up. It would be a good idea to clean the MAF when you do the air filter.

cmonkey713

The term "Freshen up" is very broad, It all boils down to how much money you want to spend and how much "Fresh" you want.

owc6

50,000 miles is nothing..

Not really sure what you are asking.

nmarine2

Like I said in the post, I was just curious what items in the driveline, or fluids, or odds and ends, could be replaced after 12 years. I know 50k is lower mileage, but I also know that some things can deteriorate with age. Just curious as to what might help breathe some new life into it. Just looking to prolong the life of my car with simple maintenance, and looking for others who have similar mileage, on a similar year, to see what experiences they have had.

Cheers.

Cherokee Nation

K&N says every 50000 miles on the one i have,but it depends if you live in a dust prone area.

SPSandman

919cw313

^ For once he’s right though. Supercharge it.

KnightDriveTV

Put a tune on it...cheap and simple way to wake it up.

FAUEE

At 12 years old, basically every fluid could be replaced.

Kenny94945

I would kind of agree with 50K miles, what can be defined as "freshened up" ?
There is the time passing factor to consider and OP states car feels sluggish.

Here's my .02 cents

1) Drain & Refill Transmission and Differential fluids.
2) Replace Spark Plugs and wires...test coils.
3) Inspect Harmonic Balancer and serpentine belt for alignment
4) Add a can of Techron Concentrate and run tank to empty, then change motor oil.
5) Inspect and clean the Throttle Body blade.
6) Inspect and replace your intake air filters,
That's the easy stuff.
If still a drivability issue, I look to the Fuel Injection System.
7) Inspect the wiring to the injectors
8) Check for an intake leak
9) Best for performance remove the injectors and have them professional cleaned with their spray adjusted.

Lastly, is the clutch starting to slip at 50K miles?

You could go deeper, but again my .02 as for a suggestion.
I probably spent $600 of your money with my check list above.
Good luck!