Questions and Answers

Chevy Monte Carlo Modified To Death
Q. Hi, I have the following vehicle: 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo SS 3800 Series II 3.8 liter V-6 20,000 miles Automatic transmission

I bought the car with a stock engine and put the following performance upgrades:

• Cold air intake
• Headers
• Cat-back exhaust

Up to this point the car ran great. Then I bought a Comp Cam and had it installed with all the extras, except rocker arms which my mechanic said were good enough. That is where my trouble started.

The car always started at the turn of the key, before the upgrades and up to the cam installation. Now, it runs great for a few days, will start first time, every time. Then, for a few days at a time, it starts up then stalls, starts and stalls 3 or 4 times. Once it starts, it runs choppy and almost cuts off until the engine heats up. Then it is fine.

The Check Engine Light stays on and the code is a misfire due to the cam. Here's where it gets dicey... The guy who sold me the cam said I needed a new PCM that was programmed for the cam. He sold me a PCM that came from a Buick Grand National. The Check Engine Light is off, but the car still does not start correctly.

Apparently I should never have turned 50, or I should have got myself a girlfriend! Short of changing engines, or reinstalling the original cam, do you have any ideas????

Frank

A. Well Frank, it's like my Grandfather always said, "If it's got boob's or wheels, it's going to give you problems".

Sounds like you really opened up a can of worms!! The only thing I could tell you is try talking to someone from GM tech assistance. They may be able to get you a custom program for the orig PCM that will allow it to run okay.

Other than that, I would install the factory cam back in. I guess there is always the chance that the guy who installed it messed something up that is acting up intermittently.