Having doubts. Need advice. - Page 2 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Test_Eng · 03-22-2016, 06:49 PM

I bought my car (1LE/1SS) used from a dealer ~2K Miles and the previous owner had put headers and CAI on the car but never had it tuned. Guess how I found out that it did not have a tune??? Pulled out of the dealership after setting up OnStar (Dealership Closed while setting up OnStar) and as I pulled out onto the main road CEL!!!! I didn't sweat it tho. I did my homework before buying the car and saw a 70/30 split with members that have kooks headers and needed a tune to clear the CEL. My state has by biyearly emissions so I cannot have the CEL. My first contact after getting home was Jennetty to get a programmer and an online tune for my options. After driving the car for a year and 3000 miles with no issues I made the next plunge, I did a LSA conversion and again had Jannetty perform my tune remotely.

My Camaro is not my daily driver and I would have never done all this work if it had been my daily driver. But knowing the reputation of the LS3 and its reliability I figured it was worth the risk and if something breaks then I'll go bigger on the next build.

Given your situation, you have two options:

1. Leave your car the way it is and drive the hell out it.
2. Start the mods and open your wallet and drive the hell out of it. Remember the first performance mod will only lead to the second and so third, fourth...

Either way you will need a tune as you most likely will get a CEL with the header install and you will need a tune to maximize the performance of the upgrade.

Turbo_J89 · 03-22-2016, 07:45 PM

Did you buy a 1LE to get a track monster or just a really nice car? I daily drive my 1LE and i find the 426hp/420tq to be MORE than enough. I get a real kick in the a$% nailing it that put's a huge smile on my face and love the handling. NPP exhaust is plenty loud enough for me and i don't feel an urge to do long tube headers. If i wanted it to go faster, I would just flip off the traction/stability features.

If you bought your 1LE because you love modding and pushing the limits, you might bore yourself into selling the car if you leave it bone stock.

1LE66 · 03-22-2016, 08:14 PM

I bought my 1LE a little over a month ago. It's a fun car to drive but I am going to do a cam and bolt ons . I am looking to make 480 to 500whp

1KillerSS · 03-23-2016, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo_J89

Did you buy a 1LE to get a track monster or just a really nice car? I daily drive my 1LE and i find the 426hp/420tq to be MORE than enough. I get a real kick in the a$% nailing it that put's a huge smile on my face and love the handling. NPP exhaust is plenty loud enough for me and i don't feel an urge to do long tube headers. If i wanted it to go faster, I would just flip off the traction/stability features.

If you bought your 1LE because you love modding and pushing the limits, you might bore yourself into selling the car.

I wish all I had to do was kick off the nannies to go faster......

How does wanting to mod your car bore you into wanting to sell it? For me, it does the exact opposite.

Turbo_J89 · 03-23-2016, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1KillerSS

I wish all I had to do was kick off the nannies to go faster......

How does wanting to mod your car bore you into wanting to sell it? For me, it does the exact opposite.

I think you may have misinterpreted my comment. I corrected it to avoid any other confusion. Some people live to tinker and mod. I was saying that if the OP is this type of person, he may not stay interested in a bone stock car.

Mrpaintballordie · 03-23-2016, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1KillerSS

If the cause of the failure was related to the aftermarket work/parts done, and installed on the car. Than the warranty is VOID. If you install headers and do a tune, and your right front wheel bearing goes out at 7k miles. You still have a warranty and they can not deny the repair. UNLESS they can some how attribute that to the mod.n That is not my opinion, that is the law. It's called The Magnuson-Moss Act

Are you an adult? If not, then listen to your parents and be a good boy. If you are, then act like one, and make your own decisions.

I'm 21, I wouldn't quiet consider myself an adult yet. I pay for everything for my car and everything I need for it. But I still live with my parents. And I respect them enough to listen to what they say. After all they are the reason I got it because I don't have enough credit to get the car on my own. So that's why I am debating it.

MBaseman · 03-24-2016, 04:32 PM

My advice, as painful as it may sound, is to stick to minor mods only at this time. CAI should be fine, but probably a waste of money until you add other supporting mods to help the engine breathe better (such as your headers). Focus on some exterior customization type stuff like the ZL1 side rockers. I think those make the car look so much better.

Just my opinion. I'm 32 now and I have been itching to add headers, CAI and a tune. But I daily drive 70+ miles per day and bought an extended warranty since I'm putting 20K miles a year or more on the car. I know the tune is the biggest thing to worry about when talking about your power train warranty. They can blame almost anything on a tune. And it's going to be hard to prove otherwise. And why do headers without a tune. It can be done, but your leaving power and safety on the table driving around with headers and no tune. The air/fuel ratio is going to be dangerously lean. (I think, unless these cars' computers are good at compensating for that and adjusting on the fly?)

I had a 2001 Z28 and poured a ton of money into modding it once I started making money. I would kill to get that $25K+ back. The mod bug is contagious and will only stop when you ruin the car or sell it. There is always something else to do to the car and it's tough to stop at simple mods. After the headers don't give you the change in power that you were hoping for, you'll start looking at heads and cam. And then the car won't drive the same and it may be annoying to drive. You may then consider going with a supercharger or turbos. Before you know it, you have dropped a ton of money into a car that will not last forever and you'll kick yourself later on down the road. (Don't forget, as you increase the power you will have to start upgrading more and more other parts that you may not think of, like a clutch that handles the power, rear end, suspension, etc. this car is built better than my 2001 Z28, but you will still have to upgrade some supporting parts to get the most out of your mods)

Enjoy your awesome car. It's not the fastest, most badass car on the road, but it's better than most cars that you'll pass, or that other 21 year olds have. So enjoy it and start saving money. You never know what the future holds. Maybe you will make a ton of money and never have to worry, or maybe you will experience some tough times and be happy that you saved when you could. Plus, at some point you will want a house. You'll need a nice down payment for that.

Again, just my 2 cents.

But then again, you only live once. So do what makes you happy. Tomorrow is not a guarantee for any of us.

arkentect · 03-24-2016, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrpaintballordie

I'm 21, I wouldn't quiet consider myself an adult yet. I pay for everything for my car and everything I need for it. But I still live with my parents. And I respect them enough to listen to what they say. After all they are the reason I got it because I don't have enough credit to get the car on my own. So that's why I am debating it.

If you still live at home and bought the car under their credit then I wouldnt mod it. Because if that car becomes a paper weight and you cant fix it you're in a rough spot. Save your money, drive and enjoy the car, and move out when you can afford to.

69Tom · 03-24-2016, 06:21 PM

I'm not saying this to be a jerk, but before you add any modifications, I'd personally learn how to drive the car first. Get your shifting down, maybe get some track time with it stock. THEN do your mods. No point in having a faster car that you might not be able to handle. By the time the warranty is up, you should be a pretty good driver.

Chris1SS1LE · 03-24-2016, 06:48 PM

Not me, but someone I do know had something similar happen. His son took a year off college to work a bit and bought a cobalt ss, with no credit rating his parents cosigned. So one day I get a call from non-car friend and he asked if I could meet him at a car repair shop. So I get there and the car has 1000 miles and I said whats getting done to it. He says this shop says he needs a new motor and he is trying to get the dealer to come get it under warranty. I happen to know this shop pretty well, I asked the owner who is giggling told me to come inside. He said look down underneath and then look in this cardboard box on my desk. Rods, pistons, various metals etc. His son put the smallest pulley for the blower he could find, then bought a hand held tuner, because a friend of his said he could buy a tune. Well he didn't upload the tune and wanted to just take it around the block and only goosed it a little.

They brought to the shop because they can't get the pulley off, do to over torque the bolt and stripping it. The shop owner called the father to tell him he can't get it off. That is when the father asked "get what off?"

I told him the father GM is not going to warrant this. Your better off buying a used motor or build a new one for more boost. LOL he didn't see the humor.

So he still took it to the dealership to get their opinion. I saw it back at the repair shop nearby and asked the status to the shop owner. He said his dad is pizzed and somebody is not going back to college. So I asked stock motor install or modded, he said neither and if he doesn't get a return call soon its is going to have lien. I said why, he said the father now turned it in on his insurance. I was like how the hell does that happen, he said it broke on the property, hence the homeowner insurance should cover it. I was like you picked up on the street with a tow truck, he shrugged.

I asked my friend and he was not happy at all with situation. I almost offered to buy it, but signals where saying NO NO NO

51LE50 · 03-25-2016, 12:44 AM

Mr. Paintball, I would say that 69Tom and arkentect are giving sound advice - enjoy an awesome car as it is and drive it as it was meant to be driven. Believe me, it is rewarding to pass faster cars on the track due solely to your driving skills and not increased horsepower.
Spend that same money on track days, tires, brake pads, safety items and I would suggest your family relationships will not be stressed and you can have loads of fun at the same time, you'll be a better driver and meet a lot of great folks at the track who are doing the same thing - having a blast doing what they love to do for fun.
Best wishes!

RB913 · 03-29-2016, 04:03 PM

You've received good input here and at the end of the day, you have to do what you think is best in your situation. Your 1LE is nothing to sneeze at even without mods. Do nothing and be happy. Not sure what you want to accomplish (i.e. track faster), but you have to decide. I still have my '97 TA I bought new and immediately put Edelbrock headers on it, K&N CAI, and changed my exhaust. It didn't void my warranty. Like someone said above, if something happens to your car not in ANY way related to you mods, it's still covered. Good luck.

Thor142 · 03-29-2016, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69Tom

I'm not saying this to be a jerk, but before you add any modifications, I'd personally learn how to drive the car first. Get your shifting down, maybe get some track time with it stock. THEN do your mods. No point in having a faster car that you might not be able to handle. By the time the warranty is up, you should be a pretty good driver.

This is great advice.

Teknolla · 03-29-2016, 04:36 PM

Stick to the mods that don't void your warranty for the time being! If you really want to install the headers, then maybe look into O2 sensor defoulers.

03-22-2016, 07:45 PM	#16
Turbo_J89 Drives: 2015 BVM Camaro 1LE (2SS/RS) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Leesburg, VA Posts: 973 View My Garage	Did you buy a 1LE to get a track monster or just a really nice car? I daily drive my 1LE and i find the 426hp/420tq to be MORE than enough. I get a real kick in the a$% nailing it that put's a huge smile on my face and love the handling. NPP exhaust is plenty loud enough for me and i don't feel an urge to do long tube headers. If i wanted it to go faster, I would just flip off the traction/stability features. If you bought your 1LE because you love modding and pushing the limits, you might bore yourself into selling the car if you leave it bone stock. Last edited by Turbo_J89; 03-23-2016 at 07:44 PM.

03-22-2016, 06:49 PM	#15
Test_Eng Drives: 2013 1SS RS 1LE NPP ADM LSA CON Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Western Maryland Posts: 194	I bought my car (1LE/1SS) used from a dealer ~2K Miles and the previous owner had put headers and CAI on the car but never had it tuned. Guess how I found out that it did not have a tune??? Pulled out of the dealership after setting up OnStar (Dealership Closed while setting up OnStar) and as I pulled out onto the main road CEL!!!! I didn't sweat it tho. I did my homework before buying the car and saw a 70/30 split with members that have kooks headers and needed a tune to clear the CEL. My state has by biyearly emissions so I cannot have the CEL. My first contact after getting home was Jennetty to get a programmer and an online tune for my options. After driving the car for a year and 3000 miles with no issues I made the next plunge, I did a LSA conversion and again had Jannetty perform my tune remotely. My Camaro is not my daily driver and I would have never done all this work if it had been my daily driver. But knowing the reputation of the LS3 and its reliability I figured it was worth the risk and if something breaks then I'll go bigger on the next build. Given your situation, you have two options: 1. Leave your car the way it is and drive the hell out it. 2. Start the mods and open your wallet and drive the hell out of it. Remember the first performance mod will only lead to the second and so third, fourth... Either way you will need a tune as you most likely will get a CEL with the header install and you will need a tune to maximize the performance of the upgrade.

03-22-2016, 08:14 PM	#17
1LE66 Drives: 2013 1LE Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Atlanta Posts: 108	I bought my 1LE a little over a month ago. It's a fun car to drive but I am going to do a cam and bolt ons . I am looking to make 480 to 500whp

03-24-2016, 04:32 PM	#21
MBaseman Drives: 2015 2SS/RS/1LE Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: South FL Posts: 213	My advice, as painful as it may sound, is to stick to minor mods only at this time. CAI should be fine, but probably a waste of money until you add other supporting mods to help the engine breathe better (such as your headers). Focus on some exterior customization type stuff like the ZL1 side rockers. I think those make the car look so much better. Just my opinion. I'm 32 now and I have been itching to add headers, CAI and a tune. But I daily drive 70+ miles per day and bought an extended warranty since I'm putting 20K miles a year or more on the car. I know the tune is the biggest thing to worry about when talking about your power train warranty. They can blame almost anything on a tune. And it's going to be hard to prove otherwise. And why do headers without a tune. It can be done, but your leaving power and safety on the table driving around with headers and no tune. The air/fuel ratio is going to be dangerously lean. (I think, unless these cars' computers are good at compensating for that and adjusting on the fly?) I had a 2001 Z28 and poured a ton of money into modding it once I started making money. I would kill to get that $25K+ back. The mod bug is contagious and will only stop when you ruin the car or sell it. There is always something else to do to the car and it's tough to stop at simple mods. After the headers don't give you the change in power that you were hoping for, you'll start looking at heads and cam. And then the car won't drive the same and it may be annoying to drive. You may then consider going with a supercharger or turbos. Before you know it, you have dropped a ton of money into a car that will not last forever and you'll kick yourself later on down the road. (Don't forget, as you increase the power you will have to start upgrading more and more other parts that you may not think of, like a clutch that handles the power, rear end, suspension, etc. this car is built better than my 2001 Z28, but you will still have to upgrade some supporting parts to get the most out of your mods) Enjoy your awesome car. It's not the fastest, most badass car on the road, but it's better than most cars that you'll pass, or that other 21 year olds have. So enjoy it and start saving money. You never know what the future holds. Maybe you will make a ton of money and never have to worry, or maybe you will experience some tough times and be happy that you saved when you could. Plus, at some point you will want a house. You'll need a nice down payment for that. Again, just my 2 cents. But then again, you only live once. So do what makes you happy. Tomorrow is not a guarantee for any of us.

03-24-2016, 06:21 PM	#23
69Tom Drives: 2013 Camaro 1LE 1SS/RS Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 146	I'm not saying this to be a jerk, but before you add any modifications, I'd personally learn how to drive the car first. Get your shifting down, maybe get some track time with it stock. THEN do your mods. No point in having a faster car that you might not be able to handle. By the time the warranty is up, you should be a pretty good driver.

03-24-2016, 06:48 PM	#24
Chris1SS1LE Drives: 2014 Camaro Red Hot 1LE NPP Recaro Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Indiana Posts: 639	Not me, but someone I do know had something similar happen. His son took a year off college to work a bit and bought a cobalt ss, with no credit rating his parents cosigned. So one day I get a call from non-car friend and he asked if I could meet him at a car repair shop. So I get there and the car has 1000 miles and I said whats getting done to it. He says this shop says he needs a new motor and he is trying to get the dealer to come get it under warranty. I happen to know this shop pretty well, I asked the owner who is giggling told me to come inside. He said look down underneath and then look in this cardboard box on my desk. Rods, pistons, various metals etc. His son put the smallest pulley for the blower he could find, then bought a hand held tuner, because a friend of his said he could buy a tune. Well he didn't upload the tune and wanted to just take it around the block and only goosed it a little. They brought to the shop because they can't get the pulley off, do to over torque the bolt and stripping it. The shop owner called the father to tell him he can't get it off. That is when the father asked "get what off?" I told him the father GM is not going to warrant this. Your better off buying a used motor or build a new one for more boost. LOL he didn't see the humor. So he still took it to the dealership to get their opinion. I saw it back at the repair shop nearby and asked the status to the shop owner. He said his dad is pizzed and somebody is not going back to college. So I asked stock motor install or modded, he said neither and if he doesn't get a return call soon its is going to have lien. I said why, he said the father now turned it in on his insurance. I was like how the hell does that happen, he said it broke on the property, hence the homeowner insurance should cover it. I was like you picked up on the street with a tow truck, he shrugged. I asked my friend and he was not happy at all with situation. I almost offered to buy it, but signals where saying NO NO NO

03-25-2016, 12:44 AM	#25
51LE50 Drives: 2015 1LE, 2SS, Bright Yellow - Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: The Knobs of Kentucky Posts: 133	Mr. Paintball, I would say that 69Tom and arkentect are giving sound advice - enjoy an awesome car as it is and drive it as it was meant to be driven. Believe me, it is rewarding to pass faster cars on the track due solely to your driving skills and not increased horsepower. Spend that same money on track days, tires, brake pads, safety items and I would suggest your family relationships will not be stressed and you can have loads of fun at the same time, you'll be a better driver and meet a lot of great folks at the track who are doing the same thing - having a blast doing what they love to do for fun. Best wishes!

03-29-2016, 04:03 PM	#26
RB913 Drives: 2014 2SS/RS 1LE Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Charles Town, WV Posts: 108 View My Garage	You've received good input here and at the end of the day, you have to do what you think is best in your situation. Your 1LE is nothing to sneeze at even without mods. Do nothing and be happy. Not sure what you want to accomplish (i.e. track faster), but you have to decide. I still have my '97 TA I bought new and immediately put Edelbrock headers on it, K&N CAI, and changed my exhaust. It didn't void my warranty. Like someone said above, if something happens to your car not in ANY way related to you mods, it's still covered. Good luck.

03-29-2016, 04:36 PM	#28
Teknolla Drives: 2010 2SS/RS Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: AB, Canada Posts: 28	Stick to the mods that don't void your warranty for the time being! If you really want to install the headers, then maybe look into O2 sensor defoulers.