Best options regarding 2010 V6 Camaro?

[ltrout]

Currently, I own a 2010 ABM Camaro V6. I love the car, especially the color, but have started having some problems with it. We bought the car for pretty cheap after talking to the owner and him assuring us it would only be a ~1.5k fix. Long story short, we ended up having to replace the engine with a used ~60k mile engine. We had just moved to this new town, so if we would have known before hand we wouldn't have been burned like we did. But after the new (used) engine was put in, the car was fine, kind of. Ever since owning it (a little over 14 months now) the car has given off a bad smell whenever you get on it, even just lightly getting on it to get around someone on a one lane road. It smells like something is burning. The engine light would come on and go off every couple weeks, and it kept coming back to the catalytic converter(s). Apparently GM extended the warranty on them to 80k, so me being at 78k was able to get the right one warrantied. Hasn't helped the smell, so I'm not entirely sure what that is due to. Living in Texas we have to deal with some very hot summer days. My car generally runs at 190-205 temperature on my trip to work and back, or just cruising around. I read that the fans come out at 220, or are supposed to. I have never heard my fans come on. A couple days back my digital thermometer for the coolant read 220-230 (would fluctuate) just sitting in the drive thru for about 2 minutes. It wasn't hot outside as it was at 10PM and the temperature was about 75. But the fans never kicked on. The physical coolant temperature gauge was between the halfway mark and the 1/4 mark on the left side, so I'm not sure if one of them are off or what. But what is weird, my fans have never kicked on. Sitting in traffic with the digital temperature reading 210-215, nothing. I'm coming up on 80k within the month and just had to replace the MAF sensor. Since the engine has been replaced we have had to fix the timing chains, right cat, MAF sensor, about to replace the serpentine belt this payday, and there's something else I feel I'm forgetting but it's been a long day so its stuck on the tip of my mind currently. I'm starting to read up on the issues people were having with their LLT engines and it's starting to get to me of if I should just keep this one for as long as I can and replace whatever needs replacing when the time comes? Or should I go ahead and try to get out of it into a newer (2012-2015) one? If I do the latter, it would be at the end of the year or early next year before I would be able to. I'm graduating HS next year, so I will be attending college and working so I am looking at just picking up the newest 14/15 V6 since they are high 10s to low 20s but some still have a couple years in their warranty left, or getting a 2012/13 V8, if I was to upgrade. I had the option to upgrade to a 15 2LT RS a few weeks prior, but didn't go through with it as I like my car a little too much to upgrade. The color is perfect and Chevy doesn't offer it anymore, and there's not too made or left currently so I feel like I would regret getting rid of it. I posted a couple weeks back about whether I should upgrade or not and the majority of you told me to get an SS, not surprising haha. So, what would be my best bet: Keeping it for as long as I can and just try to get into a new one in a couple years, if it was to last that long, or just try and get out of it at the end of the year? Also, what issues would I be looking forward to from this engine? I'm currently at 150 miles shy of 80k, but have seen some selling with 95-105k miles.

[beany323]

man.. sorry to hear that. i would say find some way to dump it before it starts to cost you more then its worth. in time and money. last case.. get it checked out at dealership or take it in and work on a trade.

good luck.

[ltrout]

Originally Posted by beany323

man.. sorry to hear that. i would say find some way to dump it before it starts to cost you more then its worth. in time and money. last case.. get it checked out at dealership or take it in and work on a trade.

good luck.

I think this will be my plan to upgrade in December. It’s unfortunate to let this ABM go. Definitely will be getting whatever I get next repainted as soon as I could to Aqua blue. Its too great of a color.

[STUNNAH]

With you being in high school, does your school offer a course in auto mechanics???A lot of students take advantage of that course instead of dealing with a shop...With your fans not kicking on it is probably an electrically issue from when you had the motor swapped...How is the current motor operating???You also stated it has an odor that you can't trace down, I would think that's an exhaust leak...If you can get the problems corrected at a minimal cost I would stay with the car as long as possible since you'll be headed to college in the near future...If you decide to trade out of the car you may want to look at something that is more economical...Not knowing your financial status I can tell you that starting college and making a car payment can be extremely stressful, which you need to give consideration to as well...Good luck with your choice...

[ltrout]

Originally Posted by STUNNAH

With you being in high school, does your school offer a course in auto mechanics???A lot of students take advantage of that course instead of dealing with a shop...With your fans not kicking on it is probably an electrically issue from when you had the motor swapped...How is the current motor operating???You also stated it has an odor that you can't trace down, I would think that's an exhaust leak...If you can get the problems corrected at a minimal cost I would stay with the car as long as possible since you'll be headed to college in the near future...If you decide to trade out of the car you may want to look at something that is more economical...Not knowing your financial status I can tell you that starting college and making a car payment can be extremely stressful, which you need to give consideration to as well...Good luck with your choice...

Unfortunately any auto mechanics I would take I would need to just learn myself since I do an online schooling from home, which I’m basically learning more and more about cars, I’m just a technology guy myself. As for the current engine, it seems to run fine usually. There's been some times where it’s almost bogged down so I will take it easy for a couple of days then it seems to be back to “normal”. I want to stay with the car for awhile given it’s my first car and everything, but the guy who owned this before me really does not deserve a car. When we bought it, the front fender and fascia were creased and dented and there were some dings all over and a major scratch along the drivers door. When driving the car at 50-60mph, the steering wheel shakes back and forth, sometimes very quickly, other times not as much. If we would have known more mechanics when we moved down here or we would have been able to take the car for a test drive (it wasnt running or turning over when we got it), I would more than likely bet we would have never purchased it.

As for trading and college. Only reason I would be consider trading is because currently mine is only halfish payed down so if I was to get a different one it would just likely be another V6 with much fewer miles. Since I will be doing a 2 year transfer from a good community college for the core classes to a University, my initial cost for college will be fairly cheap, so whatever I get, or if I keep this one, my goal would be to pay it off or almost off within the 3 years before I get to an actual University since I still have my senior year to take in fall. But this is why I’m trying to get some feedback on what I should do. I plan on taking the car to a mechanic to see if they can test the fans or see if there are any other problems with the vehicle. If there are none, I will keep it for sure and just try to pickup a cheap honda civic or something more reliable to limit the driving on this one.
Since I just got a pretty well paying job for my age and will be making at least 11$/hr within the month, I plan on saving as much money as possible so I would be able to either make a decent down payment on a trade or just fix whatever is wrong with mine currently.

[qcman]

Originally Posted by ltrout

......or we would have been able to take the car for a test drive (it wasnt running or turning over when we got it), I would more than likely bet we would have never purchased it.

I would have pulled the plug on the purchase right there. If I can't start a car and test drive it I'm moving on. I think your emotion for the car may have got the better of you. If so trust me likely all of us have fallen victim to that in our younger days. Take this one as a valuable lesson for any future cars you seek.

[18LTLoveIt]

Originally Posted by qcman

I would have pulled the plug on the purchase right there. If I can't start a car and test drive it I'm moving on. I think your emotion for the car may have got the better of you. If so trust me likely all of us have fallen victim to that in our younger days. Take this one as a valuable lesson for any future cars you seek.

+1

[ltrout]

Originally Posted by qcman

I would have pulled the plug on the purchase right there. If I can't start a car and test drive it I'm moving on. I think your emotion for the car may have got the better of you. If so trust me likely all of us have fallen victim to that in our younger days. Take this one as a valuable lesson for any future cars you seek.

Yeah I was telling my parents not to get it but my dad is the type who takes most peoples words and always thinks everything is just an easy fix. That’s why I am looking at cars on my own now, so I can at least judge if they’re good or not.

[qcman]

Originally Posted by ltrout

Yeah I was telling my parents not to get it but my dad is the type who takes most peoples words and always thinks everything is just an easy fix. That’s why I am looking at cars on my own now, so I can at least judge if they’re good or not.

Good for you leave the old man at home next time.

[ltrout]

Originally Posted by qcman

Good for you leave the old man at home next time.

Hahah! For sure!

[DvKillar]

I got 4 kids. never helped them buy a non-runner. my kids aren't car lovers, though. they would take anything to shuttle them around.

good for you to want to stick with your first car! but, reality is, most of our first cars were pieces of sh!t. so we could learn how to be responsible.

please do what gets you through school with least hassle! you will thank me!

[ltrout]

Originally Posted by DvKillar

I got 4 kids. never helped them buy a non-runner. my kids aren't car lovers, though. they would take anything to shuttle them around.

good for you to want to stick with your first car! but, reality is, most of our first cars were pieces of sh!t. so we could learn how to be responsible.

please do what gets you through school with least hassle! you will thank me!

Yeah my dad is definitely crazy when it comes to craigslist. Whatever is cheapest is what he wants to get, no matter what. Hence the reason we have been burned numerous times, but now that I am learning about cars more and can definitely handle money way better its going to save my butt on my next purchase for sure.