2018 Camaro code mystery

2018 Camaro lt. 3.6 convertible. 45k miles.

Was a lease vehicle. Owner bought in 2018. Wrecked last winter and he didn't want insurance to fix because only being in America 10yrs they don't want a insurance claim as "it will cost to much". That should've been my first sign right there to run "it'll cost to much". Anyways was doing some household work for the owner and got talking about the car.

Turns out after they wrecked it Ibai the Iraqi mechanic, bodyman offered to fix it for 7k. I wouldn't have taken it there looking at the body work. I would've took my chances with insurance and got it done right and kept possible factory warranty on it as if I recollect properly GM is 5yr 60k miles still?

It gets better. Gas was leaking lb ground so he took it to the repair shop by the meatpacking plant that's changed names 4 times in the last year. They told him it needed a fuel tank.

So he ordered a tank for $500-600 and took it over and dropped it off. I asked him did anyone ever hook a computer up at all to this and his response was.... NO!

2018 is the newest thing I've worked on and with what little reading I've did on some troubleshooting information it looks as if with some things you're going to want that bidirectional scan tool for checking fuel pressure since it's a high pressure fuel system.

I'll add some photos but with the wreck this had and other things going on my thought is clear codes, go run it from cold and within a mile it dies then starts and runs fine. Codes on engine are fuel related codes.

This was with the Snap-On scanner. I did recall with the Bosch scan tool there was a network related code to do with CAN Lo if I recall. Another mystery I'd say. This car has been spray painted where it's been wrecked. A ok job for spray paint but my thing is fix it right as I know he said he still owes 13k of the $23k on it.

Another reason finance companies should check on their assets from time to time. If they had to repo it they'd have to send it to be parted out to make any money as all but 2 body panels have damage from the wreck and have been hammered out as smooth as a hammer can do it. Scary just thinking about it. Still thinking about running but a trio of fuel codes can't be that bad can they or not? We'll see over time.

Enjoy the pics and let me know would you clear and see what comes back since it's probably never been cleared since it was wrecked?

I'll add the photos in the next post as I have to go load them into a folder.

Here's a long screenshot photo of the scan. Couldn't edit the PDF file and save as it's with adobe and don't know if we can load adobe files.

Clear all the codes see what comes back. Also I think you need to see if your loosing power to the fuel pump since you have control codes.

No current engine codes, no permanent codes, and all monitors complete? Looks good to me. Like Cheryl said, clear the codes, drive it and see what happens. Run the EVAP Service Bay Test if you want, since they had the tank out.

IMO, all of those fuel codes could have been set as the result of replacing the tank.

Yes I think he’s losing power to the fuel pump somehow because after he starts driving he gets a flashing check engine light and it shuts down. Once it shuts down he can then cycle the key off and start it back up and drive and he won’t have that issue anymore for the rest of that Time that he’s driving until the vehicle cools down again.

I was doing some reading on the fuel system and they really have these now where with the high pressure pump, checking pressures with a scan tool and/j-box is something you will want to be able to harness the ability with.

From the sounds of it when it may be going from open to closed loop when this is happening as he said he don’t get very far from house when this occurs.

At least I’ll get a good training on this one. Reading the fuel system circuit description on this one can really get sideways if they wander far off track. I need to stay focused. I’ll delete, check pressures cold as suggested in repair information just so I don’t have to wait for the vehicle to cool down again if the codes come back and shut it down on a test drive.

Don't forget to save those freeze frame captures before you clear codes.

You'll see one/two captures for each of your codes, which will (hopefully) give you a pretty specific idea of what to look for on your test drive. I'm always pleasantly surprised how detailed GM freeze frame captures are.

When doing test drive get data pids for ltft and stft, fuel pressure, rpm, maf and tps. As well as missfire data for all cylinders.
Flashing check engine light is for potentially damaging misfires and in some cases can shut engine off or a limp mode. Fyi

Tyler wrote: Don't forget to save those freeze frame captures before you clear codes.

You'll see one/two captures for each of your codes, which will (hopefully) give you a pretty specific idea of what to look for on your test drive. I'm always pleasantly surprised how detailed GM freeze frame captures are.

Will do, why is it always the freeze frame data that I seem to forget about? I was racking my brain yesterday sitting here at the house thinking about it and was thinking what is that one particular piece of information that I need and then you threw it out there which is called the freeze frame data. I need to maybe make a little piece of background image on my phone that says freeze frame dataThen after I look at it 100 times I will remember.

Hardtopdr2 wrote: When doing test drive get data pids for ltft and stft, fuel pressure, rpm, maf and tps. As well as missfire data for all cylinders.
Flashing check engine light is for potentially damaging misfires and in some cases can shut engine off or a limp mode. Fyi

Very good information as that’s long the lines of what I wanted to look at with some of the trims. I had also read in the OEM repair information as shop key doesn’t have much yet so I click on the OEM repair data and shop key and reading through some of the information I saw in there that when you take the fuel pressure readings with the scan tool that you want to do it when the engine is cold. Hence why I want to do that before I go for a test drive in car or the other data. Kind of a backwards way that some people are used to doing things but good thing I read through that information which will save me an extra trip couple blocks down the street when I do go to do it.

Yes, he has said it shuts off generally within a few blocks from his house with a flashing light then he turns it off and starts it back up and it runs the rest of the day fine. That has me scratching my head because if it was a bad enough issue that would cause the engine damage why would it allow him to restart but who knows. I’m leaning towards electrical but at the same time sounds like it could be a fuel pump Issue being that they had replaced the fuel tank because there was a fuel leak midway under the vehicle which I didn’t understand. I want to get underneath it and see if they even put the fuel tank on or told them it needed a fuel tank and then when he Drop the fuel tank off did they replace it or not. When the shop has changed their name four times in the last year that Sends up warning signals to me.

The only reason I happen to know that was I had bumped into the manager of the local auto parts store I deal with at Menards in we got talking about this deal briefly and he gave me one of those just so you know pieces of information.

I’ve seen those same days out at the you pull your own parts yard while I was there Looking for a part for my daughters car a couple years ago. They were trying to take the backseats out of the car and couldn’t get them out because they didn’t have any tools to do the job properly and I think one out of the three guys one was able to speak English to me or the others just didn’t want to.

Essentially it’s a car dealership in one of the spooky parts of town. It’s not a spooky part of town of me because I know the neighborhood living here 27 years but other people get real edgy in that neighborhood plus there’s a lot of crime in that neighborhood as it’s just east of the downtown area.

Dtnel wrote: Will do, why is it always the freeze frame data that I seem to forget about?

Because most of the time it's useless? :silly: But it's still good practice to check, anyway.

Tyler wrote:

Dtnel wrote: Will do, why is it always the freeze frame data that I seem to forget about?

Because most of the time it's useless? :silly: But it's still good practice to check, anyway.

Gotta create the habits!!

I typically start data logging right before i start the car this way it captures the info as it warms up. Saving the data every so often ~4000 frames or sooner. This way if a sensor is reading the same in engine off versus engine running i know that sensor might need looked at. This works great on diesel engines as the back pressure sensor, map sensor and a few others will show if there bad or not provided you know what the data tells you. Just something i picked up along the way.

Ok got in the freeze frame data, the generic stuff and the more I looked things revolved more around fuel. Fuel trims~ OFF. Other things were off as well as to much running thru my brain at 3 am.

To go further I kind of ran into a snag but I think I may have found a fix doing some reading on the ol Interweb :woohoo: :woohoo:

This is a push to start button vehicle and every time I try to clear things well just fail. I push the button where the radio is on and the display says "put foot on brake pedal to start engine" as we all have did that a time, two or more.

So when doing the reading as I'm not the first person I found with this question I found that on a Hyundai someone had asked the same question about on a different forum. The response he got was push the start button twice, yes I said twice. Is this in fact true with most, some or all "PTS" vehicles?

The guy asked why twice instead of once and was told that one time gets you to the accessory position and the 2nd time takes it past accessory and to waking the ECM ? If this in fact the case it explains alot to me as I now know why every 5-7 or so minutes I was pressing that button.

It also explains further more why I was getting mystery errors when trying to do certain functions such as purge, vent seal, fuel pump enable and other functions I expanded to as I found one wouldn't work so I tried other functions.

The result was failed tests with a familiar "odd" message which I'll post a edited picture of based off the reading on the scan tool.

IF this is the case and it hasn't been done maybe create a sticky about "Read this before deleting codes with PTS / Push To Start engines"

I guarantee if I'd seen it at the beginning of the repair questions forums I probably would've seen it. That or maybe have a push to start topics section at the beginning of the repair questions forum in a Unique color so maybe it grabs that persons attention.

Though I could be wrong on this whole procedure and if so maybe a mod would be willing to adjust my post accordingly if I can't.

I do still like the PTS section as those are more common these days and they have special stuff we all like, buttons.

The device control limit was the error I got each time when I tried to do EVAP, Purge Seal, Fuel Pump Enable after the first two failed.

The code cleared shows that the codes didn't clear so that is probably a result of the same issue I was thinking on the PTS possibly needing to be pressed 2 times?

The joy of getting something newer with 45k miles. A learning experience indeed but definitely climbing the ladder to learn more.

The freeze frame data was not around the 1st time I'd scanned it tonight but then just appeared after pushing the freeze frame data again.

My thoughts is possibly a wire shorted somewhere and given the guy they had put the front end back together even with red duct tape and bent parts has me telling the kid and his father who own it that I could've did better and even got an alignment done and I would've had someone with a paint booth paint the parts and took less than 2 months.

I know our local body shop, one of many in town and they could've been in and out in less than 2 weeks and only had to pay a deductible. I think the 22yr old who wrecked it got that explained to the father finally.

The fuel tank was replaced as something came under and scraped the underside of vehicle cracking the fuel tank as just in front of the fuel tank there's a chunk of the unibody missing. Even the body shop guy didn't seem to catch that. Looking at the reviews online about this auto repair shop I shake my head.

Saw one review where the guy said the mechanic even told him the car wasn't road safe. That's the thing I hate about our state not having safety inspections as there's alot of junk running around locally not maintained that shouldn't be on the road due to deficiencies.


Here's the photos I forgot to add so had to edit post right after posting. Arghh!! Lol....

Those temperature PIDs in the first picture are highly suspect.

Engine coolant temp of 33 f when intake air reads 100 f ??? One of them is bad. Also fuel rail pressure (e8) not sure if it is supossed to read 582.9 psi.

Hardtopdr2 wrote: Engine coolant temp of 33 f when intake air reads 100 f ??? One of them is bad. Also fuel rail pressure (e8) not sure if it is supossed to read 582.9 psi.

This is a high pressure fuel system. I have to go back and read the info I was reading the other day because fuel pressures were noted to be higher and advised not to be just opening the fuel pressure system up without proper training.

Luckily they're not like diesel trucks. Those are really high pressure fuel systems which I know from working on them years ago can be dangerous.

Hardtopdr2 wrote: Engine coolant temp of 33 f when intake air reads 100 f ??? One of them is bad. Also fuel rail pressure (e8) not sure if it is supossed to read 582.9 psi.

I went crawling around under the vehicle and I can see why certain sensors are messed up. I know when the accident first occurred it was winter time as in snowy, icy roads. I'm building trust with the guy after the last guy did a hack job putting the car back together, the body work and even the paint job. Maybe the place should stick to one type of work and they'll get better.

Well after doing some looking online found the correct method on the PTS systems for KOEO position to delete codes. We'll head over and see if it works as described in one of the two methods I found and if so start to move further along in the process.

While in the repair information I did find that both codes basically point to the same thing in the repair flow for the mfr code description which has both of the codes listed. Fingers crossed! Not a big rush as the dad won't let his 22 yr old son drive the car as I found being that he's not working only the dad will be the one driving it since he's making the payment the son said. Kind of funny but I guess when you don't work and live at home you have to live by your parents rules.

On a side note is their a such thing as a air bag waiver? Code lights for air bag and they don't want to repair them even though you've explained the pros and cons to them? Maybe a disclaimer one can incorporate into paperwork? It's on the same vehicle.

On the GM push button systems, I'm pretty sure you just hold the button down for five seconds to get it into KOEO mode. Lemme know if I'm wrong. :silly:

I have to go back and read the info I was reading the other day because fuel pressures were noted to be higher and advised not to be just opening the fuel pressure system up without proper training.

Eh, unless you think a low side or high side sensor is lying, you really shouldn't have to open up the system during testing. I usually check the high side sensor against the low side by observing both on a cold engine with the low side pump running. Like temp sensors, they should generally agree.

If you do end up doing repairs, don't forget the 'Depressurize Fuel System' bidirectional control. It'll do the work for you. TBH, I just take the low side connection off slowly, with a rag wrapped around it to catch the spray. Never had a problem.

Tyler wrote: On the GM push button systems, I'm pretty sure you just hold the button down for five seconds to get it into KOEO mode. Lemme know if I'm wrong. :silly:

@Tyler , Yes had to hold button down for appx 5 seconds and the vehicle went into KOEO mode.


Finished the diag. Low pressure pump in the tank wasn’t holding pressure even in KOEO position. Told the kid this was the problem and asked him to let me know what his dad wanted to do. Apparently they didn’t like my price or believe me and took it to the dealer via tow truck.

I got paid so I was happy and he went and spent $1 k at the dealer to get it done which was at least double of what I’d estimated to him plus diagnosis.

The dad was unaware of the diagnosis, cost I’d given his son when I stopped by to get money for the fuel pump diagnosis, sprinkler repair work and a few other things I’d did for him as well. The son was out of state in Minnesota that weekend as we live near the state line. He and his brother had went to visit a Aunt in the Twin Cities. We’ll just say the father wasn’t very happy when I told him how much I could’ve did it for versus the dealer.

I still walked away with a smile on my face. :silly: :dry: :dry: :S