So, I did a thing ...

[Don]

So a few years ago, I attended a Cars & Coffee event at Summit Racing. While I was there, I learned about a local Camaro Club and became a lurker on their Facebook page.

Fast forward to this past September, and my Camaro popped up a CEL and "Reduced Engine Power" warning. I took it to the shop I have been going to for over 7 years, and they diagnosed a front and/or rear main seal leak. Repair estimate of $2,800. It also needed a L/F wheel bearing (which I knew about) and since my car currently has 166,100 miles AND the factory-installed clutch, I thought that now would be a good time to replace the clutch as well (since they would have to drop the bell housing to get to the rear main seal) ... I`ve never heard of, or seen a clutch last that long before. While they were at it, I also requested an oil change, it`s almost due anyway.

The total estimate for everything came to $4,200

There was no way I was going to be able to pull that off. Fortunately?? My Dr took me off work for stress and I`m filing for disability retirement (the job has turned to absolute POISON and I`m NOT EVER going back!!). Anyway, since I no longer needed the car to get back & forth to work everyday, I decided to store it for the winter and deal with it in the Spring.

I posted about the estimate a few places and EVERYBODY SCREAMED at me to get a 2nd opinion. I really trusted the shop and didn`t really want to have someone else tell me the same thing (plus I didn`t know where else to go ... didn`t really want to go to a dealership). But the President of the Camaro Club I had been lurking around on, recommended the Club`s preferred shop (also a sponsor of the Club), which is local to me - so I figured, Why not?

It took two weeks for me to get into the shop and he had it for 2 days, doing diagnostics and checking everything. The owner and I had been communicating over FB Messenger and the night of the 2nd day, he messaged me. I didn`t get the message until after closing time, so I messaged him back in the morning and he asked if he could call me. I immediately started thinking the worst ... cracked block etc. But I didn`t have much time to think about it, because he called me right away. I was floored at his findings.

The clutch was fine, no slippage or anything that would indicate that it was going out. The wheel bearing did need replaced, but I already knew that. The front/rear main seals were bone dry - no leaks of any kind. The only thing he did find was a fuel pressure sensor under the intake manifold was reading bad, which would cause both the CEL and the "Reduced Engine Power" warning.

Total estimate for the wheel bearing, fuel pressure sensor and 2 DAYS of diagnostic? $1,218. I haven`t spoken to my "regular" shop since and made arrangements with the owner of the Club`s shop to bring the Camaro in after it`s time for it to come out of hibernation.

In the meanwhile, since I announced that I was retiring, everyone in my circle (which isn`t very big) had been telling me to expand my hobbies, to find something I enjoyed doing and do it often, so I wouldn`t be sitting around the house for the next 20 + years at loose ends with myself.

There was the last meeting of the Camaro Club for 2022 on November 22 (which is held at a restaurant VERY close to me), so I decided to attend ... and I joined. $15 dues for the 1st year, $10 a year after that. Their charity of choice is ACBC (Aluminum Cans for Burned Children), and all the money raised at their events goes there. They have monthly meetings and HUGE events throughout the Spring, Fall and Summer, all over the state. Two birds with one stone ... something to keep me occupied and helping others ... a Win/Win. I even got a real cool window decal for the Camaro - I`m going to get a 2nd decal so I can put it on both quarter windows.

So that`s what I`ve been up to.

[Setec Astronomy]

Wow, that all sounds great!

[Stokdgs]

I have no idea how a "front and/or rear main oil leak" would ever have anything to do with the "reduced engine power" notification...

And, did you ever notice a huge amount of oil leaking out of the bottom of your Camaro, onto the garage floor??? Or seen it starting to seep out when you changed your oil???

Good luck with going to That shop again...

I am glad you found another place to take your car, Don..

Dan F

[Dan]

I have no idea how a "front and/or rear main oil leak" would ever have anything to do with the "reduced engine power" notification...

And, did you ever notice a huge amount of oil leaking out of the bottom of your Camaro, onto the garage floor??? Or seen it starting to seep out when you changed your oil???

Good luck with going to That shop again...

I am glad you found another place to take your car, Don..

Dan F

Exactly. Sometimes a reliable shop changes owners or the owner changes. Glad Don found a better shop.

[Don]

I have no idea how a "front and/or rear main oil leak" would ever have anything to do with the "reduced engine power" notification...

And, did you ever notice a huge amount of oil leaking out of the bottom of your Camaro, onto the garage floor??? Or seen it starting to seep out when you changed your oil???

Good luck with going to That shop again...

I am glad you found another place to take your car, Don..

Dan F

For the last (at least) 8 months, my head has REALLY been screwed up, and I`ve not been thinking clearly (work toxicity at it`s finest). Otherwise I really would have questioned the "findings" of the first shop ... according to THEM, I had a vacuum leak that THEY said was coming from either the front or rear main seal(s). Until that time, they had always been honest and accurate in their diagnostics. I know, I know ... a main seal leak would also mean an oil leak, and I`m not leaking ANY oil. Like I said, I haven`t been thinking clearly for a long time.

I started going to that other shop, because they are the only place in the area that uses Amsoil, which is what I prefer to use in the Camaro. But the good news is that while the new shop doesn`t CARRY Amsoil, they WILL order it for me as long as I let them know in advance that I want it for my oil changes.

Kudos to the Camaro Club for recommending this shop.

[Don]

Exactly. Sometimes a reliable shop changes owners or the owner changes. Glad Don found a better shop.

The people there are all the same, so I don`t know WHAT happened this time around.

[Coatings=crack]

The people there are all the same, so I don`t know WHAT happened this time around.

We’re they busy? Maybe falling on hard times…. Need to make rent and payroll.


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