4,221 Miles In And The Camaro Already Has Its First Warranty Repair

"The Finker" (finker) 01/03/2016 at 16:00 • Filed to: Chevrolet, Camaro, Warranty, Service, Repair, Parts, Stories, 2015

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Waiting at a red light on a slight incline, I gently tap my Camaro’s throttle pedal while feathering out its clutch just at the moment the light turns green. If this were a drag race, my reaction time would be spectacular. But this is not a drag race, and within milliseconds of disengaging the clutch I feel it happen. Womp! The car stalls and dies. A horn blares from behind me.

I throw the clutch back in and twist the ignition key. Chug, chug, chug, chug. Nothing. More horns chime in. I twist the ignition key again. Chug, chug, chug, chug. Nothing. Another horn joins in the cacophony.

Once more I twist the key. Chug, chug, chug, chug. Vroom! The engine comes back to life. Gas in, clutch out, tires kicking up asphalt. The Camaro and I hustle our way to the nearest side street, at which point I look down at the big coupe’s gauge cluster. Although I can hear the engine pleasantly firing away, the tachometer’s needle points its orange glow at the ‘0’ mark and the display screen warns me to service the StabiliTrak system immediately.

Unsure of what’s gone wrong, or if the Camaro will even restart if I shut it down again, I high-tail it to the nearest Chevrolet dealership. Unfortunately, it’s Sunday and the service center is closed for the day. I’ll return tomorrow morning, I think. Except the car, once again, barely chugs to life. Best to leave it overnight.

The next morning I take the train to the dealership. The service tech reports that he had no trouble starting the car before my arrival; however, he agrees to look into the issue. Hours later, the problem re-emerges. The service tech calls to tell me the bad news - the crankshaft positioning sensor is on its way out. Fortunately, the $84.32 in parts and labor to replace the faulty part is covered under Chevrolet’s warranty. The tech tells me that I can pick the car up in an hour.

I return to the service center, sign some paperwork, and retrieve my keys. The car fires up right away.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > The Finker 01/03/2016 at 16:14

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It’s always a joy to have you vehicle misbehave whilst having people behind you blaring their horns.

Urambo Tauro > The Finker 01/03/2016 at 16:15

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My oil lasts longer than that.

Urambo Tauro > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/03/2016 at 16:18

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I like to flip the hazard flashers on right away so they know I’m not daydreaming. It’s still embarrassing, though.

Justin > Urambo Tauro 01/03/2016 at 16:21

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Most fluids last longer than a chevy. Oil, Mountain dew, Diarrhea...

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Urambo Tauro 01/03/2016 at 16:25

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It also happens to me only when I’m in the left turn only lane.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Urambo Tauro 01/03/2016 at 16:25

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My oil leaks faster than that

Urambo Tauro > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/03/2016 at 16:28

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And at rush hour... uphill... in the snow.

boxrocket > The Finker 01/03/2016 at 16:50

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A crankshaft position sensor at just over 4k vehicle miles?! Or is it used and you’ve only put over 4k on it?

The Finker > boxrocket 01/03/2016 at 16:51

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Bought it with 9 miles on the clock, and 4,212 miles later the crankshaft position sensor failed 

boxrocket > The Finker 01/03/2016 at 17:06

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...that suuuuuuuuuucks.

Hey Julie > Urambo Tauro 01/03/2016 at 17:17

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Sn95 all day

shop-teacher > The Finker 01/03/2016 at 18:00

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That blows chunks.

gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun > The Finker 01/03/2016 at 22:57

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I had to do the camshaft sensors on my Z this summer, mind you it had 80k at that point and is an expected failure for the VQ engines.

I sure hope this one lasts longer!

Urambo Tauro > Hey Julie 01/04/2016 at 00:24

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You betcha!

Hey Julie > Urambo Tauro 01/04/2016 at 00:26

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They don't get nearly enough love. Fox body platform with a lighter body and a better engine but somehow people pass them up for ratty fox bodies.

Urambo Tauro > Hey Julie 01/04/2016 at 00:47

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Whether or not it’s the same platform is kind of a grey area; they’re the same but different. Foxes were a bit lighter than the SN95s, though. And being on the production line for a decade-and-a-half is a recipe for a strong aftermarket, too.

I like my ‘95, but the Foxes are still ok in my book. It’s just getting harder to find clean ones.

pip bip - choose Corrour > The Finker 01/04/2016 at 02:58

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i’m surprised it’s lasted that long before needing warranty repairs

uofime-2 > The Finker 01/04/2016 at 11:35

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I don’t know why everyone’s in such a huff, new stuff sometimes has defects, that’s the whole point of warranties.

Good to hear it was a quick easy fix.