NHTSA Complaint #10319828 — 2002 CHEVROLET CAMARO

2002 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS. CONSUMER STATES ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO WIRING HARNESS PLACEMENT. *TGW ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE NUMBER 7 CYLINDER MAY HAVE PASSED COMPRESSED LIQUID, MOST LIKELY FUEL THAT CAUSED THE PISTON AND ROD TO BE DAMAGED. IT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER WALL WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO INDICATED THAT THE NUMBER 8 CYLINDER WAS DAMAGED. THE DEALER STATED THE CAUSE FOR THE FUEL INJECTORS REMAINING IN THE OPEN POSITION WAS THE WIRING CONTROLLING THE FUEL INJECTORS WAS CHAFED AND MAKING CONTACT WITH THE BULKHEAD WHICH GROUNDED THE WIRING. THE CONSUMER STATED ONE DAY HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND WHITE SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST, HE SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND LET IT SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DISTANCE OF THE WIRING FROM THE BULKHEAD IS LESS THAN 1/4 OF AN INCH, THE PCM CAN BE MADE TO MOVE JUST UNDER 1/2 INCH WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH DISTANCE FOR THE WIRES TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE BULKHEAD. IT WOULD INDICATE THAT OVER TIME, VIBRATION FROM DRIVING CONDITIONS WOULD CAUSE THE PCM TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH WHICH STRONGLY SUGGEST A FLAW IN THE POSITIONING OF THE PCM. THERE WAS EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT AN OUTSIDE SOURCE CAUSED THE WIRING TO CHAFE, SUCH AS RODENTS NESTING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *JB