I think the Haynes' books are pretty useful if you intending on doing a lot of work on your car yourself. I had one for my first car (Beretta) and my second (Grand Cherokee). They're handy.

 

I would recommend the haynes manuals. Sometimes they will miss a detail or two, but over all they are very good. Worth 20 bucks for sure. When looking for yours, do not just look for 00-05 Monte carlo, look for something like 00-05 Impala/ Monte Carlo. It is very common for the haynes manuals to include multiple cars that are simliar...It may even include Pontiac Grand prix...If you happen to find one that makes mention of the 06-07 Monte Carlo, let me know that book numbr, I would really appreciate it.

As for the seafoam in the gas anda check engine light, I would be pretty suspicious myself if the light came on after putting in the seafoam.

I know that you mentioned doing a engine flush with seafoam...here is what I think. (And please just take it for what its worth, and know that its just my OPINION, i'm not saying anyone is right or wrong)....but I would NEVER put anything like that in my engine. It state right in the owners manual to not add any oil additives. What kind of oil do you use? If your not already using synthetic, I recommend switching to a synthetic...NO, it will not hurt your engine in anyway to switch to a synthetic at high milage. I switched my 89 Silverado 5.7L to synthetic at 200K. It cured the poof of smoke that it used to put out on start up after sitting for a while. Now it does not do it. Plus synthetic oils when used from the beginning do not leave near the ol deposits in an engine that conventional oils do. My Monte has been on Mobil 1 since day 1 (really more like week 2) and has 76K on it. My engine is spotless inside from what I can see with a flash light through the oil filler hole. If you switch to a synthetic (something like Mobil 1 high milage) now, it will help to clean up your engine over time.

For your gas, I recommend RedLine complete fuel system cleaner.

Good Luck, and let us know what the code is for...

 

I haven't put it in my engine yet. I still have a bottle sitting there. If I never miss an oil change at 3k (sometimes under) would I still need the synthetic switch?

 

You don't NEED a synthetic oil...and at 3K intervals, i'm sure your engine is pretty darn clean anyway...But if there are oil deposits in your engine, synthetic will clean them up over time, and keep your engine clean for miles to come. Also, with a synthetic oil, you most definetly do not need to change your oil every 3K....for you i would go every 5K (which is a low interval) but you've said you do a lot of city driving. Maybe do the first 3 changes at 3K just because it will be cleaning up the engine a bit too....

I know some people say sythetics are bad in high milage engines, other don't think so...I'm speaking from experience with an engine that hd 200K on it when i started using synthetic...It works great, and I now have 230K all trouble free miles....

And on new engines I would never put a drop of anything but synthetic in it......Synthetics IMO are WELL worth the money.

 

I always just figured a synthetic came with a higher price tag, and you were just able to go longer without an oil change. Good for those people that do a lot of mileage driving and don't want to keep getting oil changes. (I used to get an oil change a month, first weekend every month lol)

Now I still do it at every 3K, but it takes me longer to get there, or I don't let the oil get older than 2.5-3 months.

 

There is more benefits to synthetic than just longer drain intervals...Like I said before you could easily go 5K on it with your driving habbits...just do 3K for the first few to help clean up the engine a bit. As I said, synthetics do keeps your engine cleaner...We use Mobil 1 in ALL our cars at my house, and ALL our engines (minus the trucks) are spotless inside when looking throgh the oil filler. Also, synthetics offer better protection in extreme cold and extreme hot weather...I HIGHLY recomment synthetics. Also, just to note, the price difference is not much at all being I would be changing every 5K if using conventional in my car, and I change every 7500-9K (depending on when the OLM goes off) using Mobil 1...So actually its cheaper to use synthetic...IDK if you change your own oil, but if you do, I get the 5quart jugs of Mobil 1 Extended Performance for 26 bucks at Wal-Mart, and an A/C Delco filter for 3.97...Regular Mobil 1 (which is GREAT too, I just use the EP for the hell of it) is only 22 bucks for the 5 quart.

 

I don't actually do my own. pain in the *** with all the condo rules on how you can't do it in the parking lots, and the streets don't seem so safe. Thanks for the input though

 

No Problem Man! Well, You could always ask the shop you have do your oil changes for you what they would charge ya if you brought the oil and filter, and just needed the labor part done! Or just request that they use Mobil 1 or some other FULL synthetic...Personally i'm a Mobil 1 fan...LOL

 

LOL I'll bring it up to them. They aren't a stranger to me bringing my own parts in :P

I do it all the time and they just charge me labor. They just won't "warranty" anything that I bring in myself. Basically I say "I'm here for _____, parts are in the trunk" and then usually I just ask them to put the original parts back in the trunk after the work was done if I wanna keep anything. (Like with my downpipe, I kept the stocker)

 

See, there ya go! Bring in the Mobil and a nice AcDelco filter....LOL Its not like they would warrenty your engine anyway from an oil change...haha