"Backfire" and black smoke when starting hard acceleration?

2018 CHEVROLET CAMARO
25,000 MILES • 6.2L • AUTOMATIC
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GRACECOPYMATH
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I bought an 18 Camaro SS new, and it's always had this problem. When starting hard acceleration (I don't normally drive it hard), there is a short hesitation after I smash the gas pedal then a sound like a carbureted car backfire, and then black smoke out of the exhaust. It doesn't do this the whole time under hard acceleration; just when first starting the hard acceleration. It seems it has to be an ignition or fuel problem, but it's never thrown a code or displayed a service light and has always passed my area's required emissions test. Car is stock. I had it checked by two Chevy dealers (who likely only plugged it into a computer), a local car repair chain, and a hot rod type shop that dynoed it, and all found nothing. Even though the fuel system shouldn't have been dirty from the factory, I've also run several bottles of in-tank fuel cleaner through it over the years to no effect. I'm not sure if its normal or related, but it's always had a "lumpy" idle - like an old muscle car with either a big cam - or a miss. The hot rod shop says it does have a big cam and thought nothing was wrong with the idle. It runs/drives normally otherwise with no perceptible exhaust smoke. After you let off the gas (not just under hard acceleration), it sometimes has a popping sound in the exhaust, like old manual muscle cars often did. My understanding is that Chevy designed it this way for that sound. Thank you for your time, and I hope you can diagnose this problem.
Aug 27, 2026 at 5:44 AM
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STEVE W.
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 15,267 POSTS
The 6.2 in the SS is a high performance engine. It has a larger cam and performance parts to make it that way. From the description it sounds like it needs to be taken out and driven hard a few times to clean the carbon out of it from not being driven much. That is one of the things with performance vehicles, they really don't like to be just run around at lower speeds. If it were mine I'd get it out on the highway and take it for a long run and push it a few times. The smoke and backfire sound like carbon build up in the cylinders. The carbon acts like a sponge and absorbs some fuel and then when you hit the throttle and it puts in more fuel and the carbon heats up and releases that fuel you get a rich condition. The burble in the exhaust is common with a higher performance engine, it wasn't engineered to make that sound, it does it because of the performance parts in it.
Aug 27, 2026 at 8:00 AM
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