Smoke.... FINALLY SOLVED!!!

Started by TGP Nick, April 17, 2007, 08:02:20 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

TGP Nick

Well I woke the TGP up on Sunday for this year, and the last couple times I have started it, it has been smoking.... A LOT- like worse than a diesel bad...
TODAY- I brought the TGP into the shop and had a coolant flush done on it- it had to sit at idle for 15 minutes and it was smoking so bad the mechanics had to open all the doors and one said the smoke was making his eyes water :laugh:
So....I'm getting raw fuel coming out the exhaust....I think....
It does the smoking if I coast for awhile- ie. coasting to a stoplight for 100 feet or so, or just sitting for awhile will make it smoke also.  When I'm sitting at a stoplight, the idle will sit at about 1,000 RPM (according to the tach in the car) for about 10 seconds, then it starts to stumble, the stumble gets worse and worse as the idle surges, until it goes down so far it just dies.  It starts up right away after it dies... The smoke goes away if I give it a lot of throttle.  Like I said, it has a bit of a stumble at idle, and if I hold it at a decent rpm, about 2,500 RPM, it has a bad stumble.  My oil return line was replaced last fall.  I had my turbo off the car last week and cleaned everything up, its looking good, I'm not burning oil, as the smoke is NOT blue, it is a white/very light blue smoke.
So what am I dealing with here?  Bad, leaky injectors? 
Nick
1989 Pontiac Turbo Grand Prix- LG5 - 4T60HD
2008 Ford Ranger XLT- 2.3 DOHC I-4 - 5MT
2012 Nissan Altima SR coupe- 3.5 V6 - 6MT

TGP Nick

Also, between last fall and this year, the best I've pulled off is 19 MPG driving granny style... :laugh:  thats at 55 mph, accelerating slowly, and doing a lot of coasting.  I don't drive that way now, but yea that is the BEST I've been able to pull off.  BAD MILEAGE
Nick
1989 Pontiac Turbo Grand Prix- LG5 - 4T60HD
2008 Ford Ranger XLT- 2.3 DOHC I-4 - 5MT
2012 Nissan Altima SR coupe- 3.5 V6 - 6MT

R Dubya

pull the rail and then check the injectors for leak down when they are pressurized and the key is off, or ohm they out with a multimeter, I don't recall the specs exactly but they should not be belows 12 ohms I think..??

someone can confirm this im sure.  They may be nearing the end of their useful life.
Ryan Warren
'89 TGP
It doesn't run anymore.

jimmy

#3
         Mine has been doing this alot lately,  me and TGPvsTII been trying to figure this out, were thinkin possible fuel problem either Injectors, regulator, purge canister,purge solenoid even fuel rail blockage so were narrowing this problem quickly. So if possibly you figure this out before me let me know please. Coarse what would really be nice if someone came foward now so I don't have to spend so much money 
                                WAKE UP TGPers AND HELP US OUT  :icon_cool:

Dark Ride

I'm going to call Injectors, sounds like leaky ones.

Take your plenum off and ohm them out with a multimeter, anything below 12 = Junk, at 12 = Barely Ok

If Any are below 12 do yourself a favor and get a set from a 3800 Non-Supercharged Vin K from a second gen Grand Prix GT or something.  AC Delco Part Number is 217-318.

To see if they are leaking next time, before you start the car hit the fuel scrader valve, if everything is good it should still have pressure, if not it could be leaky injectors or a bad regulator.

I seem to remember reading that you could test a fuel regulator by applying vacuum and if it holds it, its good.  But I don't know if thats true or not.

To Check Purge Soleniod, I believe you can just unplug it, it doesn't serve any purpose any than fuel economy.

Nick, it doesn't sound like a fuel pump, usually they just don't work one day, but I could be wrong, when is the last time the fuel filter has been changed?


That should give you some things to test :icon_lol:
Hope that Helps,
Mitch
-Mitch Reed
1998 Pontiac Grand Prix Supercharged
Some Modifications
1990 Turbo Grand Prix
Restoration In Progress
Quote from: grinders_18 on July 24, 2007, 07:31:07 PM
Yeah, I just couldn't figure out a way to work in the one member who claimed that adding a valance to his lightbulb kept it from overheating...

mfewtrail

#5
Nick, do you have access to a fuel pressure gauge? If so, attach it to the fuel rail and turn the key on so that the fuel pump primes. Turn the key off and take note of the fuel pressure reading and see if it's dropping. The general rule of thumb is that the pressure should not drop off more than 5psi in a 10 minute time period. If it does, than you have a leak somewhere(injectors, FPR, or the check valve in the fuel pump are possible le...judging by your symptoms, it's most likely your injectors) Also, you can pull the vacuum line from your fuel pressure regulator and check it for fuel...the best way is to get a spare length of line and do the "suck" test on it, if fuel is in the line, the FPR diaphram is torn and leaking.

If you do not have a gauge, turn the key and let the fuel pump prime. Then let the car sit a few hours and try to start it. Does it start immediately or do you have to let it crank over for an extended amount of time? Back when my injectors were leaking last year, it took a while for my car to start and then I would have gasoline smoke out the exhaust(it would burn your eyes it was so strong) that was light bluish/whitish in color. If the injectors are leaking, your spark plugs on corresponding cylinders will be wet and/or smell very strongly of gasoline...so you can also pull them and check.

PS: Putting the gas pedal to the floor while cranking shuts off the injectors and will crank the car immediately if they are in fact leaking(let off the pedal as soon as it fires). You can try this after letting the pump build pressure and then letting the car sit a while.
'93 SE, '90 Black/tan TGP, & '90 Red/tan TGP

TGP Nick

Ok guys, AS FAR AS I KNOW- I will tell ya everything I know about the car.  Since I've had it (bought it July 31st last year) I have NOT replaced any of the injectors or the fuel filter.  As far as I know, it still has the original injectors, fuel pump, and fuel filter in it.  I bought a new fuel filter to put in it(AC Delco), and I will be putting that in very soon.  I've been around here long enough to think that the injectors were going, just wanted to confirm my suspicion.  I want to buy new injectors- they are the Ford Yellow Top 19 lbs., correct?  Those are the ones I want to buy if I can get em. 
Today the TGP got TERRIBLE mileage- I drove it to school, back home, to the shop (changed the oil), and back home- a total drive of about 25 miles; I started the day with 3/4 of a tank, and now it has just above 1/2 tank.... IT USED 3 GALLONS GOING 25 MILES!!!!!!!!  Thats a little over 8MPG!!!  Smoked terribly today and it died at every light I stopped at.  Injectors and filter are getting replaced ASAP!!!  Is there anything else I should be replacing?
Thanks for the help guys! ;)
Nick
Nick
1989 Pontiac Turbo Grand Prix- LG5 - 4T60HD
2008 Ford Ranger XLT- 2.3 DOHC I-4 - 5MT
2012 Nissan Altima SR coupe- 3.5 V6 - 6MT

R Dubya

whens the last time you replaced the O2 sensor??
Ryan Warren
'89 TGP
It doesn't run anymore.

Prospeeder

crossover pipe? Wow thats a major failure of injectors if thats the problem
1990 TGP Chipped RU-1390 K&N
2001 Audi S4 Stage 2
1999 VW Beetle
1997 BMW 740iL

TGP Nick

I replaced the crossover last weekend....
Nick
1989 Pontiac Turbo Grand Prix- LG5 - 4T60HD
2008 Ford Ranger XLT- 2.3 DOHC I-4 - 5MT
2012 Nissan Altima SR coupe- 3.5 V6 - 6MT

R Dubya

did you do the O2 sensor with it?
Ryan Warren
'89 TGP
It doesn't run anymore.

TGP Nick

Quote from: R Dubya on April 19, 2007, 06:59:38 AM
did you do the O2 sensor with it?
Nope, the O2 sensor was still good, I'm gonna leave it until I chip it.
Nick
1989 Pontiac Turbo Grand Prix- LG5 - 4T60HD
2008 Ford Ranger XLT- 2.3 DOHC I-4 - 5MT
2012 Nissan Altima SR coupe- 3.5 V6 - 6MT

TGP Nick

Today, it only smoked a little bit on occasion, but I still used 2 gallons driving 20 miles...  I will be replacing the injectors with Ford Yellow tops and changing the fuel filter out soon... is there anything else I should change to get rid of the smoking?
Nick
1989 Pontiac Turbo Grand Prix- LG5 - 4T60HD
2008 Ford Ranger XLT- 2.3 DOHC I-4 - 5MT
2012 Nissan Altima SR coupe- 3.5 V6 - 6MT

R Dubya

thats why I'm asking about the O2 sensor, if its failing the computer may not always throw the code, I'm wondering if you have a spare to throw in and see if it makes a difference.
Ryan Warren
'89 TGP
It doesn't run anymore.

TGP Nick

I'm not getting any codes, and the O2 sensor APPEARS to be okay- it isn't carbon fouled or anything, it is fairly clean.  I do not have a spare O2 sensor.  I really don't think the o2 sensor could be causing the smoking, could it?  To me, it seems more like bad injectors- it smokes, stumbles bad, and stalls if I'm sitting for over 20-30 seconds at a stoplight.  Crossover has been replaced.
Nick
1989 Pontiac Turbo Grand Prix- LG5 - 4T60HD
2008 Ford Ranger XLT- 2.3 DOHC I-4 - 5MT
2012 Nissan Altima SR coupe- 3.5 V6 - 6MT