Jump to content
SAU Community

Misfiring And White Smoke

S13 SecaBoy
 Share

Recommended Posts

S13 SecaBoy Enthusiast

S13 SecaBoy

Posted
Posted

hey guys...

i'm hoping someone on here might be able to help me...

i've done a search, but i cant find a thread with my problems...

its an RB20DET with fmic, 3" exhaust, fuel pump, t04e (brand new), splitfire coilpacks and irdium spark plugs... STANDARD ECU

basically, when i do a cold start it PISSES out white smoke (smells of fuel not oil) and it misfires on idle... but if you rev the car, the misfiring goes away but there is still craploads of white smoke coming out the exhaust...

but then as soon as you take it for a drive and the engine temp comes up to 'normal', all the smoke clears away (apart from a bit of black smoke cause its running excessively rich) and the misfiring stops on idle...

now.. i'm completely stumped as to why this would be happening... does anyone have any suggestions on what it could be?

i cant see it being a blown head gasket because a) the smoke clears up once the temp comes up to normal, b) the water in the radiator doesnt have a flim of oil on it and c) the oil isnt milky....

i believe i have two seperate problems... but they could be related, i dont know...

the first problem is that its running REALLY rich and i believe thats why the smoke smells of fuel and possibly why its misfiring because the spark plug is getting wet from too much fuel... sometimes it sounds like it running on 4cyl and other times it sounds like its running on 5cyl...

then the second problem is the white smoke which i have no clue on...

PLEASE HELP!!! i cant go on like this... :P

if you need to ask any clarification questions, then go ahead... ;)

thanks

ash

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/173061-misfiring-and-white-smoke/
Share on other sites
Al Grand Master

Al

Posted
Posted

Still can be a head gasket :P

You may have a minor crack that leaks into the bore, when cold, then as the engine heats up everything expands and seals up, till it gets cold again. If a gasket leaks water into a bore, the water will never mix with the oil, or vis-versa, and the water will then pass through the exhaust system.

All cars have white smoke in the mornings, but it really depends on how much you consider alot.

I am by no means stating that you have a blown head gasket, just advising that it is still a possibility and should not be ruled out because of the things you have listed.

Devils_Advocate21 Mentor

Devils_Advocate21

Posted
Posted

Easy, White smoke on cold mornings here in brissy at the moment condensation, missfire due to running either colder plugs say 7's as they take a while to come to temp or the excessively always running rich fouling your plugs

Done :P

S13 SecaBoy Enthusiast

S13 SecaBoy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
There is a sensor for cold starts it might be stuffed

Have u ran the diagnotic on the ecu it might tell u what is wrong

good point, thats one thing we havent checked... didnt think it would cause all the smoke... :whistling:

Still can be a head gasket :yes:

You may have a minor crack that leaks into the bore, when cold, then as the engine heats up everything expands and seals up, till it gets cold again. If a gasket leaks water into a bore, the water will never mix with the oil, or vis-versa, and the water will then pass through the exhaust system.

All cars have white smoke in the mornings, but it really depends on how much you consider alot.

I am by no means stating that you have a blown head gasket, just advising that it is still a possibility and should not be ruled out because of the things you have listed.

i was told this by someone else today as well... i had never heard of this happening before... i didnt know the HG could have a 'minor crack'... i just thought that once they go, thats it, its gone!!

i call it "A LOT" when you sit in the car and you cant see behind you because of all the smoke...

Easy, White smoke on cold mornings here in brissy at the moment condensation, missfire due to running either colder plugs say 7's as they take a while to come to temp or the excessively always running rich fouling your plugs

Done :)

when i say "cold start", i dont mean just in the morning... it could be at 2pm in the afternoon... i just mean that it hasnt been started in quite a few hours so the engine is "cold"...

and its not condenstation in the exhaust system... my euro 'smokes' in the morning as well which is caused by condensation in the exhaust system... this is thick white smoke that bellows out of the exhaust pipe...

after all this, it was started today and driven back to my house from my mates workshop and there wasnt a puff of smoke at all and absolutely no mis-firing... so it seems like one day it will smoke and misfire, then the next day it will be fine, then the day after that it'll have problems again... :P

could a minor crack in the head gasket 'come and go' like that?

and would a minor crack in the head gasket cause it to misfire randomly at idle?

i'll start her up in the morning tomorrow and see if she smokes and misfires or not... :)

thanks for the suggestions guys... please keep them coming.. its greatly appreciated! :)

S13 SecaBoy Enthusiast

S13 SecaBoy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

well, the smoke and misfiring is back today...

it kinda sounds like its choking on something on low revs, until you stab the throttle and bring the revs up then it clears up until the revs drop again... :?

any ideas from peoples??? :whistling:

Green_s13 Proficient

Green_s13

Posted
Posted

it sounds like you might have a leaky injector hence the running really rich, i cant say i have seen white smoke from fuel but it may be possible that the plugs are not burning it all and is getting onto your turbo and doing something odd with the seals, i had this problem with a silvia a few years ago.

Green_s13 Proficient

Green_s13

Posted
Posted

easiest way is to remove spark plugs, unplug ignitor pack, then prime the fuel pump, if you can see fuel in any of the cylinders you have a leak. now it could be either the injector itself or is could be one of the o-ring's that seals then into the fuel rail.

S13 SecaBoy Enthusiast

S13 SecaBoy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
How about valve stem oil seals??

is there anyway of testing that without pulling the engine apart?

i havent had a chance to start the car since my last post... been too busy with work... :O

i'll update on saturday when i take it for a drive... :)

S13 SecaBoy Enthusiast

S13 SecaBoy

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
I actually started to think the same thing, but didn't come across this thread again till now.

okay...

any idea on how to check them?

or is it a job for the mechanics to pull the engine apart?

edit: just thinking about it again... would the valve stem oil seal cause BLUE smoke??

i dont have any blue smoke.. its only white... ;)

Edited by S13 SecaBoy
S13 SecaBoy Enthusiast

S13 SecaBoy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

my issue is this...

IF it was using water, then straight away i'd point at the BHG... but its not using any water... :cheers:

IF the smoke was blue, then it'd point to an oil related issue... but the smoke is not blue and its not using any oil...

i'm gonna pull out the spark plugs and see if there is any fuel going into the cylinder with the car off...

firstly though, i'll check to see which cylinder is dropping out... that way i dont have to take ALLLL the spark plugs out... :D

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • CF.Panda
      R34 25GT Engine Light 21

      By CF.Panda · Posted

      I wasn’t able to replicate the sound anymore. It was a one time sound so maybe it was just coincidence but it was like small pebbles being dropped in a coke can.   should I try cleaning the MAF? It could be it’s functioning but dirty? I don’t know.
    • sunsetR33
      Unpeeling the Orange

      By sunsetR33 · Posted

      Update 4: Hi all. The car drives again! Haven't driven for long, only to store it in the garage again, but the test drive was successful. The coolant and oil leaks seem to be fixed for now. Temps on the engine were also very good, while moving I never even saw 80C water during the approx. 30 minute drive. Ate up all the coolant in the reservoir though so will have to fill that even more when I go to the car next time. One thing that pisses me off is that the RPM gauge is still f**ked, I even resoldered the board twice and used copper paste on the silly screws that are used as connections. Next time I take it out I'll take apart the board and fit new components, I'll see if I can get a replacement IC for it.  I have an appointment set for 22nd of September for the engine tune to 370hp. Alignment also still needs to be done. My hope is that I can get all the legal stuff over with by the end of this season. Anyone of you have advice regarding intercoolers? Currently there is an APEXI core fitted, one of those weird hybrid ones, 600x270x76. I don't think it's bad but it's not new and now I still have the chance to change it now to legally include it in the paperwork. Only issue is that the only options that would arrive in time are a HKS Type R intercooler or generic Ebay spec intercoolers comparable to a JustJap one. Ideally I'd order a Plazmaman but it takes over a month to receive which would mean making the car legal has to wait until next season. Would love to hear some input on this. Same story for my injectors, the previous owner was a nunce and put ID 1050x on the engine. They work but are obviously not ideal at "normal" power levels. But I don't see a reason to change them unless the tuner says it's necessary. I read online before buying a different exhaust that the top secret style rear diffusers won't fit due to the size of the rear resonators. My buddy and I made it work by slightly "adjusting the shape" of the mounting bracket and making some spacers out of 3d print for the mounting bolts. Fits like a charm. Just putting this here in case someone has this problem. Even the hefty HKS Silent Hi Power rear can fits without hitting anything.
    • Butters
      UniClutch

      By Butters · Posted

      Well they got my money but they are not getting my gearbox ! 
    • GTSBoy
      ECU sees many times the speed than speedo does (R34 swap)

      By GTSBoy · Posted

      It's needed for rolling idle up, and I think it is a decider on VCT also.
    • Kinkstaah
      ECU sees many times the speed than speedo does (R34 swap)

      By Kinkstaah · Posted

      I mean, not really. Link ECU's can absolutely still have errors from the ECU thinking it's getting a sensor it's not expecting. I would imagine the speed at the ECU level in Nistune does absolutely nothing anyway? I assume the ECU does not do any fancy TC stuff with regards to front+rear wheel speed or anything of that like anyway. Someone who uses Nistune may be more fluent in it. 
×
×
  • Create New...