I will have no cat on my car so maybe its that but I don't think thats it. It smells extreamly rich when idles and even when you stop at a light. My idle isn't that smooth and it jumps around a bit, gets better the more you drive it. What could be causing this. The motor is mainly stock as far as insides are concerned. All sensors have been replaced. I get about 20-22 miles to the gallon. Its got all new injectors and the timing is set to 10 then advances to 25, somewhere in that area. Any ideas on this? Thanks guys

 

Usually when I'm running, I smell like sweat

Seriously, it sounds like you are running rich- are the plugs black? I would check the oxegen snesor, it doens't have to throw a code to be bad. The EGR is another culprit to check.

 

Even though I just choked on my coffee, I needed that laugh! Thanks!!

Although I do have to get a paper towel now...

Well I was gonna say to check timing, but you did- cool! I don't think the missing cat would make the car smell rich. I'd say to check for a misfire (maybe one plug wire isn't clicked down all the way on the dist cap) or a gunked up distributor cap/rotor.

Got any exhaust leaks under the hood?

I don't think it's the oxy sensor b/c he says it gets better when the engine warms up; when the engine's cold, the computer doesn't look at the oxygen sensor at all. (Engine coolant has to be warmer than 77 degrees fahrenheit and the engine has to be running for longer than 5 minutes or so)

I wonder about the mass airflow sensor... got any leaks in the intake tubes?

 

i have the same problem has the guy above. i am rich i think and i pulled my plugs out and they were black... so i replaced them. i think its running smoother... but maybe i am just thinking that since i spent a lot of dam$ under the hood putting those plugs in. but i also have a header leak.. on my passanger side (far one back).. can a exhuast leak make it run bad???


Thanks for the help?

(i am not trying to high jack your Thread) Sorry.

 

you spent alot of $ putting plugs in?

shouldnt cost you more than 10$

 

where the hell can you get plugs for 10 bucks. try 40 here....

But yeah i have the same problem with that smell, I have no cat either....

 

Well at that time i got some oil and i did a totall transmission flush... and plugs were in that bill so no it wasn't "Alot" for the plugs.. Sorry but i did waste some money and got the Bosch 2+ which i know NOW that it is a waste after i did a serch...

 

well i was talking american, and here any canadian tire sells champion copper or ac delco plugs for 2$ a pack. sometimes the generic vgroove for less.

and it only takes 15 minutes to change plugs, theres no reason why you shouldnt do them yourself.

sorry to get off topic.

camaro350man you clean your iac? whats your idle at?

 

Don't worry about taking the thread, any help is great. I don't think I have any exhuast leaks other then a slight ticking coming from the egr lines on the drivers side manifold. Where they enter the manifold. I have no checked the IAC, but replaced it about a year ago. The timing was off for a while so i will check it. Do they make a gasket for that thing. I know if you take it off that seal goes to s***. The idle is rough all around and it smells rich either way, cold or warm. My car idles at about 700. I have no had a chance to check the plugs but they are new. It burns your eyes quick if you stand behind the thing. ANy other advice or thing to check?

 

i dunno ...
Did you check your engine codes? i took out my egr so i cant

P.S. it was kinda hard for me to put in the plugs because i have headers that are close to the block.. you guys too??

 

No codes

 

My car is having a very similar problem. Here's what's going on:

At cold starts, I have a pretty noticeable mis-fire. I just discovered this morning that the car is emiting a black carbon residue. If I drive it cold, it backfires pretty bad at higher RPM's or when I shift, and when I drive at high RPM's it sounds like crap! After driving it for a while, I get a code (45) that it's running rich, and throughout the driving range, it has a very noticalbe drop of power (yet I still smoke the ricers).

I need to fix this soon since I have to sell it. I leave for the Marine Corps in a month and can't keep the car. I'm bummed, but I have to get this fixed.

My diagnosis is the timing since everything else seems to be replaced on it so far (that's the way I feel anyways). If you have any suggestions, let me know. THANKS!

 

You smoke ricers.. in the 2.8.....WEIRD..... Jokking


i dunno i think my problem is in the exhuast leak.

 

Concerning the occurrence of a rough idle only when the engine is warm. My six-cylinder 1991 Camaro has a rough idle when it is warm. While washing the winter leaves out of my engine compartment recently, when the engine was running, I noticed that when I sprayed water on or around the exhaust manifold, I can hear a loud chugging sound and steam comes out of my exhaust pipe; If I remove the water spray the chugging slowly goes away. For some time I have known that the two rear exhaust manifold bolts on the passenger-side were broken off. It will require the engine to be removed or lifted in order to drill out and easy out these exhaust manifold bolts, per the exhaust shop, so I have not performed the operation. A mechanic friend, who used to work on Japanese cars, said there was a Japanese van that would break manifold bolts due to the expansion and contraction of the engine and exhaust manifold as the engine would heat and cool. The Japanese van manufacturer then replaced the thinner exhaust manifold bolts with thicker bolts to fix the problem. After the bolts were enlarged the manifolds then began to crack instead. The mechanic then said, "Just because an exhaust manifold is broken, does not mean that a human broke it." I have not replaced the exhaust manifold bolts yet, in order to test to see if this is the cause of the rough idle when the car is warm, but do check for exhaust leaks if you have a rough idle when your engine is warm.

 

What external mods did you do? I rebuilt my 2.8 (now a 3.1 stroker, bored 30 over and a whole bunch of internal mods as well as headers, etc.). What I am getting at is that I also advanced the spark and am still running rich.

Depending on the mods, you may need to start looking at doing a new chip. I now have TunerPro RT and a cable to see what my settings are and then to go to programming a new chip.

 

Where did u get your cable? I need to learn to tune my own car so any helpful tips to what im getting into? How much did u spend? I assume as long as u have obd1 u can tune your car with a laptop, cable, and free downloaded software?

I know I could have looked it up but I was reading and while we are on the subject thought I would chime in. Thanks for the help.

 

Hey Striker:

I don't want to hijack the OP's thread. But I use TunePro RT and got my cable from the Moates website. The DIY PROM threads should give you the info on how to go from there. I am very much a newby at this game and am learning as well.

 

ok well might be in wrong page considering i got a v8 but my symptoms are the same it revs up and down and burns rich it kicked a 45 code rich o2 sensor does that mean the sensors bad it has a leak behind the cat ???