73 replies to this topic

[brivinci]

Ok, so I have put 1000 miles on my SPi since I got it back together. The car starts perfect and idles fine. The first thing I noticed was the huge black stain left on my garage door and the floor from starting. I let the car warm up almost fully before driving. (not with the garage door down of course) After all these miles it still spits condensation and black soot until warm. It smells more as well. I can smell it when I walk up to it and in the car more.

 

I pulled the plugs at 500 miles and 800 miles and they looked good. I will be pulling them again tonight to confirm nothing has changed. Assuming not, what am i missing? If the plugs are burning correctly, what could be causing the added dirty exhaust?

 

All the vacuum lines have been replaced by upgraded silicone ones. Tight fitting and no worries of splitting ends. The motor has a SW5-07 cam timed in to 105 degrees per Calvers suggestion. K&N drop in is clean. I have not checked the compression yet. The oil pressure is great. high 70's, almost 80 on start up. 65 the rest of the time. Idles at 35+. I have no access to a scanner at the moment but it was scanned before it was torn down and all checked out perfect.

 

One things I have noticed has only happened a few times but maybe worth noting. I will be sitting at a light or even coming down a gear and I stab the throttle. I will get a hickup and a pop either from the exhaust or maybe intake. Cant tell. Like a misfire. Then its totally fine. It just leads to think something is going on here. I never had these problems before. Car ran like a top.

 

These are the plugs at 800 miles. I was told by a Mini pro that they looked fine. Same color across all 4.

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[brivinci]

I am having trouble posting images from Shutterfly. Guess they no longer accept that so sorry for the lack of images.

 

Exhaust is very wet and sooty. I would say not fuel as I would expect that to smell more of gas. You tell me. The car has no cat as well.

[IainStallard]

Strange as it sounds like the VAC lines, maybe coolant sensor?

[Dan]

  Are any of the fittings that the vac lines are connected to cracked themselves?

[Fast Ivan]

the black soot and the clean plugs may be explained by the choke, when cold the choke creates a rich mixture until warm, it then leans the mixture off hence the correct colour plugs after running.

[brivinci]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I do not think anything is cracked but I will check again. The vac lines on my car were pretty much mint but I replaced them with the silicone lines just so I didnt have to worry about them. The car has 45k on it now and was REALLY taken care of which is nice. Everything was in great shape. Now, almost everything is new:-)

 

The coolant sensor in the bottom of the rad is the upgraded type that screws in. I bought a new rad for it as I ruined my original one by mistake. The sensor only has 1500 miles on it but that doent mean anything. If it did go wrong, wouldnt my gauge show something? Temp is amazingly steady. Sat in traffic getting into New York City for over an hour and it never budged.

[brivinci]

On the warm up soot. That is what people have said, that it is the choke, but I never remember it running like this. It never spit wet stuff out of it (getting all over the place) and it never smelled like this.

 

Oh, and I totally forgot to mention that is seems to be eating oil as well. I have already added a total of a quart back into it over 500 miles or so. There doesnt appear to a leak anywhere. Parts in the same spot which is totally dry. How I forgot ot mention that I dont know. The motor is new but break in should have taken place already, no?

 

I changed the oil after the first 100 miles and I am going to change it again now that I am at 1000 I think. I have 4 rare earth magnets around the filter, extended magnet in the drain plug, and the added magnet on the back of the trans (which I checked after 100 mile change. Nothing collected on it).

[Fast Ivan]

Does it smoke at all?

[brivinci]

Not that I can tell. There might be a very very slight smoking when it initially starts but it's hard to say because the condensation/soot coming out

[brivinci]

When someone said Temp sensor, where you speaking of the sensor under the manifold? Calver suggested the same. I guess i need a scanner?

 

He things the car might be in Limb-mode as well. Time to find a scanner over here:-)

[Fast Ivan]

plugging in to a scanner is a good idea, if its in limp home mode then the ecu defaults to a hot engine situation, the car would probably not run as well as expected during warm up.

One thing to make sure of though is that your not just looking for faulty sensors you will also need to make sure that they are operating within the correct parameters, often a sensor can be faulty but not faulty enougth to register a fault.

I would also make sure that its definitly condensation and soot and not oil, given the loss of oil your experiencing.

One other thing worth checking, are you having to top up your brake fluid more than usual? the bad smell might be the servo leaking and being sucked in to the inlet manifold, just a thought.

[brivinci]

Thats an interesting point. Brake level has not changed though.

 

I stated the car and stuck my hand behind the muffler. It didnt take but a few seconds to start to collect and over my palm. It look like small black, sooty spots until you touch it. Run your finger across and its all collects into a larger, wet mess. Its is very wet and watery. On the garage door, it looks the same. Tons of spots until you wipe, then its smears together into a wet mess. I guess what I mean is its more wet then soot. I'll try and take a picture.

 

Calver said to check the temp sensor as well as the inlet coolant heater passages on the back of the manifold. If they are plugged and messing things up.

[IainStallard]

If it's that wet, could it be head gasket starting to go?

[jamesmpi]

If it's that wet, could it be head gasket starting to go?

I was going to suggest the same. Maybe do a compression test?

[brivinci]

I really need to do a compression test. But, the coolant level is spot on and hasnt budged at all. There is also no evidence of oil in the water or water in the oil.