Danno

If you smell fuel, you've got a leak. Don't play with FIRE !!!

Legoland951

Oh no, not the catalytic converter. What are we gonna use to smog all the other cars now.......

89magic98

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Legoland951:
<strong>Oh no, not the catalytic converter. What are we gonna use to smog all the other cars now.......</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Is there a "communal gas cap" as well for the smog test? <img border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" title="" src="graemlins/bigok.gif" />

Well, you've got 2 years to find a replacement, right?

-Kevin

Devia

Danno - Do not worry, I shall not do anything to endanger my life or my car; except in comic books, that's where I do all the dangerous things those of us in reality can't!
--------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Legoland951:
Oh no, not the catalytic converter. What are we gonna use to smog all the other cars now.......
--------------------------------------------------
Is there a "communal gas cap" as well for the smog test?

Well, you've got 2 years to find a replacement, right?

-Kevin
--------------------------------------------------
You guys are tooo much! <img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" />

Just remember, Lego, you're the one that told me to break it, when we couldn't figure out what the problem was!!

I have to look at it on Monday...I had a bad day today, had caught 24 hour flu bug from work! Wow, I'll feel better just in time to do work on Monday, geez.

And here's something that when you think you have done the most stupid thing, at least you will know someone else out there does that too: After not being able to find the key today, I found all my keys in car work clothes; dropped in bag last night, on studio floor, then this morning I had to clean, and put away in dirty clothes bin! I was sick with the flu, and looked over at the bag, and said no way...way! Couldn't hear them clinking because of the clothes, lol!

At least I got my stupid deed of the week over and done with tonight.

- Julie

- Julie

Devia

Um, so I had my roommate come out with me, to smell and sniff the car, and look for leaks.

But I did find the oil had risen, and did smell like oil - of course, I got the tip of my nose wet with oil; but then my roommate did it too, lol.

I can smell it out the exhaust, and it seems to be kind of a puff of something, but more transparent than colored.

The reason I smelled raw gas so clearly Saturday must be because I backed up with the door open, so the exhaust came in.

So I guess injector problems with two of them running rich, and two of them running lean?

AARGH!

- Julie

Manning

Well now hang on, it may not be both of the injectors for that Y pipe. Just because that collector looks sooty doesn't mean both cylinders are running rich, it may only be one. And hopefully if you are lucky you can send the whole lot of them out for cleaning and balancing and get off with just that. That way you will know all 4 are OK and spraying properly. And if one is bad they can replace just that and you still will know the other 3 are OK.

Just trying to keep up the positive waves.

Legoland951

I am just kidding. I am sure we will come across more cats in the future. It just seems every one of my cars mysteriously lose its catalytic converter after I come into possession of the car. Yes we do also have a communal gas cap(s) too if you guys in the area ever need one.... I hope no one here works for the AQMD or EPA. We will try to diagnose the car by disconnecting the injectors one at a time. We have spare AFMs and TPI sensors laying around. We can also do a compression check while we are at it.

Legoland951

By the way, how can these sensors or injectors be bad when it passed the stringent california smog with flying colors???? Mind boggling. I think its that time of the month for your car Julie.

Manning

Partical man. A bit of schmootz broke loose from somewhere in the fuel circuit before the injectors and clogs at least one of them. That could have happened a split second after Julie's car passed the test.

Devia

I will fill up the tank, and be over at your place in the morning...so far, not leaks, and we did run her awhile - till the damned empty light came on again!

I have a bad, bad history with those...I have since decided to not allow any car I'm in to go below 1/4 for very long.

And she seems to run fine on 87 octane; isn't that odd? Or is that just a folk lore story?

- Julie

Manning

No, you should be fine on a lower octane fuel. The '83 had lower compression than the later models and even they should be able to get by on mid grade.

Devia

Thanks, Manning!

Devia

Okay, I'll post pics of this later, ubelievable; plug one was covered in soot; plugs 2,3 & 4 were white. Evidently the O2 sensor was over compensating for the fuel being dumped into #1, so it was making the other 3 run lean!

So, it was an injector on #1 that was stuck all the way open! That's why I sometimes smelled gas and other times didn't.

Poor car never was firing on all 4 cylinders well until today. How on earth did it ever pass smog? I guess the over-leaning did that.

Anyway, gotta do more stuff! Thank you all for your helpful suggestions!

- Julie

83na944

Sounds like a failed Fuel Pressure Regulator. THe FPR regulates pressure in the fuel rail by dumping excess fuel into the return hose. If it fails in the mode that it does not return gas to the fuel tank, pressure in the rail goes up, the injectors pump more fuel into the cylinder.

I had this problem on my '83 about 12 years ago. The FPR failed and the fuel pump ran all the time. It was hard to get the car to start, but ran really strong when it ran. Finally, I ran the battery down trying to start it, had it towed to a shop. Several hundred dollars and an oil change later all was ok with a new FPR.

BTW, I just replaced the FPR on my '83 again last month. If you need details, let me know.

And, I recently drove the car on a trip of about 1000 miles, all interstate about 80 mph most of the way. Used under 30 gallons of gas. I actually calculated I was getting about 31 mpg.

Manning

Why would only one injector run wide open though? I am still thinking it got clogged with a bit of gunk from out of the fuel circuit after the filter. Either that or it just simply failed from age. Maybe you can clean it, maybe replace it. And like I said before, it could have happened after she passed emissions inspection.

Julie, are you pretty sure the electrical connector to that injector has power and is actually connected (making electrical contact).