Car running rich as hell, white smoke everywhere, rough idle, won't start now

[shore_boy]

Appreciate all the input into my previous thread however, this morning I am faced with something new. Last night I took the car to get a new air filter (put it in) and on the way home I started to notice power issues with the car at any rpm and even on full boost.

This morning I started the gf8 STI and white/blue smoke started pouring out and smelt rich of fuel. Car was running rough as anything also, sounded like it was misfiring and had piss all power even on full boost (as I mentioned earlier) wheni took it for a drive.

Had a mechanic look at it who thought it was the leads/plugs and he’s probably right.

The car won’t start at all now as I started and idled her a few times to check the leads one at a time. No sound from the fuel pump priming when I turn the key now and the last time the car started I heard a small bang when I turned the key once... Perhaps the relay?

I have pulled the pump put and checked it on a car battery charger and it\'s running fine. I just put it back in despite all the recommendations to change to a Walbro maybe I’ll do that next?

My guess now is that the plugs are flooded due to a faulty MAF sensor. Have bought one off trade me and I guess I’ll get it on Tuesday?

Will check the plugs tomorrow (because it’s a bastard of a job) and check their condition. I\'m guessing if I clean them and dry them out that the car will start briefly until they\'re again flooded and then stall.

I also found this thread that describes my problem nearly exactly.

http://www.type-ra.com/subaru-forum/subaru-wrx-type-ra-help-advice-forum/4494-after-running-car-v-low-out-fuel-wont-start.html

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks again for all the feedback regarding my fuel flap.

[funkytown]

Havent seen your other threads or history but white smoke is usually either busted piston from leaning it out or its done a headgasket.

Blue smoke is mostly oil.

Else theres the usual stuff abut making sure the sensors are running properly and removing any codes. Also if yout boosting it when its sick-thats just not smart.

[shore_boy]

smoke from burnt oil is a lot thicker than what i experienced and as i described it smelt of petrol. I only took it for two mins around the block and when something goes wrong running the car and eliminating possibilities is a good start. and if it was oil as you mentioned is a possibility it could\'ve been that it was time for a new turbo. You can usually hear this when boosting.

Thanks for the response.

[Koom]

If it is a turbo failure, they can just let go in an instant and then they can drown the motor in oil. Pretty easy to find out by checking the intercooler for oil or even checking if the oil level has dropped. Mine ate about a litre of oil in the ~1km drive home the one time I had a compressor wheel fall off.

Could also be something like a leaking injector or injector stuck open, cylinder will be full of fuel after turning the key on then off a few times. Chance of hydraulicing the motor if you fill it with too much liquid as well.

[shore_boy]

That doesn\'t sound good will try to avoid that. Was hoping to get a cheap AFM on trade me but it seems the one in the car has been replaced before... So i bought a new part that is fit for the car. Hope it pays off! Anyone know which AFM a V5 STI wagon would have?

[Timmah]

 shore_boy said:

That doesn\'t sound good will try to avoid that. Was hoping to get a cheap AFM on trade me but it seems the one in the car has been replaced before... So i bought a new part that is fit for the car. Hope it pays off! Anyone know which AFM a V5 STI wagon would have?

I wouldn\'t think a failing AFM would cause the car to bellow smoke. But you\'re after an insert type AFM, same as the version 6 and some legacies.

[Guest]

 Timmah']

[quote name='shore_boy said:

That doesn\'t sound good will try to avoid that. Was hoping to get a cheap AFM on trade me but it seems the one in the car has been replaced before... So i bought a new part that is fit for the car. Hope it pays off! Anyone know which AFM a V5 STI wagon would have?

/quote]

I wouldn\'t think a failing AFM would cause the car to bellow smoke. But you\'re after an insert type AFM, same as the version 6 and some legacies.

Rev A/B/C, Forester Rev C/D, V5/6 sti and non sti wrx all the same.

[Marky]

I\'m still trying to decide if youre taking the piss or not

White smoke is never a good sign, something\'s blown its foofoo valve in a terminal way

If it\'s burning water - bad. If it\'s burning oil - bad. Take intercooler off, if it\'s oil free then motor is sick, if it\'s full of oil then it\'s possibly just turbo (unless it\'s getting forced back into the intake via the breathers)

Also the fuel smell is likely just unburnt fuel from all the misfiring

[shore_boy]

Not taking the piss mate just describing what i hear,see and smell.

I just found this thread on NASIOC that could be my issue also it goes back to Koom\'s suggestion of the open injector. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1123024

I know the smell of oil burning as i\'ve had to replace rocker gaskets before. It\'s not oil and coolant burns a lot sweeter than what i smell. Its definitely the car running rich however, that doesn\'t eliminate the possibility of it being something internal... Who knows i could be a complete idiot?!

I have read a lot of comments (on other threads) with people linking the problem to a head gasket or piston issues but for now i\'d like to stay positive about the issue. Will do some diagnosis tomorrow and post what i find.

Thanks again for input. For now I hope that either myself or Koom is right!

[shore_boy]

Checked the fuel and ignition systems today (well what i felt i was capable of checking).

Checked the injectors and checked the resistance running through each which was between 12 and 13 ohms.

Fuel pump which is not priming on start up and ran fine with direct current from the battery.

Fuel lines that had no leaks and were all full of fuel.

Ignition leads that had a little corrosion but not enough to stop a spark.

Spark plugs that look almost new

Lastly the basics (battery fluid and fuses) all of which were okay.

So i decided to put her together again and she\'ll be towed to a mechanic tomorrow...

At the moment I think I have two issues and electrical issue on start up and the mechanical issue mentioned above. I hope they\'re linked and that solving one solves the other.

[evljat]

FWIW when my AFM went bad I was getting white/blueish smoke out the exhaust.

[shore_boy]

Lucky ive got a new one on the way then! Will drop it off with the mechanic on tuesday. Thanks for the response

[shore_boy]

Heard back from the mechanic today. He hasn\'t been able to get the car started at all and it is definitely an electrical issue with the car.

As for the idle and smoke well the car needs to be started first to get to that.

He told me that almost nothing is getting any power on the turn of the key. Even the ECU!

Mechanic seemed pretty confident about the issue so i\'m hoping he\'ll have found the issue by tomorrow afternoon and that we can progress and have the car running.

[Pappu1]

hopefully things work out well

[boon]

 shore_boy said:

Heard back from the mechanic today. He hasn\'t been able to get the car started at all and it is definitely an electrical issue with the car.

As for the idle and smoke well the car needs to be started first to get to that.

He told me that almost nothing is getting any power on the turn of the key. Even the ECU!

Mechanic seemed pretty confident about the issue so i\'m hoping he\'ll have found the issue by tomorrow afternoon and that we can progress and have the car running.

Does it have an alarm that may have shat itself?

[Joker]

sounds like a coil unplugged / running on 3

[shore_boy]

Joker i thought you were right in the beginning and the mechanic also had suspicions of the Mongoose alarm having "shat itself."

Today i\'m guttered... Turns out she was running a fully tuned link ecu and one of the chips has blown... Back to stock power....I had no idea lol. Will be strange to drive her back to stock once i put a factory ecu back in. Im hoping that my over fueling issues are also solved with the factory board back in place!

However once shes started up again there could be more troubles from there.. The electrics in the car may have even spiked the ECU..

Will let you all know in a few days time once I have a new unit and its in place.

[Johnnynz]

Well thats a turn up for the books. Hopefully a bad tune hasnt ruined your engine...

[Marky]

I\'m still going wtf why is it pumping out blue and white smoke from an electrical issue

But hey if thats all it is then sweet, good news sort of?

(Is there a regulator in alternator that could have died and fried everything with a spike / over voltage surge?)

[shore_boy]

Cars been running from around 2007 on that tune given the age of the board. So i doubt that it is a bad tune. As for all the smoke I can only hope that it was the ECU\'s doing. If not i\'m in for a lot more in costs looking for the issue in the wiring...

Mechanic said due to the amount of smoke described he can only guess that an injector was being held open or that one of the seals has perished allowing fuel to pour into a cylinder.

[Guest]

Wiring hasnt been edited for afm removal etc? Id talk to link before you throw ecu away.

[rex-leggy]

 evowrx said:

Wiring hasnt been edited for afm removal etc? Id talk to link before you throw ecu away.

or give it to me

[shore_boy]

I had exactly that in mind. My neighbour designs circuits for an electronics company so I will ask him to have a look at it for me and may pop in to see link (if they have a physical location here) or maybe a tuning company like ST Hitec? Not 100% sure what my plans are for the ECU at this stage.

I still have the priority of getting my car up and running first of all! I really do hope the ecu can go back in as it was a pleasure to drive when she actually ran. But for now im assuming that the factory ecu will do the job of getting her back into the driveway.

As for the AFM I had been wondering the same things. I will find out tomorrow or friday and post how things work out for me. The car was running an AFM but not an o2 sensor which is why ive been in contact with you EVOWRX but as for now im not 100% sure i need it. Will give you a yell if I do!

[Guest]

Theyre in chch dude. O2 sensors gone now also.

[shore_boy]

No luck there. Phone call will hopefully do it given they don\'t ask me to many technical questions.

All the codes on the chips have faded. Not to mention the one that needs replacing is burnt and cracked...