Car Wont Start :( Somebody Please Verify My Diagnosis

[large 33]

How long have you had the car? I would replace the leads, dizzy cap, rota arm and plugs don't cost much and is a good bit of p.m.

[kyepan 291]

White smoke is a concern if it actually IS white, as that could mean oil. Black on the other hand is usually fuel.

 

eh? white smoke is water, blue is oil. are you saying it could be blue (oil) rather than white (water)

 

or am i missing something here rich?

 

J

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

White/blue very similar. My point was if the engine was cold (like I said above), then it would be unlikely to be steam due to a HG failure.

 

So when cold, it's likely the white/blue smoke would be oil burning. Therefore we need to understand why it's burning oil.

 

The symptoms look like it is, such as the 'sticky black & horrid' spark plug he mentioned and white (or blue)smoke. Dark & sooted plugs i.e. over fuelled, even wet, doesn't sound the same as 'sticky black & horrid', but maybe it's just a case of adjectives used or a decent couple of photos.

 

We'll get there.

 

Perhaps I'm colour-blind, or you're pedantic J?

[kyepan 291]

doubleve postings..

 

simples (makes squeaking sound)

Edited February 12, 2009 by kyepan

[kyepan 291]

White/blue very similar. My point was if the engine was cold (like I said above), then it would be unlikely to be steam due to a HG failure.

 

wouldn't the opposite (or pooposite as i first typed it ) be true, as if the head/waterjacket has gone, when it sits - water will seep in, and then when started, a great cloud of steam would have to be ejected from the combustion chamber as it clears.

 

then whatever is drawn in on the breathing in stroke of the engine would get trapped and expelled out the exhaust on a per compression cycle basis.

 

if it's bad as it was with a car i saw recently, you can sometimes feel the compression pulses by holding the fat top rad hose near the thermostat.

 

Never underestimate the power of pedants.. they rule the world, unfortunatly.

 

J

Edited February 12, 2009 by kyepan

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Ooer.

 

I hope this isn't worrying the original poster too much, when his issue might have just been damp or a loose lead.

[jamiej 0]

No ... not to worried !!!

 

The dizzy cap and rotor are new, the leads look new, but have not been changed by myself.

 

With regards to the plugs, it was black and sticky, definately but the overfuelling issue i think i could agree with, that being said, i was cranking it for a long time before it was fixed, so the fuel could be there from being injected and not being burnt.

 

With the regards to the white "smoke" it was incredibly cold, the "smoke" did stop after a while, but were not talking plumes here, nothing like that, it just is a bit cloudy on a cold start after sitting for a bit, i didnt think it was anything to worry about.

 

With regards to the dizzy getting crap in it, i can only imagine that this got in prior to fitting, if you know what i mean, if it was a bit damp when attached the water has no where to go and over time it will just sit and start to corrode what ever its around. Its a screw type, they are tight, definately.

 

It seems to be fine now, i think the issue was a spark issue but with the additional issue of flooding. If its running rich, then surely the cold start addition to the fuelling will be overfuelling even more. Then with a "slightly weak" spark caused by the not ideal contact in the dizzy, its never going to start.

 

With the cylinders de flooded, popping out the injectors and having the smell of petrol hitting you in the face, it was fine.

 

TBH, it hasant skipped a beat since, and i think its sorted. I will make sure to give the dizzy a good soaking in WD40 when i next go home, to stop similar things happening.

 

Although it may be over fuelling, i find it odd that it is, I had the AFM "tuned" by cole at pug performance who said that i was intitally running to lean, and richened it up. Maybe he has gone a bit too far, its not great on petrol but then i never thought it would be. I get around 250 miles to a tank at the moment, but that is a lot of small drives and it is bloody cold at the moment.

 

So, any more comments, scary ideas or opinions appreciated !

 

Cheers

 

Jamie

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Yeah.

 

Just enjoy it.

 

250 in cold whether, with short journies, no doubt with the odd hoon is tolerable. But I suspect it is running a bit rich.

 

Either get it hooked up to a CO meter at a friendly garage and perhaps put some new plugs in just before a long trip and see how they are at the other end.

 

It doesn't seem like you have too much to worry about though now. Glad it's sorted.