CA18DET experts Only.

[Nali]

Ok to all CADET experts, my cadet has been running relatively fine for the past 50,000 miles. But suddenly it has started running excessively rich, and is spewing white smoke out the exhaust. The engine is running so rich i can literally dirty my garage wall every time i park the car. its so rich there are particles visible whenever someone revs the engine past 1100RPM. The white smoke is visible, to the point that police stop me. Just some random specs as so to help.Engine is all stock except for FMIC and BOV. the BOV isnt recirced cuz the car ran just fine without recircing.

If anyone has any advice as to how to correct my little CADET i would be very grateful.Nali.

[themadscientist]

white smoke is oil. do a compression test.

[ri120]

yah start off with a compression check, and it that turns out low. you problle need a set of rings. if the compression chack looks ok mabey its time for some valve seals. i got a set of rings at my house and i got the nissian part number for the valve seals if you need them

[Nali]

yah start off with a compression check, and it that turns out low. you problle need a set of rings. if the compression chack looks ok mabey its time for some valve seals. i got a set of rings at my house and i got the nissian part number for the valve seals if you need them

I just might call you up on that.

Compression test will be done monday.The engine oil was changed not 100 miles ago. Thats why i figured it wasnt the oil.Thanks for the suggestion, will return with results later.

[boost_boy]

Ok to all CADET experts, my cadet has been running relatively fine for the past 50,000 miles. But suddenly it has started running excessively rich, and is spewing white smoke out the exhaust. The engine is running so rich i can literally dirty my garage wall every time i park the car. its so rich there are particles visible whenever someone revs the engine past 1100RPM. The white smoke is visible, to the point that police stop me. Just some random specs as so to help.Engine is all stock except for FMIC and BOV. the BOV isnt recirced cuz the car ran just fine without recircing.

If anyone has any advice as to how to correct my little CADET i would be very grateful.Nali.

If all of a sudden you're starting to run rich,then you would have to safely assume there is either vacuum leak somewhere in your plumbing system or your AFM is dirty or it's time to check the values of your water temperature sensor. As for white smoke, are you sure it's white or light bluish? It could very well be your turbocharger preparing to bow-down to the turbo gods. Or as mentioned previously by the others, your rings could've been a victim of rinse-down via your rich running condition.

Dee

[Nali]

The Smoke is definitely white.Please tell me that doesnt mean my turbo is at the end of its life.And yeah the car literally just one day started running rich. Im gonna get the whole engine checked out, cuz ive worked too hard on the little CA to give up on it.

[Zero260]

excessive white smoke could be a bad head gasket. or other coolant leak into the intake/head. coolant burns white. put your hand in the smoke and smell it, if it smells sweet it's coolant.

[ri120]

yah their right, start off with the basics. if u get low comp, dont be afraid to do a quick leak down test, and go form their

[MeanGreenS13]

yeah umm last time i checked oil smoke was blue, coolant was white, fuel was dark grey/black... compression check and leakdown tests will help you figure some things out. if you wanna check the turbo, you can pull the downpipe off and check for oil int eh backhousing or excessive shaft play. usually a good sign that a turbo is on its last leg.

[dash]

how do u know its "running rich" ?Is performance drasticly reduced ?idle rough ?coolant level drop ?

[Myetball]

So uh, what part of this problem requires an engine specific expert?

[boost_boy]

So uh, what part of this problem requires an engine specific expert?

You haven't changed much over the years, huh 'Old Timer' . I do agree with you as well on this one, but opinions or hypothesis can be used as well .

Dee

[articzap]

Oil burns blue, but smokes white. If the turbo seals are going, it won't burn and just smoke white.

[float_6969]

The first thing he needs to do is pull the codes from the ECU and see what, if anything, the computer thinks is going on.

Bad compression won't usually just show up one day.

My initial reaction was that it was turbo related. I would check that the drain line isn't plugged up, that the PCV valve is functioning properly, and that the PCV tube under the intake mani isn't plugged up.

[Nali]

So uh, what part of this problem requires an engine specific expert?

By putting ''expert'' in the title im guaranteed atleast one REAL expert will give the thread a look see. And the title will also attract not-so-experts who just might be able to answer my question anyway. Its a psychological trick forgive me. I am Bad.

Well an Update on the whole engine situation.Well Monday i drove the car to my good friends shop to get the compression checked out, and all the other stuff. Unfortunately he was fully booked with paying customers. So we could only get the compression tests done.All the cylinders were within normal parameters. The car still ran like **** but He told me to come back the next day so we could check everything else out.

Well Tuesday comes and im up early. Traffic is killing me so i decide ill take the long way around, but atleast i will be dodging traffic. The car bogs up on me atleast 3 times before i finally get off the main road. Off the main road there is a nice long straight which i am tempted to speed in. So i flatten the gas pedal, the car jerks a few time then gives of the most realistic sounding human cough ever from a none human. I swear it sounded like someone with alot of mucus in there lungs gave off a huge cough.This wasnt the most surprising thing. Right after this cough, the car was running just like it was before this little ordeal. No smoke, no jerking at 4,000RPM nothing, it just all came back to normal.

I was still worried so i continued my journey to the shop. The mech checked everything, and the car is running absolutely perfectly. We checked everything, the turbo, the head, all the valves and seals. We found nothing to indicate this car ever had a problem. We even deduced that maybe it was the fuel pump sack was dirty, so we checked it out and clean as a whistle.

Im not sure what caused this problem, but what ever it is my car just coughed it out. I spent the whole of today, boosting to see if the problem would return. Nothing, just a half tank of gas wasted.

Thank to everyone who bothered to give me there to cents, its greatly appreciated. And to all those who thought this was a waste of time, i am sorry for having spent your time.

[Myetball]

It's never a waste of time to ask for help with a problem that is giving you fits. Often, one can get so wrapped up on a project/problem they overlook the obvious and a fresh perspective helps.

Glad everything worked out, sucks you don't what the heck happened. If indeed it was fuel vapor from running too rich, I was leaning towards an ignition problem.

[ca18detgabby]

maybe when you were testing things something that wasnt previously locked down enough got tighten enough to make it run properly.(grounds or vac line)

running rich like that I would probably change my plugs for safety sake.

so all runs well now?

[Nali]

maybe when you were testing things something that wasnt previously locked down enough got tighten enough to make it run properly.(grounds or vac line)

running rich like that I would probably change my plugs for safety sake.

so all runs well now?

Yeah the car is running perfectly right now.I'll take ur advice and get new plugs.

My next step is getting the ECU tuned for the Z32 MAFS and Getting some new injectors 555cc. Im not going to upgrade the Fuel pump till much later. As far as i know the stock fuel pump will be reliable till i pass 300hp.

Ive decided to turn this thread into my Horsepower CA18DET Thread. So when all you CA-ers see this thread bumped up, ive probably put some new parts into the engine.My cars cosmetics are fine now. So its all performance from here on out.

Ill have some dyno sheets and track times soon.

Hopefully this Gustav character dies.....

[float_6969]

I'm glad to hear the problem sorted itself out, but don't be suprised if it comes back. Maybe you had an obstruction in one of the injectors and it worked itself out?

As for the fuel pump, is this a KA fuel pump, or was this car originally equipped with the CA? If so, IDK that I would trust that pump to 300HP. You NEVER screw around with fueling. I'd consider the fuel pump a higher priority than the MAFS and injectors.

Also, please start a new thread for the build progress as it tends to confuse people when they're searching for answers to questions.

[Nali]

I'm glad to hear the problem sorted itself out, but don't be suprised if it comes back. Maybe you had an obstruction in one of the injectors and it worked itself out?

As for the fuel pump, is this a KA fuel pump, or was this car originally equipped with the CA? If so, IDK that I would trust that pump to 300HP. You NEVER screw around with fueling. I'd consider the fuel pump a higher priority than the MAFS and injectors.

Also, please start a new thread for the build progress as it tends to confuse people when they're searching for answers to questions.

OK, ill start a new thread for the build up. the MAFS, injectors and ECU are already in the mail. ill get an uprated fuel pump next.im also gonna get an FPR, and probably a SAFC cuz my car runs sorta rich as is.