Goodbye Q? It won't move.

[Mopar]

Well I am at it again guys. After putting new KS on and all that plenum work, i only enjoyed her for 2 weeks

Now, the car feels worse than it was with 2 bad ks. When you hit the gas, it basically just loses power. All power and it won't budge. This happened when i stopped at a red light. It also makes this weird sound, it comes from the under of the car when you press the gas pedal. Could it be the CATs?

That day, i kept getting some white smoke from the tail when I would start it up. It smells like coolant. And It drains the coolant also.

I did scan the CEL code and I got p1492. I checked fsm and can't understand what the problem is.

At this point I am just fed up with it. If anybody is reasonable enough, I will sell them my Q. I can't believe I just said that (

[qship96]

blown head gasket?

[Mopar]

I changed both of them when I did the KS job. how can I check if I did something wrong in that case?

[S13xCrazy]

You can do a compression test and see what the numbers come back as.

If you just had the heads off and did the headgasket, did you check the heads for straightness? Your heads may have been warped/warped from improper removal sequence or torque.

From you decsription its warped heads or blown headgaskets.

Where are you located?

[Mopar]

Well i dont know what warped means, but i can see the gaskets on both sides sitting nice and straight. By the firewall where you can't stick your head in, i run my fingers and can feel them just like on the isible side.

I am located in Los angeles, ca. Willing to have a mechanic take a look at it. I took it to my mechanic he said white smoke in exhaust is bad gasket. Loss of power is losing pressure.

So how would I go to fix this? Should i retorque them first see whathappens?

[qship96]

Are you confusing valve cover gaskets with head gaskets?

[Mopar]

Yes I am. I thought they are the same? I was referring to valve covers and their gaskets. I did both of them when i did my ks job.

[elwesso]

Yeah from the sounds of it the VC gaskets were replace not the head gaskets... Thats a HUGE job especially in the car (dang near impossible)

[Mopar]

I don't think i have a head gasket problem though. Somehow I think its vc?

[lamsv]

I don't think it is VC gaskets. No coolant runs past those gaskets. If you are losing all your coolant, it is a head gasket more than likely.

[qship96]

VC gasket failure would only allow some motor oil to seep past them, headgasket failure causes coolant to enter combustion chamber and burn out through exhaust {causing the white smoke and sweet smelling exhaust} the coolant level drops as it burns and also enters the oil inside the engine destroying the bearings very quickly.....generally the engine is toast if you have a head gasket failure.

[Mopar]

Wow... Just great.

So in order to change them i have to go into the valve covers again? Could me changing vc gaskets and doing all that work caused this? Could it be possibly anything else? Could it be the valve covers???

So how would i go to changing this? I never had an issue like this...

[qship96]

if it is indeed the headgasket, the engine needs to come out and most likely totally rebuilt or swapped with a new engine- it is a major major issue to deal with. Valve covers have absolutely nothing to do with burning coolant through the exhaust.

[Mopar]

Well, i do/did have the white smoke problem. My coolant seems to be burning, since i have to add new on top.

BUT i do not have oil in coolant, or coolant in my oil and also do not have bubbling in my radiator when i take off the cap. Could this be due to a specific area of the gasket thats bad?

Can the white smoke be caused by anything else other than the head gasket? There's no way in the world I am taking out an engine, so a diagnosis of a bad ead gasket would mean bah bye for my Q

[Mopar]

If the worst diagnosis happens and it is (seems like 99% it is) head gasket, can I use this to at least try to save the Q? I know you guys would want it to be changed, but I have already put in about 5 bills for the KS job and I just can't pay somebody to do this for me since it is going to be intensive labor. Can I can I can I? Any possible feedback from people that may have used this before?

I bought this car and ever since beginning I could tell that I will keep this car untill the wheels fall off. Seems like I have reached that, maybe I can do CPR and temporarely save the Q?

[maxnix]

I changed both of them when I did the KS job. how can I check if I did something wrong in that case?

No, you changed the valve cover gaskets.

Sweet smell is coolant, and that means head gasket. Check the wet compression pressures.

[paranoidjack]

I don't think you blew your headgasket(s). Just a feeling.

I'd put money on a leaking valley coolant hose. It could be dripping into the valley and burning off. Also, shorting KS's and making car drive like crap. Read my thread more carefully - mine was leaking in the middle, could smell coolant, was leaking coolant (no white exhaust though)....don't mistake rich exhaust for white exhaust.

Get a flash light and find liquid sitting inside the valley where the KS's are.

I don't think it's your HG, unless you allowed the car to overheat after losing some coolant - did you?

[Mopar]

Hey Jack,

Somehow I don't think its the HG either. I do not have oil in coolant/coolant in oil. I do not have overheating and/or bubbling radiator. All I have is white smoke (which btw stopped doing so) and the car just won't move, sort of like having a really bad MAF.

I never had it overheat on me. For the last 7-8 years I have had this car, the q has overheated only once. When it did i pulled over and had it towed to not damage it.

The engine sounds funny to me... You know when you can tell somethings not right with it just by the way it sounds. When I depress my gas pedal, power just goes out for good couple of seconds and then it moves.

I have parked the Q looking to find the problem. That's why I am asking if theres any other reason for the white smoke. Could it be from ANYTHING else? From my research I only saw one 94 that needed to change HG. I doubt I have the first Q that needs that job.

[paranoidjack]

I bet $100 it's not HG.

You need to unclip and reclip half ot he wire harness at a time. DO driver's side first MAF connector etc....

[Mopar]

Just like unplug and clean and reconnect?

[paranoidjack]

yessir. Sounds like you're running on 7, or your MAF is off. When the car starts cold what's it feel like?

[Mopar]

It's the same when it's cold. Maybe slightly better. What makes me afraid is the weird sound it makes when you depress the pedal a little more than normal. That's why I have parked it.

You know I didnt clean the maf sensor when I did the ks job. I am going to do that when I get home. But I doubt it has to do with the wasting of the coolant.

It's sad to see her like this again :/.

[maxnix]

Check all coolant hoses, especially the one in back near the firewall at the top.

[Q451990]

I'm going to guess that there's a problem with a coolant hose too. You should have foamy "chocolate milkshake" oil if it was a head gasket and you were mixing coolant into the engine.

Heath

[Mopar]

Yes, that's what I was going to say. Seems like (almost) all HG failures do cause oil/coolant mixed up. I am guessing I messed up then on putting it back together with the KS job.

I'm taking it to have a mechanic look and see what might be the cause. Before taking it though I will take a look at hoses.

I will update

[Mopar]

Update: just got out of the shop. The mechanic told me the not moving issue is 100% the MAF. we looked high an low for the missing coola t issue and did not fin any abnormalities. The white smoke is totally gone? I hate the Q when you take it to the vet it always acts normal. You drive it home everything comes back lol

[qship96]

Great to hear! Is it still using coolant? If so, you must MUST find the reason and correct it at once, or you could overheat engine and lose it.

[yodawill2000]

I second that emotion !! :gapteeth
UV die works well for finding a leak.
They sell a kit with the die and a light on the cheap at the Zone.

[paranoidjack]

It's possible the cooling system bled air out, and you noticed the levels drop. It is difficult to bleed it properly without driving it at all. Fill it to the fill line on the reservoir when cold, and check it every morning when cold.

Told you the car was OK - I even told you it was the MAF Mopar

You could probably have just jiggled, cleaned, dielectric greased it, and reconnected - did you try that before sending it to the shop?

[maxnix]

Update: just got out of the shop. The mechanic told me the not moving issue is 100% the MAF. we looked high an low for the missing coola t issue and did not fin any abnormalities. The white smoke is totally gone? I hate the Q when you take it to the vet it always acts normal. You drive it home everything comes back lol

Probably over rich. I am betting the white smoke didn't smell sweet?