HELP!! 96 Q wont kick over

[BROKE_Q_OWNER]

Hope you guys can help because I apparently bought a poorly maintained Q despite what the dealer said and it is costing me out the...but i love the car and have so much invested so I cant give up yet! Here's a quick rundown..*** soon as winter hit i noticed upon accleration extereme amounts of white smoke out the exaust..like enough to blind the person behind me when i take off. The car also liked to sputter upon acceleration and idle roughly..found that to be the MAF soI have changed that. Then the fuel pump started whining and eventually gave out. So I bought a new fuel pum, fuel filter, and a used fuel pump control unit. During trying to figure out that problem i killed the alternator and battery, so those have been replaced as well now. Then the car ran fine for a few weeks..but i could smell gas through the heater when i stopped the car so I tightened the plenum hoses and that helped but didnt fix it. About a week later the check engine light came on so i hooked it up and got a code for bad O2 sensors. But before i got those fixed i started having more problems. I was driving home from work and noticed a light smoke and gas smell from the engine. Opened the hood when i got home and saw smoke and gas from dead center of the car between the engine and firewall. I went to start the car up again to see if i could trace where it was coming from and it started, smoked heavy heavy white smoke, accelerator pedal was unresponsive, and then it died..for good til this day. I checked the fuel pressure and it is fine ( I do remember burning an extreme amount of gas those last few days though) so now i'm stuck. Thinking maybe an injector problem?? But also, when i turn the key to power, my throttle position sensor grinds twice and then clicks?? Anyone else had that problem?? What does it mean?? Can anyone help?? Thank guys, help me not give up on this beast!!

[Haitian_King]

Hope you guys can help because I apparently bought a poorly maintained Q despite what the dealer said and it is costing me out the...but i love the car and have so much invested so I cant give up yet! Here's a quick rundown..*** soon as winter hit i noticed upon accleration extereme amounts of white smoke out the exaust..like enough to blind the person behind me when i take off. The car also liked to sputter upon acceleration and idle roughly..found that to be the MAF soI have changed that. Then the fuel pump started whining and eventually gave out. So I bought a new fuel pum, fuel filter, and a used fuel pump control unit. During trying to figure out that problem i killed the alternator and battery, so those have been replaced as well now. Then the car ran fine for a few weeks..but i could smell gas through the heater when i stopped the car so I tightened the plenum hoses and that helped but didnt fix it. About a week later the check engine light came on so i hooked it up and got a code for bad O2 sensors. But before i got those fixed i started having more problems. I was driving home from work and noticed a light smoke and gas smell from the engine. Opened the hood when i got home and saw smoke and gas from dead center of the car between the engine and firewall. I went to start the car up again to see if i could trace where it was coming from and it started, smoked heavy heavy white smoke, accelerator pedal was unresponsive, and then it died..for good til this day. I checked the fuel pressure and it is fine ( I do remember burning an extreme amount of gas those last few days though) so now i'm stuck. Thinking maybe an injector problem?? But also, when i turn the key to power, my throttle position sensor grinds twice and then clicks?? Anyone else had that problem?? What does it mean?? Can anyone help?? Thank guys, help me not give up on this beast!!

Wow.

Which hose did you tighten? The usual "fuel smell in the cabin" culprit is a hose near the back in front of the firewall.

The white smoke and excessive fuel consumption could be from a leaking injector. Dumping fuel into a cylinder I believe.

Sounds like you have a not so fine kettle of fish here. I'm at a loss. Maybe one of the 96 experts in the Q45 Brain Trust can render more aid.

My opinion in the matter is, you might as well pull the fuel rail and inspect the injectors and their O-rings. At least we can rule that out if they're not the cause.

[maxnix]

Monitor your coolant level. Does the white smoke smell sweet at all? Does it never dissipate?

Be sure to read the timing chain guide article.

[Haitian_King]

Monitor your coolant level. Does the white smoke smell sweet at all? Does it never dissipate?

Be sure to read the timing chain guide article.

Why would the CGA apply to a 96?

I had thought that white smoke meant burning coolant, but Wes informed me that it can also be excess fuel as a result of a leaky O-ring.

[maxnix]

Why would the CGA apply to a 96?

For some reason I read 90 first time. Wondered why itwas such low miles.

[Haitian_King]

For some reason I read 90 first time. Wondered why itwas such low miles.

No prob. Honest mistake.

[BROKE_Q_OWNER]

Coolant level is full...the dealer replaced my radiator for a cool $900 (ouch) about 1000 miles ago. And the hose I tightened was in the back near the firewall, pretty far down.. i had to use a very short screwdriver to do it and cut the hell out of my hand! I never really took the time to smell the smoke...it only smoked in cold weather when i accelerated..not on idle..until the last time this baby ran then it smoked like crazy when idling and died for good within a minute or two. It was idling real rough and giving it gas did nothing..i may have heard a popping noise too when i gave it gas the last time it ran ..cant remember though; it was so long ago. it has 160,000 miles on it..(i bought it with 145,000 three years ago so i dont even know this car yet unfortunately) anything else i should look for??

[maxnix]

Same smoke? Have you pulled the plugs?

[BROKE_Q_OWNER]

No i have not..was thinking that same thing as i looked through the records last night and see nothing about plugs being changed?? Also..anyone ever experienced a secondary throttle position sensor grinding when car is powered on?? This car is possessed!!

[BROKE_Q_OWNER]

also..if i was running this car unknowingly for some time with bad plugs and O2 sensors could i have a cat converter problem too?? i suspected O2 problems early but my engine light never came on and the computer said nothing about it until right before it died??

[maxnix]

Running too rich for a long time can kill your catylists.

[qship96]

OBD2 is your friend,read codes and inspect/correct subsystems related to codes,and you should have fixed the issues.The only sub-system not connected to the check-engine light is the knock sensor system,but it will still store its own code if there is a problem with it.

My guess is you have a faulty throttle position sensor,which causes all kinds of drivability issues.Easy to get to and replace.

Change plugs and both front o2 sensors,and go from there.

All Q have massive dual exhausts which produce lots of white smoke when started in cold weather due to moisture burnoff-much,much more visible than most other cars.

[BROKE_Q_OWNER]

just went to autozone to rent a OBD II and it tells me code P1120 which is throttle position sensor i believe?? how do i know if its the main sensor or the secondary as i have TCS and two sensors?? Is that really enough to not let this bad boy kick over?

THX guys!

[Q45tech]

You look up the code in Factory Service Manual and it tells you step by step how to proceed to narrow the problem down.

[qship96]

Buy yourself an inexpensive OBD2 scanner-Poop Boys,autozone,advance,etc sell Actron Pocket Scan basic model for $50.00 on sale, usually around $80- I bought one and use it frequently to help coworkers/friends who drive around with their MIL glowing and are too stupid to get it checked,fearing ,oh my, they might actually have to spend a buck on servicing their car like my wife,many feel all they should have to do is put gas in it when the tank is dry,anything above that, especially in the preventative maintenance catagory is frowned upon,rather buy another purse or outfit to join the hundred others in the closet