Need Help! Running Rich? Or turbo leaking?

[Saltman]

Ok, my car may be running super rich because of the BOV...I think. Whenever I drive and let the turbo spool and then stop at a light, white smoke starts coming out of the tailpipe. I talked to XS Engineering and they don't know what the problem may be and they want me to bring it in for diagnostic which is $75 an hour. Phase2 who did the swap says it could be the turbo leaking oil through the seals but I've been to Vegas and Diego and the oil is still at the same level. They want me to pay for a used T25 and install - $500. XS wants to tune it but they charge $150 an hour and suggest that I get a Power FC. I'm broke. All I could do is diagnostic. What do you guys suggest? Is there something I can check myself to see what it could be? It wastes gas ridiculously. I filled up the tank today and just gunned it from first to fourth gear just to get on the freeway. The tank went down from Full to 3/4 just like that. I've been looking on here and from reading about so many problems others have had, I don't know if I have a bad FPR, if it's the BOV (it backfires a lot too and only blows when driving around 3500rpm) if it just needs to be tuned, or if it really is the turbo. Can somebody please help me??? I don't want to get caught by the cops. I almost did today and had to keep my car revving at 2000rpm at a light while a cop was behind me. Suggestions?

[Hijacker]

If you think the car is running real rich, try changing the O2 sensor. If that goes bad, the car will usually enter a mode where it dumps a lot of fuel into the car.

Now, the FPR doesn't dictate how much gas goes through the injectors. The injector size does. All the FPR does is make sure a particular pressure is maintained in the fuel line. Should that pressure fall, the injectors wouldn't have enough gas to put in the car, and it would run lean.

The only time the BOV would cause the car to run rich is the moment it vents. It wouldn't do that otherwise.

White smoke is traditionally indicative of coolant in the cylinders. I have seen more and more, though that synthetic oils burn white. If it were oil, it could come from a number of places. Valves, piston rings, or turbo.

But given some of your symptoms. The quick loss of gas in the tank, the bogging at idle, and the backfiring, you are definitely running rich. Try changing your O2 sensor first and see if that corrects any of the problems.

[NoOneBetter]

is the O2 sensor on the exhaust manifold for the SR? how hard is it to change them?

[SpeedRacer1]

It sounds like you timing is off. But yes white smoke isnt a rich condition. If your BOV is only releasing air above like 3000 RPM's, it may be tuned poorly. A poorly tuned BOV can kill a turbo very quickly.

The O2 sensor is mounted on the O2 sensor extension that is foind between the back of the turbo and the downpipe. You need a special socket to remove the O2 sensor (or you can use a proper open ended crescent wrench but run the chance of stripping the O2 sensor). If I had to change one right now it should only take a couple minutes.

[NoOneBetter]

the location of the o2 sensor for the SR is all the same? and also are there any aftermarket (Bosch?) o2 sensor for the SR besides factory?
Modified by NoOneBetter at 7:56 PM 10/8/2004

[Hijacker]

i use a bosch sensor. i can't remember the exact part number off hand though. It should be the same as the bosch single wire sensor for the KA.

[Saltman]

White smoke is traditionally indicative of coolant in the cylinders. I have seen more and more, though that synthetic oils burn white. If it were oil, it could come from a number of places. Valves, piston rings, or turbo.

But given some of your symptoms. The quick loss of gas in the tank, the bogging at idle, and the backfiring, you are definitely running rich. Try changing your O2 sensor first and see if that corrects any of the problems.

I think it could be a little bit of both the turbo and the O2. I did change the oil over to Mobil 1 Synthetic and that's when I started noticing the white smoke. But the gas mileage is also a factor. I just filled up yesterday and drove home and now I'm at 3/4 and I live 10 miles away from work.