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Author Topic: Blowing smoke!  (Read 4873 times)

Offline darth_paul

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Blowing smoke!
« on: December 01, 2004, 05:49:26 pm »
I have an old Mazda 323(1987).  1.6l  carborator.

Recently it has been blowing smoke. I don't know that much about cars, so maybe I could get a little help.

Anyway, I checked the plugs and two of them were black with carbon.  I put new ones in the car in July.  

Is it a carborator problem?  Engine problem?  or just a crappy car.  I bought it in april.

Thanks in advance.

Paul
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Offline mrthompson

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2004, 05:55:19 pm »
Does the smoke have a particular colour or odour?
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Offline darth_paul

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2004, 06:00:04 pm »
BLue and is smells bad.  I am going through a lot of oil, too.

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Offline davidm

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2004, 06:06:27 pm »
Great car that sounds like its burning tonnes of oil.  If you are in Vancouver I can recommend a good shop that can give you an honest take on the problem.
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Offline darth_paul

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2004, 06:09:08 pm »
Calgary
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Offline mrthompson

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2004, 06:09:32 pm »
Resident online mechanic Barrie1 will come along and have some helpful advice.  You may have to wait until tomorrow morning, though, for a response.

Patience, grasshoppah!  
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Offline ktm525

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2004, 06:59:23 pm »
Is this a winter beater? If so I would just run cheap oil through the winter and then get rid ofit come springtime. If this is your primary car then I would do the same as above until you can find another vehicle or you can't bear the cost of engine oil anymore. Once you are spending equal money on gas vs oil then it is time to crush the car.. Seriously this is a 17 year old economy car, unless it is in exceptional shape it is probably not worth the major surgery (re-ring? or valve seals?).
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Offline johngenx

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2004, 07:17:04 pm »
Sorry, but that black stuff on your plugs is not carbon.  Well, it is, but not of the kind that the term infers.  It's oil fouling, and it means your car is done.  That is a $500 car, and if you dive into the engine, you'll be flushing money down a black hole.  You'll be MUCH better off using ANY money you are thinking about spending on this car and either buying something newer or using it as a down on a better car.

Drive it until it fails completely, which might be months or a year.
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Offline darth_paul

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2004, 07:46:51 pm »
Nope, it isn't oil fouling.  I had another car a long time ago that was doing that.  This is different.  It is like a black, sooty powder.  Not oil.
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Offline articsteve

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2004, 08:17:03 pm »
If it is blowing blue coloured smoke when you drive then I'd say your some of you rings are bad.

What you can do is change the oil and add a can of "Restore" found at Canadian Tire.  That might buy you some time
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Offline johngenx

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2004, 09:48:49 pm »
Not oil.

It's pouring blue (oil!) smoke out the tail pipe, but the plugs are not oil fouled?  Hum...
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Roadrunner

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2004, 11:27:30 pm »
Don't waste any more money on this. All those symptoms you mentioned definitely point to worn piston rings and there is a very high oil blow-by
causing heavy consumption. If the engine doesn't die on its own maybe the EPA will help you.
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Offline barrie1

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2004, 12:43:26 am »
Unless the Butterfly was stuck shut? He'd have to know that for sure I would think that the Carberator should be looked at on this vehicle. If the choke is sticking then it will Blacken up with powder like substance.  Manuel Choke or Automatic, don't matter, start there on your repair.  
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Roadrunner

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #13 on: December 02, 2004, 11:36:29 pm »
What you're saying Barrie is, if the choke butterfly wasn't opening all the way it would make the engine run rich, causing the visible Blue smoke.
He says he is consuming a lot of oil too tho.

Black sooty powder on the plugs indicates a possible plugged air filter, plugs with the wrong heat range, a poss. ignition system problem or a fuel fault.(like Barrie said; carburator)
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Offline johngenx

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #14 on: December 02, 2004, 11:58:01 pm »
Rich running is black smoke.  Blue smoke is oil burning.  It's going through oil.  Where's it going?  Must be buring in the chamber and going out the pipe in order to make that smoke.
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Offline barrie1

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #15 on: December 03, 2004, 12:17:09 am »
I am starting to think both things are happening on this engine. Check your PCV valve as well while you are looking for causes but maybe start saving some money towards a replacement engine or car.  
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Offline brian

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #16 on: December 03, 2004, 01:13:23 pm »
What the last few guys said.  The car is done and completely regardless of what the plugs say, your oil consumption and the BLUE smoke says you're burning oil.  Probably the piston rings, as said.  I would drive it until it dies or becomes too polluting to stand.

BTW to save cash, don't bother changing the oil anymore, just keep filling it up with the cheapest stuff you can find and change the filter when it's time.  Thicker weight oil may help (like mixing some 20w50 in there), but might cost more on the flip side.
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Sterling

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #17 on: December 03, 2004, 11:23:59 pm »
Where are all the environuts that usually skewer anyone that mentions using a remote starter? This car is a gross-polluter! Where are the demands it be taken off the road? Or is saving a few bucks more important?
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Offline johngenx

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #18 on: December 03, 2004, 11:48:55 pm »
The reality of life is that there are many people that cannot afford to drive a low polluting car.  In Edmonton, we have a horrific transit system and many low income working people must use cars, and they mostly must drive polluters.

Until we come up with some real ways to get those heaps off the road, the reality is that we have to compromise.
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Sterling

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Blowing smoke!
« Reply #19 on: December 04, 2004, 12:31:15 am »
I agree and understand that. It just bugs me when I read people condemning someone as an environmental terrorist for using a remote start on their SUV for 10 minutes. I'd bet that SUV could idle for weeks before it spewed the amount of pollutants pumped out by a " blue-smoker" in a few minutes.
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