no idea what is wrong, help me!!

[stratplayer24]

i have a 93 gsx, everything is stock except for my exhaust. i have a 3 inch turbo back. i did have my BOV venting to the atmoshpere for about 3 days and smelt something burning. so i stuck it back to the intake again. now when ever i start my car or after i have the turbo spooled up it smells like that burning smell again. and there will be a cloud of smoke following me. i'm not sure exactly what's wrong. can anyone tell me where to start looking for what's wrong with my car? thanks!!

 

[viperlp01]

No sign of oil anywhere? it kind of sounds like your turbo blew. Do you get boost or when you get on it, it smokes more?? Need alittle more info man.

 

[stratplayer24]

i mean the oil is leaking out of the stock oil cap, but they all do that. and when i get on it, it really starts to smoke. i have a 16 g turbo to put on it but just dont have the time.

 

[LandoAWD]

i mean the oil is leaking out of the stock oil cap, but they all do that. and when i get on it, it really starts to smoke. i have a 16 g turbo to put on it but just dont have the time.

No, they don't. Unfvuck your gasket or get a new 710 cap.

Pull the intake and check the turbo for shaft play.

 

[SeMi380]

You venting the BOV sounds irrelevant to your current problem (although your car will run like crap if you do vent the BOV on a stock setup) and definitely check your turbo for shaft play cause it may be going. And get a new oil cap.

 

[stratplayer24]

No, they don't. Unfvuck your gasket or get a new 710 cap.

Pull the intake and check the turbo for shaft play.

will do. i'll check for shaft play. is there anyway that you can hear if your turbo is bad? ### when mine starts to spool it makes this real wierd sound. and also the smoke is coming from under the car, not the exhaust. but is there a way to check for an exhaust leak? and after the run if i open the hood all that smoke comes from under the hood that that's also telling me it's coming from the engine.

 

[booostedGSX]

Where about in Pittsburgh are you? I'm about 20 mins away from the city. Maybe we can meet up and I can give it a look over. PM me if you're interested.

 

[chico904]

will do. i'll check for shaft play. is there anyway that you can hear if your turbo is bad? ### when mine starts to spool it makes this real wierd sound. and also the smoke is coming from under the car, not the exhaust. but is there a way to check for an exhaust leak? and after the run if i open the hood all that smoke comes from under the hood that that's also telling me it's coming from the engine.

Yes, to check for turbo failure the signs will be smoking, (which you have) and check as stated above by taking off your intake and checking for shaft play, bent or cracked fins.. To check for an exhaust leak, block off your exhaust at the tailpipe, and check your full exhaust system for leaks. Seafoam does a good job at finding this for you also. You need to find out where the smoke is coming from, if it is indeed under the hood. If your car sits at idle, does it smoke?

 

[smokem]

Was the return line on the intake blocked off when your BOV was vented?

 

[stratplayer24]

Yes, to check for turbo failure the signs will be smoking, (which you have) and check as stated above by taking off your intake and checking for shaft play, bent or cracked fins.. To check for an exhaust leak, block off your exhaust at the tailpipe, and check your full exhaust system for leaks. Seafoam does a good job at finding this for you also. You need to find out where the smoke is coming from, if it is indeed under the hood. If your car sits at idle, does it smoke?

okay, well i just got the oil cap replaced and it doesn't seem to be leaking anymore from there. but i will have to take the intake off tomorrow when the car is cold. i just had it out and the engine yet again had smoke under the hood. and no it doesn't smoke when it's sitting at idle. i'll check for the exhaust leak too. what if my exhaust doesn't leak? will the car stall or will it just blow right through the rag or whatever i block it off with? whatelse could have possibly went bad when the turbo goes bad? and yes i had the BOV dump tube in the intake blocked off and the car ran fine, it hit boost a little bit later and it wasn't as high. but yeah i had it blocked off.

 

[Calan]

will do. i'll check for shaft play. is there anyway that you can hear if your turbo is bad? ### when mine starts to spool it makes this real wierd sound. and also the smoke is coming from under the car, not the exhaust. but is there a way to check for an exhaust leak? and after the run if i open the hood all that smoke comes from under the hood that that's also telling me it's coming from the engine.

If you have smoke in the engine bay when you pop the hood, oil is leaking onto something hot and burning....you should be able to spot where it's coming from with a little detective work.

This sounds like you may have multiple issues. If you have a leak (oil dripping and then burning), it shouldn't matter if you're spooled or not. And you said you have a cloud of smoke following you, but also have smoke in the bay when you pop the hood.

What "weird noise" when it starts to spool? This sounds like a good place to start.

As for exhaust leaks, as Charlie said...do the Seafoam test.

 

[stratplayer24]

If you have smoke in the engine bay when you pop the hood, oil is leaking onto something hot and burning....you should be able to spot where it's coming from with a little detective work.

This sounds like you may have multiple issues. If you have a leak (oil dripping and then burning), it shouldn't matter if you're spooled or not. And you said you have a cloud of smoke following you, but also have smoke in the bay when you pop the hood.

What "weird noise" when it starts to spool? This sounds like a good place to start.

As for exhaust leaks, as Charlie said...do the Seafoam test.

your right about the oil leak, my oil cap was leaking on to my valve cover and it was probably going down and urning off the side of the block. there was oil all over the whole top of my engine. and when i start the car my oil pressure gauge is below the L (low) on the gauge. the guage will slowly make it's way past the L mark but it takes a good like 5 minutes. is that normal?

the noise that my turbo makes when it starts to spool is weird, it's unlike anything i've ever heard. it sounds like an electric motor starting up. but i think there is something wrong with it because my buddy has a 2g and he has the 14b turbo like i do and his doesn't make that noise at all. his spools with no problem.

also what do you mean by seam foam? where do i get it and how do i run the test? sorry i'm kinda new to the whole DSM world, and i'm only 16 years old so i'm not that experienced yet.

 

[JusMX141]

If the car has fairly high mileage, I'd imagine the gasket on the oil cap is hard as a brick and so are the cam seals.

If the turbo sounds like an electric motor when it's spooling, something is horribly wrong. Chances are it didn't make that noise before you noticed the smoking. That's the price you pay for venting your blow off valve.


Actually, venting has nothing to do with turbo life. It will make your car run like sh!t, though.

I, too, am not far from Pittsburgh....however, my time is already well-budgeted into the new year so I have no idea when I'd be able to look at your situation.

 

[chico904]

also what do you mean by seam foam? where do i get it and how do i run the test? sorry i'm kinda new to the whole DSM world, and i'm only 16 years old so i'm not that experienced yet.

Do a search on seafoam to tell you what all it does. Basically it is a cleaning agent that you enter into our cars via a vacuum port, as well as can pour it directly into the gas tank. It clean everything out such as carbon deposits, and you will have a huge smokecloud coming out of the exhaust carrying all the crap that is cleaning out. At this point, start checking underneath the hood and the exhaust for leaks. Pay attention to your exhaust manifold also. Any leak will be evident at the sight of white smoke coming from there. Make sure to change your oil after doing this, as you don't want all the crap settling in your oil.

 

[stratplayer24]

If the car has fairly high mileage, I'd imagine the gasket on the oil cap is hard as a brick and so are the cam seals.

If the turbo sounds like an electric motor when it's spooling, something is horribly wrong. Chances are it didn't make that noise before you noticed the smoking. That's the price you pay for venting your blow off valve.


Actually, venting has nothing to do with turbo life. It will make your car run like sh!t, though.

I, too, am not far from Pittsburgh....however, my time is already well-budgeted into the new year so I have no idea when I'd be able to look at your situation.

well my car does have 120k on it. but that's actually pretty good for a 93. and they guy told me that the engine was rebuilt about 20,000 miles ago. but did buy that new oil cap though. and yeah i found that my car did run like crap with it vented. so that's why i stuck the tube back on to recirculate. also the car did make the electric motor sound when spooling before i vented. i think i just got screwed over with a car that had a back turbo. but hey i got a bigger turbo so whatever.

and charlie, i will look on how to do that, where can i buy the sea foam stuff?

 

[tenn-gsx]

Aurozone, Kragen, Orielly's, Parts America........ Any auto parts store really.

 

[JusMX141]

they guy told me that the engine was rebuilt about 20,000 miles ago. but did buy that new oil cap though.

Every DSM I looked at when I was buying mine had "just been rebuilt" within a reasonable time frame- including the FWD that I'm now rebuilding. I took those statements with a grain of salt.

If the seller can't provide a receipt for the parts or service of the engine rebuild, then it never got rebuilt....simple as that. There's no way someone would rebuild an engine without photo or paper documentation.


Have you ever seen a 16G for sale on eBay with more than 10k on it? Even if it looks like they pulled the turbo from the junkyard yesterday, it still has "less than 10k" on it. This is the reason I rebuild every turbo I sell, and show pictures of the parts that were replaced in the listing. I trust NO ONE.

but hey i got a bigger turbo so whatever.

Keep in mind you can't just bolt on a bigger turbo and go. There are extensive fuel system mods required to make your car function properly with that upgraded turbo.


SeaFoam is a great product, but it will not fix your blown turbo.

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[stratplayer24]

If the seller can't provide a receipt for the parts or service of the engine rebuild, then it never got rebuilt....simple as that. There's no way someone would rebuild an engine without photo or paper documentation.


Have you ever seen a 16G for sale on eBay with more than 10k on it? Even if it looks like they pulled the turbo from the junkyard yesterday, it still has "less than 10k" on it. This is the reason I rebuild every turbo I sell, and show pictures of the parts that were replaced in the listing. I trust NO ONE.


Keep in mind you can't just bolt on a bigger turbo and go. There are extensive fuel system mods required to make your car function properly with that upgraded turbo.


SeaFoam is a great product, but it will not fix your blown turbo.

that is a very good way to look at it. i mean i didn't think the engine was rebuilt because there was no recipt. but it's a small 16g turbo. i'm just gonna run it on stock boost level will i still need to upgrade the fuel system? and the turbo came off of my uncles friends 2g he took it off because he bought a full GT35r garret set up. the 16g has no shaft play at all and no broken or damaged fins. and only has 5,000 miles on it.

and also i'll go buy a new oil filter and that sea foam stuff right now.

 

[viperlp01]

I just thought of a oil return line leaking onto the exhaust... Maybe that could be it or the oil feed line and that causes low bad oil flow to the turbo destroying the journal bearing hmmmm. Makes you think . I dont think it will hurt the turbo but it will make it smoke.

 

[JusMX141]

The Small 16G is a very versatile turbo. It can be used at stock boost levels for a little more top end power than a 14B, or it can be used at 25psi in conjuction with other bolt-on mods to achieve a low 12 in the 1320.

The way I've always installed Sea Foam in customer cars is to drive the car, and warm it up to normal operating temperature. Remove the large vacuum hose that goes to the brake booster and stick it into the can of Sea Foam while kicking up the idle a little at the throttle body. After the can is dry (just a few seconds), shut the car off and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. Start the car, and run the hell out of it until the smoke is gone!

 

[Calan]

I've always just used the "P" port off the throttle body... easier to get to

 

[stratplayer24]

I just thought of a oil return line leaking onto the exhaust... Maybe that could be it or the oil feed line and that causes low bad oil flow to the turbo destroying the journal bearing hmmmm. Makes you think . I dont think it will hurt the turbo but it will make it smoke.

The Small 16G is a very versatile turbo. It can be used at stock boost levels for a little more top end power than a 14B, or it can be used at 25psi in conjuction with other bolt-on mods to achieve a low 12 in the 1320.

The way I've always installed Sea Foam in customer cars is to drive the car, and warm it up to normal operating temperature. Remove the large vacuum hose that goes to the brake booster and stick it into the can of Sea Foam while kicking up the idle a little at the throttle body. After the can is dry (just a few seconds), shut the car off and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. Start the car, and run the hell out of it until the smoke is gone!

well no matter what i wanna get that 16 G on there. but i was just out again and pulled over and I'm getting the smell that smells like burning brakes from under neath the hood... and also the new oil cap was soaked in oil. it had oil all over it. and the oil was all over the top of my engine, valve cover, intake manifold, cam gears, vacum lines, EVERYWHERE! do you think a bad oil feed line or oil return line could cause such a problem?

 

[1_2befast]

I think we may have found another problem. Sounds like the clutch is slipping under load causing smoke under the hood and stinking like hell.

 

[stratplayer24]

I think we may have found another problem. Sounds like the clutch is slipping under load causing smoke under the hood and stinking like hell.

yeah, i thought that too because of the smell. but, my RPM's don't spike. They go up as usual and so does my speed. if my clutch was slipping my RPM's would spike and i wouldn't go anywhere...right? i'm taking off the intake today to find shaft play. i'll post pics if anything is messed up.

but where is all the oil coming from? it's a brand new oil cap so what's wrong?

 

[1_2befast]

yeah, i thought that too because of the smell. but, my RPM's don't spike. They go up as usual and so does my speed. if my clutch was slipping my RPM's would spike and i wouldn't go anywhere...right? i'm taking off the intake today to find shaft play. i'll post pics if anything is messed up.

but where is all the oil coming from? it's a brand new oil cap so what's wrong?

Depending on how long you have been driving the car, what you think is moving may not be. I'm not trying to be an A$$, but if you have never driven a fast car a slipping clutch in a DSM could still feel pretty quick.

Also check all your brakes and see if they dragging. Try to come to a stop using as little brake as possible after driving a few minutes. If everything is very hot you may have a problem. You could also pull a caliper and check out the pads. Just to rule brakes out.