Pile of soot in my driveway behind my car after idling

[Ryan86]

^ ^ ^ Agreed.

4 days is nothing to a car. Four months hardly matter, unless the gas happens to go bad- and even that isn't likely to happen.

You probably never noticed this before because the weather's been a lot colder than usual.

My car was from Discovery Bay. Avoid the nearby Mitsubishi dealers like the plague.

I actually went to look at your exact Talon when it was for sale... If i had my license at the time, then I prolly would have bought it

I think my clostest Mitsu dealer is either Concord or Stockton...neither I've ever been to. What one did you have probs with? I usually just go to Brentwood Dodge/Chrysler because I used to work there. Can't beat a $25 smog check.

 

[Defiant]

I actually went to look at your exact Talon when it was for sale... If i had my license at the time, then I prolly would have bought it

What was ol' John asking for it then? I got him down to $7K. Be glad you missed it- it needed tires, clutch, an AC control unit, and the hi-pressure switch in the compressor (that apparently the dealer had destroyed, ripped the wires right out). The tranfer case went out at 85K, replaced by Geweke Chrysler in Lodi.

I think my clostest Mitsu dealer is either Concord or Stockton...neither I've ever been to. What one did you have probs with? I usually just go to Brentwood Dodge/Chrysler because I used to work there.

Brentwood. They'd done the timing belts, 2 teeth off on the cams and the rear balance shaft 180° out. They also destroyed the radiator (no idea how) and had replaced it. There apparently used to be a Mits dealer in Tracy as well, I know the car had been there.

 

[Erok]

well, one thing is for sure thats carbon build up, anyways, its just that your probly running alil ritch, cheack for a small boost leak or something, i remember i had that problem out of no where, and weather was consistant, anyways, i see it spitting carbon out the back and i just thought it was weather so i adjusted my afc alil leaner (had 255/650's) and it fixed it, later on i realized the cap that i had blocking off where my emisions tube off the carcol canister that conects behind the injen hardpipe after maft/before turbo, the cap poped off, as soon as i blocked it i put my afc settings back to where they were when it was running ritch and spitting carbon, and whalla it was that lil leak behind the maft, no more carbon for me...

 

[awd93talon]

so i have something black coming out my exhaust onto the ground when i rev it. i need some help with this one. WTF

 

[i1nk83]

chances are its just unburned fuel mixed with some condensation in the exhaust. most dsm's run a little rich at idle and w/ no load on the motor. mine does it too

 

[BGGSTin]

I'm guessing it's dark dropplets sort of? and that it occurs during warm up and if the car isn't driven for a long period of time?.
If so yes it is carbon that lined the walls of the exhaust, normal; rub your finger in the exhaust and its black. Ok so why is it wet? Well the moisture passing through the exhaust from setting [overnight for example] picks up some of that carbon and makes its way to whatever it lands on. Like when a pop bottle "sweats", the initial warming of the engine creates condensation. Perfectly normal, assuming that the above presumptions were correct.

 

[awd93talon]

ya i havent driven it in a couple of days, but its more than dropplets, its like spread on the ground mabye a foot long and 6in accross.

 

[BGGSTin]

Yes mine does the same thing when I warm it up in the morning there will be a similar pattern on my driveway. It's alright, no trouble.

 

[awd93talon]

ok thanks

 

[Red Recluse]

I got mine on the inside of the garage door.

(got in car, thought I opened garage....I know)

 

[s4b0t4g3r]

I just installed the SAFC. No more check engine light. Now, I havent done any tuning yet whatsoever. I give it some gas. I then check the back of my car. A liquid which has a black residue in it was coming out of the exhaust
I really dont know what to think.
Any help would be appreciated

1990 Talon TSi

 

[ericbev]

Is there any smoke of any sort? Its probably just moisture collecting some carbon on its way out. This is common.

 

[chaclark83]

head gasket check, take your radiator cap off and start your car if its blown bad enough it will look like old faithfull. thats not the best way to do it but the quickest. also check compression or get a chemical block tester.

 

[DSM90AWD]

From HERE

The main by-products of combustion are:

Nitrogen gas (N2): Our atmosphere is 78 percent nitrogen gas, and most of this passes right through the car engine.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A harmless, odorless gas composed of carbon and oxygen. It is also a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Water vapor (H2O): Another by-product of combustion. The hydrogen in the fuel bonds with the oxygen in the air.

Catalytic converters can either be an oxidation or three-way type. Oxidation catalysts convert carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water, but have little effect on nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter. Three-way catalysts operate in a closed-loop system together with a lambda, or oxygen, sensor to regulate the air/fuel ratio on gasoline engines. The catalyst can then at the same time oxidize CO and HC to CO2 and water while reducing NOx to nitrogen.

That combined with condensation (warm gases liberating the water vapor from the air inside the exhaust) and you can see why "sooty" water comes out, especially at startup

 

[s4b0t4g3r]

thanks i confirmed it was condensation.
also, I have my A/F gauge. Now, at idle its running dangerously lean. Should i adjust afc to compensate?

 

[titogs95]

thanks i confirmed it was condensation.
also, I have my A/F gauge. Now, at idle its running dangerously lean. Should i adjust afc to compensate?

No. Just get a datalogger and read your fuel trims. (should be arround 100%) work arround the datalogger not the A/F gauge. (worthless for tunning. it is just a blinky light)

 

[fr33b1rth]

yep, condensation. it's very common on vehicles with cats because the cat actully increases the temp of the exhaust a bit when it's doing it's job. shut the car off, hot pipe, cold air, you get the rest. it's funny when i start my car and rev it when there is snow on the ground, black spots everywhere.

 

[DSM90AWD]

I have my A/F gauge. Now, at idle its running dangerously lean. Should i adjust afc to compensate?

If the A/F gauge is running off your stock O2 sensor it has no value other than to tell you that you are A.) running Hog Rich or B.) are about to blow up.

Sell it and get one of the $20-30 dataloggers on eBay which provide Knock Sum, Fuel Trim and Timing Data (also O2 values which are MUCH better info than blinky lights )

 

[-DSM2NR-]

My car is spitting out some kind of small black liquid particles out of the exhaust (which is leaving my pavement black and it's a bi*** to get off) and I need to confirm what's causing this.
The first thing that comes to my mind is that the car might be running rich but DSMlink is reading a 10.88:1 A/F ratio so I'm not exactly sure if it is in fact richness that's causing the problem. The car doesn't let out any black smoke on idle, only this weird liquid stuff Somebody help me out please.

 

[lenny 15]

weird, like with old cars when you first start them and they spit black stuff all over the driveway? or is it like dripping out of the muffler? my grandmas car spit black stuff all over the driveway when it was cold and it stalled alot. never figured it out, but then i never really looked into it. i would check for oil leaks. it sounds like its not an oil leak though, does your car smoke when you drive it?

 

[DSMcamaro]

Do you have a cat? Its probably moisture and carbon build up in the pipes.
read
My car does it when I first start it up when its cold.

 

[Jeff822]

My car does this also, its probably just condensation/carbon build up over night or when the car is sitting and when the car is started its the only time for it to get out of the exhaust.

 

[James Bondage]

My 92 tsi does this on first start up. I was told my my buddy it was pretty normal. Condensation/carbon build up.

 

[-DSM2NR-]

The car doesn't smoke at all. It's not leaking liquid it's spitting it out.
I got a full 3" turboback exhaust (no cats). I had a 3" turboback on my GST as well but it never let out any kind of liquids like my GSX does............weird.

 

[Boost Demon]

When I didn't have my global fuel trims dialed in through DSM Link I was getting that spray of black soot, but now that my LTFLO is just slightly above "0"% I don't have that any more. I also have a solid 10.9:1 a/f ratio that shows through my WB, but that is at WOT, remember your global settings are basically your driving around town settings, so I'd work on monitoring your LTFLO settings in DSM Link and getting that number as close to zero as you can, that did the trick for me .

*Edit* The A/F ratio in DSM Link is pretty close if you fill out the "PROPS" tab and let it know what cc injector your using and the deadtime, but this kicks in so to speak at WOT, during "spirited" driving conditions.