Running EXTREMELY rich

[Boosted DSM 32]

Ok guys so my car has been running SUPER SUPER rich lately, its always ran a little rich since i got it, but lately if i give it any real gas at all all you smell is gas and its terrible... when i get out of the car it smells like i was just riding a dirtbike or something Also when i go to start it, it takes like 10 seconds to fire up and when it does it shakes for a second when it fires up (im guessing because of the misfire) Also if i build boost and let the bov go off and keep it in neutral the car will want to stall out yes the bov is recirced and maf is plugged in and everything is tight and hooked up correctly.. The car idles good just when i give it gas it smells horrible

I have all stock fuel system on right now as well

I went to pep boys and got the car read and it came back
1. 2 bad oxygen sensors
2. misfire in cylinder 1
3. some type of fuel problem (i cant remeber what its called)

I changed the spark plugs are the wires are new and it helped a little bit with it running bad but still doesnt feel right when you floor it you can tell its not firing correctly..

Before i go and spend 130 dollars on oxygen sensors, is the sensors whats causing all of the problems? or is something else bad that is making the sensors read wrong and screw up the whole fuel system? If anyone could help me out id really appreciate it! And sorry for so many tech posts but my car has a ton of issues and im just trying to knock them out one at a time

 

[Force Fed 4g63]

If you have 2 bad sensors you need to replace them. Start there.

 

[russell3123]

Bad oxygen sensors would make you run extremely rich . i would replace them asap and change youre oil.

 

[Boosted DSM 32]

I dont get why it idles perfectly tho? this car will be the death of me.. but either way i will replace them and could the sensors be causing the missfire too??

 

[92AWDHX40]

Check plugs, and wires, i had a bad o2 and my car idle ok, how is it tuned if at all. o2 sensor was 60 bucks 130 i never paid that much for one. Any vacuum leaks, did you do a boost leak test, might as well.

 

[Boosted DSM 32]

Check plugs, and wires, i had a bad o2 and my car idle ok, how is it tuned if at all. o2 sensor was 60 bucks 130 i never paid that much for one. Any vacuum leaks, did you do a boost leak test, might as well.

the plugs are brand new i just bought them yesterday and the wires are new also and i was talking 130 for both sensors it came up that both of mine were bad.. And there shouldnt be any leaks because im all stock everything but i will try a boost leak test this weekend

 

[lil corb]

What's the a/f ratio at idle? It could seem to be idling normal but be stuck in open loop and never going to closed because of bad primary o2.

 

[Boosted DSM 32]

What's the a/f ratio at idle? It could seem to be idling normal but be stuck in open loop and never going to closed because of bad primary o2.

Im not sure i dont have a wideband yet thats my next thing on the to do list

 

[Boosted DSM 32]

My one friend that is really big into dsm's and is the main go to guy around here for work told me that i could possibly have a bad valve or piston ring? i dont think its a ring because the spark plug doesnt have any oil on it and it doenst smoke at all the spark plug in cylinder 1 is just extremely black and the smell of fuel is horrible should i do a compression test?

 

[jed344]

i Doubt that is the issue id guess your car is staying in open loop mode causing you to run 10's in the a/f all the time.

 

[TurboLaserRS]

Please let me know if you find the culprit. My car is running really rich too. Fouling out plugs within half an hour of running. I'm leaning toward a 180 out cas, or my ecu is crapping out.

 

[Boosted DSM 32]

What can cause that open loop that stays on?

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

If my "go to guy" thought a rich condition can be caused by a bad valve or piston ring, he wouldn't be my go to guy anymore. Start with the oxygen sensors and go from there.

 

[Boosted DSM 32]

The reason he said that is because there is a bad misfire you can hear coming out of the exhaust he didnt say that was why he just said i should do a compression test he also said to get the oxygen sensor changed to see if that helps first

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

A bad valve could cause the misfire. A ring would have to be pretty FUBAR to cause misfire.

 

[Boosted DSM 32]

A bad valve could cause the misfire. A ring would have to be pretty FUBAR to cause misfire.

Ya thats why im saying i didnt think it was the piston ring it doesnt blow smoke or anything at all im trying to sell the car at the moment to pick up a 1g that has a better body the rust on mine and some other things are starting to get on my nerves and ive had the craving for a 1g lately

 

[eclipse420ags]

Buy a 6 dollar can of cleaner and clean the 2 sensors before you waist 130 bucks its probably why you are throwing a check engine light bc you are running rich mine did that when my a/f was in the 9s.

 

[2deep]

Are you always rich or just at WOT? I'm suprised nobody mentioned a boost leak. You will run rich if you have a boost leak on a MAS equiped car. Air is being metered before the turbo and escaping before it enters the motor. Try a boost leak test. Thats the first thing I would check if a MAS-equiped car is running rich out of the blue.

 

[Boosted DSM 32]

Are you always rich or just at WOT? I'm suprised nobody mentioned a boost leak. You will run rich if you have a boost leak on a MAS equiped car. Air is being metered before the turbo and escaping before it enters the motor. Try a boost leak test. Thats the first thing I would check if a MAS-equiped car is running rich out of the blue.

The car has always run rich ever since i had it, it just recently got alot worse.. and i dont know exaclty how rich because i dont have a wideband yet

 

[lil corb]

What can cause that open loop that stays on?

Check out this link.

fueltrimupdatepoints [ECMTuning - wiki]

 

[Boosted DSM 32]

Check out this link.

fueltrimupdatepoints [ECMTuning - wiki]

ahhhhhhhh so that screwed up o2 sensor could be causing it to stay in open loop correct? i think i understand whats going on

 

[RayRay32]

The car has always run rich ever since i had it, it just recently got alot worse.. and i dont know exaclty how rich because i dont have a wideband yet

How do you know how rich the car has been running? Are you constantly pulling plugs to "check" for this condition?

I would say you answered your question in the first post. Replace the primary (upstream) o2 if you know it has failed.

Autozone carries a denso o2 for right around $50.