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84 gl turbo wagon running rich


oczuk32
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So my wagon has fail smog twice so far. I have replace plugs, fuel filter, air filter, cap & rotor, pcv, checked fuel pressure regulator. Except O2 sensor. O2 sensor looks like it had been replace before. I notice that when O2 sensor is unplug it runs a little leaner and when i plug it in it starts to get in the rich side. I having a problem trying to reach the O2 sensor with the standard O2 socket. The heat shields on the turbo and cat make it difficult. The service manual calls out for a special socket for the sensor which i assume it doesnt exist anymore. Any suggestions...

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The O2 sensor will be a 22mm hex head from memory. Any spanner, ring would be best, that can fit in where you need to get to will do the job. 

I would try a new O2 sensor, this can mess with the fuel mixture a lot. 

I would also have the injectors cleaned and flow tested, you don’t want them running lean or have them throwing too much fuel into the engine. 

All the best with it! 

Cheers 

Bennie

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17 hours ago, el_freddo said:

The O2 sensor will be a 22mm hex head from memory. Any spanner, ring would be best, that can fit in where you need to get to will do the job. 

I would try a new O2 sensor, this can mess with the fuel mixture a lot. 

I would also have the injectors cleaned and flow tested, you don’t want them running lean or have them throwing too much fuel into the engine. 

All the best with it! 

Cheers 

Bennie

Yeah I've replaced every piece of rubber fuel line all the way to the injectors. The injectors were removed and clean  all of them. I did purchased a 22mm hex slim neck socket for the O2 sensor. But its a small area to get to the sensor cause the heat shields that make it difficult to fit the socket. I will remove the heat shields this weekend lets see if i could get to it.

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13 hours ago, carfreak85 said:

Have you found the turbo supplement yet?  I can try to take some photos of the troubleshooting section this evening, if I remember.

That would be helpful if you can. So far i dont really see a issue with turbo. 

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These little VFs seem to hold up pretty well, I would be surprised if the seals are blown out on this car in particular.  I would first look for any vacuum leaks.  Inspect all the rubber hoses, hose clamps, etc.  Make sure the inlet pipe from the airbox to the turbo isn't severely cracked (it was rubber once, now more like brittle plastic).  Put a long screwdriver on each injector and put your ear on the other end, making sure you hear each one clicking.

I forgot to take photos of the troubleshooting tree, but I'm making a note to do it today.

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Oil level has been on the spot. Just getting the oil pump small leak that I read about here in the forums. I dont see any smoke coming out from the tailpipe. No black soot on the tailpipe at all. Just the rich fuel smell that comes and goes.

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2 hours ago, carfreak85 said:

These little VFs seem to hold up pretty well, I would be surprised if the seals are blown out on this car in particular.  I would first look for any vacuum leaks.  Inspect all the rubber hoses, hose clamps, etc.  Make sure the inlet pipe from the airbox to the turbo isn't severely cracked (it was rubber once, now more like brittle plastic).  Put a long screwdriver on each injector and put your ear on the other end, making sure you hear each one clicking.

I forgot to take photos of the troubleshooting tree, but I'm making a note to do it today.

I have also replace the vacuum lines, even tho the original braided ones were pretty cool. Inlet pipe still looks flexible and dont see any cracks. I tested every injector when I removed them to change out the fuel line. No leaks on the fuel pressure regulator. It holds vacuum. I have not tested the fuel pressure yet. Im running an after market fuel pump since a original one cant be found anymore. Its rated for the recommended lbs that that system requires.

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Bennie dislikes EA82 , but I agree with him on getting the injectors checked, or at least put a few strongish :) doses of fuel system cleaner through first, pull (easier said than done unfortunately) injectors and leave them to soak in a bath of injector cleaner/ fuel cleaner over night or 24 hours to see if you get any better reading. Dribbly injectors or not a perfect spray can lead to this before you feel any drive issues. Wonder if you disconnected sensor for emissions test?

The O2 sensor is what controls the fuel trim , but not during acceleration.

Someone had a positive response tip in here to almost give the beast a hiding just before testing to ensure cat is up to temperature.

 

Had to reset things on my device, meanwhile this reply sat stuck in the reply box 24 hrs so may read like a bit out of sequence here.

Your O2 gauge is reading off the same O2 sensor? It is telling us it is running rich so I would not suspect it is the sensor but is the ecu getting this signal - at least to the pins? If ecu does not see O2 sensor it has failsafe default to go rich

Edited by Steptoe
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1 hour ago, oczuk32 said:

By just testing the the fuel pressure itself would tell me that the regulator is working properly right? 

If the FPR diaphragm has a small hole it can suck fuel from the fuel side to the vacuum side and into inlet air stream

Edited by Steptoe
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44 minutes ago, Steptoe said:

If the FPR diaphragm has a small hole it can suck fuel from the fuel side to the vacuum side and into inlet air stream

Theres no fuel leak and holds vacuum with the gun. Also change the vac hose that goes to FPR. I will try to change the O2 sensor this weekend by trying to remove the heat shields.

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Find as many different10 mm spanners for the heat shield bolts. I used an old wire coat hanger to make a tool to hole M6 bolt with a U shape slightly bent in at the top of the U

to hold bolt in until I pull sharply to release, in order to hold bolt six inches up, in the side of the heat shield while long ratchet ring does it up.

I made up firewall and chassis mounted heat shields in the end to free up my time :)

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Ok something is not right. So I finally was able to replace the O2 sensor and now my fuel mixture is way higher and Im getting the ecu led flashing. But not in a way to get a code. But when i disconnect the new O2 sensor the light goes off. Any thoughts or suggestions. Or should that be normal blinking operation.

 

Edited by oczuk32
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You want 14.7 cruising, backing off acc pedal totally should cut injectors totally and give you lean as like 29.9 if your gauge goes that far and some ecu will trigger CEL only while in this super lean condition. You could work out if it is 0.1 V to 0.5V that is the lean half and 05 - 0.9v the rich range and just bypass O2 sensor and feed ecu that tiny voltage to keep ecu lean for next inspection

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2 hours ago, Steptoe said:

You want 14.7 cruising, backing off acc pedal totally should cut injectors totally and give you lean as like 29.9 if your gauge goes that far and some ecu will trigger CEL only while in this super lean condition. You could work out if it is 0.1 V to 0.5V that is the lean half and 05 - 0.9v the rich range and just bypass O2 sensor and feed ecu that tiny voltage to keep ecu lean for next inspection

Yes 14.7 is the ideal mixture. But going thru some turbo forums they mention that engines with turbos should run a little richer than naturally aspirated engines. 12.8 to 13.7.  Correct me if i wrong. My experience with turbos is very limited. Yes when i back off the accelerator it does go to 27.0 + on AFR

Oh FYI,  I have the AFR plug in into a whole different oxygen sensor after the cat on the exhaust. 

Edited by oczuk32
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