Hey Guys !!

I have a tough situation here with my friend's car ( 67k original miles ) . My friend has a 93 R1 with just some reliability mods done to it ( hoses, radiator, AST, Downpipe ). His car was running perfectly fine before the downpipe installation. However, ever since he got his down pipe installed at the local shop, all sorts of problems have arised. First of all, hes got a boost leak from somewhere that we can't seem to adjust. We did manage to find the two broken nipples around the primary turbo and replacd it. After we replaced the nipples, boost was somewhat controlled but wasn't completly fixed. In addition, he has a bigger problem now. Just about few days ago, he could not turn on the enigne for some reason. It actually took him several tries to get her started. But when it started, his engine was idling at really low RPM, and the whole car was shaking due to the vibration generated from the motor itself. We thougt it was maybe his spark plugs, so we changed it and noticed that it was fouled. But when we changed it, vibration was still there and only thing that was different from before the spark plugs was " white smoke " through the exhust for short period of time. My friend is just really worried right now and I just want to help him out. I told him to get the compression test frist before we go any further. I know this is a long thread but please provide us with some help

Thanks

 

it looks to me like your going in the right direction, but what i dont get is that you said it was fine one day, but the next day it didn't start.

are you sure nothing happend the night before? maybe he drove it hard and boost went too high.

does he have a boost gauge? did you check the coolant level? is his coolant level low?

could be all sorts of thing so i'm not gonna scare you until you answer those questions.

 

just for kicks check the map sensor because your getting alot of vibrations...smoke may have been lube from the downpipe burning off. Also good idea on getting a compression check, let us kno how that goes.

 

yeah coolant level is good, Map sensor is in good shape. He does have a boost gauge and is reading at 8 - 9 PSI. I'm thinking this is due to an boost leak ( i'M 200% SURE he has boost leak ). What's really interesting is, engine only vibrates, and smoke comes out in the early stage of warming the car. Once the car is warmed up, it rides pretty good without any vibration ( but still boost leak is there ). Also he told me today that when he started the car, there was white smoke coming out of his Y-pipe along with the exhust. ( i forgot to mention that he installed the Y-pipe too )

 

So white smoke huh.... there is only one thing that will produce white smoke, Coolant!

Now it can be coming "out" of the y-pipe but rather from the y-pipe. he may have a coolant leak near the turbos which is extremly dangerous. it can cuase a fire since coolant CAN flare up.

as far as the rough idle it may be...hmmm.... who am i kidding i can't think of anything imparticular off the top of my head. there is so much.

did you check the compression? you metioned you changed the plugs right? maybe the ignition wires? otherwise start checking those hoses closely. but 8-9 psi is about normal. what is the exact patter when he drives? 9-8-9? 8-7-8?...etc?

does the coolant buzzer ever come on?

 

edit above:

... it CAN'T be coming out of the y-pipe...

 

hey guys, its actually my car that TJI is talking about, i have just been real busy with finals to start a thread. Econsiderate, i did not ride the car hard the day before. the day before i only rode it to school and back and to my friends house, total miles maybe at the most 50 miles. also while i was riding it i had no problems besides weak secondary boost. My boost lately has been something like 10-6-4. yesterday the car had smoke coming out of the exhaust that was exremely white and smeeled just like coolant. and alos lkie tji said it also coming from my engine bay right underneath my y-pipe area. i will get compression done soon, i hope it is not o-ring failure.

 

i dont think it o ring. im pretty sure its a coolant leak from your turbos!!!

like i said before this is very VERY dangerous. your car can catch on fire. And by your boost patter it prob. is a boost leak somewher. hopefully someone can help you with that.

you need to check all you hoses and couplers!!!

 

Coolant is probably leaking from the line going to the turbos. It is a line located near where the Lower radiator hose attaches to motor. There is a short rubber hose attaching the hardlines on the turbo's. Check that line. Also check the line behind the Upper intake manifold that passes through the throttle body. that could be leaking too.
As for your low boost at high rpms. Check your catalytic converter, if you have one. Could be clogged like mine was, and cause choke out at upper rpms.

I don't think you have a boost leak, if you did, your idle would most likely be higher, not lower. Check the plunger in the throttle body that controls cold idle. If it is stuck in the warm position, it could be causing your rough idle. This would also explain why it only happens when cold, and goes away when warm.

 

Im not sure how you could be leaking coolant on to the y-pipe via the turbo coolant hoses and also have coolant coming out your tail pipe. Get that compression test done asap.

 

I'm pushing him to get the compression test ASAP. But I am 200% sure he does have a boost leak. You can hear this SOB screaming out whistle noise ( and he dosen;t have a BOV )