RX-187

At start-up the exhaust from my fd smells like a burnt candle or hot glue. I changed the coolant 3 days ago. Is it normal for this to happen?

thank you

RonKMiller

My wife damn near kicked me out of the house the other day for starting my FD3S IN the garage like normal, well adjusted, sane people with normal, well adjusted, sane cars do. What was I thinking? I usually push it out and close the garage door, THEN start it. Women. Go figure.

Anyway, I digress. Back to your question - that's kind of a tough one to answer but I'll give it a try......

A puff of bluish smoke on start up is normal, especially if it has been sitting for a few days, it's pretty skanky and I guess you could call it "burnt candle", more like burned oil (which is exaclty what it is and nothing to freak out about unless it continues to belch it out) but no sulfer type stinky smell that I would expect from an extinquished candle. "Burnt candle" to me smells like diesel, and I would not recommend that for your choice of fuel, although you probably would get awesome mileage.

Generally a sulfer smell is from your main cat, but usually only when it is new. It's normal.

If it smells like a fart, it's the bean burrito you ate for dinner last night.

If you smell gas after it has completely warmed up you have a rich running problem. Not you, THE CAR.

If you have white smoke at start up, and it takes more than a second or two for the engine to "catch" along with a sweet smell - get out your checkbook; you will then smell poop, 'cause you are going to crap your pants when you find out how much a new engine costs.

BTW, and this is serious: make sure you keep topping off your coolant with distilled water every day for at least a few days, and check it for the next week, there is ALWAYS a lot of air trapped in the system, even if you burped it when refilling. Turn your heater on for a minute every day also to circulate coolant through the entire system.

Oh, and if you smell fresh Chanel #9 from the next door neighbors house, drop the wrenches, put on a clean shirt and go visit. You will then smell tang, and I am not talking about the stuff the astronauts drink.

rynberg

Ron, I am nearly speechless.....

half past twelve

HAHA!! Too too funny!

ArchangelX

LOL!!!

Jim Calandrella

Damn. That was like a Shakespearian soliloquiy(I hope I spelled that right). Could oil heating up(from a minor leak) smell like burnt candle? Mine leaks a little, and the smell could be construed as a burnt candle smell. But, I don't smell it as the car is warmimg up. I only smell it after driving the car for a bit.

RonKMiller

Yeh, I get a little punchy around midnight, but someone HAS to help the noobs, right?

RonKMiller

I think you got it.

I also think that the FD3S really IS the most odiferous (hope I spelled that right too) car ever built. It reminds me of my 1972 Kawasaki H1B 500cc triple two stroke scooter. WHEW!

rynberg

Actually, my 79 RX-7 I had back in college developed a decent oil leak, which happened to drip right on the exhaust manifold. After a long highway drive, I would pull into a gas station and smoke the whole place out. I'm talking BIG clouds of really, really acrid smelling smoke rolling out from under my hood. The best part was when some redneck told me that my piston rings were gone....

RX-187

Hey RonkMiller,

Do you really have to top off the coolant with distilled water every day for at least a few days? This never occurred before until I changed the coolant. Also what is wrong with the engine if white smoke is present at start-up for more than 1 or 2 seconds? There is white smoke coming out from the exhaust of my car that lasts about 2 or 3 seconds. (this is normal?) My car has 35k original miles on it. I also want to know how the mileage on the turbos are calculated.

gribblet

Had a similar smell after start up and warm up while sitting in the driveway and a long lights. Recently found oil seeping out of my primary intake tube, tightened the clamp (and several others) and the smell has gone away.

Hope this helps, Gribblet

RonKMiller

I would like you to do a test since you said you have WHITE smoke coming from your exhaust:

With your car completely cold (after sitting overnight), pop the hood and take off the FILLER cap on the metal neck that is just above your airpump on the Left side of
the engine. Make sure there is coolant all the way to the top of the neck, fill with distilled if neccessary. Also fill up the AST tank (if equipped) which is located on the right side of the engine and attached to the radiator. Clean off the bottom sealing rubber of both caps with water and a soft cloth, as well as both necks, before reinstalling.

Reinstall the PRESSURE cap on the AST, but leave the FILLER filler cap off.

Roll a towel up into a cylinder, and wrap the towel around the metal filler neck, making sure it does not get caught on the belts below. This will keep any coolant that comes over the edge of the filler neck from wetting your belts.

With the car in Neutral and the parking brake engaged, start the engine and let it idle. If it idles fast kick the gas pedal gently to drop it down. (You should always do this)

Walk around and take a flashlight and look into the filler neck, allow it to warm up completely, about 15 minutes.
While its warming up go around the back and sniff the exhuast, it should not smell sweet.

If you see little "champagne" bubbles consistently fizzing up to the top of the neck you probably have toasted O rings seals inside your engine, which unfortunately can only be permanently fixed by a complete rebuild. If the bubbles are really small you can probably fix it with CRC block weld which is a cheap and effective temporary solution.

So, go do the test and report back - we'll all keep our fingers crossed that you don't see any bubbles!

Ron

RonKMiller

I could go into a whole bunch of redneck jokes but I'll spare everyone. I AM going to call the Sierra Club and CARB and report you for fouling the air - and laughing about it!

(I had a guy tell me today that his friend had an RX7 and that it redlines at 11,000 rpm. I walked him around to the driver's side and showed him the tach. He told me his friend's was "modified". Of course it was!)