84 upgrade
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,708
Likes: 266
From: indy indiana
It may smell rich while cold but not after it warms up. The video looks normal on start up until it warns up. like all said, keep an eye on coolant. BTY, there are only three colors of smoke from our cars..blue is oil, black is fuel and white is coolant or as in your case, cold start moisture.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 6,942
Likes: 1,490
From: New Jersey
So there have been a few good suggestions on the rich smell. Another thing to check, the oxygen sensor and the thermac. Do the flaps on the air cleaner ever open up?
For the oxygen sensor, there is a way to test it with a paper clip on the aldl connector but that eludes me at the moment. It will also tell you if you're running rich or lean. I'll see if I can dig it up.
The other thing it could be is if the cat is gutted or bad and broken you'll get that smell too.
On the coolant sensor, does the car ever idle down to ~7-800 rpms? It never will if that isn't reading right.
For the oxygen sensor, there is a way to test it with a paper clip on the aldl connector but that eludes me at the moment. It will also tell you if you're running rich or lean. I'll see if I can dig it up.
The other thing it could be is if the cat is gutted or bad and broken you'll get that smell too.
On the coolant sensor, does the car ever idle down to ~7-800 rpms? It never will if that isn't reading right.
Last edited by 84 4+3; Feb 17, 2019 at 05:31 PM.
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Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 4,648
Likes: 1,059
From: N.E. Ohio OH
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
45 minutes to an hour away depending on traffic, and the detours around here due to construction. I live straight across 224 from you, or straight across 76, then a jog down to 224, where 76/224 run together, about 13 miles from I-71. Oh well.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 6,942
Likes: 1,490
From: New Jersey
So you can technically check everything with a meter anyway, minus the temp sensor technically. You could actually probe the ecm plug and check the resistance actually and get a decent estimate of if the ecm is seeing roughly the correct temp. Mine was factory and worked fine until I swapped intakes. The sensor plug disentigrated upon disconnecting...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2018
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Likes: 1
Oh wow okay. Yea im in canfield right off 224
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 6,340
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From: Vermilion OH
My 86 does the same thing on start up. It does run rich on the initial start up and that's pretty normal.
As far as a misfire is concerned, that's something you would feel. You would get a mild to heavy engine jerking under load and at idle, you would be able to feel it in the car. Misfires don't generally cause an engine to smoke. Misfires can be caused by simple things such as a failing spark plug or spark plug wire or they can be more in depth such as loss of compression through worn rings or valves. But I would personally rule out a misfire causing the engine to run rich or smoke.
The L83 does run a bit rich and each injector pumps a ton of fuel into the engine. Have you removed the air cleaner lid and checked the fuel spray pattern? There's a good chance that the injectors could stand to be serviced. How new are the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor? Couldn't hurt to replace them if you don't know when they were last replaced. Start with the simple basic stuff to make sure you are working with a good base. Honestly though, much like my car, if it runs a little rich initially, I don't mind. It runs and drives excellent and has a ton of power so I'm good with the initial start up rich condition and smoke.
As far as a misfire is concerned, that's something you would feel. You would get a mild to heavy engine jerking under load and at idle, you would be able to feel it in the car. Misfires don't generally cause an engine to smoke. Misfires can be caused by simple things such as a failing spark plug or spark plug wire or they can be more in depth such as loss of compression through worn rings or valves. But I would personally rule out a misfire causing the engine to run rich or smoke.
The L83 does run a bit rich and each injector pumps a ton of fuel into the engine. Have you removed the air cleaner lid and checked the fuel spray pattern? There's a good chance that the injectors could stand to be serviced. How new are the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor? Couldn't hurt to replace them if you don't know when they were last replaced. Start with the simple basic stuff to make sure you are working with a good base. Honestly though, much like my car, if it runs a little rich initially, I don't mind. It runs and drives excellent and has a ton of power so I'm good with the initial start up rich condition and smoke.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 111
Likes: 1
My 86 does the same thing on start up. It does run rich on the initial start up and that's pretty normal.
As far as a misfire is concerned, that's something you would feel. You would get a mild to heavy engine jerking under load and at idle, you would be able to feel it in the car. Misfires don't generally cause an engine to smoke. Misfires can be caused by simple things such as a failing spark plug or spark plug wire or they can be more in depth such as loss of compression through worn rings or valves. But I would personally rule out a misfire causing the engine to run rich or smoke.
The L83 does run a bit rich and each injector pumps a ton of fuel into the engine. Have you removed the air cleaner lid and checked the fuel spray pattern? There's a good chance that the injectors could stand to be serviced. How new are the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor? Couldn't hurt to replace them if you don't know when they were last replaced. Start with the simple basic stuff to make sure you are working with a good base. Honestly though, much like my car, if it runs a little rich initially, I don't mind. It runs and drives excellent and has a ton of power so I'm good with the initial start up rich condition and smoke.
As far as a misfire is concerned, that's something you would feel. You would get a mild to heavy engine jerking under load and at idle, you would be able to feel it in the car. Misfires don't generally cause an engine to smoke. Misfires can be caused by simple things such as a failing spark plug or spark plug wire or they can be more in depth such as loss of compression through worn rings or valves. But I would personally rule out a misfire causing the engine to run rich or smoke.
The L83 does run a bit rich and each injector pumps a ton of fuel into the engine. Have you removed the air cleaner lid and checked the fuel spray pattern? There's a good chance that the injectors could stand to be serviced. How new are the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor? Couldn't hurt to replace them if you don't know when they were last replaced. Start with the simple basic stuff to make sure you are working with a good base. Honestly though, much like my car, if it runs a little rich initially, I don't mind. It runs and drives excellent and has a ton of power so I'm good with the initial start up rich condition and smoke.
Last edited by Radioway; Feb 18, 2019 at 08:03 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 4,648
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From: N.E. Ohio OH
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
As soon as good weather is here and I can take the car out, if you have not had it scanned by then, maybe we can meet halfway for coffee or lunch and I will bring the scanner and go through and see what the car tells us. However some of the richness could be because of an EGR issue. In the 1984's and EGR issue did not trip a SES.
Back to the "white smoke"
Im talking huge amount of white smoke then it slowly tapers off and i don't really see any while driving down the road. It did it in the summer too but only on a cold start and it was not as much or last as long. Not sure if its getting worse or if the cold is making it appear as though its getting worse. But it did happen in the summer as well
All of this is just indicative of water/condensation burning off. The key points are that as the car warms up, it dissipates. If it was a blown headgasket, or bad rings (blue smoke) or valve seals (blue smoke) it wouldn't go away and you would be able to smell the oil burning. If a blown headgasket, you would notice the coolant level going down and you would be able to open the system (I am unfamiliar with the coolant system of an 84) and probably see bubbles.
Read this about EGR's and take note that the 84 uses manifold vacuum for the EGR system. You could look at that
https://tech.corvettecentral.com/201...egr-diagnosis/
Back to the "white smoke"
Im talking huge amount of white smoke then it slowly tapers off and i don't really see any while driving down the road. It did it in the summer too but only on a cold start and it was not as much or last as long. Not sure if its getting worse or if the cold is making it appear as though its getting worse. But it did happen in the summer as well
Read this about EGR's and take note that the 84 uses manifold vacuum for the EGR system. You could look at that
https://tech.corvettecentral.com/201...egr-diagnosis/