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My car hates the cold...

Old Dec 8, 2006 | 11:56 PM
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Default My car hates the cold...

Since it's gotten colder my car isnt happy. Lately I've noticed it's running really rich at inital start-up untill it warms up, which I would assume to be normal.

Although this week, while on jackstands, when this is happening if I blip the throttle the revs are not smooth, like firing on 3. I also get a nice intial blue smoke (never happened before), and when I'm reving while it's rich I get lots of white smoke (more than just the usual warming up smoke when it's cold out). Car is still on stands so I haven't seen how it reacts onoce the car is on the street and warmed up, but it has me a little worried.

I can't finish bleeding my brakes and putting the tires back on and bedding my new brakes untill Sunday so I won't be able to tinker untill then. So just wondering what your thoughts are until then. I'm wondering if my larger injectors don't make the mixture much better when running off MAPs untill it's warm enough to switch to a closed loop.
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 12:01 AM
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Thats typical of larger injectors and a stock ecu trying to do its normal startup enrichment with colder temperatures.

The tuning software I use on my honda, has factory fuel correction settings for 240cc injectors... you can imagine in 10 degree startups how it handles my 560cc injectors Its so rich it has a wonderfully funky just above idle richness for the first minute or so.
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 02:22 AM
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just drive the damn thing my personal body exhibits similar things in the cold weather
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 08:53 AM
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Scott, are you running colder-than-stock plugs? It seems ever since I put in BKR7E plugs, it is on the verge of fouling them on start-up, and cold weather seems to make it worse for the first several minutes of driving.

My car also does the only running on two or three cylinders thing in that scenario.
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 10:48 AM
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Also check your coolant temp sensor, and your Air temp sensor, if one is bad, it could add to the richness
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 12:21 PM
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Its normal. My car has hated cold starts ever since I went with larger injectors 4 years ago. My 1.6L used to run on 3 cylinders for about 30 seconds and spew out tons of blue smoke until it was warmed up...then it would purr like a kitten. My 1.9L does the same thing, blue smoke and rough running for the first 30-45 seconds...then once its warm its absolutely perfect just like its always been. Cylinder compression is perfect across the board, its just the stock ecu not liking the larger injectors when the engine is cold.
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 12:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Mach929
just drive the damn thing my personal body exhibits similar things in the cold weather
LOL sorry about the above post, i guess i did that after the bar, don't remember though. Anyway yeah i'm pretty sure it's the computer doing it's cold start thing except the injectors are bigger and it doesn't know
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 12:36 PM
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Wouldn't blue smoke indicate burning oil?
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 01:04 PM
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I'm sure your turbo loves the cold air though, right?
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 01:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Al Hounos
turbo loves the cold air though, right?
Exactly what I was thinking.
Old Dec 9, 2006 | 01:47 PM
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My turbo loves it. My clutch, not so much.
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