buckz6319

thook......the smoke looks to be Whitish....not blue like I thought....I'll post some pics of the smoke coming from my 4runner tail pipe tonight and the times I took pics...and remember that with my cat removed may have something with the smoke..


taken early this morning 7:30 A.M. and 23 was the temp out side and engine was at normal operating temp and the 4runner at idle in park


looking at the smoke from a different angle


looking at the smoke during mid day at lunch break engine warm to operating temp and in park...engine still runs good got me to and from work no problems but idles below 500 rpms when in drive and I can't seem to do anything to get it to idle any higher unless I put my foot on the gas


just another angle

thook

So, this smoke doesn't go away after warm up and having driven for a bit? Is it real cold where you are? Does the smoke smell like coolant at all?

buckz6319

thook...I can't see any smoke while driving down the road at hwy speed.I don't notice any smoke when I stop at red lights or stop signs...until I set there for a few minutes and then I notice some smoke coming from the exhaust at that time.
This evening I got home from work and the engine was idling vary low in drive about 400 rpms.I gave it some gas and the engine sounded like it was sputtering a bit kinda like maybe a fuel problem.I did have the flooding out when I started the engine cold this evening after work but it smoothed out when I gave it some gas for a few minutes...may be a leaking fuel injector?..

It was vary cold this morning about 23 degrees and that's cold for my location here in GA.....and didn't get much more than about 50 degrees today....so maybe the cat being removed and the cold weather here is contributing to the problem but how much I really don't know at this point...

The smoke took a while to go away this morning I guess because of it being so cold outside?...

I can smell something like rotten eggs coming from the exhaust but not as bad as I smell coming from other autos around here because of my location not having the emissions testing so you never know what folks do to there cars to keep them running.
I think this is unusual when setting at idle and in park I can move my steering wheel to the left and the rpms will go up just a little and when I move the steering wheel back to center the idle goes down and when i move the steering wheel to the right the rpms go up a little....weird...weird...weird...

I really don't know what is going on with the 4runner yet but I'll keep trouble shooting and any advice will be much appreciated thanks guys for all the help....

thook

I really think you need to run a compression test. And, I still think you've got a vacuum leak somewhere. I suspect a valve problem, but that's why you need the compression test. Do that first. If it's all good, then call around to different mechanics. See who has a smoke machine vacuum leak detector.

Something like this....
http://asedeals.com/leak_detector_2.html

I have had vacuum leaks a couple of times in the past that were almost impossible to find on my own. But, a local mechanic has one of these machines. In about five minutes he was able to find any leaks. Charged me $10.

The rotten egg smell is unburned fuel, and it could be bad gas. But, don't worry about that right now. You need to find out why the vehicle is running too rich.

Again.....you're welcome, Dwayne.

buckz6319

OK thook.....I'll do a compression check this coming Saturday I'll have more time then and I will also ask around for some one who has a smoke machine vacuum leak detector...and in the mean time I'll keep hunting for that vacuum leak
Thanks again and I
ll update on Saturday or before if I find something
Dwayne

thook

Okay. Good luck, Dwayne. I'm sure you're probably pulling your hair out by now, but idle problems can get rather involved trying to track it down. Sorry. I do hope it's something simple and easy to fix.

buckz6319

Yes I'm pulling my hair out! but really it's been falling out for a while now
I did look at the inside of my exhaust pipe today and it was dry inside and no oil or sticky stuff at all just a little soot my dad would call it ....so I think that is a good sign for now...I don't think I have a blown head gasket as of yet
I'll do the compression test Saturday and also re check all my vacuum hoses ect....
Thanks thook...i'll up date this weekend with what I find
Dwayne

abecedarian

a lot too read... so what I get is flushed it, it ran fine for a while... then starts idling odd again... and now whitish smoke after idling for a few but nothing visible once the engine is up in rpms.
but I didn't see an answer to the 'does the smoke linger (like real smoke) or does it disappear quickly (like steam)'...?

buckz6319

abecedarian.....sorry for not answering all the questions..it's hard to keep up with all of it sometimes

The smoke that morning did linger in the air for a bit until it disappeared after just a couple minutes and I think the reason for that was because it was 23 degrees that morning.I don't smell burning oil from the exhaust (good sign) and I don't smell any coolant from the exhaust either good thing.

I will say this.... when I'm driving the 4runner I don't see any smoke of any kind coming from the exhaust

I'm going to do a compression test on Saturday if it's not below 0 degrees here.I may have to wait and see what the weather is going to do were in for a polar blast here in GA.....before I do the compression test
thanks
Dwayne

mt_goat

Good idea, the test is suppost to be done with a warmed up engine and by the time you get all the plugs out and start the testing the engine can cool off a lot in cold weather.

In case you hadn't found it, here's the FSM test proceedure: http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...66compress.pdf

buckz6319

mt_goat....thanks for the information and I will read the proceedure tonight..I know it will help me do the compression test correctly.
I thank you for the input

mt_goat

You're welcome, good luck and may the force be with you.

mt_goat

I was reading the test proceedure over again and noticed another reason to do the test in warmer weather.

thook

Good points, Dale,

And, thanks for chiming in, Abe.

Again.......good luck, Dwayne. May the schwartz be with you.

buckz6319

Update today..its cold here and the compression test is not going so well..

I removed all the spark plugs and #5 was hard to get to as usual....I then checked my battery for full voltage with meter and 12v present so I moved on.

I then removed the coil wire from the distributor cap and use a jumper wire to jump from the coil wire over to the engine block to ground it per the FMS (and thanks for the instructions they follow along with my Haynes book)

I blocked open the throttle and made sure the coil ground was good and tight before I begin to do the test...I threaded my compression hose in to the #1 cyl and hooked up the hose to my compression gauge.I then positioned the gauge where I could watch the needle move on the face of the gauge through my front windshield and the bottom edge of the hood (just a small area to look through)

I started the test and I watched the gauge build compression through 4 compression strokes and also watched the gauge go back to -0- after I turned off the ignition...I either have a bad gauge or my oring is dry and not sealing...

I stopped the test because it is to cold and the engine is cooling off now ....but I will try another day..

However I did take a pic of all the spark plugs that came out of the block and they had a funny smell to each one on the tips kinda like radiator hose smell or something like that.I will post pics of them and give me your opinion on what you think is going on in the cylinders but I think I may all ready know..some pics will not be as good as I would hope but maybe you can zoom in on the tips

thook

Hello Dwayne,

Say....where'd your avatar go?

One is fairly dark. Maybe oil. Most others look normal except one. It has some depositing......which I'm sure you recognized. What was the compression readings on the cylinders? Particularly the one with deposits on the plug?

buckz6319

Matthew...good to see your still around.....and thanks for the staying up with this post....avatar is back just different pic i just put up....and I haven't really got around to the compression test yet because of still rainy weather and cold temps.That will have to wait until better weather because I no longer have a enclosed garage to work in and have to do all my work out side and that sucks sometimes
I did however find that I don't have antifreez coming out the exhaust so I purchased some new plugs and installed them so I could go to work on that following Monday.
I still have a low idle problem and I have read a lot of post about the IACV and was a little mixed up you know on that issue.I however did find the IACV on the bottom of my throttle body and I can't figure out how the darn thing comes out.It is black in color and has some kinda of center plunger in it and 2 slits on each side of it along the rim.I have a question does that part screw out of the throttle body?...what does the center plunger do? and what do I use to remove it? and how to test it?
I did read a post this morning or last night from someone that had that IACV put in the ferrzer to test it and you made a comment to that post.I didn't see and write up on how he removed said part from throttle body
any help will be appreciated as usual
Dwayne......btw I'm installing a rear transmission mount today I think it may solve my vibration issues I have been having for 6months so we'll see it that is the ticket to freedom of the vibrations woes.....I'll update tonight...on that issue

thook

Thanks Dwayne, and you're welcome.

You tested the idle control valve already with the bypass screw. When the motor was cold, bypass screw in, the motor idled down. When the motor warmed, screw in, it died. It's working. I'd say because of this it probably doesn't need the cleaning and I'd leave it alone.

I'll post some more tomorrow, though. I've some chores to finish and it's already late.

buckz6319

Matthew......I will take your advice and leave the IACV alone at this point....Thank You...now moving on....

Now the rear transmission mount was a real pita to get out!....and I had one hole on the new mount (drivers side has 2 holes and I was able to get 1 14mm bolt in) flange that didn't line up with the hole on the tranny what a pain.I tried every thing to get it to line up so I could put the 14mm bolt back in that opening but the bolt just kept spinning at edge and buggering up the threaded hole because it was off center on the tranny.I can't get the mount flange lined up with the hole on the tranny (drivers side) so I have to decide what to do now.
The passenger side mount has 3 holes in the flange and it to was a pita to get to.I was able to get the 2 top tranny 14mm bolts in the mount with no problem... but I was not able to get the lower 14mm bolt in because the front propeller shaft u-joint is blocking it and I didn't want to risk trying to work around the shaft and strip out that hole.I decided to wait until today to tackle that one so I can remove the propeller shaft in the day light and maybe get that lower bolt in that mount flange with out any problems....

Well... any suggestions on what to do If I can't get the hole in the mount flange lined up with the hole on the tranny?...it's just off a little hair but enough to make the bolt start in crooked and booger the threaded hole in the tranny block

mt_goat

Wow, I never had any problem like that, but I guess I always had the drive shaft off and out of the way. You sure you got the right mount?