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 PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/04/02
Posts: 9,517
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 1 day, 7 hours
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 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? 
#13757870 - 01/09/11 04:28 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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My cars performance has been diminishing over the past month, and now i am becoming concerned. Here's whats going on:
- Over the past month i've recognized a decrease in fuel economy, and i've been burning more oil than normal.
- As of Christmas eve, my fuel guage dropped a quarter tank unexpectedly. I filled up, and when i restarted the engine made a strange "weeeee-weeeee-weeee" noise. It does this during most startup's now.
- Over the past week my car has been "surging." By this, i mean it has power surges where it jerks slightly forwards, not very much, but noticable to the driver.
- As of yesterday, it started overheating ... not drastically, but getting considerably hotter than normal and almost into the red during an extended idle. Today it would climb in heat, but then decrease again. So it is inconsistant ... but running hotter than normal, none the less.
- Additionally, it has been smoking ALOT (embarassingly so) on cold mornings.
Also, in the Summer i was having problems with the exhaust smoking and "lean/rich fuel ratio" ... swapping a fouled spark plug seemed to resolve the issue up until now.
So - according to my step father it is likely that i have a faulty oxygen sensor. He told me it wasn't a big deal...
However, with the increasing problems, i would say something needs to be done ASAP. It feels as if my car is going to die/explode anyday now.
Looking into the symptoms list, an oxygen sensor is likely the cause.... I grabbed a chiltons manual, and i think i should be able to swap it out easily enough for around $100.
Any opinions would be appreciated.
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fuzzwhatnot
let's go bowling
Registered: 01/04/11
Posts: 66
Last seen: 1 year, 6 months
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: PDU]
#13758108 - 01/09/11 05:14 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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It's possible that you're o2 sensor is junk, but a good stage 0 tune up will put things in perspective for you. Stage 0 is considered oil, filter, plugs, wires, cap, rotor(if applicable). Before you do anything, check your oil and make sure it doesn't have any water in it. If it does, you've blown a head gasket and you'll be throwing good money after bad trying to tune this car up.
What color is the smoke, black, blue or white?
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/04/02
Posts: 9,517
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 1 day, 7 hours
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: fuzzwhatnot]
#13758166 - 01/09/11 05:24 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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White smoke on start up.
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Rylmonkey
Former Master ofThe RX-7
Registered: 07/24/05
Posts: 505
Last seen: 6 months, 13 days
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: PDU]
#13758199 - 01/09/11 05:29 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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go to an autozone or whatever auto store place and have them check your obd to pull up the code. when an 02 sensor shits the bed you get ass for gas mileage, and maybe that white smoke is unburned fuel going threw your exhaust system which in turn clogs you catalytic converter.
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/04/02
Posts: 9,517
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 1 day, 7 hours
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: PDU]
#13758219 - 01/09/11 05:33 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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BTW - the oil looks fine.
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fuzzwhatnot
let's go bowling
Registered: 01/04/11
Posts: 66
Last seen: 1 year, 6 months
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: Rylmonkey]
#13758229 - 01/09/11 05:35 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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white smoke is usually a sign that you've popped a headgasket. Any milk shakes in your oil? any oil in your coolant? white smoke on a cold day can be normal, but if the motors already hot and it's still blowing white smoke, that engine needs some serious work.
check your oil, pull your plugs and look at them. If they're white, it's running lean, if they're bluish black it burning oil and fouling them, and if they have coolant on them it's time to start looking at options.
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/04/02
Posts: 9,517
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 1 day, 7 hours
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: fuzzwhatnot]
#13758530 - 01/09/11 06:30 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Any milk shakes in your oil? any oil in your coolant?
No and no.
Quote:
white smoke on a cold day can be normal, but if the motors already hot and it's still blowing white smoke, that engine needs some serious work.
There only smoke for about 2 minutes during initial start up on a cold morning. Not during daily driving.
Quote:
check your oil, pull your plugs and look at them. If they're white, it's running lean, if they're bluish black it burning oil and fouling them,
Oil looks fine. I changed the plugs in the summer, they are white now. The #4 wire had the metal connector assembly pull out of the rubber cover though, disconnecting completely, which can't be good. I am assuming that sparkplug must not be working.
I am going to hit up the parts store and change out the wires and distributor cap immediately.
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fuzzwhatnot
let's go bowling
Registered: 01/04/11
Posts: 66
Last seen: 1 year, 6 months
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: PDU]
#13759313 - 01/09/11 08:58 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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When you do that, disconnect the battery and tap the break light a couple times, then reconnect the battery to reset the ecu. Give it some break in time to reset the ecu(50 miles or so) and then evaluate it and look at changing the 02 sensor.
Don't forget to grab and air filter and fuel filter if you haven't done so recently. I can't stress enough the importance of a clean fuel filter on a little motor like that.
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/04/02
Posts: 9,517
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 1 day, 7 hours
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: Rylmonkey]
#13760505 - 01/10/11 12:08 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Rylmonkey said:
go to an autozone or whatever auto store place and have them check your obd to pull up the code. when an 02 sensor shits the bed you get ass for gas mileage, and maybe that white smoke is unburned fuel going threw your exhaust system which in turn clogs you catalytic converter.
I got a reading using a paperclip, like i said, it reads rich/lean fuel mixture.
However, your line of thinking was the same as mine.
Either way, the distributor cap, spark plug wires and rotor was a relatively cheap fix and stopped the car from overheating and added power and responsiveness. I am comfortable with how it is running presently...
Unfortunately, i tightened the first 2 screws on the distributor cap too tightly, and cracked the plastic mounts slightly. :S
Any idea how a spark plug wire would completely sever itself inside the housing? Did it just "fry" itself? I am pretty sure i must have been running on 3 cylinders for the last week or so...
I'm up for an oil change next weekend if the weather is nice, so i'll look at doing the fuel filter at the same time.
Thanks for the help guys, I'll write back if i continue to have issues.
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Grogan
Shroomieologist
Registered: 05/20/03
Posts: 1,131
Last seen: 7 days, 8 hours
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: PDU]
#13761780 - 01/10/11 05:03 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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I hate how people parade Autozone, Advanced auto parts, and O O O (fucked my ass) Reilys, as the god of auto fixes..
They sell cheap Chinese SHIT, its worse than those shitty china made decorative pieces that look like retards painted them and no one even wants to even throw away lol..
The brake pads there are sand and elmers glue.. pretty much
It sounds to me if you have a to rich or lean code it could be in your fuel system, intake etc..
I had a car do this it was a bad upper intake.. it would smoke and run rough until it burned the antifreeze (white smoke)
and a final thought
FUCK AUTOZONE.... they are worse than walmart.. they are communist to the extreme and have every shade tree idiot mechanic worshipping there tiny 1 inch dicks.. and there ELITE car understandinz
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"Maybe a cow occasionally ate a shroom, but it certainly wouldn't be such a potent shroom that the cow would be trippin balls. " LOL
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 Prisoner#1
Even Dumber ThanAdvertized!
Registered: 01/22/03
Posts: 168,365
Loc: Pvt. Pubfag NutSuck 
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: fuzzwhatnot]
#13767784 - 01/11/11 10:54 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
fuzzwhatnot said:
white smoke is usually a sign that you've popped a headgasket.
if it smells like coolant, yes, it's also an indicator of a car running
lean or simply condensation because the temperature and humidity are right
Quote:
PDU said:
I changed the plugs in the summer, they are white now
definitely lean burning or you're getting lead in your gas which is
unlikely in the US, lean is a bad situation, it actually lead you
burning a hole in a piston
the o2 sensor is an easy cheap fix but it can mask or have been caused
other issues like the mass airflow sensor and dont bother getting a
socket to remove it if you can get a wrench on the thing, most are
pretty easy to access, the sensor it's self should be in the range of $50
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there are 923 words in the english language that do not follow the "I before E"
rule, there are 44 words in the english language that follow the rule. this is
the shit our education funding is paying for and these liberals want more money
for education to keep making students stupid
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Prisoner#1
Even Dumber ThanAdvertized!
Registered: 01/22/03
Posts: 168,365
Loc: Pvt. Pubfag NutSuck
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: Grogan]
#13767808 - 01/11/11 11:04 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Grogan said:
I hate how people parade Autozone, Advanced auto parts, and O O O (fucked my ass) Reilys, as the god of auto fixes..
They sell cheap Chinese SHIT
really and just who is it that doesnt? dodge, GM and ford sell
cheap mexican junk, NAPA carries a mix of crap from all over the
world including mexico and china and that's mostly because there
are no parts manufacturers in the US anymore is there some company
you're privy to that sells quality american stuff (lol)
simply use those cheap places, buy the lifetime warrany stuff, install
it right and keep your recipt, if it goes out while you own the car,
remove it and exchange it, I even do it with the 'sand and glue' brake
pads which coincidentally tend to be raybestos or wagner refurbs, all
made in the good ol' US of A
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there are 923 words in the english language that do not follow the "I before E"
rule, there are 44 words in the english language that follow the rule. this is
the shit our education funding is paying for and these liberals want more money
for education to keep making students stupid
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Grogan
Shroomieologist
Registered: 05/20/03
Posts: 1,131
Last seen: 7 days, 8 hours
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: Prisoner#1]
#13772502 - 01/12/11 01:39 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Raybestos are just fine.. they actually make some of the Delco pads..
I just don't like those clowns.. not all parts are equal.
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"Maybe a cow occasionally ate a shroom, but it certainly wouldn't be such a potent shroom that the cow would be trippin balls. " LOL
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/04/02
Posts: 9,517
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 1 day, 7 hours
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Re: 94 Tercel - o2 sensor problems, or catalytic converter? [Re: Grogan]
#13870879 - 01/29/11 02:43 PM (2 years, 3 months ago) |
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I ended up going to a mechanic this morning - he added 1.5L water to the radiator and now the car seems to be running great.
DOH.
(it's probably too early to tell much though)
Great experience with the mechanic though - i feel comfort that i can trust this garage run by a pair of brothers. 
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GO OUTSIDE.
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