Smokin'?

Tanabe

Hey Guys,

I have a 1996 180SX fresh from Japland. Car was missing an air filter when it arrived so engine got flooded when it was driven off the vessel in Dublin. Had to replace the plugs & have installed air filter now.

When car was started the smoke was unbelievable:eek: Black as coal. I let her run for a while and took her for a spin. The smoke was still there although a lighter shade now.

Getting the turbo checked tomorrow so fingers crossed all will be okay.

Any thoughts or tips/advice?

Gerry

I heard recently of boost controllers being robbed while the car is transported from japan. This wouldn't make any difference while the car is sitting there idling though. Does the car have aftermarket fueling ecu's? piggyback fuel controllers? Maybe some of the wiring has been disturbed. Black smoke is either fuel not being burned, or far too much fuel. I presume you replaced the plugs with the correct ones. Hopefully it checks out ok anyway.

VeVeX

Tanabe wrote:

Hey Guys,

I have a 1996 180SX fresh from Japland. Car was missing an air filter when it arrived so engine got flooded when it was driven off the vessel in Dublin. Had to replace the plugs & have installed air filter now.

When car was started the smoke was unbelievable:eek: Black as coal. I let her run for a while and took her for a spin. The smoke was still there although a lighter shade now.

Getting the turbo checked tomorrow so fingers crossed all will be okay.

Any thoughts or tips/advice?

Sounds like it got driven off the boat alright and not down the ramp :rolleyes: . A missing air filter will not cause an engine to get flooded. Sounds to me like theres a bigger problem then a filter and a set of plugs will sort.

Best not drive the car at all tbh. Get it towed to whoevers checking the car out for you.

Tanabe

Thanks for the replies guys.

@Gerry I don't think there's any aftermarket fueling ecu's/piggyback fuel controllers, the lad checking the car out for me hasn't mentioned the like anyway. (On the subject of wiring being disturbed, when I hit the brake the indicator on RHS comes on) The car has brand new iridium plugs on too.

@VeVeX I ended up getting the car towed alright as it wouldn't start after it was brought to the transporters' depot (it did start originally when it arrived off the vessel from Japan and was loaded onto the transporter).

Compression test on the engine came up all clear. However I'm getting the turbo looked at later on, as that could be on the way out & maybe the cause of the smoke situation?

layke

You did change the oil didn't you?

It's the first thing i'd do when I get a new car.

At least it's black smoke and not Blue.

Tanabe

I checked the oil & it's as clean as a whistle. The smoke seems to be intermittent now. I haven't given the car a good long drive yet (which I'm hoping will do it good). Just checked earlier & it's smokey again It's not too black either, more like a chimney smoking.

I don't think I'm confusing it with what might be normal smoke from an exhaust given the time of year etc as it seems a little too heavy for that (if you know what I mean).

IDMUD

Might want to check so that the fuel pressure regulator (it it has an aftermarket one) isn't damaged in any way causing it to overfuel.

Does it smoke more or less when giving it a bit of go when driving? Will reving it in idle give you the same amount of smoke?

Tanabe

I am currently not using the car at the moment so when I rev it in idle it is creating quiet a bit of smoke I'm hoping when I do use the car daily that the smoke will disappear as it tended to do so when I drove it about two weeks ago. There was a small bit on startup and once I drove it some distance it totally cleared up.

I notice there seems to be some water lodged in the muffler now aswell (after all the rain we're getting) which wouldn't help I suppose! But the smoke was there anyway regardless of that.

I'm gonna need this sorted for my nct.

VeVeX

How did you get on when you got the turbo looked at?

A knackerd turbo can cause smoke from the exhaust.

Tanabe

Been driving the car all week now & not a whiff of smoke in sight!

I did get the turbo looked at and there appears to be a bit of play in the shaft i.e. you can move it from side to side with your hand as opposed to a new turbo where there is barely any movement at all.

I can get a second hand turbo for a fairly reasonable price but in the mean time I'm just gonna check my oil religiously and see how I get on. At least with the regular driving the smoke has disappeared thank God.

I hope emissions will be okay for nct too!

IDMUD

Tanabe wrote:

Been driving the car all week now & not a whiff of smoke in sight!

I did get the turbo looked at and there appears to be a bit of play in the shaft i.e. you can move it from side to side with your hand as opposed to a new turbo where there is barely any movement at all.

I can get a second hand turbo for a fairly reasonable price but in the mean time I'm just gonna check my oil religiously and see how I get on. At least with the regular driving the smoke has disappeared thank God.

I hope emissions will be okay for nct too!

Sideways movement of the turbine shaft is fine, it should not move back and forth though.

Rudolph Claus

Do you mind me asking what grade this import was, and did you buy it from auction or from jap dealers stock? Thnkin of bringin in a car myself soon and your story is a little off-putting.
Hope your car clears up for ya! Sweet car it is, by the way.

Tanabe

@IDMUD

Thanks for that! I only seem to recall it moving sideways and not back & forth but I will double check it just in case;)

@Nuttzy

Car was a grade 4 import & I purchased it from a dealer in Japan not from auction. I wouldn't let this put you off as I reckon it all depends on the car you're looking at bringing in amongst alot of other factors. If you can get a connection in Japan to check the car for you that would be a winner:)