I will not claim to own a dsm . However, my fiance' does, and its giving me HELL!!!!

Several days ago the car (95 Talon tsi) started smoking under acceleration. Hesitation was also very noticable (like the tranny was slipping). I also noticed the car smoking while driving behind it on the highway at a constant speed. The car has 150,000 miles on it, so I figured maybe the turbo seals were going out?
Took off the intake checked for oil= minimal
Took of intercooler piping checked for oil= minimal
Took off the oil feed and return lines= no blockage
Put everything back on the car. Ran it WOT with the wastegate wide open. No smoke, no hesitation, nothing.... Figured well its not the engine-back to the turbo.
Took off the turbo. Minimal shaft play and no signs of anything "visually" wrong.
Oh, the spark plugs, they weren't too bad. I've seen worse. But the gaps were set wrong. I believe they were set around .050 in. and should've been .030 in.

Suggestions are welcome .
I know its not a / ...Oh how I wish it were. I probably wouldn't mind working on it.

 

ok

Do a compression test maybe

 

agree compression test time. Welcome to owning a DSM...i sold mine

liam

 

it could be the turbo seals..the oil could be leaking into the exhuast turbine instead of the compressor side

 

wow 150k on a 2g. most people i know have experienced crank walk with their old 2g motors. they all went 6-bolt.

these symptoms really don't sound too off for a dsm with that kind of mileage.

i also used to own a gvr4. great car but no where as reliable as a honda. cheap speed is of course a different story.

 

get a new turbo for it.... they arent that expensive


by the way, I love my DSM

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bgod &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">wow 150k on a 2g. most people i know have experienced crank walk with their old 2g motors. they all went 6-bolt.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Most crankwalk occurs under 40k on the 7 bolt motors

 

most crankwalk engines have crank-walked already....

Suggestions are:

1-2 heat ranges colder than stock plugs. Clean the air mass sensor (mass air sensor?) with some isopropyl alcohol. Replace all the damn coolant lines, especially the one in the front, under the turbo that goes to the oilcooler, and use HOSE CLAMPS ON IT.

MAke sure to get new ones, or at least re-use the copper washers that go to the turbo etc..

Replace the exhaust if you can afford it, if it's still stock at 150k, it's seriously causing some restriction issues.

and a nice k^n filter, oil change, trans fluid change, and diff fluid change if it's a gsx, then lubricate suspension components, doors/hinges/keylocks, and top off the brake and clutch fluid.

uhm, i think this about covers it.

and if you have to replace the brake pads, make sure you have some type of rust breaker, and read some info on http://www.vfaq.com on how to remove them.. kinda tricky bastards they are :-P

DSMS have their share of intresting problems, but if you take care of them, they can go fast as stink, and actually be pretty reliable, just the proper things must be fixed/modified first. haha

Also, see when the timing belt/balance shaft belts etc. have last been replaced, if not within the last 50k miles. DO THIS NOW. and ALWAYS use factory timing belt, and BRAND NEW hydraulic tensioner. You will thank me for this after talking to someone who has broken a timing belt on this motor.

oops, i was wrong about covering it all..

But i think i have the basics now.

Brad

 

Thanks for the replies.

The car is completely stock. My girl isn't interested in her car. However, she did buy me my hifi (60-1 stage 5 wheel) for my birthday

So, compression, turbo, and spark plugs.
If it was compression related, wouldn't it have acted up when running WOT with the wastegate fully open?

BTW, I don't hate DSM's....I just hate how the seem to have more than their share of problems. When they are running however, they can be a great car.

 

It is your spark plugs. Change them (get NGK one range colder) and gap them to 28-30. 50 is waaaaay too much. You are not burning the fuel and subsequently blowing it all out the back. This will cause the hesitation.

 

i would also suspect some of the smoke is due to leaky valve stem seals...also a common problem, especially at high miles.

 

valve stem seals are a very common problem in all the 4g63 motors. usually all high mileage cars need them replaced at some point or another.

blackANESE/lazerus, crank walk can happen at anytime and at any mileage. under 40k, 1k after a stock rebuild, 150k down the road. the sensor gets chewed up and you're done. friend with a 95 awd tsi just had crank walk with 125k. another friend with a 96 gst spyder just had crank walk with 80k. unfortunately both of these guys don't have the cash right now to do the 6-bolt swap with a fresh build.

 

Yeah, i was thinking about that, and it's definately true. But ya gotta have hope the engine will be ok ! :-)

1G GSX Autos are sick as hell....

DSM's can and do develop a lot of problems, but there are good ways around some of the worst ones. Like balance shaft removal kits.. Balance shafts are for weenies

 

I love my DSM. Like the other guy said it can be your valve stem seals. I just replace mine and did the balance shaft mod. Car runs like a champ and i'm making 305whp with a b16g.

 

DSM'S don't suck.
It was all a ploy to get some attention for advice. Thanks to all. Seems as though I got my work cut out for me. Note to self....if the turbo seems to be failing, the car is hesitating but runs fine with the wastegate open, and DSM friends suggest turbo related problems...check square one first.
Again, thanks for the suggestions. Time to put it all back together and see if its ignition related

 

I love my DSM but it is going to be sold as of tomorrow... Ill miss it but now the civic will be done in NO TIME flat!
wooho!