HondaCutter

I've noticed that the car doesn't feel like it's pulling as hard as it was when I first had the turbo. I was thinking maybe it's because I'm used to it, but then today I checked my spark plugs and saw that they were almost completely white. Doesn't that indicate something like the car is running to lean? But the air/fuel gauge doesn't say so. So what could it be? Is it something with the fuel system, or do I have anything to worry about at all? Thanks in advance.

oh yeah, the only fuel management I have is the greddy blue box w/310 cc injectors and I have not gone above 6 PSI since I've had the turbo. I've had it for about 4-5 months now.

rjardy

yeah , your lean.
make sure your gauge is wired corectly. what temp plugs do you have?

ekb18c

Try this next time. Take the car and drive it really hard for a couple of minutes and quickly pull over and check the plugs. This is the only way to see if you are running lean under boost. If it's white then you are running lean, make sure to check all four plugs. If it black then your running rich. If its somewhere in the middle then your okay, but try to run a little rich. Running rich is always safer then running a little lean. Oh yah one more thing Greddy blue box

boost killz

Agreed that the bluebox POS model is lame... My scenario I encountee on the kit was when I swapped out the downpipe to a 2.5" w/straightpipe my fuel went way out of wack and was running super rich down low and leaning out up top.. really f-in sucked and what made it worse I didn't have the option of chaging any rise disc on an fmu or adjust fuel pressure to help out. You just simply get stuck with the blue box and hope it's doing it's job. If by any chance your blue box is bad and wish to replace I got mine for 100+shipping. Good luck

Nick


[Modified by boost killz, 12:18 AM 3/13/2002]

HondaCutter

but I don't understand how the kit could be completely the same as I bought it 6 months ago, and the old spark plugs were almost pitch black, now I put some new plugs in, same kind as before, and I'm running lean. I don't know what I could've done differently, I don't think I've done anything differently. What could be causing this?

HondaCutter

also, would this be a reason for the turbo being laggy?

HondaCutter

bumb up

ATurboCivic2NV

from the information on the bottom of you name it looks like you live in la. well lighting motor sports in baton rouge has a dyno and they can dyno you can with an o2 sensor. a wide band o2 so you can know for sure if it is running lean and they should be able to find out if you engine is knocking. also just to be sure check things out, check your gap in the spark plugs and compression. they might not have anything to do with anything, but just to make sure. you never know. also is you car running any hotter? do you have an egt gauge or a real water temp gauge?

Doodoo

Running lean feels like you are going no where fast. When I experienced it it was in higher RPMs, felt like my car hit a wall.
Try seeing if you have a vacumm or exhaust leak. I had an exhaust leak last night and this morning and it llllaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggeeeeeeeedddd. It was like boost would never build. Good luck.

HondaCutter

How would I know if I had an exhaust leak?

FIxALPHA

A couple more suggestion....

have your run leaded race gas...usually when running this gas, your plugs turns white....

Maybe the head gasket is going.....white=coolant fluid....just a suggestion

HondaCutter

I haven't run leaded race gas, I only use premium unleaded. Also, I have a small oil leak at both ends of the oil return line ( at the turbo and at the oil pan ) could that have something to do with it?

HondaCutter

also, on the air/fuel gauge, in WOT it reads about 3-4 in green and 1-2 in stoich. is that bad that it's in stoich. This is of course at 5-6 PSI

phildeez

White SPOTS on the spark plugs= head gasket.
also Milky oil.

I had that before.

HondaCutter

not white spots, whitish grey everywhere

HondaCutter

could the oil leak have something to do with it?

HondaCutter

bump up

RH+G

check plugs here
www.ngksparkplugs.com/techinfo/spark_plugs/faq/faqread2.asp