just wondering what would be causing this: 99 em1 at about 6K+ rpms blows out a good amount of black smoke. Need rings?? its using oil but not bad, my oil pan gasket is also leaking at the front and i just havent had the time to put the new one on. car has 172,XXX miles. just looking for some good input on possible things that could be causing this. thanks in advance

 

Black smoke generally indicates burning fuel not oil. Are you sure the smoke isn't blue rather than black?

 

lol its definitely black... so im assuming im running rich. any good advice on how to correct this? its throwing a crank sensor code and also catalyst(gutted cat) however it did smoke before i gutted it.

 

black=gas
blue=oil
white=coolant

most times

 

Fix the crank sensor code. This generally requires replacing the distributor housing, though you should check the wires first.

 

its got a new msd pro billet on it. it threw the code before and i replaced the sensor behind the crank pulley, code cleared and didnt return until a few months ago. ill try replacing that again, but would that actually be causing the car to run rich? i have been hurtin on my MPG, used to be able to squeeze 400-420miles on a tank, now im lucky to make it past 300.

 

Oh, the CKF sensor near the crank gear. Yes, same idea, fix the CKF sensor or its circuit as a fault in this sensor circuit could be causing your problems.

 

not thinking it is though, its been getting crappy mileage for quite some time, even when the sensor was replaced...ill rescan it tonight after i get off duty and post all codes...hopefully no new ones

 

There is a multitude of possible causes for an engine running rich. I would start by fixing the CKF code and then go from there. Just my 2 cents.

 

thanks ron, you da man!

 

This is definitely a good idea. Pulling additional CEL codes would be informative. When done, clear the ECU and drive the car to see whether any of the codes repeat. Only repeated CEL codes are worthy of further troubleshooting.

 

i definitely cleared them all about a week ago... didnt get time to scan it after work seeing as i had to stay over 3 hours so ill post up the codes very soon.

 

so on a rescan of my car, its still throwing the crank sensor(p1337), and catalyst below threshold(p0420) these are the only two that return, before i gutted cat only code sticking was 1337 "Manufacturer Control Ignition System or Misfire" is there any possibility that this could be caused from distributor being out of time? gettin sick of shelling out $$$ on 93 just to be wasted.

 

These may help:

 

sorry to be dumb to electrical(which i am) but im confused. electrical stuff is my nightmare but i can usually get it done, just takes me a while

 

Just post any specific questions that arise during the troubleshooting.

 

okay, but aside from the wiring... is there any way that my distributor being off timing a little could be causing this problem as well? not the crank sensor problem but just excessive burning of fuel in general.

 

Yes. Just a few other possibilities are fuel pressure too high, fuel injector leaking, O2 sensor faulty but not throwing a code, exhaust leak around O2 sensor, and valve clearance out of adjustment.

 

I'm thinking my valves may need to be adjusted, had some head work done about a year ago and its been like this since. O2s are working and are tight, has stock fuel system so I don't know how I would adjust it back down. I just want to fix this before I turbo the car. I know for a fact its lost power and I'm assuming this is why. The car has never been boosted or had any aftermarket parts minus CAI, msd pro billet dizzy and. Magnaflow catback. If the car is running rich and I boost it would it be safe at about 5-6psi?

 

ttt