The Ohio Random Thread... aka We Should Probably Be Working

[PrinceValorum]

the exhaust smells normal. it smokes A LOT at idle and when i take off it leaves a big ass cloud of smoke behind me. this cannot be normal.

Unfortunately it's normal (for the FS), but it's still not good... =/

You should see mine start up from a cold start after it's sat for a few days. It fills up my whole front yard with a big blue cloud, and I'm at 84k miles.. I also get blue smoke (oil) when I get on the throttle a bit heavy if the engine isn't warm (stuff hasn't expanded in the engine creating a good seal), or even when it's warm up near redline.

The exhaust smells normal, not like a leaf blower? I'd say that it's not oil, because that's a pretty noticeable smell, at least for my car it is.

Have you checked your compression?

 

[fishdonotbounce]

yea it baffles the hell out of me too. nate, that oil that you saw was the oil vapor from the big oil leak that i now fixed. i just drove the car to campus on the highway for 20 mins and absolutely zero smoke untl i pulled into the garage and sat idling. i checked my oil and its overfilled so im gonna try to drain some before i go home. if it still smokes after that, im taking it to the mechanic in the morning. good news is that there is no more oil leak lol

 

[Fiji Mazda3]

yea it baffles the hell out of me too. nate, that oil that you saw was the oil vapor from the big oil leak that i now fixed. i just drove the car to campus on the highway for 20 mins and absolutely zero smoke untl i pulled into the garage and sat idling. i checked my oil and its overfilled so im gonna try to drain some before i go home. if it still smokes after that, im taking it to the mechanic in the morning. good news is that there is no more oil leak lol

Congrats on getting it fixed.


I finally got my tow plate put in. Took two attempts, but I figured out that I should use my jack to lift the bumper slightly and it went right in.

 

[fishdonotbounce]

It's still not fixed. I meant to say that when I started idling, the car started puffing smoke again. I'm gonna drain some oil in the parking garage before I leave and see if that helps. i think the oil pressure builds up too high due to the excess of oil and the fixed leak and forces oil through the PCV valve. I'm hoping I can get it resolved. If not, it's going into the mechanic tomorrow morning. I hope I can get everything figured out

EDIT: btw, the plate looks great. I always loved that location on the new gens (well first gen new gens lol). I haven't seen you in forever though man. How you been?

 

[Fiji Mazda3]

It's still not fixed. I meant to say that when I started idling, the car started puffing smoke again. I'm gonna drain some oil in the parking garage before I leave and see if that helps. i think the oil pressure builds up too high due to the excess of oil and the fixed leak and forces oil through the PCV valve. I'm hoping I can get it resolved. If not, it's going into the mechanic tomorrow morning. I hope I can get everything figured out

EDIT: btw, the plate looks great. I always loved that location on the new gens (well first gen new gens lol). I haven't seen you in forever though man. How you been?

There's a guy on the 3 forums that has a smoking issue because there's too much oil, so it should be an easy fix.

I'm thrilled with my tow plate because now I'm (semi)legal. I'm good, just working a lot. You shouldn't have left Ohio for the summer. (lol2)

 

[fishdonotbounce]

I'm really hoping that's what it is. And yea I know I shouldn't have left. The internship was an amazing experience and I loved it but when I wasn't at work, it was sooooo boring. I did meet a couple of the cool cats out in maryland though so that was kinda fun. Are you still in OH right now or somewhere else?

 

[Fiji Mazda3]

I'm really hoping that's what it is. And yea I know I shouldn't have left. The internship was an amazing experience and I loved it but when I wasn't at work, it was sooooo boring. I did meet a couple of the cool cats out in maryland though so that was kinda fun. Are you still in OH right now or somewhere else?

Still here. Live in Dublin now.

 

[fishdonotbounce]

That's cool man. I'll have to make it out to one of the central OH get togethers soon. Oh and I remember when you were saying that your car could stay with if not beat mine and I laughed. The more I learned and thought about it, it's completely true. Silly proteges and our lack of power lol.

 

[PrinceValorum]

and forces oil through the PCV valve.

I thought you had a catch can?

absolutely zero smoke untl i pulled into the garage and sat idling.

I think it might just not be noticeable until the car is sitting, nawmean? It takes a quite large amount of smoke to notice it while your driving, unless you gun it out of a corner and it just hangs there, which is how I notice it when I drive.

 

[Lewis7789]

Ya know what, I bet you simply did overfill it with oil. I did an oil change a few months back and added one of those Restore cans of additive stuff and forgot about it and filled up the motor with the usual amount of oil. I think it burnt off the excess stuff and now it doesn't smoke at all. At least not that I can see from the mirrors. Hey Wes or Pablo, did my car smoke at all when we were going back and forth to PA? Because I was on it quite hard. Anyway, I hope that it's just that simply fix, mate.

 

[PrinceValorum]

Hey Wes or Pablo, did my car smoke at all when we were going back and forth to PA? Because I was on it quite hard. Anyway, I hope that it's just that simply fix, mate.

Yeah right, you kept leaving me behind semis.. And then I'd hear on the radio "cehakfewah *static* I think we lost Wes *gibberish*" But I've never seen oil in your exhaust that I can remember, and I've been behind you on more than one occasion... (wiggle)

Oh, and about my oil being low, I checked it today and it wasn't even on the stick.. It's not burning it, though, apparently it's all being forced past seal(s) on the front of the motor. It's not the usual suspects, like the valve cover (although I think that's leaking a bit, too). I think it may be the head gasket.. I've been noticing small drips since I got the car, but nothing noticeable on the dipstick yet. I'm sure it was all the time at high revs that did it. I noticed fresh oil on things that I know I wiped down when I replaced the belts. I'm not sure if I want to fix it or just park it and sell it in the spring..

 

[fishdonotbounce]

What?? s*** man, How'd this happen?

Drained the oil in the parking garage and then drove it home. Came home, put it in park, and the b**** looked like a smoke machine at a Halloween party. Going to the mechanic tomorrow morning. I really hope it's nothing big. Damn car.

 

[princess peach]

Yeah right, you kept leaving me behind semis.. And then I'd hear on the radio "cehakfewah *static* I think we lost Wes *gibberish*"

(lol2)

I didn't see any smoke, only from the speed3 but that's normal

 

[CTt3P5]

Morning Ohioans. Nice to see some of you guys again over the weekend.

Ivan...good luck with the car

Evan...for the time I was behind you on the cruise I didn't notice any smoke coming from your car.

 

[PrinceValorum]

Morning Ohioans. Nice to see some of you guys again over the weekend.

Ivan...good luck with the car

Evan...for the time I was behind you on the cruise I didn't notice any smoke coming from your car.

Did you notice smoke from the Miata when you were behind me? One time my friend told me he saw white smoke, that I was burning coolant, but I think he's full of crap (especially since oil/coolant wasn't contaminated and my compression checked out ok). I lost at least a quart of oil on this trip...

 

[Evan9999]

I didn't see any smoke from your P5 Evan. Actually, I didn't see any smoke from anyone now that I think about it. Anyone see smoke from me? I'm hoping I don't become a victim of the smoking turbo.

 

[o0n8]

how hard is it to replace the harmonic dampner on the fs? something that could be done in half a day or less? dp i have to pull the timing cover and all that fun as well?

 

[princess peach]

Did you notice smoke from the Miata when you were behind me?

i saw a little when we were heading to the park

Anyone see smoke from me? I'm hoping I don't become a victim of the smoking turbo.

you have black smoke when you step on it, normal since you run pretty rich

 

[03zoomzoom]

how hard is it to replace the harmonic dampner on the fs? something that could be done in half a day or less? dp i have to pull the timing cover and all that fun as well?

ALLDATA says .9 hr and "B" level.

 

[o0n8]

hmmm, might have to try it