Help Needed

[gtzero]

Hi All,

I'm in desperate need of your help. My car is still running poorly refusing to accept any throttle. This is the same condition that prompted me to redo my fuel system. The tank has been cleaned and sealed and filters and hoses have been replaced.

A few months ago, I rebuilt my head and Roger Wilson drilled out a couple of passages in the head gasket to aid cooling of the rear cylinders. He seemed a bit unsure at the time. And not to question his experience but anyone can make a mistake.

Anyways, I've been noticing a lot of white vapors out my exhaust when I start the car in the morning and a lot of water droplets spluttering out my exhaust. I just thought this was condensation due to my car sitting for so long during the head rebuild. Anyways, I'm feeling that somehow, I'm getting coolant into my cylinders.

When I start the car, I almost immediately smell the odor of coolant. And I get a sense of an increase in humidity. But when I look under the hood, I don't see any leaks. And I don't notice any drop in coolant level. My oil seems normal when I check it at the dipstick.

I'd appreciate a list of possibilities and things to check. And also any special tools required to perform these checks. I don't have many tools so I need to know what I need to get.

Thanks in advance,

Manny

[73OpelMan]

Ok Im not a big wiz on engines or how to fix them but I had a past experience with this type of problem that I THINK you might be having.

First it started out with not being able to push the throttle at all and if you do it would sputter for two seconds and stall out. Now this problem I was having was on a 1968 Plymouth Valiant that had a slant six 225 3.7 liter in it. Nothing like an opels 1.1 and 1.9 liter 4 cylinders. But I first changed everything that had to do with the fuel randing from the filter to the lines, to the tank. None of that helped it. I was then told by a local mechanic that it was definitly my choke. So I said ok I am not going to mess with that and gave the car to him to handle. Next thing I knew with a new choke and a rebuilt carburetor my car was running great. Now I dont know if that helps you at all but if you think that could be one of the problems PM me and i can get you more info on how to change the choke or entirly rebuild or replace the carb.

Hope I helped (First helping post ever on this site. YAY!)

73Opel Man

[gtzero]

73OpelMan,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have fuel injection on my car so maybe the air flow sensor is on the fritz. That sounds like the closest thing to a choke. How do I check the air flow sensor? And what about the coolant smell?

Manny

[73OpelMan]

I dont know about the air flow sensor but the Coolant smell could be because your engine is over heating. If that is happening check your coolant level (make sure the car is cold before doing so...common sense but I forgot once and it did not turn out nice.) If it is low maybe you need to refill it. If it is full then check all the hoses that the coolant flows through, one could be kinked and not letting the liquid through fast enough. Sorry I cannot help anymore, that is as far as my car knowledge goes.

[gtzero]

73OpelMan,

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked back to my earlier thread that led me down the whole fuel system route.

http://www.opelgt.com/forums/showthr...&highlight=psi

And I think now that I've rested, mentally and physically, that I'll just start over from the beginning with the fuel pressure. But with the knowledge of everything that has been changed.

Manny

[namba209]

Manny, the air flow sensor is in the front of the injector plenum, just behind the air cleaner hose. Pull the hose and check that the flapper plate is very free to move. Any binding, however minor will impact the injector pulses. If it is binding maybe a shot of carb cleaner at the pivot points will free it up. As for the coolant leaks, there is a drain hole below the heater hoses for the heater box, could be your heater core is leaking. Put a paper towel in the hole and see if it gets wet. HTH.

[gtzero]

Ron,

Thanks as always. I'll be going thru the car again this weekend, weather and significant other permitting.

Take care and have fun,

Manny

[opelgt73]

What color are the spark plugs?

Sounds like you have a bad head gasket, or worse a warped/cracked head.

The FI system isn't going to have anything to do with the coolent smell or the white exhaust. I say pull the head, get a new gasket and have the head magnafluxed for cracks. If it is still running poorly after those issues have been address then turn your attention to the FI system.

[Jeff Pozorski]

I'm with Namba regarding a leak in your heater core. Especialy since you say you smell coolant in the car and the humidity seems to increase. That is a sure sign of a heater core with a small leak. To verify switch off the heat completley and the next day start the car up and see if you can still smell the coolant and feel the increase in humidity. If you don't it is the core. While not the best solution you can put in a can of "stop leak" to seal the core again. It worked in my 2000 Saturn that had the same problem. Much simpler than taking the dash out to get to the heater core.
Regarding the engine running bad. Could your throttle return spring be the wrong size and to "tight" for the throttle. On my carborated (sp) Manta the PO had put on a different size spring that was so stiff it took major effort to work the gas pedal. Once the correct spring was in place the difference was night and day.
Water drops coming out the exhaust sounds normal for this time of year due to excessive moisture in the air. Have a decent FI mechanic check things out for you regarding whether the setup is correct or not. Good Luck!