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Help...please...help



If you're in a climate where you'd rather not be messing in the engine bay, the quickest way to tell if it's coolant (headgasket) or oil is to smell the exhaust. Very white smoke with a sickly sweet smell to it is coolant. With a blown headgasket, you'll most likely see a lot of this at startup, as it burns the coolant that's collected in the cylinders and then it will die down. Oil is black or dark grey and smells, well, like you'd expect burning oil to. Good luck!
 
Dan

C Boyko <roccit_53@hotmail.com> wrote:
But do check the airbox for oil first, the group at 2002 dyno day will know 
the scare we all got when one of the cars sucked a big slug of oil into the 
filter. Looked much as you desciribed, clouds of smoke, but the engine was 
fine. On a car this age, it's always possible it's had a "dipstick swap". So 
check where it fills to with the precribed amount of oil next time you 
change it. Mine reads full when its actually a bit low. But a dead head 
gasket will give you the white smoke too. If the car's built for it, you can 
run it up to redline, there is a rev limiter that will make you sure you've 
broken something first time you hit it. Mine sees that limiter often. But 
it's not the original engine either, and it makes good power in the high 
rpms...

There are many, many good points in the previous post, shifting sooner may 
put you into a better place on the next gear, so shifting before 7000 is 
likely better acceleration-wise on a stock engine. And things do happen when 
you're beating on the car that would never happen otherwise, better when 
they happen in the safe confines of the track.

Oh one more thing, that E brake light? It will come on if your brake fluid 
is low too. So while you're looking at the airtbox, check brake fliud too...

Hope it's not a head gasket! Cathy


>From: "T. Reed" 
>To: Stefan P 
>CC: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
>Subject: Re: Help...please...help
>Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 00:47:03 -0800 (PST)
>
> > Ok let me get to the point...I saw my neighbors CRX he asked if i wanted 
>to
> > race...me being me said yes. So every thing is going fine im beating him 
>and
> > im all happy i get into 4th all ok then at about 7000 rpm (thats when i
> > usually shift while racing) the car did a jerk and seemed to disingage
>
>Okay, two points here:
>- most engines (the 8v and 16v included), particularly in stock form,
> start producing less and less power above a certain rpm band. Shifting
> all the way up at 7000 will likely make you slower rather than
> faster compared to shifting sooner (ie. 4500 - 5500). You also risk
> floating valves, breaking a timing belt, blowing a head gasket, etc.
> when running the engine at such high rpms. Keep it reasonable and your
> motor will last - try to be extra cautious above 6000 rpm.
>- drive your rocco however you want, but in my opinion it is foolish to
> beat on it if it has not been reasonably well-maintained. things do (and
> will) break and if this is your only car you will be screwed.
>- it's (arguably) foolish to beat on it, period.. "love thy rocco"
>
> > itself then i smelt stuff burning i looked behind me and I have a lot of
> > white smoke pouring out of my car...I could still drive it home and 
>all..now
>
>Head gasket, most likely.
>
>Expect $400-$600 of labor plus $25 for the gasket, $25 for the bolts. To
>do it right you also need $25-$35 worth of intake gaskets and exhaust
>gaskets, studs, nuts, etc. Plus drain+refill oil and coolant.
>
>Or, learn to do it yourself and it will only cost you $50-$85. It's not
>that hard but you need some slightly-special tools, a Bentley manual,
>mechanical ability, organizational skills and a dry place to work. It's
>not THAT bad of a job, but you must do it -right-! Don't try to half-ass
>it like my friend did "i just wanted to get it done so I hurried while
>tightening the bolts" and wind up breaking bolts off inside the block
>(note: he also re-used the original 1981 bolts, this was on a diesel
>rabbit that blew a headgasket).
>
>(aside:)
>Funny story, actually, as I _repeatedly_ insisted that he try to get the
>broken bolts to turn out by notching them with a dremel tool and turning
>them out with a screwdriver. I reckoned that they were very oily and no
>longer under tension so they would turn right out. He ignored my advice
>and began stripping the car to a shell to sell parts. He dropped the
>engine (without a hoist) on the garage floor after using a die grinder to
>cut the axles off (instead of selling them? talk about stupid) and
>cutting the clutch/speedo cables and wiring, too . Then, for some reason,
>he decided to try my method after all this and every broken bolt came
>right out within 5 minutes. Dumb-ass, he could have had a running car for
>the cost of head bolts. He paid $700 for the car, now he has no car (just
>parts that aren't worth anything) and made an ass of himself by ignoring
>my advice. It vexes me because that car had a lot of work invested in it
>by my brother and I back when it belonged to my brother. Now its
>dismantled and will probably be crushed as soon as he figures out he
>can't get any money for the parts. A shameful waste.
>
> > here is where the stupid part of me comes in...earlier that day my oil 
>light
> > went on i checked the oil...it was FULL....i checked again later that
> > day...IT was FULL...but the light still came on!! ALso my E-break light 
>is
>
>Common issue with these cars. I fought it until I did my 2l swap. Try
>replacing the senders (several bucks a pop).. check the oil pressure
>with a gauge if possible. If your pump is bad it will take your engine
>with it in short order. Also sometimes the circuit board in the dash goes
>bad.. try smacking the dash (but be gentle) and see if the light goes out.
>
> > coming on once in a while randomly (thats been happening for the past 2
> > days)...can any one help me...I think Im in a very deep hole right now.
> > ALso shouldnt a sports car be able to be pushed all the way once in a
> > while...its not like i do it every day...thats actually the first time i
> > pushed it that far all the way.
>
>Okay, that's part of the problem. You should get to know your car well
>before racing it. This applies to engine as well as handling and braking
>characteristics. Otherwise, you're just being stupid. Like driving 100 moh
>on a very windy road you've never been on before. There could be a hairpin
>turn, a rockslide, a stranded vehicle around a blind corner, etc.
>
>You get the point.
>
>BTW don't drive your car any more until you get it fixed. You risk burning
>off all your coolant, overheating and warping the head (~$150 for a used
>head.. assuming you have a 16v).
>
>-Toby
>
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