RX-Fate

I have an 04 6 port rx8.
It has an eBay knock off arm CAI, unorthodox pulleys, rb dual res mid pipe, and a borla axle back.

I was screwing around the parking lot of my shop (first gear donuts at high Revs (6-9k). The engine backfired here and there (not unnatural for my car) and then stalled. I thought it may have stalled because the snow is sooo thick and heavy and I just caught too much traction.

But when I turned it back on it was POURING out thick clouds of blueish white smoke that reeked of oil.
The check engine light was also flashing (misfire )

I parked the car and as it idled down the smoke cloud decreased in size and flow rate. But it was still smoking.
Finally I turned it off.

I turned it back on with no problem. But the smoke came back thick and heavy.
I revved it up to around 6 grand and it started to sputter.

I took the MAF sensor out to inspect it and as I thought, it was soaked in oil.

There has never been oil on my MAF. I KNOW this because I just swapped out the intake tube that houses the MAF yesterday. (I'm trading my old wrecked 8 for an 83 rx7).
I wanted to give the guy a MAF housing so he could start the car but the intake that was on it was my AEM - so I swapped the tubes - and when I did that I had to pull both MAFs an they were both mint.

My roommate and former RotorHead immediately said oil control rings. I think he may be right.

Can anyone help.
I searched a lot but no one else's symptoms are identical to mine. And OCR symptoms seem to match up.

I guess what I'm asking is could high revving and a misfire cause an OCR failure?

RX-Fate

Oh yeah - the engine bay and cabin also reek of oil.

And of course there was a noticeable puddle of oil in the intake tube underneath the MAF flange.

Please Help. Thank you.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

It could just have blasted oil into the intake track due to excessive crank crank pressure from thrashing your car like an idiot. But if you clean the oil out of the intact tract and it is still burning oil then you just blew your engine and will need to have it rebuilt.

RX-Fate

Ok. I put the MAF back in and drove it.
It seems to drive fine under 7k.
As soon is it hits 7 grand the engine sputtered (BAD) and it kicked out a huge cloud of white smoke.
This sputtering was very similar (though possibly more violent/occurring at a greater frequency from "blip to blip") to the problem I run into immediately after going through a touch less car wash when my CAI filter is probably saturated.
Further, if you haven't figured it out, I'm sitting in a pretty big storm and my CAI filter may be saturated to the same extent... It would be hard for me to quantify this comparison.

I should also mention that I have heard (from time to time) a raspy noise and slight loss (well its not a power loss... But it doesn't "kick in" like it normally does after the aux ports engage) above 6 grand.

I noticed a change in the sound yesterday evening after swapping the intake pipe section.
I also noticed - when changing the pipe - that it didn't it the same way as the AEM (not as snug - possibly too short) so I loosened some connectors and backed the off a little to lengthen the pipe.
I don't know if that matters or is applicable, but that's my only existing problem.

RX-Fate

I understand it was stupid. But it's
My first RWD, my first winter in a RWD and my "first" rotary. I don't feel I should apologize or regret enjoying my car.

But in any case. Thank you very much, 9k for your quick response. I was kind of hoping for something like that.
However... U did post it before I posted my "first-drive-after-re-installing-the-clean-MAF" thread which indicates an persisting problem of the "7k sputter and smoke."

Thanks again for your input, guidance... And candor

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

First off figure out if your air filter wet. That can cause all kinds of weird issues. But either way if you are emitting smoke from your exhaust then you have a problem. But it's kind of hard to diagnose your problem based on your posts.

Enjoying your car is one thing, abusing it is another.

RX-Fate

What other info do you need. I tried to be very thorough.

I'm just drove it to advance auto so I can check and clear the CEL.

IT IS NO LONGER SMOKING.
At least not when I'm driving, not when I stop at red lights and not after I parked and got out to inspect it.
In fact there is no smoke coming from the exhaust tips now.

RX-Fate

I just checked the filter.
It seems okay.
The dry sock is soaked, but the filter itself is relatively dry.
The elastic on the dry sock is weak and not closing snugly around the filter/intake tube connection and this the filter is damp around its base (wider part).

It doesn't seem to be wet enough to matter...
Unless the dry sock being soaked can cause just as much of a problem...

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

If it's wet it is wet, even a little wet will cause issues. Remove the BS sock, dry the filter out, clean the maf, clean the intake pipes and then drive it and see how it drives.

RX-Fate

Ok thanks

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

If you still "hit the wall" at 7k then you have other issues. But as with any new used car your first investment should be basic maintenance items (air filter, plugs, wires, coils, trans fluid, oil, etc.) unless you know those items were replaced. I also suggest just putting the stock intake back on.

RX-Fate

I changed the plugs, wires coils, trans fluid and oil when I bought the car - 5 months ago...

Just did an OBD II scan.

Misfire monitor - ok
Fuel system mon - ok
Comp component - ok
Catalyst mon - ok
Htd Catalyst - NA
Evap system mon - ok
Sec air system - ok
A/c refrig mon - NA
Oxygen sens mon - ok
Oxygen sens htr - ok
Egr/Vvt sys mon - NA

Codes:
P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold Bank 1- Confirmed

P0103
Mass or Volune Air Flow A circuit High input - Confirmed
(I have seen this ^^^ code before. I swapped MAFs with another 8 and it was fine... I thought)

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold Bank 1- Pending

I cleared the codes

FazdaRX_8

iTrader: (1)

with all the extra oil going into the engine and burning up you probably ruined the spark plugs, replace the plugs and you should be fine above 7krpms.

RX-Fate

yeah... But I hit that same wall after car washes... So...

FazdaRX_8

iTrader: (1)

ditch the cold air intake, even mist will make the maf read funny and throw a code

get a test pipe, your cats probably clogged with oil.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Looks like 9k's guess was right, you upchucked a ton of oil into your intake. It got ingested into the engine and "flooded" it. You pushed it into the exhaust where it sat burning off.

The later smoke was probably from a puddle of oil sitting against one of your intake valves that opened at 7k and dumped it in, killing power and generating smoke.

I'd honestly find a dry spot in a garage or a friend's garage, whatever and remove and completely clean the intake from filter through UIM. Might want to hose down the intake valving in the LIM as well to get rid of whatever fresh residue you dumped there so it doesn't make the valves start sticking.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

A wet filter will cause the MAF code and Fazda is right as well.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

And by hose down he means remove the SSV and VDI and clean them. Not hose down the LIM while on the car. Just to clarify,

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, poor choice of words there.

RX-Fate

To be honest I really don't have a lot of CAI related issues.

I don't have a cat. It's a Racing Beat Dual resonated 3 inch mid pipe.

Only after car washes or in heavy rain.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Well if it happens every time to wash your car then I would say you do have a lot of CAI issues. Unless you only wash your car once a year. My car gets washed every week so that would be a huge pain in *** to me.

RX-Fate

Lmao! Yeah. About once am every two weeks.
But after I drive it for 5 minutes its fine again. It's just the immediate effect as I pull out.

I hate to say this because I know I'll hear some derisive responses, but I know that the car is adversely affected because I kick it sideways when I leave the car wash. At least I used to with my other 8. This one just won't have it.

I do believe that the shifty dry sock is the reason... But who knows.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Yeah but as you drive off you are sucking the water into your engine along with the oil (assuming it is not a dry flow) along with all the contaminants and coating your maf.

RX-Fate

That's a good call.
I think it's pretty obvious that I don't always think things all the way through, lol.

But I've really never kept a car long enough or cared about it as much as this one. Hence the post and thorough explanations.

So I really appreciate everyone's input - even if some of it is a little like a finger wagging parent


Anyway... I own the shop (it's just a simple tire and lube shop) so ill spend tonight pulling off and cleaning the intake pipe, throttle body and swapping the filter.

I like to be thorough and the UIM gasket isn't available today... So I'll have to wait to pull the UIM and clean the VDI and SSV.

THANKS AGAIN!!
and if anyone has any more ideas/input ill keep checking back till I'm revving 9k again!

j9fd3s

well if there is no smoke, its not an oil control ring. when those fail it usually smokes enough that you can't see the shop/house!

car will happily run perfectly too.

if you have the same problem after car wash, then its something else, maybe you've got a bad ground, or you car is scared of hot dogs or something