Smoke from under the hood

[NCHKustoms]

Hey all, new SHO owner as of yesterday. woo! '92 mtx...

Anyways, i just went to the car wash because it was nasty nasty dirty. I washed it. Sprayed under the hood to get most of the grime off. As im leaving it sounds like its really sluggish. I get home since im about 5 mins from the carwash, open the hood up and smoke is coming frm the alternator side?? I looked but didnt really see anything melted or anything.. it smells like something was burning?

Any ideas as of where to start?

Thanks a lot

Ryan

 

[ViPER1313]

Most likely 2 separate things going on:

The car is probably sluggish because you (most likely) sprayed water into the spark plug wells, which is causing them to ground out. Take out the plug wires and get all the water out of there.

The 'smoke' from below the alternator is probably water / oil burning off of the front catalytic converter below the motor.

Please don't power wash your engine bay in the future - it causes so many problems that it's never worth it.

 

[frosho]

If a lot of unburnt fuel made its way to the cats (from the misfiring), they could have overheated and burnt off some oil residue or something. Dry out the plug wells, warm it up, and see if it's still an issue.

 

[randy'sho]

you pressure washed the engine and you are wondering why it is smoking! come on man....never pressure was the motor!!!:thankyou:

 

[bubba]

I was about to say! I agree with everything said.... I'd change those plugs now! So they don't get rusted in there! That's fun getting rusted plugs out of a head! If it was dirty, clean it by hand when you have time! Like when your doing a 60k

 

[frosho]

I wouldn't change them. Just make sure the plug wells and wires are dry and throw some dielectric grease on the plug boots.

 

[hawkeye18]

Stick some tampons in those plug wells after you take the wires out to dry them out real good. Don't laugh, it works. Think about it... they open up at the bottom to fit around the plug... super absorbent...

And I guarantee the smoke is just oil or water that got on the cats. It should go away eventually. Personally, if a SHO isn't smoking, that means it's about to blow up.

 

[Rubix]

^ I've heard of the tampon thing on here before. I recall someone having a problem and the guy's wife pulled out a tampon and that fixed whatever it was.

 

[hawkeye18]

^ I've heard of the tampon thing on here before. I recall someone having a problem and the guy's wife pulled out a tampon and that fixed whatever it was.

That would be me. My wife pulled out a tampon. I knew I kept her around for a reason lol.

 

[Rubix]

Haha I wondered if it was you since you brought it up... what's the story again? I remember it being classic

 

[NCHKustoms]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Guess ill know in the future to not wash it ever again, just clean it by hand. Im gonna take a look at it tomorrow morning and ill let ya all know how it all turned out.

Thanks again!! :thankyou:

Ryan

 

[shobote]

PRessure wash is OK on an old school motor, but not any modern one with computer control, sensors, wires, connectors, etc.. Water gets into places you can't see and casues oxidation in connectors, etc over time.

 

[NCHKustoms]

Ohhh ok, i didnt know that, all of my other cars have been pre-1980 Thanks for the input ill know for future reference now

 

[shooff1994atx]

Stick some tampons in those plug wells after you take the wires out to dry them out real good. Don't laugh, it works. Think about it... they open up at the bottom to fit around the plug... super absorbent...

And I guarantee the smoke is just oil or water that got on the cats. It should go away eventually. Personally, if a SHO isn't smoking, that means it's about to blow up.

Or what I do is get a squirter from a spray bottle that is long enough, stick it in there, and squeeze away. Then stuff some shop rags down there to get the rest. I guess tampons would work too. Never tried them.

 

[NCHKustoms]

Ok so i took out the plugs in the front.. the drivers side was full tp the top with water, dried that out. Hopeing that was it. Nope. Is there any good way to get at the rear plugs? I havent checked them yet. Lotta stuff in the way. What ya recommend?

 

[shonuffmine]

Suck it up n get in there!!! you can pull the 12 mm bolt on the secondary vac, canister to get the driver side one.that is all i ever pull off , just don,t be ham ****** about it!

 

[NCHKustoms]

Thanks---^ Ill be out to do that in a little bit

 

[shospeed]

To get to the back plugs its not impossible but it its very dificult and it requires allot of patience.

About the easiest was to do it is if you take the intake off and then you have full access. IMO its easier to do that then to go around it.

 

[NCHKustoms]

Alright.. just got done from taking out the rear plugs.. what a b****! All in all it seems to run quite a bit better. Think its gonna need a set of plugs and wires soon though. It still seems a little choppy. Thanks everyone!

 

[shospeed]

Did you go around the intake or did you take it off?