Plug look like I'm Running lean?
 

New ngk bp6 1,000miles ago
What do you think, lean?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1500523937.jpg

Lean is a relative term. If that came out of my car, I would put larger jets in my carbs.

Most FI systems with smog controls will be relatively lean. What car did that come out of?

I guess you could run your car on the dyno and make adjustments depending on your results.

3.2 carrera

how many miles on the plug

Looks perfect. Yours is clearly running correctly at stoch.

The true test would be to run it to redline in all the gears, and immediately shut down, and then read plugs.

That will tell if lean.

Looks like idle and part throttle AFR's are exactly where they should be.

With todays unleaded fuels, you can't tell much from plugs anymore.

Ok thanks guys thoes plugs have 1k miles on them ,

I'm having some high rpm running issues. Loss of power above 4.5 k rpm. Car feels like it's not getting gas ? Maybe "feels" lean?

I've recently replaced the following.
Valve adjustment
Cht
2 reference sensors
O2 sensor
Plugs
Wires
Cap&rotor
Fuel filter
Pre muffler & sport muffler
Checked my tracks on afm
Fuel pressure is 30psi at idle 37 with fpr disconnect.
Checked for vac leak none , I'm getting a nice drop in rpm when I open the oil cap.

Any suggestions ?
Thank you

Check continuity of "WOT switch".

Sounds like your WOT map in the DME is not getting triggered. This will cause your symptoms.

It's where a traditional TPS is located on the throttlebody in black.

Yes checked wot switch with multimeter it's good and is engaging at 3/4 throttle .

A bone-white insulator without any coloration suggests a very lean mixture, however one needs to know whether the ignition was cut at higher RPM or simply removed after idling for a few minutes. There is a very specific procedure for performing a plug cut to accurately read spark plugs.

I'd strongly recommend a chassis dyno session to confirm AFR's and whether its making proper HP to the wheels or not.

Thanks Steve ,

I just cruised home from work at 60 mph no high rpm and parked it.
I have no access to a dyno. do I have any other options?

seems you're looking to see what a wideband oxygensensor would show your mixture to be across rev ranges -- in other words whether it's leaning way out as your rpms increase. Easy to do on a dyno, but also can be done by replacing the standard oxygensensor with a wide band one and adding a logger yourself.

An air fuel gauge is an easy install.

https://www.google.com/search?q=aem+air+fuel+gauge&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

What do the other 5 plugs look like? That one almost looks like it was in a hole that wasn't running. certainly doesn't look like 1k miles

I know that's what I was thinking , so I pulled all six and they are the same !

weird... I'd check with the wide band next. It sure seems like you've covered most of the bases

have you checked the pins at the DME connector for the throttle switch.
put the meter on those pins the go WOT.

a BP6 plug and you most likely shut it down at idle, I don't think this is an indication of your problem. if it is then you are lean at idle too. try a BP7, not that that will fix your issue.
(I don't know what most run in this car).

really sounds like the DME is not going richer when it should. throttle switch problem as in the DME is being told to go richer or DME.
maybe FP not delivering the required volume of fuel.

Put it on tail pipe sniffer, answer all your q's.....

It's odd running lean with 02 plugged in and rich unplugged ??

Not really. It just means your base idle mix is a bit too rich. If your idle mix was set to factory specs, your plugged in and unplugged 02 mixture would be about the same and be at optimal performance.

Cheers,


Joe
87 Carrera

If I read this correctly, the O2 sensor appears to be working.

To make a judgement on whether the engine is running lean or not by reading the plug, you should make sure all other systems are operating correctly as suggested in other posts.

A 6-heat range plug will always read differently than a colder plug in the same engine. All a plug can tell you is temperature. Nothing else. We must then apply reasons for the temperature the plug shows with fuel or Ignition timing that skew the plug appearance.

A good read is here on reading plugs in Porsche engines.
Spark Plugs – performancedevelopments.com

How are you determining that your engine is running rich? By the smell? Smoke? Did someone tell you it was?


Joe

If this is direct towards me, then.....

"""It did. The engine told me. I speak "engine". I also own a cow and have learnt to speak cow too. """""

Its not my engine so I have no clue what the engine is doing. I was just trying to add some logic into the discussion.

So no smell, no smoke here.

I always hated that O2 sensor connector on the 3.2. Clean it up and put some DeoxIT on the connection. Then you may be able to take a continuity reading at the other end of the harness.

Does the idle drop when you pull the oil cap ? As far as I know, the fuel pressure regulator either works or it doesn't. But the only way to find out is to test the fuel pressure at WOT under load.

I gutted the cat on a Subaru years ago, and the O2 sensor rarely got hot enough to work properly after that. Never heard that about a Carrera though.

Please don't take it personally, the question was not directed to you. We just need to know how the OP determined it was rich and has nothing to do with you.

My deepest apologies,


Joe

Not really sure just that the exhaust stinks like fuel when unplugged burns your eyes , no smell at all when 02sensor pugged in.

A little back story car has 180k I did a lot or preventive maintenance when I got it. One thing I noticed was the fuel filter was super dirty and clogged. When I turned it upside down it was just black goo going into a bucket I'll attach a picture. After that I noticed a big difference until like I said around 5 k. Just looses power won't rev higher and overall slow to rev up. Car feels sluggish

I'm thinking it's got to be fuel starvation somewhere. Clogged injectors or weak pump can't keep up under load. Or tank filter is clogged too and restricting flow???
Fp was good at test port while idling.
I rechecked speed sensor gap at .8mm it was good.
I have a spair used fuel pump with low mi. As mine is original. I may my pull injectors and send them out for cleaning if u guys think it's worth while. Looked like mr injector and witch hunter are capable.

Thanks for your help and suggestions!

Ignor the leaf lol .

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1500746342.jpg

One thing I have noticed is that plugs don't get that nice tan color with today's gas alcohol mix like they used to. They tend to look a bit more on the white side.
Here is a photo of my plugs after putting a few hundred miles on it after breaking in a freshly rebuilt motor and putting in new plugs after the break in period.
The top plug was slightly darker, most likely due to a little oil still getting into the cylinder.
Numbers next to it are the compression test numbers.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1500750596.jpg
2 thousand miles later it was still running great when I sold it.

I would install a wide-band AFR gauge such as what Gordon pictured to get some accurate data.

You can look on Dynojet's website to see the closest one to you. :)

You could also have a bad fuel pump. We've seen bad ones drop fuel pressure drastically at high rpms at full throttle on the dyno.

Also send your injectors to RC Engineering in Torrance, CA to be cleaned and flow tested.

Thanks Steve I'm going to try that.

Update , I re tested my wot and must have accidentally touch my meter thermals or something. Anyways I now have wot after an adjustment of my switch!!

Car will run in upper rpm range better now but takes forever getting there. Really sluggish. My civic is way faster.

I tested my fuel pressure it was 30 and 37 with fpr vacuum disconnected.

I'm going to swap my fuel pump for sure its original but what about the regulator and damper?? Does my pressure test that shows an increas in pressure of regulator vacuum show that they are both good? No gas leak when I pulled vac hose off.

Could the slow revving sluggish behavior be a bad coil symptom?

Thanks everyone for the help much appreciated.

Regulator seems like it's working properly. Off the top of my head, sluggish could be lean condition, DME unit or coil going bad, clogged injectors or weak flow from from the fuel pump

if that was your fuel filter you might remove it again and see if you get the same, or just replace it.
you can pull the injectors and try cleaning the screen. spray some carb clean in the input to try to clean it.

If my distributor internals were bad not working would it make my car felel like 150 hp??

Any way to test it

Easy enough to pop the cap and see if the rotor moves freely back and forth.

Cheers,

Joe

Thanks it does