1223 Code, running rich solved???

[Alfissimo Int.]

So I finally too a good look at some things today on the ole' 164. I have been fighting a 1223 code and running rich issue with heavy exhaust smell in car.
First thing I went back and checked the Motronic sensor (NEW)- @212˚F = ~0.3-0.4 KOHM.
I checked power from the wiring to the sensor. Reading was good. What I did notice was the pin moved back inside the harness. You kidding me?? I thought no way, I checked that! Well I moved on and checked all vacuum and it seems like vacuum is good. Nothing there. I was going to change out vacuum ball just in case it was leaking.

I idled the car to get it back up to operating temp. I plugged in the harness to the sensor and made sure it got on there snug while pushing the wire on the backside to make sure it was secure on the pin.

What? Seriously? Come on...No CEL? No stinky smell? I said, "yeah right, it will come on". "Watch"!! Nope. Idled it for 15 minutes with no CEL.
So I will hope that it stays out and runs clean! The moral of the story (besides I was not thorough) is that although I checked for that, it must have worked it's way out? Or last time I checked I forgot about it, or something stupid like that.

I hope that may help others with the dreaded 1223 code.

Pray for me....

[Alfissimo Int.]

Nope. Once again the CEL is back. Oh well. I guess I keep looking.

[Alfissimo Int.]

I guess I have to figure this one out myself.

Other than smelling very exhaust like. Slightly rough idle and a slight serging...The car runs perfectly. Full power and goes like hell.

I am going to check one more time for false air.
Check grounds
Plug wires
Plugs
Injectors
IAC again...
FP was checked and good at around 40PSI+

FPR is good. I pull hose and idle does not change much.

Going to check O2 sensor again as well.

Any other suggestions?

I want to nail this issue before the end of the month.

thanks

[Gubi]

What's the fuel pressure spec for the Motronic 164? I don't have the manual in front of me, but 40+ PSI seems high from my admittedly poor memory.

Have you just tried replacing the O2 sensor? I had a fairly new Bosch one (like 5-10K miles) go flaky on the Spider once and start throwing 1223s.

[goats]

to try? Running rich = too much gas OR not enough air. Mixture on 24V is determined by TPS and AFM reading. Do all the plugs show rich?

[Alfissimo Int.]

I am pulling the plugs as we speak. Let me see what I have...

Tried 2 other AFM's with no change.

[Alfissimo Int.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alfissimo Int. I am pulling the plugs as we speak. Let me see what I have... Tried 2 other AFM's with no change.

[goats]

plug seal; replace it. the oil is shorting the plug and missing; hence unburned gas smell

[Alfissimo Int.]

Ok. I will try that. I just replaced these bad boys. I might go with a platinum plug this time.

Let see if that does the trick. I am going with the NGK Platinums (G-Power) not Laser Plats this time.

Seems to stink the most like exhaust when at operating temp. But Mortonic sensor is good.

Bare with me. I have to talk myself through all of this like I have never done it before. It can spark something in my brain or maybe someone else's???

[goats]

plug wire too; its compromised from the oil soak

and check the first plug on the left while you;re at it. That one too looks suspicious to me

[Alfissimo Int.]

Looks totally clean but I also think the wires are not making a good connection. I have to pull them all and test them. For some reason they are not sealing either.

[pinino]

I don't follow this. Yes, "stinky oil smell" is obviously from oil dropping on hot plug due to bad seal, but I don't understand how the shorting comes into play. The oil leaking doesn't seem to be filling up the hole and getting as far up as the plug wire, or?

Quote:

Originally Posted by goats plug seal; replace it. the oil is shorting the plug and missing; hence unburned gas smell

[goats]

that due to the oil contamination of the insulator, there is now a conductive path from the top conductor to the threaded body. When that happens, intermittently the voltage applied at the top conductor then travels down the outside of the insulator, and shorts to the head via the threads. I have seen this a few times and its a head scratcher. Whenever i see plug insulator thats not lily-white, I find out why and fix it. Its almost as if the ceramic insulator is cracked and spark is shorting that way-- can be a maddening issue to troubleshoot

bob

[Del]

Some of those plugs look like they have a lot of gap. Can't run too large a gap. The correct heat range? Some plugs, such as the Bosch plats have never lasted long in my V-6's, even if they looked ok. Wrong heat range I think from Bosch. The engine would develop a low speed miss, sometimes because the gap got too large.

Actually, motor oil (either petroleum based or synthetic) is a good dielectric, insulating rather well, having a constant of about 2-6 depending on the additive package, about the same as Mylar film, which is regarded as an excellent dielectric (I use this in my LS to prevent the ignition coils from arcing where it's not wanted), whereas water is up around 80 or so. In the same range as Bakelite which had always been used in the past to mount electrical components. Mineral oil is used in transformers to electrically insulate the units. Now, that doesn't mean a plug won't be fouled by oil, but that is usually because the oil in the combustion chamber due to bad rings or valve seals has been burned and left deposits on the plug. This doesn't appear to be the case.

I'm not sure the oil deposits can be blamed.

I've run many 4 cyl Alfas, and several times the V-6, with plug holes filled with oil with no ill effects. Hah, it tended to keep the squirrels from making nests around the warm plugs of the old 4 bangers. Even the V-6's sometimes end up with a lot of oil in the plug access tubes in the heads if the cover plug tube seal is bad.

Old contaminated oil will, however, show an increase in the constant, but still not very much at all. Enough, though, to be able to be used to determine the condition of the oil in testing.

I use NGK Iridiums in all my Alfas, no problems and they stay clean.

[Alfissimo Int.]

They have proper gap and are proper NGK iridium plug for the engine. The oil looks like a slightly leaky spark plug seal in the valve cover.
The plugs themselves are totally clean and buying properly with a nice tan color.