[vbisbest]

My spark plugs look crazy fouled on my S3. There is certainly a very strong smell of gas while it’s running and light white smoke coming out of the back. I have the 1 wire O2 sensor but no idea if it’s wired correctly or working property although it looks fairly new. Because all of the I was doubting that it’s a head gasket issue, but I could be wrong. Other ideas or testing procedures to troubleshoot? Thanks!

 

[Gubi]

Usually on an S3 that would be a bad oxygen sensor, a bad coolant temp sensor, or a bad fuel pressure regulator. But I would suggest going through the whole l-jetronic troubleshooting guide.

L-Jetronic Technical Info - Alfa Romeo Spider

Tech Articles and troubleshooting the Bosch L-Jetronic systems for the Alfa Romeo Spider.

www.hpsimotorsports.com

 

[divotandtralee]

Your failed OVS could contribute to it... basically pumping oil laden blow-by gases into your combustion chambers instead of separating the oil and sending it back to the sump where it belongs. Think of the OVS as a filter on your home HVAC system .. .. Do you change it and replace it to make the system work as designed? There is no band-aid for a failed OVS. It is not something you drop in a tank and renew it. All FI cars have them and they had a purpose besides the side benefit of pollution control, so it really does matter in the grand scheme of things. This might not be entirely the cause but consider it a contributor just like heavy drinking, smoking, diet, physical activity, weight all contribute to your wellness and your doc will advise on all of them to be addressed when illness takes a form..Before I got my '73 the PO made it standard practice to change plugs every season when he drove the car less than 300 miles . That was my red flag.

 

[vbisbest]

I read through the injection doc and based on symptoms, took a look at the AAV. (VERY hard time cold starting, idles great once warmed up but burning too much fuel. Sure enough, this thing seems wonky. It appeared to be stuck in one spot based on the freezer test, I could not get it to open all the way up. It was stuck at maybe 20% open. So I cleaned it out and tried using the nut to adjust it and its just not working. No matter what I do, the nut will not hold the flap in place, it just does what it wants. Looks like I may need a new AAV.

 

[pantera928]

I read through the injection doc and based on symptoms, took a look at the AAV. (VERY hard time cold starting, idles great once warmed up but burning too much fuel. Sure enough, this thing seems wonky. It appeared to be stuck in one spot based on the freezer test, I could not get it to open all the way up. It was stuck at maybe 20% open. So I cleaned it out and tried using the nut to adjust it and its just not working. No matter what I do, the nut will not hold the flap in place, it just does what it wants. Looks like I may need a new AAV.

Could be that but it seems that would make it more lean and your plugs look rich..

Could be your TTS going bad and causing the cold start injector to stay on all the time.
did you clean the AAV with brake cleaner or WD. That usually works for me. I may have a good used one if you want to test that before buying one. Not sure what they cost.

 

[vbisbest]

Could be that but it seems that would make it more lean and your plugs look rich..

Could be your TTS going bad and causing the cold start injector to stay on all the time.
did you clean the AAV with brake cleaner or WD. That usually works for me. I may have a good used one if you want to test that before buying one. Not sure what they cost.

I did clean the AAV, but no luck. No matter what I did, the hole would not stay open after being in the freezer.

 

[pantera928]

Your failed OVS could contribute to it... basically pumping oil laden blow-by gases into your combustion chambers instead of separating the oil and sending it back to the sump where it belongs. Think of the OVS as a filter on your home HVAC system .. .. Do you change it and replace it to make the system work as designed? There is no band-aid for a failed OVS. It is not something you drop in a tank and renew it. All FI cars have them and they had a purpose besides the side benefit of pollution control, so it really does matter in the grand scheme of things. This might not be entirely the cause but consider it a contributor just like heavy drinking, smoking, diet, physical activity, weight all contribute to your wellness and your doc will advise on all of them to be addressed when illness takes a form..Before I got my '73 the PO made it standard practice to change plugs every season when he drove the car less than 300 miles . That was my red flag.

And I bet you have a great OVS solution!😊

 

[divotandtralee]

You win the bet.. I did make the Chairman's Club in my company to advise the CEO of sales issues and my BBA in Marketing isn't going to waste.