Exhaust Question

[AaronB]

Hey all
My 94GrandCherokee is giving off some rich fumes lately. Smells like gas a lot when I turn if off. This smell even occasionally invades the cab while at a stop light. The exhaust seems a little more white than normal. I have heard that too much gas in the mixture can ruin the catalytic converter. Do you know if that is true? Any other trouble shooting thoughts as to why there is excessive gasoline smell in exhaust. Thanks for any help

 

[XJNick]

Hi,

Yes it's true: too much gas in the exhaust can ruin the Catalytic converter.

If it's running rich. maybe have the codes checked and check the ignition system (spark plugs, distributor, rotor, etc.).

-Nick :!:

 

[4wheelNeal]

Make sure the gas pressure regulator is not leaking. Had that problem.
Gas was spewing all over the place, luckily there was no fire!
--Neal

 

[AaronB]

Thanks guys,
I've changed the rotor, plugs, wires, fuel filter, and TPS. Air filter is brand new. I have tried to pull up codes using the method of turning the key. Only 12 and 55 have come up. Any tips on determining if the converter is bad w/out taking it in? I will check the pressure regulator. Can an O2 Sensor be bad and the computer not read it. These exhaust problems are a bear to track down. I read that the evap. cannister is supposed to eliminate gas vapors being released, but have no clue how to check that except turn the thing on and stick my nose up to it.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Bad cat smells like rotten eggs, I think your gas smell is something else.

 

[dingus]

white smoke is antifreeze... (blue is oil, black is running rich)

 

[AaronB]

white smoke is antifreeze... (blue is oil, black is running rich)

white smoke is antifreeze

How does antifreeze enter the combustion picture? Through the head gaskets?Thanks againfor all the help

 

[dingus]

could be anything... head gasket, piston rings, valve seals, cracked head, cracked piston... if its only a LITTLE smoke its prolly not anything too huge...

 

[Tug-n-pull]

does your coolant level ever drop and is it often? This is a tell tell sign. Had a Trooper with a 4 banger tha had a cracked head and man it looked like a stem train when you started it up on a cool day. tug

 

[AaronB]

OK,
My coolant does drop some, I've had an external leak that comes and goes, can't track it down, it seems to be the heater bypass hose from the water pump to the block. I've attributed the coolant loss to this, but maybe it is something internal as well. If the heads are cracked, or gaskets blown, are there any other diagnostic stuff other than observing the whitish exhaust. Thanks again.

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Rent or buy a compression check gage. A big diffrence across the motor block will tell you of internal leakage and or other problems