The beginning of my VR4 adventure!

[Turbo nutter]

Hi all,
Hope this is in the right section? Got my 88/89 VR4 registered and picked up Thursday afternoon from the mechanic. The bill was nearly half what I expected so thought I was off to a good start, Drove the car home which is about a 6 minute drive and then to work the next day (bout 15 minutes). On the way home from work the car did not feel right so cut my list of things to do short so I could sus out the problem. When I got home I popped the bonnet and notice the bolts on the exhaust manifold are loose as. The mechanic just replaced the manifold gasket cause it had a leak in two spots so i'm not very happy.

I checked the bill and he replaced the gasket with a $30 one so i'm guessing that has not helped, My turbo and manifold are cheap ebay/chinese one's but still it can't be impossible to get a gasket to seal properly. Also noticing more and more little things! When the car is started when its cold it has what looks like oil spray all over my garage floor which stops when the car is warm?? And when I pullup at the lights the idle is up n down between 1500-2000rpm?? Not sure why! And as an average where does the neddle sit on a factory temp gauge? Mine is sitting half way or just over which I don't think is right either.

Am alittle frustrated being so early since i've owned the car i've driven maybe 30-40 minutes tops and not even hard driving either. And also now I have no head lights! Can any of you throw any ideas at me to any of these problems please?

I will sort all these things out and spend a shitload of cash on this car but not till next year, At the moment I just need it to be reliable till then.

Turbo Nutter

 

[rob323]

When I got home I popped the bonnet and notice the bolts on the exhaust manifold are loose as. The mechanic just replaced the manifold gasket cause it had a leak in two spots so i'm not very happy.

I checked the bill and he replaced the gasket with a $30 one so i'm guessing that has not helped

For $30, it should be the proper stainless steel one. Maybe a re-torque (to spec) is all that is needed. Hopefully your mechanic hasn't stripped the threads in the head by doing them up too tight and that is why they are loose.

, My turbo and manifold are cheap ebay/chinese one's

Now where did I put those damm boots.............

When the car is started when its cold it has what looks like oil spray all over my garage floor which stops when the car is warm??

A "spray suggests that oil is leaking onto the belts while the engine is not running and flicking off when you start it up. If this is the case, oil leaks on that side of the motor are not a good thing. Where abouts is the "spray" coming from?

And when I pullup at the lights the idle is up n down between 1500-2000rpm?? Not sure why!

Look up www.vfaq.com and under "intake, make up the pressure tester, once you have the leaks sorted, then look up "BISS" and reset the biss properly.

And as an average where does the neddle sit on a factory temp gauge? Mine is sitting half way or just over which I don't think is right either.

Sounds normal.

And also now I have no head lights!

Checked fuses etc?

Where abouts in Brissy are you?

 

[Turbo nutter]

I'm in Parkinson and am abit of a novice when it comes to VR4s! Bit more complicated then what i'm used to. The oil spray is coming from the muffler! And the ebay chinese rubbish was on the car when I brought it I would never go n put that shit on my car myself. Do these cars usually dump a shitload of fuel under boost?

 

[Turbo nutter]

Dropped the car off this morning again and the mechainic said the manifold came loose cause its got brass bolts on it?? He said they expand with heat and come loose if thats true why not change them when he refitted the manifold?

 

[rob323]

The oil spray is coming from the muffler!

It is either running very rich at start up (which is usually caused by intake leaks or a bad tune if it is modified with aftermarket engine management, and the fresh black soot will have a strong petrol smell to it) or your turbo is leaking oil into the exhaust.

Do these cars usually dump a shitload of fuel under boost?

Black smoke = excess fuel, usually caused by an atmo bov or intake leaks.
Grey smoke is burnt oil - usually a failing exhaust seal on the turbo allowing oil into the exhaust (common with chinese turbos) or a pcv valve which is not sealing properly.

Dropped the car off this morning again and the mechainic said the manifold came loose cause its got brass bolts on it?? He said they expand with heat and come loose if thats true why not change them when he refitted the manifold?

Brass NUTS are common as they don't rust themselves onto the studs. But when done up properly, they will NOT come loose.

 

[Turbo nutter]

So probably afew more problems to sort out yet! Is there a mechanic on these forums in Brissy or someone that atleast no's a heap about them? Thanks Rob323

 

[rob323]

I think you will find that the combined knowledge on this forum and at Galantvr4 will easily exceed any individual mechanic's knowledge, even if they do "specialise" in Mitsi's.

One thing you soon learn to do with a 20 year old car, is to learn how to do things yourself.:thumbsup:

 

[MDK87]

Welcome!

FIAV blockoff plate FTW! :thumbsup:

 

[GVR40]

mo - are you at uni today?

back on topic - welcome, hope you get your car sorted out soon enough.

 

[Turbo nutter]

Thanks guys! that site www.fvaq.com ain't workin? Do have another mechanic to use he's just dearer thats all but will see him soon I guess the way things are panning out.

 

[rob323]

I'm a dick. Try www.vfaq.com instead

 

[GVR40]

try www.vfaq.com

 

[MDK87]

I'm a dick.

Enough said. :lol:

 

[rob323]

Just ask my wife! :w00t:
Apparently that's all I'm good for sometimes.

 

[Entaran]

In order:

Retorque exh manifold bolts. It's possible they're stripped, but try torqueing them first. If they won't do up, they're stripped.

Lol. Ebay manifolds crack in less than 12 mths, ebay turbo's are like a lucky dip. It could be broken from factory. I have one here I got for $1 no reserve I use it as a paperweight. Turbo is likely already dead.

Coldstart oil spray is probably rocker cover bolts on timing side stripped and not sealing the cover properly. Look just under your cams or around your ps pump, there is probably oil leaking down the side of the motor there and being sprayed off by the belts. At cold start oil pressure is 3x what it is at running temp (as the bypass valve is closed) 75psi or more at first start, around 20psi once it's warm.

Up/Down idle 1500-2000 is TB related. Dead Idle Stepper, Badly adjusted TPS, Intake leaks. Combination. Good luck

Mine sits just under half. Or smack on half. Every car is different. Maybe your radiator could do with a flush or a new thermostat.

Headlights will just be a fuse or relay. The car's old man.

---

Oil spray may look like its coming from muffler but I'll bet it's leaking out of the rocker cover.

I've never seen a vr4 that doesn't dump fuel under high boost.

Sounds like your mechanic is dead average.

 

[Turbo nutter]

Thanks heap for your help and info guys! The exhaust manifold has been fine after the bolts got changed and now i've been driving for afew days and noticed this arvo the hard to get to 1 on the far right has come loose again.

The headlights just needed a new relay and other than that the cars been enjoyable!

Oh and after giving her a good stabbing the other night I noticed its hitting the fuel cut! Atleast thats what I think it is, I got upto about 5000rpm full throttle in 3rd and it felt like I hit a wall?? From what I read that happens round 12.5psi does that sound right?

What do you guys think I should do other than take it easy? Its still running the standard exhaust otherwise I would just buy a fuel cut and a bleed valve. Is that to much boost to run on a standard VR4?

Just remembered to theres an orange light on the dash thats always lit it looks like its for the 4ws or 4wd does anyone what i'm talking ??

 

[rob323]

Thanks heap for your help and info guys! The exhaust manifold has been fine after the bolts got changed and now i've been driving for afew days and noticed this arvo the hard to get to 1 on the far right has come loose again.

Your manifold is probably warped (they do that with age), be careful trying to tighten that nut up too much incase you strip the head (although thats unlikely with a brass nut).

Oh and after giving her a good stabbing the other night I noticed its hitting the fuel cut! Atleast thats what I think it is, I got upto about 5000rpm full throttle in 3rd and it felt like I hit a wall??

Doesn't sound quite like fuel cut (which is actually an ignition cut), when you hit fuel cut, it tries to throw you through the windscreen. If it is just hitting a flat spot, then it may be ignition leads, running too rich or some other problem.

From what I read that happens round 12.5psi does that sound right?

It should be about 14 psi. If you are hitting it at lower boost levels, then you have air leaks in your system.

What do you guys think I should do other than take it easy?

Fix it.

Its still running the standard exhaust otherwise I would just buy a fuel cut and a bleed valve. Is that to much boost to run on a standard VR4?

You can't "buy an fcd for a vr4. You need to chip the ecu to do that (and you need a chippable (facelift or A spec) ecu to do that).

Once the car is chipped, you can run up to 15 psi without needing a bleed valve.

If you are not doing anything on Easter Friday, shoot me a pm.

Rob.

Just remembered to theres an orange light on the dash thats always lit it looks like its for the 4ws or 4wd does anyone what i'm talking ??

Low brake fluid is the usual cause. If that's not the problem then there are other things to look at. Does the ABS work?

 

[Turbo nutter]

Was on my way home this arvo when the temp gauge started going up, Got upto 3 quarters and I pulled up. Checked it out and the thermo fan wouldn't come on so left it about 10 minutes from home to cool.

Just went and drove it home and it was fine! The temp sat low and the fan was working any ideas??

Loose wiring?

 

[MDK87]

Check the relay.
Or better yet just swap it and see if it happens again.

 

[brisvr4]

4ws light is for he power steering fluid.
Please don't let the gauge get all the way up there again, 3/4 on the stock gauge is BLOODY HOT!!