Engine Problems

[knicki]

while driving the other day my 92 ls 400 just started surging all of a sudden, but it wasnt consistent and now its getting more frequent , and when i start it up , it blows smoke out the back that smells like plastic burning ,at first i thought i purchased some bad gasoline, but now i dont know ? please help...

[VMF]

is your check engine light on?

nothing in the engine smells like plastic burning, so it might be a plastic bag stuck to your exaust system and melting, happend to me few times.

it sure sounds like misfire and there could be bunch of reasons for this, coils, rotors, rotor caps, cables and other electronic components of your car.

does it happen right form the start or after the engine is worm? do you feel loss of power when you drive?

[knicki]

is your check engine light on?

nothing in the engine smells like plastic burning, so it might be a plastic bag stuck to your exaust system and melting, happend to me few times.

it sure sounds like misfire and there could be bunch of reasons for this, coils, rotors, rotor caps, cables and other electronic components of your car.

does it happen right form the start or after the engine is worm? do you feel loss of power when you drive?

my engine light is not on but it does smell kinda like burning plastic, and white smoke comes out the tail pipes when started. and the hesitation starts from the get go ..we have already had the oxygen sensor replaced last year to get it smoged but this whole problem just started out of the blue..

[VMF]

the white smoke comes at any time or just first 30 mins after you start the engine? white smoke might be normal (exhaust condensed water evaporating) or not normal ( coolant leaking into cylinders). depending how long and when you see the white smoke you might be able to find out if its the leak or not, also check the coolant level on a regular basis

[R.Holmes]

the white smoke comes at any time or just first 30 mins after you start the engine? white smoke might be normal (exhaust condensed water evaporating) or not normal ( coolant leaking into cylinders). depending how long and when you see the white smoke you might be able to find out if its the leak or not, also check the coolant level on a regular basis

check the EGR Vacuum Modulator. disconnect the vacuum hose and see if it gets worse or better. also the vsv switch for the acis. I changed these to fix my surging problem on my '98 ES300.

[knicki]

the white smoke comes at any time or just first 30 mins after you start the engine? white smoke might be normal (exhaust condensed water evaporating) or not normal ( coolant leaking into cylinders). depending how long and when you see the white smoke you might be able to find out if its the leak or not, also check the coolant level on a regular basis

its just when you start the car up but its thick smoke and smells like plastic burning and its a white color and dosent disapate into the air it lingers .. but it is only when i start the car

[VBdenny]

The two problems (smoke and surge) may be related but might not be. The white smoke you see is most likely power steering fluid getting sucked in. It does give a funky smell but I wouldn't describe it as plastic. I have had plastic bags get stuck to the exhaust and smell before so that issue might be a fluke. As to the surge, something like that is often caused by a vacuum leak. The most likely place I would look considering the twin problems, is the hoses connected to the power steering pump. When the hoses get old they get as hard as a rock and can often leak.

[lovelylexus400]

check your power steering fluid..last year..I had to replaced the "air valve control" because it went bad and suck in the power steering fluid..the car has a little vibrate during idle..

The two problems (smoke and surge) may be related but might not be. The white smoke you see is most likely power steering fluid getting sucked in. It does give a funky smell but I wouldn't describe it as plastic. I have had plastic bags get stuck to the exhaust and smell before so that issue might be a fluke. As to the surge, something like that is often caused by a vacuum leak. The most likely place I would look considering the twin problems, is the hoses connected to the power steering pump. When the hoses get old they get as hard as a rock and can often leak.

[knicki]

check your power steering fluid..last year..I had to replaced the "air valve control" because it went bad and suck in the power steering fluid..the car has a little vibrate during idle..

The two problems (smoke and surge) may be related but might not be. The white smoke you see is most likely power steering fluid getting sucked in. It does give a funky smell but I wouldn't describe it as plastic. I have had plastic bags get stuck to the exhaust and smell before so that issue might be a fluke. As to the surge, something like that is often caused by a vacuum leak. The most likely place I would look considering the twin problems, is the hoses connected to the power steering pump. When the hoses get old they get as hard as a rock and can often leak.

oh my god , my power steering pump is constantly leaking and I have to put fluid into it every other day, so this might be the root of all my evils.. THANK YOU i'll check this right away ...