Booreatta Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 I was driving down the road at 40 mph and I smelled something coming out of the AC duct. Smelled sorta of sweet. Car continued to run well. It is a hot day around 111 in the shade. Got home and everything was ok except the smell. Went out to put the car away and no start the first time. Waited a few min and it started and died. Tried to start a 3rd time and it was fine and now runs fine. Started the car a few hours later and everything seems normal. No codes. Any Ideas ? It is a 90 vert. All fluid levels seem normalThanks Chuck Kerls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Sweet like antifreeze ? How is the coolant level ? Sounds like it got hot. No start meaning no crank or no fire ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booreatta Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 yes sorta like antifreeze but the levels are in good shape, didnt have to add anything and the smell was not under the hood. The no start was a sputter and die right away. The second was a start and lope like it was loaded up the third start cleared the fuel load.Sorry should have been more clearChuck Kerlsbooreatta@cox.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Sometimes a tiny seep leak in a heater core will small like that. Can smell a drop or two. I have seen a failing ICM act like that, no start after a hot soak hot, sputter cooler, ok when running and air is moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCReatta Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Sometimes a tiny seep leak in a heater core will small like that. Can smell a drop or two. I have seen a failing ICM act like that, no start after a hot soak hot, sputter cooler, ok when running and air is moving.I agree fully here.. My bet's on the heater core. Don't similar symptoms come of a bad CPS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booreatta Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 Thanks guys I will check the heater core this weekend, does not sound like a lot of fun to get to.Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steveskyhawk Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 If that is strictly a "summer car" just bypass the heater core. AC will probably work better too without 200 degree coolant coming in the cabin. FWIW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Chuck, If you do have to change the heater core, would you please post photos and text explaining how you did it so I can add a tutorial to my website explaining the procedure? It would be a lot of help to other Reatta owners that have the same problem in the future. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booreatta Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 If that is strictly a "summer car" just bypass the heater core. AC will probably work better too without 200 degree coolant coming in the cabin. FWIWIt is stricly a summer car and you are correct the heater core just needs to be bypassed. I did a heater core in my Fiero and boy was it a job, Sont want to do one of them again real PIA for sure. Thanks for the suggestionChuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booreatta Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 Chuck, If you do have to change the heater core, would you please post photos and text explaining how you did it so I can add a tutorial to my website explaining the procedure? It would be a lot of help to other Reatta owners that have the same problem in the future. Thanks.Ronnie I think that I will take the suggestion of Steve and just by pass the heater core. The car will never be winter driven and I dont see any reason to need the heater core. I did a heater core in a Fiero a couple of years ago and it was a bear to do. Had to pull the whole dash and I think the Reatta might be the same. They are not easy.Your site keeps getting better and better all the time. ThanksNow if I could get you to join the Reatta division and go to the nationals and help in our tech sessions, it would help those do not go to this site, and there are a lot of them.I appreciate what you do for the AACA siteChuckBooreatta@cox.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booreatta Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Well I have pressure tested the cooling system with the heater on and no leaks. I took it by a mechanic that I have used in the past and he also checked the system and has confirmed no leaks in the car. It got plenty warm today but no issues surfaced. He questioned if the car got so hot that there was a problem fuel delivery system. he said he has seen gas boil in fuel lines causing issues in this heat. Any other Ideas?Thanks Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stan Leslie Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Can't comment on the smell but sitting for 20-40 minutes after running on a hot day will cause the injectors to boil the fuel. The injectors continue to heat up after shut off, peaking at around 20-40 minutes. When starting (or attempting to start) the hot injectiors vaporize the liquid fuel and the engine will run rough or stall until the cooler fuel cools the injectors. Usually will clear in 5-15 seconds, especially if you raise the RPM a bit with your foot. In the old days with carburetors this was called "vapor lock". Not to common on newer fuel injected cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Or even older cars with a return line (my 70 has one). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stan Leslie Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 The return line was usually added to reduce "vapor lock" to an acceptable level. Some carbs had "heat shields" to reduce vapor lock, which was cheaper than adding a return line. Other internal carb changes, such as larger "bleeds and feeds" also helped. If cold weather was not a problem, then blocking off the heat crossover (on V engines) also worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booreatta Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 Thanks Stan if there a test for this. I would bet that is what is going on Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_b_1937 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I would change your fuel and keep driving and see what happens in cooler weather. Your car was designed before 10% ethanol fuel was common so the fuel injector orfice size is possibly smaller than a car produced today. I have been having fuel problems with my 2000 vintage vehicles which were desiged approximatly five to ten years before that so a 90 Reatta was developed during the 1980's, when pure gasoline was common.Our local refinery at Eldorado supplies the whole area with 10% ethanol fuel and all of the stations get the same thing. I believe that some days you end up with a higher than 10% concentration but have not proved it. I have heard that there is pure gasoline available in Belle Plaine but I have not been there to check.Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stan Leslie Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Certainly the 10% ethanol doesn't help. It does lean the open loop slightly but probably the biggest problem is it raises the RVP (Reid Vapor Pressure) of the fuel. Higher RVP fuel evaporates at a lower temperature. Fuel RVP is regulated to a lower level in the summer, but the regulated value is before the ethanol is added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I also wonder if the reduction in mpg is greatest with cars designed for 87 PON. If the ethanol makes the gas burn slower, you would need more advance for peak efficiency. A car designed for premium (NorthStar) would have more advance and could accomodate it better (nut theory #42) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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