# R32 GTR - Sudden loss of power followed by misfiring and black smoke



## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

So after driving the car 800 miles across Europe this weekend it has desided that commuting is for gays and about 2 miles from home started misfiring badly when ever the accelerator was depressed and throwing black smoke. This was very sudden. One second it was fine the next I had to nurse it into a layby.

When trying to start the car it is turning over without any issues but clearly is not firing. Oil and water levels looked ok, there were no puddles of anything under the car and before stalling finally oil pressure was at 4 bar since the car had not yet warmed up fully.

So it is clearly something to do with the ignition. I replaced the coilpack loom late last week to help solve a misfire problem so without taking a look my guess is one of the plugs has come off since they didn't seem to clip into place properly and driving across europe over the weekend ment going over some pretty crap roads that might have knocked a plug loose.

Other than plugs and coilpacks does anyone else have ideas on what to check?

Cheers


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## Bajie (Dec 13, 2001)

Check the pipework to the intercooler.
One of them may have popped off.


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## andyR43 (Jun 13, 2010)

My guess would be one of the boost pipes split/popped off rather than ignition related.


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

Thanks guys. That would stop it starting completely?


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## MIKEGTR (Jul 8, 2005)

No but sooted up plugs would


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## infamous_t (Jul 9, 2007)

Carfiend said:


> Thanks guys. That would stop it starting completely?


It should start, then die almost straight away

+1 for a decent sized leak on the cold side


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

Wasn't firing at all so I can only assume I need to get the plugs out and clean them before trying again.

Arse.


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

Hmm I am thinking at this point I will need to get it towed since even if I get the leak fixed the plugs will still need to come out and be cleaned/replaced.


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## R32 Combat (Jan 29, 2004)

Unplug the AFMs and try and start the engine. If it runs, but is limited to 2500 rpm, you have a major air leak. If it doesn't run, you have another issue. 

It does sound like an air intake pipe.


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## gts-tom (Jun 14, 2010)

Does it do it even after you have turned it off and let it cool down


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

No idea as I got a lift to work from my house mate. It wasn't really warmed up when it started.

Will be getting picked up shortly to take a look.


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

Right so took the afm plugs off and struggled it home. Of course it can't just see if the cold pipe has fallen off so now after dinner it is time to ill about on the drive in the dark like a total mug.


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## Hugh Keir (Jul 25, 2001)

Absolute certainty that you have blown a pipe off the run from the Turbo through to the Inlet manifold.

The reason for the black smoke is that the AFM is signalling to the ECU that the engine is consuming air that needs the requisit volume of fuel.

Trouble is that much of the air is being lost to atmosphere, not being consumed by the engine.


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

Well you were all right, cold side pipe has been blown straight off the intercooler. Will need to get the bumper off at the weekend to sort it.


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## andyR43 (Jun 13, 2010)

Carfiend said:


> Well you were all right, cold side pipe has been blown straight off the intercooler. Will need to get the bumper off at the weekend to sort it.


At least that's good news in an inexpensive fix kind of way. :thumbsup:


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

Have to see if it is split first and get some better clips to hold it on. This never happened on the GTT in 3 years of owning it but I can only assume it is due to the harder suspension and it being a bit lower.


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## Hugh Keir (Jul 25, 2001)

Best way to hold the pipe on is to clean the rubber and the metal with a good de-greaser, then once dry, spray both sealing faces with hair-spray and clamp up.

You can also do the same with Fairy liquid, but it takes much longer to harden off and is not as good as the hairspray hold !!!!!!


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

I was going to ask if there was a way to reduce the chance of this happening again. Will have to de-man and buy some hair spray. While I have the bumper off is it worth doing both sides?


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

Right well had the bumper off and there were exactly 0 splits and 0 pipes not connected. So I removed all the clips and reseated them. Prior to me doing this the car was running fine with the AFMs plugged back in so this leads me believe that this was not a air leak.

However since the symptoms point to their being more fuel than was needed and after stalling the car would not start this now worries me that something far worse is hiding.

The soft pipe I thought had come off was just a padded rubber surround for the pipe, the cold pipe itself was fine and I have been doing some driving this morning crusing along like I was when it happened as well as some standing starts... on a private road of course as well as some twisty driving after the raid had stopped.

Main problem is this is my daily driver and at the moment I am not confident that it will get me to work every day. So car over fueled like there was an air leak in the morning and did not start again in the evening. After taking the AFM connectors off and driving it 2 miles home and letting it sit for 4 days it now runs fine. 

Any ideas?


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## Hugh Keir (Jul 25, 2001)

When this happens, the pipe can move back so that it looks like it has not moved, but the rubber will be hard against the end of the metal pipe, rather than over the pipe.

There is no doubt about what happened, I described the symptoms and why you get the balck smoke, there is no other circumstance that I can think of that would create this.

You need to remove all the rubber pipes between the turbo outlet and the inlet plenum and reseal them, not just the intercooler pipes.


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## Carfiend (Aug 13, 2009)

I resealed all those I could get to using the hairspray trick and pushed them further onto the intercooler and hard pipes (the cold side was about 1 inch from the stop on the intercooler).

Thanks for your help, puts my fears to rest. I have the car booked in for a general service and once over and will do the rest of the pipes then as it will be easier on a ramp.


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## Hugh Keir (Jul 25, 2001)

If you still have a twin turbo set-up, the flexible pipes leaving the turbos can be hard to reach which makes them suspect as well, stick with it and you will find the problem.

Its a pain, but you are not the first to experience this problem


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