Ugh, need some help guys!

[Solace87]

Ok, so I am passing the echo to my girlfriend and purchasing a z3 or z4.
Her dad said he wanted to have his friend inspect it.

After a year of TLC and some mods the car runs great. cant even feel the engine at idle! (uncommon in these cars I hear)

Well he takes it to the guy and she brings it back. We drive about 20 miles and all of a sudden its bucking at idle, missing and low RPM, all that good stuff.

So I pull over and look under the hood.
The hose going into the side of the airbox is now closed in the airbox and completely crimped. He obviously checked the airfilter and then closed the hose on it.

I pull spark plugs and cylinder one plug is covered in brown sludge. Just dripping.

Could that hose being crimped cause anything like that? also the name of that hose is escaping me, anyone know it so I can do some googling?


The thing that scares me is there was absolutely no progression to it. It went from running like a top to that in seconds.
I pulled the plugs and replaced them with some good used ones I had lying around. Its at least got to get me to work tomorrow haha

If it is a headgasket all I can say guys is the whole engine is being torn down and expect a small turbo build . I have some 9bs lying around. Would be perfect for this car. Nothing severe but to make it a little more fun

[soloecho2]

It most likely pulled in oil through the PCV line. After you changed the plugs is it running OK ??

[Solace87]

Originally Posted by soloecho2

It most likely pulled in oil through the PCV line. After you changed the plugs is it running OK ??

Hmmm I have heard of that before.
It ran an idled fine. I had to come in and go to bed though, four hours sleep last night and tonight haha.

Hopefully I make it to work :p

I have many spare plugs just in case haha. It didnt overheat on the way home so I think I will make it. Hopefully my little red light isnt just out like my high beam indicator

[jmk1977]

sounds like the guy my girlfriend took her car to get inspected with.

maybe he poured some bearing grease in your cylinders to give him some work?

people are assholes never put anything past them bro.

[Solace87]

Originally Posted by jmk1977

sounds like the guy my girlfriend took her car to get inspected with.

maybe he poured some bearing grease in your cylinders to give him some work?

people are assholes never put anything past them bro.

Could be on purpose, wouldnt be too surprised. After the sludge burned off (im sure my Cat appreciates that) it ran great again.

[jmk1977]

I would go visit that person and give him a piece of my mind.

I plan on calling the guy that fe'd up my g\f's car this afternoon.

You can clean the cat by removing it 'if possible' and cleaning it up with acetone or gasoline.

[jambo101]

If you are giving the car to your girlfriend why is it any business of her father?. i would have said the car is running fine take it or leave it,

[Solace87]

Originally Posted by jambo101

If you are giving the car to your girlfriend why is it any business of her father?. i would have said the car is running fine take it or leave it,

Hes just protective like that is all. He pretends he knows about cars :p

Originally Posted by jmk1977

I would go visit that person and give him a piece of my mind.

I plan on calling the guy that fe'd up my g\f's car this afternoon.

You can clean the cat by removing it 'if possible' and cleaning it up with acetone or gasoline.

Normally I would however this guy is one of her fathers best friends and in the past he has...

1 Done an oil change on her moms camry and forgot to fill it with oil again. She drove it home like that

2 Charged her sister 400 to replace the downpipe on a 96 camry. If he cared he would have welded in a new flex section, not paid for an OEM part

3 Talked her father into doing a FULL trans rebuild on my girlfriends old accord because it had a minute hesitation in one gear. The kind of hesitation I have seen go on for 50k with no problems.

And now this.

It was an honest mistake but whatever. I cleaned out everything and its running fine.

[toyotaman7166]

Im just curious but would oil on cylinder 1's plug indicate a leaking head gasket? Also, isn't a head gasket relatively easy to replace? (just unbolt and remove the head and replace the gasket ...simple) Unfortunately my car has developed a hesitation. When I change gears, as soon as I shift into second it has hardly any power at all and it takes a sec or two and when the rpm's get a little higher it'll suddenly gain power like a switch had been flipped. It does that in all the gears. Its annoying but still very drivable. I just seems like the surge of power only comes after the rpm's have raised past a certain point. Cant detail the exact measure of rpm cuz as you all know the echo doesn't have a guage for that! I've considered it might be something to do with the vvti. maybe the fuel filter? who knows. but I would like some thought on the possibiliy of a leaking head gasket. anyone care to add some insight?