You are here:

Automotive/Montero Sport 97......Smoking out tail pipe

Advertisement

Expert: - 7/31/2007


Question
Yes my Mitishbushi 97 Montero Sport  smokes when I sit an idle at stop lights at the house.  I checked and there is water or condensation that drips from the tail pipe at times.  What can be the problem...My Car has over 100,000 miles on it.  I want to get it fix so also what do I tell my Mechanic what I need done?  Please help me out.  Also when I give my car gas it stutters alot.  Almost every time I give it gas it kind of stutters.  But always when I take off.  Please help me...Thanks..Maurice

Answer
A bit more detail would help ... example: what colour is the smoke, and is it excessive (one presumes that it is if it is noticeable and you are writing about it!)  Also, does the car need frequent topping up of oil or water?  Usually, one should not have to add either between oil changes and coolant flushes.  How is the fuel usage?

Do note that it is not unusual for an exhaust to pass some water vapour; this is one of the byproducts of combustion.  This is only in a small amount, and typically is only noticeable on a cool or humid day, conditions that cause the vapour to condense and become visible.

This would be much more significant and also whitish if the source of water was your cooling system, due usually to a head gasket leak.

If your car was a carbureted "golden oldie" as two of my favourites are, I would have you check your accelerator pump setup; the hallmark of a mis-set accelerator pump is bogging, hesitation, stuttering on acceleration, especially from a standing start.  Being a late-model (to me, at least) ECU-equipped vehicle however, I would say that you might as well check in with a reliable facility that can poll the PC for any code reports.

Oh yeah ... when was the last time you checked and changed your spark plugs?  In the days of points-cap-condenser, we checked these at least annually as a matter of course, and nearly always had to regap them.  In the modern era of microcontroller control, it is easy for one who does not make a living at this sort of thing to forget about them!  If you have never thought about these, I am sure that new plugs would make a world of difference, aside from any other issues that need attention.

Good luck ... EGK

Automotive

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Ernest (Ernie) Kenward

Expertise

The challenges I most enjoy are thoughtful technical questions of a trouble-shooting nature in both electrical, power electronic and mechanical systems, mainly automotive but also machine control and small-machine PLC applications. Please note, however, that I am NOT a walking shop manual! I DO, however, make it a point to have those manuals and other service literature for those vehicles I DO own, and highly recommend that anyone serious about maintenance or modification of their vehicles do the same; MOST of your answers WILL be found there. For that matter, I do NOT go out of my way to acquire shop manuals for any vehicle I do NOT own! That being the case, any general query to me along the lines of "What is the meaning of this code read from the ECU of my 2015 XYZ?" or "Where is the fuse for the windshield washer pump found?" (try your car's electrical distribution panel for a start!) will not go far. What I do offer is a pretty good collection of literature, insights and hands-on experience with 1950s to 1980's Ford products (plus a developing database of information and practice with the Mercedes diesel cars), along with an engineering perspective and the ability to design and implement custom control, electrical and mechanical subsystems for vehicles. For that reason, I am happy to make my thoughts and efforts available to those who are of like mind and/or are seriously making a point of learning about their vehicles. Use the Opportunity to Learn!

Experience

A key skill in my work and hobby pursuits both is STRATEGIC TROUBLESHOOTING. I am a senior instructor in Electrical Engineering Technology at a leading Canadian polytechnic, my areas being Electrical Power and Industrial Control, electrical and electronics design and manufacturing, and AutoCAD and related CAD/CAE software - plus equipment problem-solving and new equipment design and prototyping. Hobby-wise, I have 30-plus years of experience in auto restoration, mostly in electrical and mechanical systems. Ongoing projects include a 1959 Edsel Corsair, my 1978 Ford E250 class-B motorhome conversion, and the care and upkeep of my Mercedes 300CD. My vehicles become engineering test beds for electrical and mechanical upgrades as ideas present themselves. This includes the design and production of circuit boards to restore or enhance features for which no OEM replacement parts are obtainable, or where better specifications or reliability can be had via newer concepts. Regarding the E250 RV conversion, I designed and continue to revise a custom power distribution system, managed by a Programmable Controller (PLC); this has made most revisions as easy as uploading new firmware as I develop it. The "mini" PLC is a powerful device for custom automotive control systems. One good example (there are many) would be the Moeller "Easy Relay"; these offer a wealth of control, monitoring and variable-and-status display options for such projects. A good example project which has worked well is that one for my RV noted above, which has been on the job - revised in firmware only - for a decade now. It is a load management and charging control system to avoid the sulfation-induced early failure that often befalls deep-cycle batteries used in RV power applications. The battery installed in 2003 lasted long enough to more tnan pay for the PLC that contributed to its longer life ... and the PLC will be there for the next battery as well!

Organizations
IEEE - senior member ... past WCC Student Activities; SME - senior member ... past chair, greater Vancouver chapter chair 318; Edsel Owners' Club - have served in various capacities on chapter executive during seventies; have been Power and Driveline resource on the Edsel Owners' Club "E-team" for more than a decade.

Education/Credentials
Graduate of UBC

Awards and Honors
Certificates of appreciation from IEEE and SME for work in student and chapter activities

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.