CMurph

The car is a 2001 WS6 M6 w/37k miles.

The problem:

Feels like it loses about half it's power but still runs. If I push the clutch in and let the RPM fall back to idle and kick the throttle a couple times it usually gets back to normal, so far this has only happened when the car is warm. This happens once or twice a day depending on how much I drive. It will also just completely die as I'm slowing to a stop, but this happens rarey (ish), about once a week maybe. Also have noticed that on occasion when I start the car it will start briefly, pop (backfire, but not loud), and die. Start again and runs fine; this happens every few days or so.
The check engine light is on, but only throwing a code for an inefficient cat on bank one. I'm going to take it to the dealer to get those replaced (warranty) as I'm not going to change out the y-pipe/headers for awhile.

Any information to help me troubleshoot this problem would be fantastic.

Posted this in GenIII Internal Engine...guess that was the wrong place.

Thanks,
Colin

Did a hard pull on the way home from work (it was running great, or so I thought), looked at the rear view mirror and white/gray smoke was gushing out the exhaust...uh oh.

1Loudz28

iTrader: (47)

white/grey smoke could mean blown head gasket...check your coolant for oil and your oil for coolant.

oh and id stop driving the car til you figure out what it is.

CMurph

Would it only do that (white/gray smoke) under heavy load? It's never done that before and hasn't done it today at all. (happened yesterday)

CMurph

Forgot to mention if I go full WOT there's a lot of popping out of the exhaust (not loud, more like crackling I guess...rich/lean?). I don't go WOT for that reason, I'm trying to troubleshoot and fix as I go. Guess it's time to go buy a new battery for the ZX6R so I can rest the Bird for awhile, lol.

Slow_ChevyTA

Same here but not as bad but my does strugle while i stop and dies on me and pops on start up im getting lots of help here tough and my water its fine no oils on water no nothing but the pops do smell alot like gas, also once i press the gas car runs fine it happeds also 1ce or 2ice a week....

1Loudz28

iTrader: (47)

doh i completely skipped the part where u said the code was being thrown

get it to the dealer asap and have them replace both!

CMurph

*****...called the dealership and they said the warranty is only 6yrs/80,000 miles on the cats.......And let's say I'm NOT willing to pay the price they're asking just to put stockers back in.

What do you guys do with an ORY as in what do you do about the O2's that read for the precats? I have to be able to pass emissions (scan only), but I'd like to eliminate the precats.

ItsNotStock

iTrader: (24)

You have an 2001 F-Body. That year car had a specific recall on the cats due to premature failure. I'm not sure what the bulletin number is-But I had to do it for my car a year and a half after owning it. It would not rev much past 5k, and you could hear popping in my exhaust at idle. This was a slight miss due to a clog in my passenger cat. Find the bulletin and take it back to the stealership.

Shroomun

iTrader: (1)

true duals!

406malibu

good information, they upped it to 100,000 miles and like 8 or 10 years. Definitely sounds like a clogged cat.

CMurph

The issues I'm having could be caused by a clogged cat? Wow, didn't realize that. I'll give the dealership my VIN, maybe they'll see the bulletin then.

Would LOVE to do true duals, lol. But wouldn't that cause an issue with passing emissions? How are the O2's placed in that setup? Hmmmm, what stainless headers to go with.....

It'd be nice not to have any cats, which I'm definitely ok with...I just need to pass the visual inspection (under car) and OBDII scan.

CMurph

Well, I left a message with the service department this morning. Hopefully I'll be hearing from them soon about this. And I'm hoping to hear it's still under warranty...otherwise I'm not going to be able to do anything about it for awhile.

Anyway, question still stands though...how to do true duals while still passing emissions. Hell, I'll have a couple cat shells put over the pipes so it looks like I have cats. But what about the O2s?

CMurph

Thinking about grabbing the TSP 1-7/8" headers with their ORY...that a good setup?

I guess I need to tune the O2's out, but I don't know anyone in Tucson that can do that...?

91RS383

As far as the visual inspection, if you're concerned take the old cats and knock out all the guts and weld the empty cans back on. Put the rear O2s in the pipes after the cats and tie the wires up so they look conected to something.

CMurph

The only thing I'd be worried about is the main cat, but I think I'm just going to put a nice Hi-Flow cat there. At least the car would be somewhat legal then, lol.

I'd just make sure to hide the rear O2's really well. Where I'm at they're pretty lax about the visual, just hold the mirror under the car and barely look.

Now it's just a matter of finding someone in town that can tune out the AIR and rear O2's......

CMurph

Not to over hash this thing...but the issues my car is having could all be caused by a clogged/clogging cat? I'm going to call the dealership again and see if I can get anywhere with them, I'd rather just replace the cats for now and not have to worry about the forced upgrade yet...

firetpi

iTrader: (1)

I just had my passenger cat replaced on my 60k mile 01 ws6.

it is covered under a special extension. po430 etc lol

CMurph

I actually just got back from picking up my car. The dealership did it under the warranty, otherwise wouldn't have done it obviously. Had to fight them the entire way though, had to MAKE the service person look up the dang special bulletin.

We'll see how the car runs now, but I'm highly sceptical that the cat was the cause of the random power loss the car has.

tasilver

iTrader: (2)

Just a suggetion. If the car is still acting up try cleaning the MAF and replacing the O2 sensors if they have never been replaced. I changed all of those plus the fuel filter when when my car was still mostly stock and it made a world of difference. Stupid K&N oil spray will kill the MAF.

CMurph

I'll take a look at replacing the O2 sensors, thanks for the tip.

Already cleaned the MAF 2x in the two months or so...I believe it's ok. And replaced the fuel filter about 2 months ago.

Been thinking about dumping the K&N and put a normal paper filter in because of all the negative posts about the K&N filters.