Running lean VR
G'day peoples, I put a K&N filter in my VR and it seems to run lean!
can I please have some help thanks, Jase.
QuickVR95II 2010 Survivor
5 Miles 2 Go Champion!
really? short answer, take it off...
Long answer: you havent taken the bellmouth out have you? Regardless of what people say about power, if you take it out it messes with the mixtures and makes it run lean on two cylinders.
The hall of fame:
Originally Posted by lindsay.VS.Wagon.
ಠ_ಠ
If the oxygen sensor is working properly then it wont run lean,the ECU will compensate and adjust the mixture to within specs.Unless theres a vacuum leak etc.
Last edited by Brett_jjj; 10-01-2010 at 11:15 AM.
Donating Member
Why do you think it is running lean? Also if you over-oil the K&N they will cause all sorts of problems.
There is not one ounce of soot or smoke on the tail pipe, so I think it must be running lean
the reply was for you Hako
Check the spark plug colour ,if they look white,the engine is running lean.
Donating Member
As Brett says, check the plugs - the tailpipe colour is no real indication. Are you having any other problems like hard starting, missing, hesitating or bad fuel consumption? Also check the MAF - if the K@N filter has been over-oiled the oil affects the MAF and gives the ECU bad info.
Final question - did you alter or move the airbox temperature sensor or has the wiring been damaged?
I've had a buick V6 in a VN and an Ecotec in a VY and they both have off white/greyish spark plug insulators so I think that is normal. The exhausts are also clean on these cars meaning they are not burning excess fuel ie running rich as that is the idea of fuel injection with positive feedback ie an oxygen sensor to maintain proper mixture. If the plugs are sooty then that could be an oil ring faulty. If there are no fault codes for the oxygen sensor it is probably OK however you can have it checked for response time ie how quickly it reacts to changing O2 levels in the exhaust or you could take it out to see if it is contaminated in any way for example a coolant leak into the inlet manifold may leave a residue on the sensor, my VN had a green crusty deposit on the sensor however it was giving a fault code once in a while or you could just replace it, a Delco one from Holden is about $50. If you remove the old one and put it back don't use any thread sealant as they will contaminate the sensor and stuff it and be careful not to crack it, mine came out easier when the exhaust was hot. What you also have to remember is on a Buick V6 there is only 1 O2 sensor so if one cylinder is burning oil then the rest would probably run lean.
Last edited by wortus; 12-01-2010 at 12:29 PM.
VR's are a Buick V6? The Ecotech came out in the VS so a VR won't have a MAF behind the air cleaner or a temp sensor? Ditch the K&N there a waste of money you can change the paper type every 10,000km if you want to, there cheap as.
Donating Member
the vr has a map
Edit: wasnt concentrating giving the wrong info, yes the VR V6 didnt run a MAF, last of the 6's with map
Last edited by ephect; 12-01-2010 at 03:11 PM.
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MAF (manifold air flow) sensor and they go behind the air cleaner box, they basically contain a wire and the resistance changes depending on air flow. Just looked up a picutre of a VR Buick motor and it doesn't have one, it had a MAP (manifold absolute presure) sensor attached to the rear firewall up near the throttle body the same as in a VN/VP which is also how the V8's determined air density including in most VS Commodores until the VT came out (there were some VS series 3 in ute and statseman as I understand). Take a look art this picture.
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/1796/imag0250tu0.jpg
Last edited by wortus; 12-01-2010 at 10:02 AM.
If the plugs are white then its running lean.Simple.I service lots of cars (commodore and others)and the plugs should come out light brown to a darker brown.Not white--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VR's are a Buick V6? The Ecotech came out in the VS so a VR won't have a MAF behind the air cleaner or a temp sensor? Ditch the K&N there a waste of money you can change the paper type every 10,000km if you want to, there cheap as.
Last edited by Brett_jjj; 12-01-2010 at 11:45 AM.
By white I meant off white/grey. Fuel injected engines generally don't go darker. Refer to this web link
How To Read Spark Plug Color
I've been servicing my own cars for about 25 years and know what I am talking about. The last 2 were fuel injected, carby cars the plugs were brown to blackish, fuel injected a greyish colour. One cylinder on my VN V6 was starting to get a bit of black on the plug insulator but it was a high milage engine, the ones I just took out of my Ecotech are a white/grey colour and I consider this to be normal. It has no vacuum leaks and the O2 sensors are not faulty so by your own previous post it must be correct.
Thanks heaps guy's, I will pull out the sparkies and have a gander. The car runs goodall the time accept a few weeks ago it stalled in traffic, in the heat. i pushed it off the road, left it for a minute and it started! go figure!!!
Mate, crank angle sensor failure is gonna be a big chance.Id be getting another one from somewhere and swap them over to see how it goes.If it turns out to be ok with the different one in it,then buy a new one and fit it.Try to get a genuine one.I have seen aftermarket ones fail from new.
You can pour cold water on the crank angle sensor and if it starts right away it is a good indication that it is stuffed. Get a genuine one there better and not too expensive. I had one go on my VN series 1 and had it replaced at a local mechanics as the harmonic balancer is not easy to get off without a rattle gun. I am not sure but I think the harmonic balancer goes on slightly different in a VR and you may be able to do it yourself without a rattle gun.
I thought the angle sensor would just stop, when it is stuffed. you saying it comes and goes?
Donating Member
yeap comes and goes with heat, when it heats up enough, it will stop working. pooring cold water cools it down and can get you out of strife, to get you home
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on holiday
my crank angle sensor never died at all but cause high TPS backfiring through the inlet and rough idle due to the ecu seeing rpm variations of upto 1000rpm replaced cas all good now so yeah they dont just die never got any error codes either
I tune the oldschool way fear on the passengers face and knuckle colour cant go wrong
tabbacco is still my favorite vegetable
Donating Member
Read this Post10.
VS Wagon Engine Just Cuts Out
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm" Sir Winston Churchill.
My VS II Berlina Wagon
MY12 II SV6 Sportwagon
I just had a read Pete, cheers mate...... I had a look and on the VR you have to take off the harmonic balancer!! to replace the CAS!!!!! Is that easy? ZDoes it have to go on exactly the same way it comes off?
Donating Member
Bastard of a job I beleave. I didn`t do mine.
My car cut out at 60kph I was lucky I got it started on the run put the sh*** up me.
After that it was cutting out often no codes.
Good luck with it mate.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm" Sir Winston Churchill.
My VS II Berlina Wagon
MY12 II SV6 Sportwagon
Donating Member
Get it done ASAP.
60kph was not fun lol.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm" Sir Winston Churchill.
My VS II Berlina Wagon
MY12 II SV6 Sportwagon
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