I noticed my cars emissions were different than other cars' today. It was night, cold (about 50 degrees). I was sitting at a stop light idling and my smoke looked like stean, greyish-white and somewhat abundant. The thing that makes me wonder is that I looked at other cars and I couldn't even see anything coming from the exhaust... I just put a new cat on about 2 weeks ago. Im also getting some cels, which hopefully I will get fixed this weekend. Is this abnormal?

The car is a 93 eg with a gsr swap. Thanx

 

my gsr smokes really bad too. jump the cables under the dash and findout what the cel's are. when the light is on the car kind of goes into protection mode and dumps more fuel

 

Huh?
There is no way you could have known that the other cars emissions were different, unless you have some kind of gas-analyzer built into your eyes there Mr. Cyclops LOL...

No seriously, it's because of the outside temperature and the humidity that some cars' emissions may "look" different. Indeed they are different, in the amounts of NOx and CO and CO2 being emitted, but it is because the car may have just been started and the exhaust system is still very cold. This will cause condensation to occur, making it look as if it is polluting more than other cars with hot exhaust systems.

It is totally normal, so no worry. Unless of course you have CEL's which are a totally different story. Could be a number of things, post your codes and we can help from there.

 

The other cars looked like there was nothing coming from their exhaust. My car emitted greyish smoke, looks like abundant steam. Thats how I noticed. My cels are a code 6 (engine coolant temp. sensor), has been on since I did the gsr swap. I tried everything to fix it, but ill be taking it to the shop this weekend. Could this cause such emissions? (Im gonna check again today, its warm outside, so maybe thats the thing). Im just worried because I dont want to be burning oil or something like that.

 

With a coolant temperature fault, the computer will default to a set constant instead of actual temperature- usually 180*F. When warm, it shouldn't impact much.

Has it rained in your area lately? A muffler that is full of water will blow steam until it all boils off... if you have a normal baffled muffler, that is.

Did you tune up the engine before installing it? The smoke doesn't have that tell-tale sweet smell, does it?

 

I haven't checked what it smells like. The muffler is stock, with 2.5 inch piping and a new cat. Also there is water dripping out of the exhaust. But yea, it probably is the ect sensor.

 

when I did my GSR swap, my ECT switch was bad too...here's the thing, is your electric fan on your radiator come on as soon as you turn the car on, if your fan isn't turning on as soon as you start the car, it can't be ECT?

I know not everyone is as stupid as me but, i mixed up the Power streering switch and the ECT switch...threw code 6. worth a shot to check...

 

Whaaat, that might be it. I didn't quite understand that but my radiator fan is not coming on as soon as I turn the car on. However it does come on after a few minutes of idling, after the temp reaches the normal operating lvl. And the emissions are not visible anymore. I guess it was because of the cold, but now i've driven the car 200 miles, and its normal. Thanx