Exhaust is making a mess of parking garage at work! Rich/Lean or Sick?

[InFiD3ViL]

I park in a garage at my job and noticed lately that my car is making a total mess on the walls. When I start it, the exhaust blasts the walls with moisture enough that it starts dripping down the wall behind me. It is covering them in a very sooty black mess.

I have checked it when wet and when dry and it is NOT oil, it just seems like exhaust soot. But I am concerned that this is a bit excessive. A co-worker watched as I started it yesterday and said it looked like my car sneezed on the wall.

Car seems to be running great but I have noticed lately the exhaust smell has gotten so strong it will make your eyes water. A work buddy rode his motorcycle behind me when leaving the other day, and said that my exhaust was getting trapped in his helmet and he said he felt like he was going to pass out.

Just wondering if this is indicative of any problems or running rich/lean? I do not have a catch can installed. On my day off I am going to pull the plugs and see how they are looking. I also have an SCT X4 and can run a data log or monitor SFT/LFTs, have LiveLink installed.


This is my normal parking spot, so I am there 5 days a week in the same spot. But this just started recently:









And this is a spot I parked in one single time...

[rebelyell22]

Excess fuel.

[InFiD3ViL]

Originally Posted by rebelyell22

Excess fuel.

That's what I was thinking. When it gets started it literally sprays out the pipes.

I asked my buddy at work to stand behind the car and hold a lighter! He declined...

[CamaroFred]

How long has it been since you changed the plugs?

[L99CAMA2011]

Dirty oil, rich on fuel. Spray some Purple Power on that wall and flush with water you'll be all set.

[InFiD3ViL]

Originally Posted by CamaroFred

How long has it been since you changed the plugs?

Brand new Delco OEM plugs when I did my long tubes in December. Oil is changed every 5K religiously using Mobil 1 5W30 EP. Current oil has 900 miles on it, just 2 weeks ago.

I put a lot of miles on as this is my DD and work is a 110 mile round trip. So the plugs probably have around 15-20K on them. Replaced the wires at the same time.

Also, every oil change I clean my MAF. But we had a seriously crazy amount of oak pollen a few weeks back. I mean it was everywhere. Car was coated in yellow every morning. Recently cleaned the air filter and it had a lot of pollen in it. I will pull out my MAF later to see how it looks.

Originally Posted by L99CAMA2011

Dirty oil, rich on fuel. Spray some Purple Power on that wall and flush with water you'll be all set.

Lol, I could care less about that wall. Unless of course Facility Maintenance comes looking for me. But as you can see, we have a ton of cars that leak oil parking there as well.

Honestly, this could be normal for all I know for tuned cat-less cars. Most of us don't park with their ass against a wall, so maybe I am just overreacting?

[cregship]

I say if your car is running well its okay to Char that wall LOL

[DaddySS]

If the exhaust is making eyes water I'd say you're running rich. I don't see a cam in your mods although no cats doesn't help. I'd log it and send it to Dynosteve who did your tune and see what he says.

[Russell James]

You need to data log and have the tuner fine tune it.

You didn't put a 160 stat in it did you? Remove if so. You want the engine to get to closed loop quick so the O2s can start adjusting the AFR soon after start.
Too cool an engine can stay in open loop a long time, overfueling, building carbon...

Do your mufflers have drain holes in the lowest point? If not, add. That water needs to drain out. I bet yours have water sloshing around. I have a friend with flow masters that spit tons of black water on cold starts. I would guess no holes.

[InFiD3ViL]

Originally Posted by DaddySS

If the exhaust is making eyes water I'd say you're running rich. I don't see a cam in your mods although no cats doesn't help. I'd log it and send it to Dynosteve who did your tune and see what he says.

Yea man, its definitely stanky. Not just normal stanky, but will actually make you dizzy very fast when behind the car kinda stanky. I do notice a difference from how strong it smells compared to normal.

I'm going to PM DynoSteve tomorrow and see if he will take a look at a Datalog for me.

Question for the experts here...If I have possible issues with the front O2 sensors will they always throw a code? Or am I barking up the wrong tree here?

I noticed something about half an hour ago. I filled my tank up (never overfilled) with Shell 93. I use the same station and fuel grade all the time. On the way back home, the car was breaking up a little bit on a moderate pull. It seemed to go back to normal right away, but I have never noticed it doing that before. I don't have an idle miss or anything like that. Just feels more fuel related than spark.

[SlingShot]

In the past, I've worked several places that wouldn't allow cars to back in just for this reason.

[InFiD3ViL]

Originally Posted by Russell James

You need to data log and have the tuner fine tune it.

You didn't put a 160 stat in it did you? Remove if so. You want the engine to get to closed loop quick so the O2s can start adjusting the AFR soon after start.
Too cool an engine can stay in open loop a long time, overfueling, building carbon...

Do your mufflers have drain holes in the lowest point? If not, add. That water needs to drain out. I bet yours have water sloshing around. I have a friend with flow masters that spit tons of black water on cold starts. I would guess no holes.

No, still running the OEM stat.

I doubt that the mufflers have drains in them. My tips don't even have drain holes. I would do it myself if I knew it would be safe. A little drain hole in each muffler really shouldn't affect the sound right?

[Moto-Mojo]

My car is bone stock save for a CAI. It's rich as hell on start up. I HAVE to open the garage door lest I become asphyxiated. Oil's been changed 4 times in 5600 miles. Drips black condensation on the floor... I proclaim it a normal Camaro.

[1Coopgt]

It's just marking its territory.