I pulled into a gas station today and shut down the D1 for about 5 minutes. I started it back up and started to pull into a parking spot and someone got my attention pointing about the time I saw smoke. I managed to get the hood up and hosed it down with a "vinegar and baking soda" type fire extinguisher before it did too much visible damage under the hood.

I've had a valve cover gasket leak since I brought it home... and I'm guessing the oil flashed on the exhaust manifold. It was on the drivers side (LH) and the only real damage that I could was the vacuum line from the brake booster and some slightly melted maf sensor wires.

I got it pushed into a parking spot and broke apart the plastic shielding around the maf sensor wires and got them separated and taped up. The insulation around the wires was mostly intact with copper exposed in only a few areas.

I was able to get some fuel line hose from Autozone and get the booster vacuum line replaced.

After doing all of that I was able to get it started but it wouldn't stay started... I had to keep blipping the throttle and it was clear that something is still wrong. While I was trying to keep it running I could hear a popping noise coming from the engine and I actually saw the air filter "breather box" jump when it popped.

I hooked up an ultra-gauge to it and I could see that the maf was doing nothing... and I was getting nothing from any of my O2 sensors. It came a storm at about 5:00 and it was getting pretty nasty with heavy rain and lightning... so I buttoned everything up (getting soaked in the process) and left it parked at the gas station.

Any help would be appreciated? I'm all ears!

Thanks,

Clay

 

Question... where does the cruise control vacuum line go when it leaves the actuator beside the throttle body? The cruise control actuator vacuum line is missing... would that have anything to do with it?

 

Anyone have anything? I have to work early in the morning... and the D1 is on the way to work... any testing would have to be something quick... The gas station said I could leave it parked for 24 hrs... before it's towed. By the time I get back to it... It will have been 24 hrs... It will cost me about $180 to get it towed to my house. Hoping there is a fuse that affects both the MAF and the O2 Sensors... but I can't find anything in the Rave.

 

Oh... and the coolant temp sensor was within range according to the ultra-gauge

 

Disco Mike

I need you brother!

 

So I picked up a used MAF and the brake servo vacuum tube and popped them on. She started right up. Idling a little rough... I'm guessing plug wires need changed... Other problems is that I think the fire burned a hole in the power steering line? Drove it around the gas station once to see if It was safe for the wife to drive and power steering was whining. Checked and reservoir was empty.

The lessons here are 1. Make sure you clean the oil off your engine every once in a while. 2. Don't put off replacing valve cover gaskets. 3. ALWAYS CARRY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER!!!!

 

I had a fire in my old RRC once and i managed to put it out quickly but meant i had to push it to get started to get me home, after that i always carried an extinguisher.

 

Left it sitting in the driveway planning on cleaning the engine bay until today... It started after a few cranks and pumping on the gas... Ran like crap and popped CEL. Checked and P0340. Shut it down and am now looking for location of CPS...

Edit: Found the wire going to the CPS and gave the connector a wiggle with a long screwdriver. Started it back up and it ran differently but still like crap... While it was running it the CEL came on flashing.... pulled the code 1314 cat damage code on bank 2.... as I was reading the code I looked up and caught the temp gauge going into the red. Shut it down imediately.

Walked away to ponder over the forums and searched the 1314 and didn't find anything that jumped out at me. Decided to check for a vacuum leak with smoke test and pulled the tube from the brake booster. Found no leaks but when I was looking for smoke I found a plug wire touching the valve cover gasket and the area surrounding it (on the wire) was white. Moved it away so it wouldn't touch... checked the temp to make sure it had dropped(yes... I checked coolant lvl and it was fine)... and started it up. It was sounding a lot better but had a high idle... Then I remembered that i hadn't plugged the brake booster line back in. Did so and she idled back down to normal and ran fine. I'm not sure why she got hot and then ran normal that quick unless my thermostat got stuck...and I'm not sure if the spark plug wire was the cause of the rough idle and the 1314... but shes running ok now. I left my ultraguage at the office... so I'll have to check tomorrow if there's anything else going on.