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Sweet smelling exhaust and bad gas mileage

Hey everyone,

I'm curious, I've been noticing that when I start my truck the exhaust smells really sweet.. I've always wonderd why I never seem to get very good gas mileage (11.5 average half in town half highway). I've already had to replace the cats once and don't need to do it again.. what could be causing this?

Also sometimes on start it turns over and acts like it fires but isn't enough to start the engine and it kinda sputters and dies.. and you have to do it again.

I've always thought I need to replace the ignition coil and ICM but have never done it.. always thought that that may be the problem.. but now I'm even more worried it's a the fuel pump, regulator or injectors.. I have not pulled any plugs to see if they are nasty.. but plugs, wires, cap, rotor are all less then a year old..

I'm using the Champion (i think?) platitium plugs and I had a friend of mine told me he couldn't use them in his motor for some reason, it just ran like crap and he got bad mileage.. Am I maybe not running a hot enough spark to burn all the fuel?? I've put a new wix fuel filter on recently (last 6mons) so that should be good..

I'd like to know what I should start looking at..

Adair

Reply to
Adair Winter
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You are burning coolant either because of a bad head gasket or a crack in the block somewhere

Reply to
RS

Yes, you're burning coolant from somewhere.

| SHHH! don't say that! grr.. ok | | Well I haven't noticed the coolent level drop and i haven't touched it for | like almost a year.. | wait i take that back, will water and coolent evaperate from the overflow | resivore? | Otherwise I pulled the cap the other day and coolent level was fine, and the | resivore has been empty for months.. | | Adair | |

Reply to
Luke

Ok, Is there a way to find out for sure?

Adair

Reply to
Adair Winter

Adair,

If yer' resevior is empty (had been empty for MONTHS? What the hell were you thinking?), you have air in the system. ALWAYS keep the resevior filled to the cold line when cold. I hate to break it to you, but you killed your truck. You ran it low on coolant for too long (resevoir EMPTY) and this neglect caused some failure.

DO NOT DRIVE IT. If yer' burning coolant (which you ARE, coolant doesn't evaporate) and it's a head gasket, it's just a matter of time till she blows all the way and then it's bye-bye bottom end as well. Get it fixed ASAP. Cylinder leakdown test will identify the problem cylinder (s).

Doc

Reply to
"Doc"

well then.. guess I'm screwed in the butt..

Adair

Reply to
Adair Winter

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