Did Arco Gas Killed My Car!? Misfire Check Engine Etc..

[sidewayzgt]

I already feel like an idiot so please do not rub it in :). I had to put about $15 worth of 91 octane Arco gas in to get home (no other gas stations in the area) and I majorly regret it now! It drove fine for about an hour and then the s### hit the fan! Car started running rough and major loss of power pursued. I started to get a strong sulpher (rotten egg) smell and then a flashing check engine light. The sulpher smell is gone but the check engine light is solid now and it is still running rough. Did I lose a catalytic converter causing the sulpher smell?

The last thing that I did to the car was an RS6 coil upgrade with ICM elimination with new plugs. (the CEL does not just come on unless there is something majorly wrong)

I have not run any of the codes yet.

[vavJETTAw36]

Run the codes first. 91 octane would not have caused this unless it was really really shitty gas


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[Zba]

You have misfires. Sulfur smell is from misfires, you are fucking up the cats. My money is on the coil conversion wiring, maybe a broken plug.

[Audi9]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with BP gas or any other "branded" gas. It's quite literally all the same stuff.

[GrapeBandit]

It's quite literally all the same stuff.

false
http://www.toptiergas.com/

[MacDaddy]

The sulphur or rotten egg smell is usually an overcharged battery

[LINDW4LL]

I'd say it's pretty unlikely that you got bad gas.

[Zba]

The sulphur or rotten egg smell is usually an overcharged battery

Obviously you've never smelled an over burdened cat before.

[sidewayzgt]

You have misfires. Sulfur smell is from misfires, you are fucking up the cats. My money is on the coil conversion wiring, maybe a broken plug.

I will check out the codes tomorrow. It was all adapters and no open wiring but anything is possible.

Maybe it wasn't the gas? Just a coincidence?

[DieselElectric]

Obviously you've never smelled an over burdened cat before.

He's not wrong though.

Overcharged batteries emit hydrogen gas. I've walked into my shop full of it before. We accidentally left the charger on a battery overnight.

But yes, cats will definitely do it as well. I haven't experienced it in years but when I worked at Ford in 2004 (just out of high school, starting my career), I saw my fair share of rotten cats.

[Nollywood]

WOT and bad gas can also cause a myriad of issues.

[Zba]

He's not wrong though.

Overcharged batteries emit hydrogen gas. I've walked into my shop full of it before. We accidentally left the charger on a battery overnight.

But yes, cats will definitely do it as well. I haven't experienced it in years but when I worked at Ford in 2004 (just out of high school, starting my career), I saw my fair share of rotten cats.

I never said cooked batteries didn't stink. From the given information what are the chances of an overcharged (cooked) battery while driving causing his smell vs. misfires damaging his cat?

Context clues; I use them

Maybe the OP had bad "gas" and what he thought were misfires was just his seat shaking violently from the flatulence.

[DieselElectric]

I understand why you said that. I just took the opportunity to clarify both sides for those reading this who might not know.

[MacDaddy]

Zba just wants to be a know it all.

[Zba]

Zba just wants to be a know it all.

All day every day bitches

[sidewayzgt]

WOT and bad gas can also cause a myriad of issues.

This did start right after a brief WOT lol. Still waiting to run the codes.

[vavJETTAw36]

This did start right after a brief WOT lol. Still waiting to run the codes.

bahahaha... "I had to put about $15 worth of 91 octane Arco gas in to get home", so I decided to go WOT on 91 just to see what it would do.

[DieselElectric]

Wait, is this car tuned for 93?

[MetalMan]

OP is located in Southern California... we only get 91 at best... unless you run E85!

[Audi9]

I'm sorry but my statement is in no way false. All branded gas is the same. That article calls it "top tier".

In fact, in the bay area the local BP refinery only has the capability to refine 87 gasoline and the Chevron refinery only has the capability to refine 91 gasoline. So BP 91 at the pump local to me is actually chevron 91 and 87 at chevron is really BP.

I'm not sure what the refinery capabilities are down in socal but I wouldn't worry about it. Just find a station that has a high turnover rate

[sidewayzgt]

Ok, I ran the codes and am getting a misfire in basically every single cylinder. It will start and idles ok at higher RPM. When at normal idle it runs like crap and emits fumes (its confused). I shut it off.

- - - Updated - - -

Wait, is this car tuned for 93?

Its tuned to 91

[MetalMan]

Try unplugging the MAF? Maybe a boost pipe/hose popped off?

[Zba]

Ok, I ran the codes and am getting a misfire in basically every single cylinder. It will start and idles ok at higher RPM. When at normal idle it runs like crap and emits fumes (its confused). I shut it off.

clear codes, run car, check again, go form there. When at a higher RPM does it just feel like it smoothes out or is it really no longer misfiring?

[sidewayzgt]

Try unplugging the MAF? Maybe a boost pipe/hose popped off?

Ran it with and without the MAF hooked up and it was the same

[sidewayzgt]

clear codes, run car, check again, go form there. When at a higher RPM does it just feel like it smoothes out or is it really no longer misfiring?

I cleared the codes and ran the car until the CEL came on again. It pulled up codes for multiple misfires and cylinder 1 and 4.. I am sure if i let it run longer then it would have pulled more codes. I did notice that the car exhaust sounds a lot deeper which makes me think that a hose could of popped off but I cannot see anything from up top? It is also sort of idling like a V8?

[vavJETTAw36]

Pressure test is in order.


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[sidewayzgt]

So let me put this in order now and sum things up. Lets forget about the Arco gas for a second. Started up the car and let it warm up. Drove down the street and did the first of two second gear pulls. On the second pull everything seemed ok until I came to a slow stop to make a right turn. The car was idling a little rough. Made the turn and went down the street for about 1/4 mile and that is when the sulpher smell started and the CEL started to flash and then went off. I managed to get it home but by then the CEL was solid. Let the car sit overnight and started it up the next day to find that everything was still the same. Reset the CEL and cleared the codes and let the car run until the CEL light came on again. Codes were the same (multiple misfires etc.). Also noticed that the idle was kind of slow and deep but it did not miss when I revved the motor. So far everything is pointing to a broken or popped off hose somewhere but what caused the sulpher (rotten egg) smell right away? I do not see anything out of place on top and I checked what I could see and feel on the intercoolers. What other hose or pipe could have popped off? It might take me a couple of days to do a pressure test.

[Zba]

Flashing cel is an catalyst damaging misfire hence the rotten smell. For Christ sake, how many times do I have to say it?!

[Zba]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars.../a536/2423551/

[vavJETTAw36]

A leak could be anywhere. It's probably an inter cooler hose but just pressure test it. Could even be throttle body boot. Sounds like the leak is pretty bad.


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[sidewayzgt]

Flashing cel is an catalyst damaging misfire hence the rotten smell. For Christ sake, how many times do I have to say it?!

I think you are absolutely correct.. The flashing CEL light and the rotten smell was only at the beginning of the problem and lasted about a minute. I drove the car about 5 miles after that to get home with no smell and no flashing CEL. It did not smell when I started it again today. It was very brief.

[DieselElectric]

He is correct. Lots of people think that the check engine light is there for all problems, when in reality the CEL's main function is to indicate a problem in the emissions control systems, or when something goes wrong that will effect it.

A flashing cel is specific to heavy misfire scenarios, catalytic converters run very hot, and they don't like raw fuel entering and burning inside them. The flashing cel is there to tell you that damage to your cat COULD occur.

I wouldn't call it likely, but it's very possible depending how long this went on for.

That said, the catalytic converter isn't where you should be looking right now. Not to say it won't be an issue, as damaged cats like to break apart and clog up the exhaust. But let's figure out what caused the misfires in the first place.

- Boost leak test. This is by far the most likely scenario based off of what you have given us.

[GrapeBandit]

I'm sorry but my statement is in no way false. All branded gas is the same. That article calls it "top tier".

In fact, in the bay area the local BP refinery only has the capability to refine 87 gasoline and the Chevron refinery only has the capability to refine 91 gasoline. So BP 91 at the pump local to me is actually chevron 91 and 87 at chevron is really BP.

I'm not sure what the refinery capabilities are down in socal but I wouldn't worry about it. Just find a station that has a high turnover rate

most companies get their base fuel from the same supplier, the reason you and many other ppl think its the gas they are getting at the pump is the same, the fact is, they are NOT the same.

what makes them different? its the additives, or lack of, that makes these fuels different.

[sidewayzgt]

He is correct. Lots of people think that the check engine light is there for all problems, when in reality the CEL's main function is to indicate a problem in the emissions control systems, or when something goes wrong that will effect it.

A flashing cel is specific to heavy misfire scenarios, catalytic converters run very hot, and they don't like raw fuel entering and burning inside them. The flashing cel is there to tell you that damage to your cat COULD occur.

I wouldn't call it likely, but it's very possible depending how long this went on for.

That said, the catalytic converter isn't where you should be looking right now. Not to say it won't be an issue, as damaged cats like to break apart and clog up the exhaust. But let's figure out what caused the misfires in the first place.

- Boost leak test. This is by far the most likely scenario based off of what you have given us.

Just went to Home Depot and bought everything for the boost leak tester. I will keep you updated.

[sidewayzgt]

Ok, finally got around to performing the boost leak test and for some reason I have no PSI. I followed the instructions and even plugged the PCV and still no PSI?. I can hear the air going in. I tested the PSI gauge on my tire and it reads perfect. Before I start going through the whole turbo system does anybody have any ideas of what hose it could be or what I might be doing wrong?

[DieselElectric]

Check all your couplings. Start with the throttle body boot. Could be torn