White powder from exhaust | FerrariChat

White powder from exhaust

Discussion in '348/355' started by angelis, Sep 14, 2007.

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  1. angelis

    angelis F1 Veteran
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    #1 angelis, Sep 14, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    While doing a trackday a couple of days agao, I noticed the inside of the exhast pipes covered in a white powder. Pic below.

    Someone also noticed that the car gave out a funny smell. Like hot paint.

    Someone suggested it was the cats on the way out, but I've only just put new Hyperflows in a few months back. Someone else said maybe the car is running very lean.

    Anyone have an idea what it is?
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  2. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

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    Have you been running any fuel additives?? Maybe do an o2 check upstream of the cats?? Lean is a possibillity, since the cats flow a bit better than stock, but it could also be the cats are doing an extraordinary job :).
     
  3. JoTeC

    JoTeC Formula Junior

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    Did you buy fuel at the track? Looks like a racing fuel with benzine...
     
  4. eulk328

    eulk328 F1 Rookie

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    No question about it...... Nigel Stepney has been near your car ;-) (okay, or maybe John DeLorean)

     
  5. angelis

    angelis F1 Veteran
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    I've only been using Shell V-Power (99 Octane). No additives or racing fuel.

    Will check the emissions next week and report back.
     
  6. MarkCollins

    MarkCollins F1 Rookie
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    Sy

    Does look just like the 355's do when the Cats are failing
     
  7. No Doubt

    No Doubt Seven Time F1 World Champ

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    Same color on all 4 tailpipes, or white only on one side of your 348?
     
  8. shahedc

    shahedc Formula 3

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    LOL.. I was just going to step Stepney after reading the title...

    ~shahedc
    .
     
  9. angelis

    angelis F1 Veteran
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    That's what KHPC said it could be.

    All 4 tail pipes are white.
     
  10. Andi355

    Andi355 Formula Junior
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    ...don't worry Angelis, no problem.

    This is a sign for a perfect combustion !

    Andi
     
  11. FullChat

    FullChat Formula Junior

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    +1000!!!
     
  12. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
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    Agreed, very possible your cats are crumbling internally. The powder is the ceramic material (dust). An exhaust sniffer should be able to measure your emissions and confirm if the cat has actually failed or not.
     
  13. M Roadster

    M Roadster Formula Junior

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    Does the car have any white actually coming out of the exhaust or is this just the residue that we are seeing?

    Look at your plugs. Do they look new (clean)? If so there might be a crack in your head or a busted head gasket. When coolant mixes with fuel it turns into a creamy (milky) substance. This also actually cleans your plugs. If you can post pictures of the plugs it would help.

    .m
     
  14. CavalloRosso

    CavalloRosso Formula 3

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    Hmmmm. I thought Hyperflows had no ceramic.
     
  15. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

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    +1 ;)
     
  16. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
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    I would get a proper 4-gas analyzer on the car and see what it is blowing.

    The Hyperflows are not ceramic, so I doubt they're crumbling. If the car is severely out of tune, it's possible to cook them, but I think you would have seen a Slow Down light, or CEL during the track day too. Are the thermocouples still plugged into the cats? When you popped the engine lid open during the track day, the cats weren't glowing or anything, were they? How was the timing checked during the engine-out service?

    I tracked the snot out of my 348 on Tuesday of last week, and didn't see those conditions at all. HOWEVER, fellow Fchatter 'resnow' tracked his 348 alongside mine (he has straight pipe and single can muffler) produced an extremely similar white powder on his exhaust tips.
     
  17. angelis

    angelis F1 Veteran
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    Will do. :D

    No slow down lights. Thermo's are still plugged in. The right habd ECU has been disconnected as it was causing a slow down before teh cats were put in (when it was decatted).

    Cats looked fine. Not glowing at all.
     
  18. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

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    I am suspecting this may be normal on a catted car.........
     
  19. GeorgW

    GeorgW Karting

    Jan 31, 2004
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    Hi,

    Maybe the damping material inside the exhaust muffler becomes too hot and caused this ? How are the spark plugs looking ?

    Regards, Georg
     
  20. Napolis

    Napolis Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Is fuel/air correct? Looks very lean.
     
  21. bushwhacker

    bushwhacker In Memoriam

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    Hmm!, Did you import your car from Columbia? Maybe it's had some options, so to speak, added that are not factory installed.
     
  22. Juan-Manuel Fantango

    Juan-Manuel Fantango F1 World Champ
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    #22 Juan-Manuel Fantango, Sep 16, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Anytime my pipes looked like that, the racers said it was runin fine...if you get this other than at a track event, you are driving way too fast through your hood. These are pre Watkins Glen. White the next few days.
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  23. F355Bvc

    F355Bvc Formula 3

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    I was always told that is a sign of running too lean..
     
  24. speedracer1610

    speedracer1610 Formula Junior

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    mine use to do that but it was the condensation/moisture. It turned white after heating up and drying off.
     
  25. 355

    355 F1 Rookie
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    You are right and if you run too lean and all the time then you are asking for trouble.
     

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