This POS Exhaust system wont quit glowing

[jennaayfay99]

Hey y'all I have a 2000 3.8 and just recently I started getting like 80 miles to a full tank, have no acceleration power for like 30 mins with pedal to floor and then all of sudden gains power outta nowhere, and then my headers and whole exhaust system starts glowing and my car fils up with smoke coming from the back seat. Also somehow had blue flames with white tips coming out of flowmaster muffler during open throttle. Tranny has been getting super hot too, with slipping, along with spark plug wires keep partially melting and it gets too hot under the hood to open after idling. So far I have replaced spark plugs, plug wires 2x, pcv valve, iac gasket, upper intake gaskets, belt, camshaft sensor, fuel filter, injectors, coolant temp sensor, transmission fluid and filter, Checked the cats and muffler, cleaned the throttle body, egr valve, iac valve, air intake, air intake, air filter, checked for vacuum leak, checked timing, maf sensor, and Ive used tons of lucas injector cleaner. The only thing I haven't really done is leave the negative battery connector disconnected for 15 mins or so to reset it. But could that really cause all of the problems with the headers and exhaust system? I unplugged the o2 sensor before the cat and it quit glowing for maybe 2 days then started glowing again. Then disconnected the muffler and it quit glowing again. The timing was a little retarded until replacing the camshaft sensor. The timing is back to normal but still having glowing headers/exhaust system and plug wires melting problem along with horrible gas milage. This car has already caught fire 2x. I cant go anywhere BC of it catching fire. Can somebody please help me before I blow this bitch up on purpose?

 

[76Highboy]

You may want to check to see if your camshaft synchronizer is installed correctly. I have heard that if installed in the wrong position that it can cause your symptoms. Its what your camshaft position sensor bolts to.

 

[jennaayfay99]

Yeah I actually had to move it like manually with my hands instead of the magnet moving it BC it doesn't want to catch on the magnet. That's really how I was able to adjust the timing and get it half Ass back to normal

 

[jennaayfay99]

But I'm definitely gonna check it out a little more

 

[6 Shooter]

Red hot exhausts means you have raw gas getting past the combustion process and dumping raw gas into the headers and downstream. Usually destroys the cats as well. You may have some stuck open injectors. For cleaning them, contact the Injector Man in Fla.

 

[Suek]

My daughters car had the same thing and its like six shooter said about the gas. I was driving my daughters car and it nearly caught on fire. The cats heat up real bad when this happens. Red hot!

 

[IRA]

Could be internal engine damage. Or a serious misfire dumping fuel into the exhaust. I would stop driving it. Could be a faulty 02 sensor reading super lean and the computer is ramping up the injector pulses but the extra fuel can't be burned in the combustion chamber

 

[JTsStang]

wat do u mean timng was retarded when u replaced the cam sync? that's not a distributerand has to be install tdc comp stroek

 

[Sam36]

Yeah I actually had to move it like manually with my hands instead of the magnet moving it BC it doesn't want to catch on the magnet. That's really how I was able to adjust the timing and get it half Ass back to normal

The cam sensor does nothing for the timing. It is only used by the computer to determine when #1 cylinder is at TDC when the engine is first started so the injectors are synchronized correctly. I don't think the car will start if it is wrong but I don't know. Either way, if your headers are red hot, then you have red hot valves too and have probably burnt them. You should pull all spark plugs and do a compression test and hope that all pressures are above 150 psi or you are going to need a new set of cylinder heads.... I'd pull the exhaust too and make the cats are not completely melted or plugged as well.

 

[Sam36]

Red hot exhausts means you have raw gas getting past the combustion process and dumping raw gas into the headers and downstream. Usually destroys the cats as well. You may have some stuck open injectors. For cleaning them, contact the Injector Man in Fla.

Unburnt fuel causes lower exhaust temps, which is normally desirable. Only problem is it of course lowers fuel mileage and will combust in the catalytic converter causing it to glow red. But that certainly shouldn't make the headers glow. But then again, most people won't take a car that is running badly and do "30 mins with pedal to floor" so I guess in that case the sky is the limit

 

[jennaayfay99]

Update: So I finally found out what found was causing the glowing headers. The people I bought the car from had too much oil in it and I had already drained out 4 qts. So after checking the dipstick after draining some it still showed that it had the correct amount. However that was not the case. It still had too much and instead of blowing any seals, the oil actually went all in to the intake manifolds and is completely clogged. It's like black goo all in the upper intake and the lower. Its like I could literally sit there and use a spoon to scoop it out.... Anyways on to my next problem. A couple of weeks ago I installed a newer motor and finally got everything hooked up and ready to crank and the fn starter went out. So replaced the starter this past weekend and tried to crank it and it was like it was another bad starter. So took it off again had it tested and it tested good. Put it back on the car and couldn't get it to spin. So checked all the wires, went ahead and replaced the positive wire from starter to battery and finally got it to spin. Now it starts for a sec and dies. It won't stay started for ****. What else could it possibly be? It has new alternator and new battery which is fully charged. But I still can't get it to stay started. It's also getting good compressions and everything else is doing what it should be. What should I try next?

 

[IRA]

Verify all your sensors are hooked up. Cam sensor, crank sensor, injectors are hooked up correctly. Verify spark plug wires are going to the correct cylinders.

 

[Rocksinger]

You must really love that car.
And who in the hell did that oil change...The 3 stooges?

Very surprised one of the seals didn't give out first.
If your sensors all check out...Check your fuel pump reset button in your trunk and your fuel pump.
Admire your determination