The plug looks the same as the others. Also it looks the same as all the ones I replaced already. They all had just one area of brown and the rest was white. I compared them to the pictures in the back on the Haynes manual and even the ones in the pictures match mine as"normal" wear.

I'll look through that scanner again. There are so many different things to look through. I set the cam retard to 0.

The scanner I am using is a Snap-On Modis EEMS300. Not sure if you are familiar with its capabilities more then I am.

This may sound like a stupid question. But is there a way to do a test on substance that is leaking from a car to find out what it is you can not see where it is coming from?

The reason I ask is because I just noticed a small(5inch cirlce) amount of some fluid under my Blazer towards the back of the firewall area.It is more on the passenger side. It's not oil. Kind of feels and smells like coolant or maybe brake fluid. I used an LED light to look ontop and under but I can not see where it is leaking from. Coolant level does not seem to have dropped at all. It is right at the full line on the over-flow container. Hasn't moved. Brake fluid level is good too.

 

I am not familiar with that scanner. I think it should be under the functional tests --> component tests if it has the capability of doing it.

 

I was sitting in the blazer and trying to figure out if this scanner can check for injector balance when I noticed something. When I start the blazer I can here "bubble" sounds coming from the firewall. Same area that the liquid drips from. Is this enough evidence to think about replacing the Lower Intake Manifold Gaskets? Considering my last CAT was in pieces I am thinking for this has to be a leaking gasket. Would a head gasket do a similar thing too though?

 

A compression test will tell you if you have an intact head gasket or not.

I have seen a number of LIM gasket failures leak to where they sucked air in from inside the engine. Very perplexing problem.

 

The only way I have ever been told/taught on how to test what a substance is.. would be by sticking my finger in the puddle and smelling it. If you don't know what various fluids smell like though, this won't help you at all.

Another way to do it would be to stick your finger in it and see what color it is.. every fluid has a different color -ie: Coolant greenish, oil darker yellow (if just changed), tranny red, brake fluid is a lighter color yellow, power steering i do believe is either a yellowish or darker. But this method isn't as good to use as the smelling/knowing the smell method.

If you don't know your fluid smells, pick upa bottle of each fluid which to me, would not really a waste of money because you'll need them eventually and give each of them a comparison whiff.

If your looking for a scientific way of figuring out which fluid it is, then swab it up and take it to a science lab of sorts and hope they will run a test, but that method costs money and time and by time the results come back from the lab you might of already figured out what it was and where it was coming from.

 

Okay thanks. just trying waiting the gauge to get here.


Senshi09,

Yeah I did the obvious first and could not come to a conclusion. I'm leaning towards coolant.

 

OKay. Well I have to make a run into town but I figured I would update this with my compression results. I do not know where it should be at but so far cylinders #1#2#4#6 all tested at 180 and held it there. Nothing ever dropped. I will test #3#5 when i get back home tonight.

 

well. Cylinders #3 and #5 were also at 180 and held it there like the rest for over ten minutes.

I ran it up to normal operating temp and noticed a small leak again in the back of the motor. I only see it dripping but not the source. I used the black light trying to figure it out with the dye. I see everything coated with spots and a bunch covered on the bell housing area. I think at $33 I should just replace the intake gasket and get it out of the way. I pressured the system and still cant see it. Its a laborious job but not expensive unless I break the EGR tube everyone talks about being expensive.

What do you all think?

 

After reading everything about the distributor I am also leaning towards the distributor replacement. Anyway to check play in the distributor to make sure though? I know I have a coolant leak too. Maybe just replace the intake gasket and see what happens and if that doesn't work I can just pop the distributor in or inspect mine and proceed.

 

It sounds to me like it's the LIM leaking. Also check the connections at the heater core. The bubbling you hear could be Air in the heater core from a small leak.

As far as the Modis goes i believe there is a way to use it to check injector balances but you'll have to follow the on screen. It should be under fuel system tests. It might require the oscilliscope attatchments though which are purchased seperately (thanks SnapOn).

As far as the distributor goes I would think that any side to side play (as looking at it installed without the rotor installed) would be bad. But i could be wrong.