Pontiac Firefly

1989 Pontiac Firefly Fuel System   

my firefly is runing very rich, smells like gas and has trouble starting and sometimes bogs out and stalls. As soon as it does start it will shake until it has reached warm. It seems to be flooding itself. the injector seem to be driping instead of spraying a mist and the only way to start it is to open up the throtle and blow into the chamber. The check engine light comes on when it stalls. All sensors have been replaced.

Did you change the O2 sensor in the exhaust?
It controls how much fuel the enginre gets.
Also check the wiring to it to ensure there are no breaks or shorting to the body or engine.
If you have a digital volt/ohm meter, you can test it.

the o2 sensor is new says my mechanic. what might cause it to plug? I just bought the car and it had been sitting for a few months. When i took it on the highway for the first time it blew smoke, only at high speeds. It no longer does this. Also what should the ohm reader read?

in addition the engine has 274000km on it...i just checked the o2 sensor myself and it seems to have some charbon build-up aswell as a white film. What do you suppose that means? The part itself looks to be about 1 year old. Do you think the smoke could have clogged the sensor?

Smoke can clog them.Any oil burning, the same. Minute deposits from a slight head gasket problem also. A small quantity of older (or farm) leaded gas can coat them.
The deposits you see are on the outer shell or case. The sensor is hidden inside that.
A digital volt/ohm meter can test it.

At high rpms a clowd of blue smoke comes out the exhaust and there is oil residue in the air shuttle. I checked the pcv valve and it has plenty of suction.... what could be the problem? Leaky head gasket? failed piston rings? failed valve stem seals?

1) Do a dry compression test of all the cylinders, and wrire down the results.
2) Do another 'wet' compression test (about 1/2 tsp oil put in sparkk plug hole, before compression test)
Let me know the results
Bruce

i bought a newer version last week. 1997 suzuki swift same car with little differences. The motor on the other one was toast. I will rebuild it for a learning project. But the new car has poor gas milage and no get-up-and-go power. Where should i start?

Check compression, timing and condition of timing belt.