Having two Issues....

So I have two issues and am looking for some info and or help. One, I'm running super rich. Still idle's at normal rpm and excelleration is at norm. Just seems to be running really, really rich. Exhause smells of fresh fuel. lol any idea's??
Two, need brake suggestions. One, having huge issue with my brake's feezing in the cold temp. Almost ended my beautiful VX. Take a bit of pumping to break them loose when temps are dropping around zero. Typical problem?? Most of all need brake suggestions. Brakes seem soooooo weak. Abs kicks on frequently just dosen't seem to have crap for stopping power and yes everything is in good functional condition. Just wondering if there are any viable brake upgrades. Caliper/pad or even master cylinder solutions. Any suggestions out there? Thanks and by the way was on lake shore drive during the blizzard of 2011 the night it was being closed down. VX made it all the way from where you get on at 55s to the Navy Pier exit in the unplowed lane where I made it off at around 6:45 pm. Only two other suvs where able to follow. Will post vids I was taking while laughing at the panicing drivers on youtube in a few days. Once again my little tonka toy rocked!

Any chance you have a fuel line leak instead of just running rich?

No, no leaks parked in garage nightly, checked all lines and fuel pressure. Which seems to be normal. Just seems to be running really rich?

Now that I've exhausted my minimal mechanical knowledge, maybe you need to just accept the richness and embrace it with something like this:

Single Exhaust Flame Thrower Kit

:D

lol very nice

I'm just curious....Other than smelling the fuel in your exhaust, how else do you know it's running rich? Is MPG drastically down?

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Originally Posted by p_justin13

Two, need brake suggestions. One, having huge issue with my brake's feezing in the cold temp. Almost ended my beautiful VX. Take a bit of pumping to break them loose when temps are dropping around zero. Typical problem?? Most of all need brake suggestions. Brakes seem soooooo weak. Abs kicks on frequently just dosen't seem to have crap for stopping power and yes everything is in good functional condition. Just wondering if there are any viable brake upgrades. Caliper/pad or even master cylinder solutions. Any suggestions out there?

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Hey - glad to see another Chicagoan on here. Yup - I was laughing all the way during the blizzard when my VX was just crushing through all the snowdrifts leaving everyone else stranded...

Anyway - I would suggest taking a look at your calipers and pads. My calipers used to freeze when I bought the truck, so I did a complete front brake overhaul. New calipers, pads, and rotors from R1 Concepts and now I'm happy as a clam (and can stop on a dime).

Brake fluid should not freeze unless the temperature is about -40F, unless it is contaminated with water.

So at a minimum, if you think it really is freezing, you need to do a full flush of the braking system and get some decent fluid in there.

PK

This is my first winter in my VX so this is the perspective from a total Newbie. :)

I pulled out of my garage (25 deg F) and drove around for hours in single digit temperatures / negative teens wind chill. Absolutely nothing seemed out of the ordinary in regards to running rich. My braking never changed at all. But....

My ABS has always been broken so I have no perspective on how that should act if it was working properly. Some people here believe that the ABS on the VX is so overly-sensitive that they feel braking is better off without it. Like I said, I have no ABS experience so I don't know how it should feel, but I'm riding on some pretty good mountain/snow-rated, all-terrain tires (General Grabber AT2.) On snow I have to really play around and brake excessively to make my VX slide. On ice, the rear end really wants to lock up and spin the VX - sometimes even during mild braking.

Could you be experiencing what others have described as "overly-aggressive ABS" which seems to keep the wheels from locking up and rolling to such a degree that the brakes seems "useless"? If you can find a safe area, you could test that by pulling the ABS fuse under the hood to see if things seem better without it. Just be super careful on ice - mine is really spooky!

patiently waiting for the promised videos :drool:

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Originally Posted by vt_maverick

Now that I've exhausted my minimal mechanical knowledge, maybe you need to just accept the richness and embrace it with something like this:

Single Exhaust Flame Thrower Kit

:D

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That's an good reason not to tailgate you at all or being after you at traffic light :p

The running rich issue could be as simple as spark plugs. If you aren't getting adequate spark, you'll be sending un-burned fuel into the exhaust system. The odd part is though, your catalytic converter should be burning it off before it exits the tail pipe.

Since I operate on the KISS principal, I'd throw in a new set of quality plugs before starting to chase down any of the more expensive gremlins.

Sticky brakes in cold weather - don't use the parking brake. Often the parking brake shoes (I think that's how the VX is set up) will freeze to the drum. Again, try the KISS principal. Don't use the parking brake for a while & see if the problem persists.

Ineffective brakes - Use the search function on the home page to find any threads on slotted rotors. IIRC the consensus was for optimal braking to use slotted rotors with OEM pads and Stainless Steel brake lines. As indicated in one of the other responses, you should probably drain, refill & bleed your brakes so now is the oportune time to add those SS brake lines.

move to Florida.

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Originally Posted by tom4bren

Sticky brakes in cold weather - don't use the parking brake. Often the parking brake shoes (I think that's how the VX is set up) will freeze to the drum. Again, try the KISS principal. Don't use the parking brake for a while & see if the problem persists.

Ineffective brakes - Use the search function on the home page to find any threads on slotted rotors. IIRC the consensus was for optimal braking to use slotted rotors with OEM pads and Stainless Steel brake lines. As indicated in one of the other responses, you should probably drain, refill & bleed your brakes so now is the oportune time to add those SS brake lines.

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No ABS = Slotted rotors, EBC pads, SS lines.... great stopping power at a fraction of a new ABS module. ;)

My VX rarely sits outside the garage, but when it does in the winter, I get a similar issue. Our nights tend to be very cold and damp. I have pretty open faced wheels and the moisture gets to the rotors easily. All it takes is a thin layer of surface rust to create some ugly sticking and noise on th ebrakes. Usually goes away after a bit of use. This is a daily issue with my STi's Brembos. The first 1-3 miles of my morning commute sounds like grinding metal with weaker stopping power, and it sticks pretty rough when I pull out of the driveway. Just something you get used to (in my case).

Are you sure the gasoline smell is from the exhaust pipe?

Injection problems and fuel pump problems can case a gasoline smell only when it is running.

lol,all these posts with no real answers,u live in chicago and i live in michigan,when its this cold outside the vx runs very rich and u will go through fuel like crazy,the brake issue is ur caliper pins are in need of cleaning/replacing with fresh greese,the cold weather makes dry pins keep ur calipers from working properly even worse,i have been through thie same stuff.very simple fix

Rich running is almost always the 02 sensor esp in cold weather. 02 sensor has to get hot to read properly. Otherwise the system will switch to a "open loop" and constantly run as if the motor is very cold and choked. I don't have a VX yet but OBD2 vehicles have 2- 02 sensors one before the catalytic converter and one after. Only the one on the engine side of the cat matters. The rear one just looks to evaluate the cat performance. If the 02 sensor has 3 or 4 wires then it has a heating element in it to get it to the proper temp. They are kinda spendy but so is gas. If you replace it disconnect the battery before you plug it in as they can be sensitive. Freezing brakes issues can sometimes be caused by a low spot in the brake lines. Brake fluid does absorb water. It will collect in a low spot then freeze more easily there blocking the line. The only fix is to bleed all the brakes over and over till all the old fluid is flushed out. Start from the wheel closest to the master cylinder and work out. It's usually easy to see when you start getting the new clean fluid draining. If you've taken a master or wheel cylinder apart and seen pitting there it is from water. Sticky calipers usually cause brake sticking on not off, always causing uneven wear on the pads. Of course it's hard to diagnose from a keyboard your VX but at least both of these solutions are good for the rig either way. Hope this helps.

Did you ever figure out your fuel problem? Mine happens in temp not as cold too. Gonna try the O2 sensor. Ive already replaced fuel filter and plugs.

Was a combination of O2 sensors fuel filter and plugs. Did a full tune up and replaced the O2 sensors and cleaned out the upper smog crap. Ran much better but mine blows oil pretty good so O2 sensors are already shot again as well as my cats I would assume.

thank you. Whats the upper smog crap? Ill replace the O2 sensors

EGR Valve sorry and piping running from it down behind manifold