| Subject: | Burned exhaust valves |
| Question: | Re: 1993 Dodge Colt wagon (same as Eagle Summit wagon,) 2.4 Mitsubishi motor. Vehicle in question was bought new in Canada,at 49000 kilometers it suffered abadly burned exhaust valve in No. 1 cylinder. I had it repaired.Last week the same thing happened again same exhaust valve same No.1 cylinder,mileage on car 124000 Kilometers. Do you know if there is defect in this cylinder head? thanks hope to hear from you,George |
| Answer: | George, I have not seen any recalls for the Dodge Colt Vista/Eagle Summit Vista on any engine parts, so I think your problem may be caused by other factors. Your burnt exhaust valve may actually be fuel related. If your car is running "lean" (too much air, not enough fuel), your exhaust temperatures will get extremely and dangerously high. Running lean can occur due to many reasons; weak fuel pump, clogged fuel filter, malfunctioning fuel pressure regulator, or clogged fuel injector. Other circumstances that can make your exhaust gas to rise too high is contaminated fuel. If you put in a lot of fuel additives or fuel injector cleaners you see in stores, that can cause your exhaust temperatures to get much higher than normal. Those additives and cleaners are good every once in a while (every 3 to 6 months is ok), but constant use can cause the problems you're seeing. Have the fuel system checked out and replace any damaged or worn
parts that are needed. That should fix your problem. |