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Negative fuel trims

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354 views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  alejandro.sanchez.ga  
#1 · (Edited)
Hey everyone!
I own a 2007 SE.
I have one of these OBD 2 LUFI display units and keep track of things like STFT, LTFT, air intake volume, temps, etc.
So recently, I replaced the radiator because of a rather large crack on the crown, didn't notice anything that looked overly concerning for heat damage so I did a coolant flush and an oil change and called it a day.
Shortly after, I started to notice a bit of the classic rotten egg smell form the cat under the car. So I got a bottle of Catclean hoping it would help, the smell was minimal and I did not have any codes so I figured I could help burn up impurities in the cat in case it was a bit dirty.
This was about 10 days ago. In the last 6-7 days I have noticed my fuel trims have been way on the negative side, consistently -21 on the STFT, about 3 days ago, I did get 4 codes; 170 171 172 173
All related to negative fuel trims and bank 1 and 2 running rich.
So, I did a quick check of vacuum leaks, cleaned the MAF sensor, checked the PVC valve and replaced the air filter. All of it looked ok.

I have attached photo of the readings I’m getting at idle. Once the RPMs come up, things come back up to 0ish on the STFT.

Worth noting I’m dealing with a slipping clutch, kit is on the way. Not sure if this would have any effect on the air/fuel mix but worth mentioning it.

So...
Could the Catclean finally destroy my O2 sensors (which were a bit old and bit lazy)? or, is there a risk my catalytic converters got extra clogged now after the use of Catclean? Or, does it sound more fuel related?
My fuel trims are still way on the negative side and acting strange.

Any initial thoughts as to which rabbit hole to follow?


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#2 ·
Rotten egg smell is an indication of fuel getting to the catalytic converter, so it's possible that you are really running excessively rich.

I suspect a fuel injector leak, usual cause is varnish buildup making the valve stick. The proper way to fix that is to take the injectors off and run cleaner through them with a cleaning machine (edit: you can also force the valve to actuate using a 9 volt battery and clean the injector using carb cleaner). The home gamer way is to put a bottle of injector cleaner fuel system additive into the fuel tank and go highway driving for a couple of hours.

Failing that, the fuel vapor control system solenoid valve in the engine bay can sometimes fail and send fuel into the intake. You might try blocking off the hose between it and the engine; the valve sits on a bracket under the throttle body.

The O2 sensors might need replacement if they're old and slow enough, although from what I recall the usual failure mode for those is to read lean, not rich. I'd check the injectors first.

When replacing fuel monitoring sensors, be very sure that all your sensors are OEM or acceptable replacements from the OpenGK sensor list: Sensor Information - OpenGK
Using a single off-brand sensor will result in the car running wrong.