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TracKey Smoke Puff on Startup

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ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
I know a few of us have reported puffs or clouds of white smoke from the exhaust when starting up the car with TracKey, specifically while at the track and idling for cool-down after a track session.

I have experienced this on multiple occasions after a 5-10 minute cool-down idle, then shutting the car down and letting it sit until the next session (typically 1-2 hours) then re-starting with TK.

I surmised this may be due to the TK idle, so during my last track event I disabled the TK idle feature each time I started the car. I did not experience any smoke/cloud on startup that weekend. So for track use, I will continue to disable the TK idle.

This is accomplished by holding down the "OFF" button on the steering wheel while starting the car, and continuing to hold it until the tach sweeps to 9K RPM and then back to idle. This will prevent the car from going into "lumpy idle mode" and you will no longer see the "TracKey Engine/Idle Enabled" message in the message center. All other features of the TK will still work properly.
 

JScheier

Too Hot for the Boss!
Okay... so there is a few pairs of shorts that didn't need to go in the trash!

I experienced this at Pueblo last season. Scared the ever-living-$hit out of me. It actually continued on for a couple of starts after I had towed home. At first I thought maybe I cooked the motor... then I started thinking oil temps got too high and cooked the valve guides. All I could see were $$$$$.

I think it did it at Hastings last year as well.

The car has been in storage for 3 months. Each time someone goes to move it (multiple cars in one huge, heated, very well equipped garage) they have been reporting back to me that there is no smoke.

I have ordered a driver's side recovery tank (JLT) which I plan to install. The thought there was that maybe from such sustained high RPM the PCV had stuck and was letting more vapor / fluid through than normal.

Now I guess the smoking may be more common than I thought.
 
I've had it happen on cold starts after track days a number of times. I wrote it off to unburned fuel. Geez you guys, usually I'm the anal one that gets all freaked out about stuff like this. :eek: You guys are the ones that always tell me "it'll be fine". ;D
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
Generally I figured "it will be fine" even if it does it; it's more embarrassing when it happens than anything.

Point of reference--I am not running a catch can.
 

JScheier

Too Hot for the Boss!
cloud9 said:
Geez you guys, usually I'm the anal one that gets all freaked out about stuff like this. :eek: You guys are the ones that always tell me "it'll be fine". ;D

First... I never said anything to you because I didn't want you to freak out
Second, your wife is always around, and we like her. Don't want to be the one dropping bad news to you in front of her :)
 

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