POP! POP! POP!

["chia" <stelc@domain.elided>]

Hi all

It been some time since I sought help from the collective, the GTj has been
behaving very well until.....

I just noticed a problem creeping up - the dreaded exhaust backfire/popping.
I'm of the school that a backfiring exhaust is not normal.  It is unburnt
fuel being ignited in the the exhaust pipes - contrary to the ideoloy of an
"internal combustion" engine right?

I read the digest discussing burnt valves, bad ignition timing, bad carb
adjustment, etc. but gather no definitive answer or cure.  My problem
started slowly over 4 months or so.  The popping starts when the engine is
cold and goes away when it warms - sounds like a mixture problem or maybe
over advanced timing?  I don't know why but I find that the mixture just a
little rich cures most if not all the popping but the idle suffers.  Can you
all share all experience with this problem, as I believe there may be more
than one cause.  I tested at 1.2% CO, is this OK for a GTj?

BTW, the Golden Lodges can't beat the Bosch Super 4 for idle smoothness.

Andrew C

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