Engine Chirping Noise and Exhaust Smoke

[Cal3000]

So when I was leaving work last night, I started my car and noticed a loud chirp knock like noise coming from the engine bay. I also noticed lots and lots of exhaust smoke coming from the pipes.
I was afraid it was a piston ring.
When I would rev the engine, the chirp would go away and the smoke would slightly subside. It seems like only at low RPMs or idle is when I would see smoke.
I drove home and make it home fine and the low rpm chirping was gone with no white smoke.

Started the car up this morning and everything seemed fine with only cold start up exhaust and no engine noise. Took it down the street and reved hard a few times and nothing.
Parked my car and let it idle and there was a faint chirping noise, not as loud as yesterday.
I check my exhaust and I see white powder, probably charcoal

could a canister purge cause white smoke?
If a piston ring was worn, would I just be a continuous sound?
I'm not sure about a head gasket issue as my car wasn't overheating.

[mav1178]

Time for a compression and leakdown test

[Tcoat]

My take on it from the little we know:
The chirping is the fuel pump. Probably the most documented noise a car ever made.
What is in the tail pipe looks like dirty water that splashed up in there.
That many solids were not created by combustion. Notice they do not extend past the weld in the tip?
Did it rain there recently? Damp air will cause white "smoke" at idle. It isn't smoke but steam from the moist air going through the combustion process.

[Cal3000]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

My take on it from the little we know:
The chirping is the fuel pump. Probably the most documented noise a car ever made.
What is in the tail pipe looks like dirty water that splashed up in there.
That many solids were not created by combustion. Notice they do not extend past the weld in the tip?
Did it rain there recently? Damp air will cause white "smoke" at idle. It isn't smoke but steam from the moist air going through the combustion process.

I notice that the fuel pump chirping came and went from time to time. This was the loudest I've ever heard the chirping/pinging and didn't seem normal. It was dry and mild yesterday so I don't think it was the steam.

Regarding the dust I initially thought it was dirt, however I noticed it was deeper down in the exhaust also and has the smell of charcoal.
What's weird was when I was driving home yesterday, the engine was running smooth.

[Tcoat]

No CEL?
Did you fuel up recently? Maybe bad gas.

[Ultramaroon]

Crickets sleep until engine heats up. I'll guess belt squeal across labouring alternator pulley.



meh

[humfrz]

Oh, I'd suggest that you just clean up the tail pipe then see if that residue returns.

Maybe the car will right itself ......


humfrz

[guybo]

that looks like the material the catalytic converters are made of.

Are you tuned, do you have cats and what mods have you done?

[Cal3000]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

No CEL?
Did you fuel up recently? Maybe bad gas.

No CEL. I'm running 78% ethanol, I don't know how bad this gas can get. lol

[Cal3000]

Originally Posted by guybo

that looks like the material the catalytic converters are made of.

Are you tuned, do you have cats and what mods have you done?

Yeah. I have a votech with just the header cat. The dust deposits smell like charcoal though. I shouldn't have too much carbon buildup since i've been exclusively using e85 unless carbon deposits can still be caught in the charcoal canister.

[Lantanafrs2]

Chirping could have been clogged cat or pieces of it being rifled through the exhaust. Best case scenario is that you are now catless.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Cal3000

No CEL. I'm running 78% ethanol, I don't know how bad this gas can get. lol

That is pretty critical info. What other mods?

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

That is pretty critical info. What other mods?

Shit. We missed his sig. I guess now I understand why my link to the manuals is worthless.

OP, if cat is slutted it will sound different. Is it any louder now? P0420 code is probably disabled in your tune so burning a tank of premium won't help you check.

[Cal3000]

Hey Guys
So it was the cat. I started up the car a few minutes ago and a bunch of material started chunking itself from the exhaust.

Thanks guys.
Looks like i'll have to get a new one welded on. I guess my next question is if all cats are the same? Are there some more restrictive than others? I don't want to weld on a cat that restricts too much exhaust flow.