I have a 00 civic EX 1.6L Vtec ...I think Im running way to rich. My gas is sucking down fast, my spark plugs are going kind of fast, I have funny smells coming out of the car sometimes, and the inside of my muffler is got thick black in it. Am I running to rich? If I am, how can I fix it...?please help

 

If you are running too rich, your cat would suffer because it would end up being really hot cause it has to burn up the excess fuel. Also, maybe you want to attach a scan tool to ur car and watch the O2 sensor readings. The first O2 sensor (b4 the cat) should have a value that changes, kinda looking like a sine wave or the heart thing u see at the hospital. If it is running too rich it will be a straight line at like 1v ( i don't quite remember the voltages on the O2 sensor) You can look at the second O2 to see how well your cat is doing, the 2nd O2 sensor should be a straight line, but at 0v (also not sure about the voltage). The straign line, wavy line thing is pretaining to how a graph of the O2 sensor voltage over time would look. I find the graphs more helpful than watching real time voltages from the O2 sensor. Hope that helps.

 

If you are running rich you will be able to smell it. The exhaust gases will smell extra "thick", I dont know really how to explain it.

As far as burning out your cat. Running rich will cool the EGT and the cat will last longer than if it was running lean. If you have some performance mods or ever considered a dyno run then now is the time. They will hook up an a/f monitor and be able to tell you the a/f ratio along with a dyno chart and hp rating. Should cost around $50

one fix would be the SAFC, an air fuel controller. (Greddy and Apex'i make one) it will allow you to control the a/f ratio.