SR problems....

[BJManies]

A couple nights ago, my car started sputtering an pouring smoke out of the exhaust. Next day, it started up and idled fine, no smoke, but only for about 30 seconds then just cut off, no sputter or anything, just cut off, as if I just took the keys out.

Changed the plugs and this is what I found in there...

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/9594/40832327493425262931039.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/11/40832327493425262931039.jpg/)

After I changed the plugs, I gave it a couple revs and now it will idle without cutting itself off, but its sputtering like it has a misfire.

Anyone care to chime in with this? I know very little about SR's so bare with me please.

[Kingtal0n]

The plugs are black? its running rich? You have a boost leak that is getting worse?

Scenario:
car drives normal for days. One day, it starts to run rough and rich, the plugs start getting black. (there is a leak gradually opening up in your intercooler plumbing) the leak in the plumbing is allowing air to exit your (wtb: closed loop) system and the MAF is pouring more and more fuel into the engine to compensate for what appears to be "boost at idle" (joke).

So, I am taking a random guess, based on the bare minimum of information you have provided. Your boost leak has gotten worse, and now it is so large, that the car is running extremely rich, fouling your plugs, and sometimes it kills your engine.

please provide (much) more information for further diagnosis via the internet.
Years owned, how often it drives, last time the plugs were check and what the color was, is the O2 sensor plugged in, do you have a narrowband gauge to investigate the O2 sensor's actions? Are all of the componenets OEM (maf/ecu/injectors/coilpacks/etc) Do you have a piggyback such as SAFC installed? Did you wire the harness yourself? How does the wiring look, have you inspected it? When the engine is running, do the belts appears to be aligned and the pulleys are straight and true? How is the fuel economy, has it gotten worse over the last few weeks? How much boost are you using? How does the oil look? What is the color of the smoke exiting the exhaust, blue, black, or white? Make sure of the color you report! Does it smell like oil? You say it sounds like it is missing, can you find out which cylinder it is missing on? Unplug each coilpack and note the change in the engine's idle characteristic. if you unplug a cylinder, and nothing changing, then that must be the affected cylinder.

there is much more information you might provide, but start with that, and try to think of everything else we might want to know to help our diagnosis. At this point, I am thinking air leak. It fits with everything you provided, but that is not much.

[di-devol]

wow

^I think he said you have a boost leak. See if you popped off a coupler.