Q: Exhaust leak unknown location near headers, p0170 code fuel trim malfunction bank 1 and white smoke when sitting in traffic.

asked by on October 09, 2017

I have a 2000 mitsubishi eclipse v6 3.0. It has an exhaust leak location unknown but very close to headers if not on the back set. I have had the leak since I bought the car and an occasional lifter tick. The issue is it has been throwing a p0170 code (fuel trim malfunction bank one) as well as white smoke smelling like rich fuel from near the exhaust leak area while sitting in traffic for long periods of time. Would this leak, if before a o2 sensor cause the code and in turn cause the computer to add or subtract fuel causing the white smoke??

My car has 129000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Hi Kaden. Thanks for contacting us tonight. Usually when an exhaust leak occurs, it will cause the O2 sensors to relay faulty data to the ECU, which triggers the OBD-II code and will impact fuel trim, air mixture and several other problems. Essentially, when the exhaust system is compromised, the entire system become inconsistent. It’s best to repair the exhaust leak before trying to resolve the OBD-II code you’ve got, as you’ll be chasing repairs eventually till the exhaust leak is fixed.

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