Originally Posted By: iunderpressure
It shows regular flametrap maintenance. I've had that same shop check it, but they always say it's clean. They only charge something like $30-60 bucks to clean it. I've never thought that seemed right. I thought it would be a bigger job than that.
Trust me, it is....
my guess is that the flame trap maintenance consists of running something through a vacuum line. It does kinda work, but really even with the excellent maintenance your car has had, by 200K you need to bite the bullet. If the smoke continued after the last vacuum cleaning, that's a good sign. Also, the hoses simply break down over time due to the heat. I'd ask that shop for a quote--if they use OEM parts, that's a big plus. Some of the aftermarket flame trap kits have been pretty cheezy. (the one I just installed from FCP Groton was actually better than the old ones I've used from them--not my car, I'd have gone OEM...). It's a half-day job for me, I'd imagine book time is 3-4 hours for someone who actually knows what he's doing...
I think will help the car burn a bit cleaner and will help consumption (which in your case, is pretty minimal). Regardless, I'd say it's time.
As far as the color, given the maintenance history, I wouldn't sweat it--it just think it's cosmetic staining, much like mine.