Okay, a problem that surfaced at the end of last summer has resurfaced. A few of you may recall me mentioning it. As follows:

When giving the engine a lot of gas under high load one of my cylinders isn't firing. It happens sometimes if I floor it in 4th or 5th at say, 50-60mph. It most frequently happens when I'm engaging first gear from a stand still (engaging the clutch around 1000-1800rpm). I can avoid this if I engage the clutch around 3, but I prefer not doing that. I've also noticed that this problem happens more often if I have the AC on and/or additional people in the car besides me.

Otherwise it runs fine. If I engage the clutch in first higher than 2 I can floor it all the way through every gear and it runs without a hiccup.

This problem was solved last summer by replacing the plug wires, distributor, cleaning the spark plugs, and maybe another thing or two that I can't recall (just minor stuff). I can't imagine that the plug wires have gone bad in one year.

I have 2 thoughts, but they're both reaches. One is that I need to clean my air filter. Its a CAI w/K&N cone filter and its been over a year since I've cleaned it (roughly 8-9000 miles). The other thought is I maybe partially fouled a plug when I hooked up the plug wires incorrectly a few weeks back.

Thoughts?

8/28/2006 1:38:05 PM

don't gun ur car.

8/28/2006 1:48:04 PM

eh?

Sooooo, I shouldn't engage my clutch at the normal pick up point????

8/28/2006 1:50:30 PM

doesnt ur car have 200k plus miles. do a general tuneup then get back to us.

my truck has a buncha weird shit with it. but it has 209500 miles so i accept it.

[Edited on August 28, 2006 at 1:58 PM. Reason : .]

8/28/2006 1:58:14 PM

pull the plugs and look at them. do they look ok?

8/28/2006 1:59:19 PM

it's the remix to ignition

8/28/2006 1:59:41 PM

^^what he said

why you cleaning spark plugs? just replace them if you are already taking them out.

8/28/2006 2:21:04 PM

Bottom line is...if your current set of plugs has over 30k on them then replace those motherfuckers.

What kind of plugs are in there now?

I use nothing but NGK plugs. Period. Sure, you can run platinum or Iridium plugs and not have to replace them for more than 60k miles (and you may already have them). But not all platinum plugs perform equally well in all engines. Bosch plugs often don't do so hot in some engines because the center electrode is somewhat shielded by the ceramic insulator.

And one other thing: you really ought to run a compression test just to see what's going on. Have you ever adjusted your valves? If you've got an overly tight exhaust valve and an ignition problem (such as related to your plugs or wires, etc), then the problem may well be compounded and become very noticeable (like is happening now).

8/28/2006 2:59:11 PM

take those fucking platinums out (the Pxxx13, what it calls for) and put in the Zxxxx11 NGKs.

8/28/2006 6:55:50 PM

if you clean a K&N filter after 10k miles either you are an idiot or you were in a dust storm.

[Edited on August 28, 2006 at 7:13 PM. Reason : I TOLD YOU LAST TIME THAT REPLACING THE PLUG WIRES WOULD FIX IT YOU BASTARD]

8/28/2006 7:12:36 PM

ZFR5ES11 ?

NGK 2622?

8/28/2006 7:12:55 PM

^^I live in NYC, its dusty/dirty as hell on the street man!

I guess it is pretty stupid of me not to even check/replace the plugs. Its pretty silly of me, then again my head's not into the whole car repair/maintenance thing here in the city. Its a bitch to do even the most basic work when you're parallel parked with 6-10 inches in front and behind ya

I'll replace the plugs and report back!

I'm not sure what plugs I've got in right now.

My engine (and car I suppose) has 255,000 miles on it. No, I can't recall the last time I had the valves adjusted and I've never had a compression test, hehe.

[Edited on August 28, 2006 at 9:13 PM. Reason : I'm horrible, but when you only drive 100 miles a month on average and have no driveway...]

8/28/2006 9:11:31 PM

I never do that shit either. Not until I have to.

When you spend so much time wrenching on other folks' cars, you just don't feel like doing yer own.

I hardly ever do anything preventative any more (although I did adjust valves and change the oil 2k miles ago on teh Cummins). I just can't stand to do it.

8/28/2006 10:23:57 PM

i'm just lazy. i'd rather be doing cooler things to my junk if i'm going to put the effort in.

8/28/2006 10:31:51 PM

Could grit getting by the K&N filter, or oil from the K&N have fouled the MAS?
Would this cause those symptoms?

Just wondering.

8/30/2006 12:56:00 PM

Change the plugs.get a good set of plug wires and ride

8/30/2006 1:00:54 PM

I will hop on this as soon as I get a chance...which will probably be this weekend.

8/30/2006 1:07:18 PM

Quote :

"Could grit getting by the K&N filter, or oil from the K&N have fouled the MAS? Would this cause those symptoms?"

His car is a MAP setup. No MAF to foul.

8/30/2006 1:31:17 PM

Ahhh so!

8/30/2006 1:43:12 PM

assuming it isnt something as simple as fouled plugs, if you're missing it could be timing, ignition coils, etc. or you could be mistaking the shuttering for compression loss caused by a blown HG. unfortunately, my bet is on the latter

8/30/2006 3:40:29 PM

Its not that. Its definitely one cylinder not firing. I know this b/c it sounds and feels exactly the same as when one of my plug wires slipped off the distributor.

8/30/2006 9:50:09 PM

then you may just have a bad coil pack...i'd start with that, they're pretty cheap

8/30/2006 10:02:25 PM

ok well do a compression test.

8/30/2006 10:02:51 PM

swapped out the plugs today. noticed oil on the plugs. not a lot, but oil nonetheless. problem here?

9/4/2006 10:07:23 PM

beans and cornbread had a fight

9/4/2006 10:08:29 PM

have you checked the color/consistency of your coolant?

9/4/2006 10:27:30 PM

no, but what are you getting at with that? My radiator was replaced the end of June.

9/4/2006 10:28:40 PM

i'm still not convinced it's not your head gasket...checking to see if your coolant and oil are mixing is easier than doing a compression test, though the latter is a conclusive answer. it's just a quick check to help rule out some things

9/4/2006 10:35:45 PM

oil on plugs at 255k nigga dont worry about it.

9/4/2006 11:21:09 PM

Quote :

"i'm still not convinced it's not your head gasket...checking to see if your coolant and oil are mixing is easier than doing a compression test, though the latter is a conclusive answer. it's just a quick check to help rule out some things"

It's rare that I see a head gasket shit the bed without any specific reason, and I don't quite understand why you choose it first and foremost.

Although...if Pat replaced his radiator recently...why did he have to do that?

9/4/2006 11:34:53 PM

i am focusing on the HG because i've had a lot of issues with them in the past, and the symptoms he's indicating were similar to the issues i was having to the HG-related problems in my car. long story short, i had to replace my engine twice because of blown head gaskets

just humor me

9/4/2006 11:39:36 PM

Okay. I'm down wit dat.

What do/did you drive?

9/4/2006 11:43:00 PM

'97 saturn SL1

for some reason, i'll never know why, i love the car...but it's given me nothing but trouble since i've had it

9/5/2006 2:05:12 AM

Simple, I had the radiator replaced b/c it had a small crank, and wouldn't hold coolant for more than a few days.

9/5/2006 8:20:32 AM

did it ever overheat?

9/5/2006 9:05:11 AM

Quote :

"'97 saturn SL1"

Saturn SL1 <<<< Acura Integra (even the first gen)

[Edited on September 5, 2006 at 11:01 AM. Reason : s]

9/5/2006 11:01:14 AM

look pat, its got high miles on it now, if you think you are going to keep the car forever, then just have the engine rebuilt. you dont even have to pull it out of the car, or get too fancy with it.

9/5/2006 12:53:18 PM

^^^no it did not.

But I wanna see how long it can go on the original build

9/5/2006 1:09:46 PM

my first car was a 87 integra i bought for $600. that thing had 275k miles and ran like a top.

9/5/2006 1:52:04 PM

just find a junkyard motor w/ 100k on it for cheap and youll be twice as well off as you are now

9/5/2006 1:57:27 PM

finding a b17 is going to be a bitch and a half.

9/5/2006 3:35:21 PM

how did this thread go from a miss under load to replacing the goddam engine?

9/5/2006 3:39:34 PM

^^tell me about it.

^no shit. for all i know its something easy. Doesn't matter, in a few weeks this car is gonna be parked for a year at the very least. ( )

9/5/2006 5:59:53 PM

gotta be the turbonator

9/5/2006 6:55:04 PM

Quote :

"Saturn SL1 <<<< Acura Integra"

haha when was this ever a comparison, i know my car is a POS

9/5/2006 8:24:17 PM

Man, I must either be really lazy or stupid.

I changed my plugs last Monday and cleaned the air filter.

After a 500 mile trip to DE this weekend I can say the problem's gone. I'm betting it was the plugs.

Anyways, yay.

9/10/2006 11:38:42 PM

I would say you are both.

9/10/2006 11:40:30 PM

^ should you be saying "I told you so?"

9/11/2006 8:12:27 AM