MyHouse

OK, here’s my story…lol

1998 Civic EX with D16Y8 engine. 175,000 KMs.Pretty much new ornewer everything ie. Cap, rotor, wires, plugs, fuel filter etc.All NGK parts.Engine is well taken care of and always fixedand maintained on time.

The problem is, it’s hardly ever driven. Mostly just short trips.Hence the 18 years and only 175,000 KMs.

A few weeks ago, it started to develop a misfire. I hooked up my computer and it seemed to onlybe cylinder 2 misfiring.It wouldsometimes set the P0300 and P1399 as well but when watching live data onAutoEnginuity it would only show cylinder2 missing.The hard part, it ONLY does it wen HOT and isreally bad if re-started after shut off for 10-15 minutes.When I say hot, I don’t just mean operatingtemp.Sometimes I have to drive a halfhour or more before it starts.I canforce it to be bad by shutting down for 10 minutes and re-starting.

So, I installed my fuel pressure gauge, even though fuel trimswere still good, and found it to be perfectly in-spec. 37 psi at idle and goes up to about 44 atzero vacuum.Then I hooked-up an inlinespark checker and found something strange.When installed on cylinder 2, the bulb would sometimes just completelystop flashing for 3-5 seconds, then start up again, then go dim, erratic, stopagain etc.I checked it cylinder 1 andit never did this at all?The wires arenew and test at only 5,000 ohms.Theplugs are brand new.How can a distributerignition system misfire on JUST one cylinder!!??And not even spark at all!?And only when HOT!??

I’m so confused. I wasalways taught that on a distributer style ignition, a bad cap, rotor,distributer etc. will cause misfires on ALL cylinders, not just 1.

Am I missing something!?

THANKS J

Former User

Sounds like the #2 plug wire may be bad. Swap the #1 and #2 plug wires to see if the misfire follows the #2 wire.

Jimi Hondrix

+1 and/or distributor cap point has a crack in it.

As a side note and something you probably already know...short trips are hard on engines carbon buildup and sludge may possibly develope.
Lol: I just said: are hard on engines

jeremylewis2000

sounds like there might be play in the distribiture shaft or it is the magnetics inside the distribiture going out. I personal would start with the wires first and if that doesn't fix it replace the whole distributure.

trm4life

A hot misfire is your coil. It's part of the dizzy. When they go bad, they fail at hot temp.

fcm

Never seen a bad coil misfire on just one cylinder, but I guess anything is possible.

Sorry MyHouse, going through the same thing, almost, my number 1 cylinder is not firing at all, new cap, spark plug, and injector, have fuel and spark, got so pissed at it I ended up in the hospital, here now.

I will replace spark plug lead, [can't switch number 1 lead with any of the others, too short] do a compression test once they spring me from here.

If you figure it out before I do, please let me know what it was, will do the same. 94

Former User

I hope it's not serious and you get well very soon.