Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
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Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
Tonight at work I noticed my 98 Civic EX was idling like ****, and then a little bit after that, it started misfiring and losing power, while the CEL was blinking steadily. It was really bad below 2500 rpms, and it ran a little better/smoother higher than 2500. It misfired during idling, acceleration at any throttle angle, and sometimes even during cruising while holding a constant speed. Then, all of the sudden, it would disappear for a few minutes, and run absolutely perfectly. After this, I checked the plug wires, since these sorry *** Bosch wires have failed me before, but they were all attached to the plugs just fine. It would alternate running like ****, and running fine, all night long. I got the random misfire code, and a misfire code for the first three cylinders, never #4, so I would doubt it's the dizzy or cap. At the end of the night, however, I got a code p1002 which I can not find the translation for anywhere online. I've been meaning to do a tuneup for quite a while now, since it's been a little over 30k, but what should I do to try and diagnose this?
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Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
I'll do this tomorrow, and might just replace all of them anyway since it's been over 30k city miles since the last tuneup.
How do I test the coil and Ignition whatever module? I've been thinking about buying a compression tester since it's been burning oil for a little while now, I'll do that tomorrow also.
How do I test the coil and Ignition whatever module? I've been thinking about buying a compression tester since it's been burning oil for a little while now, I'll do that tomorrow also.
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Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
Thanks a bunch man.
Last edited by Chipped B6; 02-23-2009 at 11:27 PM. Reason: Spelling
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Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
Definitely also compression test the cylinders, as you mentioned, given the oil consumption and the three cylinder random misfire indicated by the CEL codes.
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Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
I've been meaning to get a valve adjustment for quite a while now. Could that be a culprit?
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Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
K, just replaced the wires and pulgs. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but when I started it up and drove it initially in the parking lot, it was running like ***. But now that I replaced the stuff, for the time being, it's running perfectly. I'm about to take a close-up pic of the plugs and host them, even though to me they look okay. Oh and I rechecked the codes, and the last one was p0002.
Last edited by Uncle Ben's; 02-24-2009 at 01:43 PM.
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Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
Plugs look normal to me. If you keep getting the problem, run a compression test, if it checks out, then it's something wrong with the ignition system.
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Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
Welp the car was fine for several miles after the plug/wire replacement, but it eventually went back to basically running on three cylinders(the #1 cylinder was the prevalent culprit, and I never got any codes at all besides the typical misfire codes) more often than not. One thing I noticed, is that under engine braking with no load, it sounded and decelerated exactly like it normally would, even during episodes of shitty running, which I would think means that it is building sufficient compression, but I am going to a friend's to do a test anyway.
Since I've never messed with a distributor before, will I be able to just take it off, bring it to Autozone, and get it back in the same position to slap it right back on the head? Or will they have to spin it in order to test it?
Since I've never messed with a distributor before, will I be able to just take it off, bring it to Autozone, and get it back in the same position to slap it right back on the head? Or will they have to spin it in order to test it?
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Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
Take a sharpie and make a mark so when you put the distributor back on, all you gotta do is line up the marks.
#17
Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
Welp the car was fine for several miles after the plug/wire replacement, but it eventually went back to basically running on three cylinders(the #1 cylinder was the prevalent culprit, and I never got any codes at all besides the typical misfire codes) more often than not.
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Re: Engine has random, intermittent misfires; help needed
I just went out to test the resistance of the injectors, and the #1 injector clip was loose I'm gonna go into Valvoline and whoop some ***. The night of my previous oil change, an ignition wire mysteriously popped off the plug. Now an injector clip unclips itself? I should key his car, it's always the same guy that brags about the GSR he supposedly bought off some old lady for a price too good to be true; he always tries peddling me crap I don't need so he can make some commission. I think I'm going to ask the company to give me oil change certificates for somewhere else from now on.
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