So last night on my way home, the streets were deserted and I wanted to go WOT. I was in 2nd gear and floored it and it started breaking up bad in the higher rpms, as I get close to redline, i thought i heard a pop (backfire maybe). I immediately turned the engine off and coasted it to my neighborhood.

Turned the key and it started right up and I limped it so I can get to my house. Initial things I noticed were that it sounds like a subaru, basically it's misfiring or running on 3 cylinders. And it hesitates and bogs as I accelerate.

This morning I looked around the engine bay and didnt see anything out of the ordinary. No coolant around headgasket, excessive oil anywhere. Took off the valvecover and checked timing, and it's on point.

Pulled the plugs and the have a white-ish tip to all four, no oil in the plug holes btw.

Turned the car on and let it idle and I pulled the injector clips one by one, taking off each clip made a difference so I believe the injectors are pulsing correctly.

Again I let it sit on idle and I pulled the spark plug wires one by one, taking off each clip made a difference EXCEPT cylinder 4. Taking off the wire from cylinder 4 didnt effect anything so I assume it's not getting spark.

I took off the distributor cap and i noticed that the screw that holds the rotor has backed out and lodged it self into a hole in the cap. I also noticed that when I pulled the spark plug wires from the distributor cap, the connector for cylinder 4 ripped off. I bought new cap, rotor, and wires. Put them on and the car runs a bit better but still sounds like a subaru.


I did the spark test again, pulled each spark plug wire one by one on idle. First three cylinders showed a difference when i pulled its plug wire but the 4th really didnt. But this time I can tell that it IS getting spark because i heard it.


I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what it could be, any ideas?


CLIFFS:

Boosted B16 runs rough, sounds like a subaru, (misfire?)
Starts right up, no smoke on accel or decel
Tested injectors, working
Tested for spark, spark on cyl 1,2,3 but taking off wire on cyl 4 on idle doesnt effect anything even though it is getting spark


It's a 2000 B16a2, Stock everything internally except ITR cams

 

prob going to have to check compression and perform a leak down test. Not to sure though

 

Shoulda gdd this, hipster model. Anywho, how's the injectors?

 

huh? And yes I did post this in GDD as well

Compression test coming tomorrow...

 

What if blowby on cyl4? Time for rering? Maybe valve. Will have to wait till compression results I guess. But still, you just took off the injector clips and not the injector? One of the injectors could be cracked.

 

Yeah, just the clips

****, I'm really hoping it's nothing mechanical

 

Do a compression test, and come back with the numbers. Might as well do all 4 while your at it.

 

Check whether injector 4 sprays fuel and test the coil and ICM.