So I recently purchased a 97 acura el with a stock d16y8 around 300,000kms.

I was driving down the highway when I went to pass going uphill and down shifted to 4th and when rpms hit 5k I lost a significant amount of power and my check engine light came on and began to steadily flash.

I took my car to a garage to get the codes read and the following popped up:

P0301-Cylinder 1 missfire
0303- Cylinder 3 missfire
1300- Random missfire.

Since I have low funds I cleaned the distributor cap, switched my plugs, checked my plug wires at night to see of there was any crossover between the wires and there was no crossover.

I also started the car, while idling I pulled the wire from cylinder 1 and my rpm dropped. I then plugged it back in and did the same for cylinder 3 and my rpm never changed. So I cleaned my injectors and still no change. I held the wires to my valve cover and they had good spark. I'm at a loss right now.

 

Compression test, then a leak down test will probably tell you volumes about the motor.

 

Check the spark plugs for spark not just ur wires

 

I just purchased a compression tester. Cylinders 1,2 and 4 range from 177-181 psi but #3 is reading 0psi.. Would this be rings or valves?

I have less than $100 to last me two weeks now and I don't have a garage nor tools to do a leakdown test as I recently moved 5000kms from home and dont know anyone in Alberta

 

Thats a valve problem. Pull ur head off n check if its fully seating. Im a full time studant for pennco tech n i just learned compression testing this week lol u can also put pressurized air in the cylinders from the spark plug hole n put ur ear in the intake to check a leaking intake valve and put ur ear onthe exhaust for an exhaust valve leak.

 

Yea I was just talking it over with a buddy I know and he said the same. I'm going a wet test in the morning to see if there is any change. If not I'm ordering new valves and a head gasket.

He offered to rebuild the head for a good price but he's 250km away so it'll be sitting for a little bit before I can get the work done sadly.

 

A wet test only tests the piston rings so im pretty sure u wont get much of a change or any at all since the first test was at 0 psi. Or it could be a blown head gasket as well by the outside portion of the head n not the sides between the cylinders. But yet again u wont be 100% sure unless u take the head off

 

I'm doing the wet test to be sure the rings aren't gone in that cylinder, if there is a change It would be the rings. If not exhaust valves are being replaced along with head gasket head studs and waterpump. This is what I am being told by a tech 1 mechanic anyhow

 

Check your valve lash buddy

Dont take advice from a student who spells student "studant"

 

In ur sake i hope its just a valve lol but goodluck! Let us know ur outcome

 

Oh damn i didnt catch that lmao n when i say his valve isnt sealing im NOT talking about his valve seals. Im talking about the valve its self not sealing properly to the head so ofcourse hes gonna have a leak

 

His valve lash could be too tight

You dont just rip off the head to check the valve seats

 

That is another posibility but kinda odd if its a random one cylinder since he had 2 cylinders misfiring out of no where n only 1 had no compression.

Just take the valve cover off n check the springs for looseness n check what turbohatch said. During the compression stroke neither valve should be open. So if a valve spring is compressed more then it should be when closed then yea ull need to adjust the clearence between the cam n top of the valve step

 

*edit* between rocker arm and valve stem. Since its a SOHC.

 

I have a friend 250km away I said, I didn't know he recently moved to the area. He will be taking my car into his shop next Tuesday and we are going to be switching the exhaust valves And re seating them.

I recently bought a set of feeler gauges so I will check the lash,. 008 intake and .009 exhaust righ?

Also I'm doing a wet compression test on cylinder #3 to see of there's any difference. If so I will be pulling pistons and putting new main bearings and rings.

If there is no difference as stated above, I will check the lash and adjust as needed. If there is no change. I am ordering new valves and seats also a headgasket ect.

I'll let yas know when things are back and running and further progress. Thanks for the input

 

That's a leakdown test.... *shakes head*

It's .007-.009 intake (.008) and .009-.011 exhaust (.010).

Yeah, the wet test is a good way to rule out broken rings. Usually though you'd get some psi and watch it drop though. So if you never got any psi it tends to point to valves or blown head gasket.

 

Right on thanks tomcat, either way new headgasket and exhaust valves will hopefully fix my issue. If not I'll drive until some catastrophic happens while saving for a bswap haha

 

No duuh. A leak down test checks for leaking valves only. A wet test checks ur rings

 

Lol just stop

 

And it's obvious you didn't read the second post in this thread when you made your post as you are trying to explain to me something I obviously already know.

Really shaking my head now. Silly young man. Speed Kills Son, Speed Kills. Or if you don't like that one, there is always, Haste makes waste.

Slow down, take a deep breath and look around before you jump. It just might save your life one day.

 

My appologies i didnt see ur post.

 

So I pulled the head off my car today, and it was an exhaust valve in cyl#3 that was broke. http://imgur.com/81ThVdl

 

Go back to school. You're making it painfully obvious that you don't actually know what you're talking about. A leakdown test covers more than just the valves.