Car sounds like a WRX... running on 3 cyliners

[c-rad]

So the last couple days, after driving around for 20-30mins, the car will lose a cylinder and sound like a wrx. Thought it may be an ignitor since it happened before and that was the culprit. Swapped out ignitors and no dice. I am thinking now it may be one of my coils. I removed my coil pack cover to see if that may help for the time being. I'll report back later with my results. Although, when it happens, the car doesn't run rich at all which is strange. You would think that it would run rich due to the injector firing and not being burned in the cylinder. But the wideband stays consistent. Possibly an injector? But I put my hand on all 4 while it was running (and misfiring) and all 4 were ticking. Any ideas or anything I may be overlooking?

[biosehnsucht]

It may be compensating from the o2 for richness - which means you're really running LEAN!

When my coils (several at different times) died, it would sound just like you described. I haven't had an ignitor failure yet *crosses fingers*.

Saying it sounded like a Subaru or WRX is essentially what my friends said at the time..

[Logan76]

Same here, when 2 of my coilpacks came unplugged because the clip's were broke it sounded like my freinds' subie's.

[rico05]

I too have had a dying then dead coil, but it always reeked of fuel. Sounds to me like one of your injectors may not be firing. I dunno, but I distinctly remember a strong(er) than normal fuel smell when my coil died...

[c-rad]

ok well I found the problem and I don't think its good-- I unplugged each coil while the car was running. Didn't take long to find out it was the #1 coil not firing. So I pull the coil out. There is oil on the rubber boot of the coil. I pull the spark plug out and the spark plug is coated in oil. Although I think the oil on the spark plug itself was from the oil that was pooling above it when I pulled it out. So I cleaned all the oil off and put the coil back in.... car ran good. I don't know where the hell the oil leak came from though and its really bothering me!

[sideways danny]

there is a small blanking plate just infront of no1 coilpack. it's sealed with gasket paste as standard, wouldn't surprise me if it's leaking on an engine that's been stripped and chemically cleaned

[tyrannix]

there is a small blanking plate just infront of no1 coilpack. it's sealed with gasket paste as standard, wouldn't surprise me if it's leaking on an engine that's been stripped and chemically cleaned

true that, on a ca16 its used to vent the whole head from the same point (instead of one on each valve cover like ca18dets)

but just to be safe, check it for more oil on the plug in another hundred or so miles, then do a compression check, to rule out your rings going (check for fuel in the oil on next oil change too)

CJ

[c-rad]

Ok, well it has nothing to do with the oil. Car started doing the same thing today. Pulled the coil pack out and there is only a drop of oil on the boot and the plug itself was clean. I swapped coils 1 and 2 and after 20mins of driving, #2 cyl quit working. So I've narrowed it down to a bad coil. So... if anyone has a spare ignition coil, please sell it to me!!!

[biosehnsucht]

Do you have your coilpack cover on? If not you might have spilled the oil last oil change ...

I did that accidentally once, and even though I cleaned it as best I could, the oil screwed with the heat sinking of the coilpack and it fried itself. The oil actually became a fried on layer that flaked off.. So now I keep it on to protect it from me

If you only cleaned the coilpack it's probably still dead, but the oil can easily be the cause of the problem. If you didn't spill the oil then it's probably that little plate that sideways danny mentioned.

[sideways danny]

try swapping the coilpack to a different cylinder to see if the misfire moves. if it doesn't i'd suspect the dropping resistor

[float_6969]

try swapping the coilpack to a different cylinder to see if the misfire moves. if it doesn't i'd suspect the dropping resistor

Re-read the thread. He did this already and knows that the problem is a coil pack. Thanks for trying though!

[sideways danny]

Re-read the thread. He did this already and knows that the problem is a coil pack. Thanks for trying though!

only think I can see is they've been un-plugged one by one. that just narrows down the cylinder that's not firing

[c-rad]

only think I can see is they've been un-plugged one by one. that just narrows down the cylinder that's not firing

I swapped coils 1 and 2 and after 20mins of driving, #2 cyl quit working.

Yeah, I did that already. Its a bad coil. Its starting to work less and less now.

[oneruffryder42]

i got 4 coils make a offer

[c-rad]

i got 4 coils make a offer

I tried emailing you from the address in your profile but it was returned. How about $17 shipped for just one?

[mjeazy4784]

they sell them at autozone or advance auto (or atleast something that looks right) for the 88 pulsar 1.8. If its the right one then its only ~$35 bucks from AZ.

[c-rad]

they sell them at autozone or advance auto (or atleast something that looks right) for the 88 pulsar 1.8. If its the right one then its only ~$35 bucks from AZ.

Yeah, I looked it up yesterday, they are $42.99 a piece.

[capowered240]

$20 shipped if you still need one. Email [email protected]