dropping a cylinder.....

[Movingviolation240]

OK, here's my problem, the number 4 cylinder isn't making any power, my turbo is not spooling, and this sucks.

So, I started looking into it, the car isn't using any oil, and the top of the piston appears to be intact so I don't think it's a major mechanical failure (thank God). But the plug is a little shiney and dosn't look like it's done much 'work' lately. I cleaned the plug, and put a new coil on top of it to see if the problem got better, it didn't. So then I ran the car and pulled the fuel injector harness off, the problem didn't get better. So I'm thinking that maybe the injector has somthing to do with it, but the injector sounds like all the others when you hold a screwdriver up to it and listen to see if it's running.

I guess tonight I'm going to pull the cams and the lifters to see if I can tell if maybe I have a bent valve (or maybe my cam broke lol)

If anybody has any ideas please let me know, the problem's on the number 4 cylinder.....

Also the turbo is blown, so the car is smoking, but this was an issue long before the thing started to drag the cylinder.

thanks,

PaulOrlando, FL

[paul_s13]

Have you done a compression check, it maybe a burnt valve.

[95_240sx]

Probably best to do a compression test or do a leak down test. You could have a stuck valve.Might want to try taking out the plug and having someone crank the engine over, see if you can smell fuel in there or some other fluid, that should rule out the fuel system.

Paul_s13: You car looks like a ferrari

Rick

[Movingviolation240]

ok, I've verified that the injector is working, and the new coil is good, so it's gotta be somthing in the head (at least this is my current line of thinking).

It seems to idle about normally, so I'm not sure if it could be a burnt valve, and it happened all of a sudden, with no warning so I'm not sure if it could have been a burnt valve (wouldn't that be more of a slow regression?).

The car also dosn't cold start that dificultly (which is another sypmtom of a burnt valve).

this is getting anoying, hopefully tomorrow I can do a leakdown test

later,PaulOrlando, FL

[95_240sx]

Pull your valve cover and check to make sure the valvetrain in the #4 cylinder is all intake and still working. If your piston in clean and your not burning oil its probably not rings and it most likely in the head. Pull your PCV valve hose and check to see if there is much oil in there, if there is you are probably getting blowby somewhere.

Rick

[paul_s13]

it happened all of a sudden, with no warning so I'm not sure if it could have been a burnt valve (wouldn't that be more of a slow regression?).

Not at all, I was in a friends S13 and all of a sudden at 120mph he took it out of gear and started to slow down, he limped it home and we did a compression test and he had burnt a valve and it went without any sign.

Here it is....

[Movingviolation240]

problem solved, I went through and played with EVERYTHING today again, no luck. Then started playing with the wiring harness and when I wiggled the one going into the ignitor the car instantly started to idle smoother and the problems went away.

Moral of the story..... Nissan wiring sucks, no matter how many times you take it appart and clean it you still have loose connections.

At least I didn't have to pull my head to find it.....

later,

Paul

[paul_s13]

Glad to hear is wasn't anything serious.