How long can I drive my Q with a bad injector?

[Jeff Williams]

I am looking for a good used fuel injector for my 1994 Q45. Is there anything I can damage, while driving my car with an intermittent fuel injector? My mechanic says it is #5. I will test it, when I get home, but I need to have my car next week, and can't spring for a rental. It may be a few days (and hundreds of miles) before I can get the time to fix the car.

Am I asking for trouble, or hurting anything, by driving it as-is?

It only seems to be a problem for a few miles, then clears up for the remainder of the trip.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks!

[elwesso]

A mis fire has been led to clogged cats and precats...... Not a neat situation.......

If it were mine, Id arrange to trade with someone who doesnt drive much........ I dont know what your family situation is, but maybe you could get some to trade you cars for a day or so and they could use it if they needed to.......

[Jeff Williams]

Thanks, Wes.

I am back in town, and will pick up my Q in the morning. I have a IR thermometer, and will verify which cylinder is missing. Then, when I get home, I will take the plugs out, to make sure the problem is the injector, and not the plugs, or coil. I will try ot ohm out the injector, if I can get in there.

I think the worst thing for the cats, is no spark. Raw, unburned fuel can clog up the cats, but if there is no fuel, a dry spark shouldn't hurt them.

The next two weeks are super full (80 to 100 hours fo work per week). I have to drive 150 miles, each day. I will try to swap cars with my wife, but she drives in traffic, which I think would be worse than a 75 mile trip, twice a day.

If I can confirm it is an injector, Monday night, then I will order a nw one, and the gaskets and o-rings from Joe (if I can find his numbers).

I am 1,000 miles short of my 60,000 mile spark plug replacment schedule, so I will put the NGK's back in. (It still could be the Bosch plug, rather than a fuel injector).

I HATE driving my car, when it is not 100%, but I have no choice, this time.

[elwesso]

Sounds fine to me......

Jeff...... Did you get my email???

[Jeff Williams]

I have been out of town, for 10 days, and my email address is my work address. I fully intend to see 200+ emails, on Monday.

[lessthanjakejohn]

what if you disconnect the injector and the spark plug?

[elwesso]

Jeff..... There is a way to test each injector without pulling the plenum to test each one........ Do a search, I know its been mentioned before...... Something about disconnecting a certain connector and you can test each one.......

[IvoryJ30t]

if it was my car, i would disconnect the injector and disconnect the O2 sensor on that side

[elwesso]

I dont think he knows what injector is failing, but he does know that it is an injector........

[Jeff Williams]

Guess what? Not an injector, after all. It was one of the plugs. I will post a new thread, so all can see...