This problem just started today, out of nowhere.
Yesterday, I did a compression test on my motor. SOHC KA. So I pulled the plugs, coil, and fuel fuse. Everything went fine, and the car drove fine after I was finished.
Today, next morning, I start the car and find it running terribly. The exhaust pulses as if not all cylinders are firing. The motor shakes periodically. But at higher rpm's it smoothed out considerably. The worst was when I give it some throttle from a stop.. the motor will shake quite violently as the exhausts pulses sound like a tractor.
So I checked as many connections as I could. All seemed fine. I disconnected the negative terminal on the battery. When I reconnected it after about 5 minutes, the motor won't even crank over! Which is totally odd, considering it was cranking over perfectly fine before I disconnected the battery terminal. The cabin is getting power (clock, dash, etc), but it won't even crank.
Any ideas? Sounds like a computer problem to me.
Really Odd Problem - Please Read
Yes I did.
UPDATE - the car now starts after just sitting for a few minutes. So, I disconnected the negative terminal again, reconnected it, and the car doesn't start again. But after sitting for a few minutes, the car starts.
And still, the motor runs like sh*t. Vibrating the entire car even at idle.
UPDATE - the car now starts after just sitting for a few minutes. So, I disconnected the negative terminal again, reconnected it, and the car doesn't start again. But after sitting for a few minutes, the car starts.
And still, the motor runs like sh*t. Vibrating the entire car even at idle.
I had the same type of problem, plus after 4k rpm at full throttle, engine would loose power down to like 25% and i couldn't accelerate.
It is spark plug wires! I damaged them when changing sparg plugs.
when u hit throttle to rev it up just a bit, up to 1500 lets say, engine shakes really bad, during idle car may shake too, but mostly during idle you feel exhaust firing like NOT all cylinders firing.
take it to diagnostics for about $60. But I am 70% sure that it is spark plug wires.
It is spark plug wires! I damaged them when changing sparg plugs.
when u hit throttle to rev it up just a bit, up to 1500 lets say, engine shakes really bad, during idle car may shake too, but mostly during idle you feel exhaust firing like NOT all cylinders firing.
take it to diagnostics for about $60. But I am 70% sure that it is spark plug wires.
lets take this one step at a time.
you messed with the car, and now it doesnt run right.
you removed the plugs, wires and the coil[?? dont know why you did that]
now, did you inspect the wires terminals, or did you just jiggle them??
how about the wiring to the coil? that would be a big reason as to why the car doesnt want to start/run good.
what was the condition of the plugs? did you install them correctly?
double check everything that you touched first. if the car was running correctly before the compression test, then the items that you tampered with would be the primary suspects.
you messed with the car, and now it doesnt run right.
you removed the plugs, wires and the coil[?? dont know why you did that]
now, did you inspect the wires terminals, or did you just jiggle them??
how about the wiring to the coil? that would be a big reason as to why the car doesnt want to start/run good.
what was the condition of the plugs? did you install them correctly?
double check everything that you touched first. if the car was running correctly before the compression test, then the items that you tampered with would be the primary suspects.
IvoryJ30t wrote:lets take this one step at a time.
you messed with the car, and now it doesnt run right.
you removed the plugs, wires and the coil[?? dont know why you did that]
now, did you inspect the wires terminals, or did you just jiggle them??
how about the wiring to the coil? that would be a big reason as to why the car doesnt want to start/run good.
what was the condition of the plugs? did you install them correctly?
double check everything that you touched first. if the car was running correctly before the compression test, then the items that you tampered with would be the primary suspects.
Perhaps you didn't read the post right. I removed them to perform a compression test. Hence I needed to remove the plugs to thread in the compression tester, the coil so the plugs don't spark just dangling there, and the fuseable link to the fuel pump so I don't flood my cylinders while cranking the motor over.
I inspected all the terminals, they all looked very clean.
The wiring to the coil is fine, I didn't mess with it. I just pulled the wire cap to it.
Yes, I installed everything correctly, trust me.
By the tone of your message, you assume I'm a newb.
Trust me, I'm not. I've done this before, not to mention pulled and rebuilt my head, replacing the timing chain guides, swapped my clutch, and swapped my suspension. This is a cake walk, and I did everything right.
And finally, the car was running perfecty RIGHT after I finished putting things back together. It wasn't until the next morning until the problem arose.
first off, i didnt mean to come off like that, i assume people who dont include their birthdate in their profile are young and inexperienced. alot of times i come off condescending and dont mean it.
its just that theres very few things you need to touch to do a compression test, and now its off. you just have to rule out the obvious things first. the part that gets me is how you say the car was fine until you started it in the morning.
also, a running compression test is more accurate.
if the ignition system is good, i would say this sounds like a vacuum leak. double check connections, hoses [brake booster, pcv] the chugging sound could be a lean idle causing misfiring.
when the car is running, smell the exhaust. if its running rich, it wouldnt be a vacuum leak. then you have to start looking at the injectors and the ignition.
its hard to pinpoint because it didnt happen immediately.
order of possible causes-1 vacuum leak2 ignition out of time - i dont suppose you have a timing light?3 leaking injector
try to get it running long enough for the ECU to throw a code.
its just that theres very few things you need to touch to do a compression test, and now its off. you just have to rule out the obvious things first. the part that gets me is how you say the car was fine until you started it in the morning.
also, a running compression test is more accurate.
if the ignition system is good, i would say this sounds like a vacuum leak. double check connections, hoses [brake booster, pcv] the chugging sound could be a lean idle causing misfiring.
when the car is running, smell the exhaust. if its running rich, it wouldnt be a vacuum leak. then you have to start looking at the injectors and the ignition.
its hard to pinpoint because it didnt happen immediately.
order of possible causes-1 vacuum leak2 ignition out of time - i dont suppose you have a timing light?3 leaking injector
try to get it running long enough for the ECU to throw a code.
Thanks for the input. The vacuum leak maybe possible, although I doubt it would pulse so steadily with a vacuum leak. Although the exhaust doesn't smell very rich.
I checked the computer for errors, it gave me a 55, which means everything is fine. This has got me stumped.
Whats stumping me even more is that when I pull the negative terminal, replace it, then try to start it, the motor won't crank. But if I just wait 10 minutes, the motor will start up and run sh*tty.
I checked the computer for errors, it gave me a 55, which means everything is fine. This has got me stumped.
Whats stumping me even more is that when I pull the negative terminal, replace it, then try to start it, the motor won't crank. But if I just wait 10 minutes, the motor will start up and run sh*tty.
Problem solved.
Today I was pulling the plug wires again, and realized cylinder #1 wasn't firing. I was getting an arc across the wire, so I knew the distributor/wires should be alright.
I pulled the plug and found it to be fouled with fuel. Odd, considering the electrode was perfectly white the day before. So I swapped plugs along cylinders 1&2 and found now #2 wasn't firing. Bingo, the plug.
So I grabbed a new set from the part store and all is well now. Question is, why did it foul all so sudden? If it fouls again I guess I have a leaky injector.
Yet, this still doesn't explain why the car won't start after I disconnect/reconnect the negative terminal on the battery. But it will start 10 minutes later without doing a single thing.
Today I was pulling the plug wires again, and realized cylinder #1 wasn't firing. I was getting an arc across the wire, so I knew the distributor/wires should be alright.
I pulled the plug and found it to be fouled with fuel. Odd, considering the electrode was perfectly white the day before. So I swapped plugs along cylinders 1&2 and found now #2 wasn't firing. Bingo, the plug.
So I grabbed a new set from the part store and all is well now. Question is, why did it foul all so sudden? If it fouls again I guess I have a leaky injector.
Yet, this still doesn't explain why the car won't start after I disconnect/reconnect the negative terminal on the battery. But it will start 10 minutes later without doing a single thing.
ok, it was misfiring. the plug fouling all of a sudden would lead me to think an injector is leaking. i would say to keep an eye on that cylinder. check the plug in a few days and see what it looks like.
the car not starting for 10 minutes after an ecu reset is wierd. im thinking an intermittant starter solenoid, but that doesnt explain why it does it after a reset. unless its not related, just coincedental.
the car not starting for 10 minutes after an ecu reset is wierd. im thinking an intermittant starter solenoid, but that doesnt explain why it does it after a reset. unless its not related, just coincedental.