cylinder 4 misfire

[mrjaydeeone]

Driving home from work earlier my 7G just didn't feel right. Shaking when driving and idling around 12-1300 RPM. And then the CEL came on. It began backfiring, and bogging. Definitely lost power. And had difficulty accelerating. I got home and checked the code. It came back with a cylinder 4 misfire. I was unable to make it to an autoparts store. So I used a set of plugs that I installed back in March, when I had a cylinder 1 misfire. The plugs were removed over the summer, when I was told the plugs weren't right for the car. I believe I was told they are "colder". At any rate another set of plugs were installed. When I removed them today the plug closet to the left side of the englin was kinda burnt up. I replaced all 4 plugs with the ones I had installed back in March. I had a problem with the plug boot 2nd from the left. It doesn't seem sit all the way down. It does make a connection though. At any rate I clear the code out and take the car for a ride, and it's performing the same as it did on my ride home. Any advice. I have to be able to make it to work tomorrow night. Although I am going to try and wake early enough tomorrow to try and take care of this. I was thinking of heading to parts store and getting another set of plugs and wires.
should I do that?
I really don't want the car to end up dying on that ride or the ride to work tomorrow night. Unfortunately I don't have access to another car for either trip.
Jason

[Galanttuner10]

did the light come back on or anything and if so was it still cylinder 4? if it changed cylinders id say get new plugs and wires.. hopefully the distributor isnt going.. mine went.. it sucked

[qnz]

which of theres spark plugs did yours look like?

http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/sp...s_catalog.html

[qnz]

With the age of the car, it can be a lot of things. old/clogged fuel injectors, oil leaking into the tube seals, distributor, not enough fuel pressure, etc. i'ld start with the easiest which is check for: oil in cylinder 4, and/or replace spark plugs with the right ones. I dont remember what i looks like on a 7g, but on my DSM, you can switch the wires for 1 + 4 and it would still fire the same. if it was the wires, then the problem would move with the wire.

[mrjaydeeone]

did the light come back on or anything and if so was it still cylinder 4? if it changed cylinders id say get new plugs and wires.. hopefully the distributor isnt going.. mine went.. it sucked

light didn't come back. yet atleast. But with how the car was driving I am sure it will be back soon enough

which of theres spark plugs did yours look like?

http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/sp...s_catalog.html

honestly. Looked carbon fouled

[mko]

Carbon fooled? it might mean youre running too rich and drowning the spark - Just check for correct gap. The link says the timing is too advanced, but 96-98 distributors are not adjustable as 94-95, so it cant be that.As Galanttuner said it might be the distributor. They start failing after a decade I guess. Mine failed around that time. If nothing else I have an extra 96 distributor that I got when I was thinking of doing OBD2 swap, and now I dont need it, so its free. I can send it to you if you want it

[kolio]

jay it could be these things in this order

spark plugs
spark plug wires
Distributor cap/rotor usually change both together

after that injectors and the whole distributor

if you were runnig lean i would say check the fuel filter

[skrap]

Be carful it its your distributer. You may not belive this becasue many havent even seeing it with their own eyes... When my distributer went it made my timing belt skip a tooth.... and now my motor is in pieces... Be very carful and replace your plugs and wires...

[mrjaydeeone]

Carbon fooled? it might mean youre running too rich and drowning the spark - Just check for correct gap. The link says the timing is too advanced, but 96-98 distributors are not adjustable as 94-95, so it cant be that.As Galanttuner said it might be the distributor. They start failing after a decade I guess. Mine failed around that time. If nothing else I have an extra 96 distributor that I got when I was thinking of doing OBD2 swap, and now I dont need it, so its free. I can send it to you if you want it

jay it could be these things in this order

spark plugs
spark plug wires
Distributor cap/rotor usually change both together

after that injectors and the whole distributor

if you were runnig lean i would say check the fuel filter

Be carful it its your distributer. You may not belive this becasue many havent even seeing it with their own eyes... When my distributer went it made my timing belt skip a tooth.... and now my motor is in pieces... Be very carful and replace your plugs and wires...

thanks for all the help guys. I actually found out there is a NAPA 4.5 miles from me. So I am going to head there now and get some plugs and wires. How would I determine if its the distributor cap that went?

[kolio]

thanks for all the help guys. I actually found out there is a NAPA 4.5 miles from me. So I am going to head there now and get some plugs and wires. How would I determine if its the distributor cap that went?

you can take the cap off and see how worn it is from the inside. it's only 2 bolts holding the cap

[skrap]

If it looks realy worn with a lot of build up then replace it... It should probibly be replaced anyway...

[mrjaydeeone]

problem fixed. I went out to NAPA before and bought some plugs and wires. When swapping them out. I came to find the 2nd to left wire was not connected at the distributor. The covering was down, but the connector itself was inside the tubing (musta been from when I was trying to get the connector onto the spark plug right) and then when I got the the wire closest to the distributor cap I pulled it off and the connector stayed on the spark plug. I replaced all the plugs and wires and the idle went back down to normal and the car is driving right for now.

you can take the cap off and see how worn it is from the inside. it's only 2 bolts holding the cap

If it looks realy worn with a lot of build up then replace it... It should probibly be replaced anyway...

ah I see. I will take a look at it tomorrow. Worn as in? What am I looking for?

[mrjaydeeone]

so I spoke too soon. On way to work the car still isn't running right. It doesn't seem to act normal until 40mph and above. It seems boggy in 2nd and 3rd and points. And it also managed to backfire at 30mph :( any ideas?

[mko]

Id say its the distributor.

[mrjaydeeone]

Id say its the distributor.

the cap itself or the whole thing?

[kolio]

check the cap first its cheaper.



you look at the contact points and see if they are worn down, coroded, dirty or gone.

[mrjaydeeone]

check the cap first its cheaper.



you look at the contact points and see if they are worn down, coroded, dirty or gone.

never done this before. do you have a diagram LOL

[skrap]

no diagrams... But what you do is label your wires going to your distributer from the top starting with 1 and working your way down. Then take the wires off of your distributer.. Once they are off there are 2 screws on the passenger side of the distributer.. You have to losen them all the way but they wont come all the way out.. then you take the front cover off.. that is your cap... there are 4 contact points on the cap and then a middle one. The 4 contact points on the side should look like shiny metal. If they are gray and look like they have buildup then you should probibly replace it. Now once you are don inspecting the cap. If you looks back at the distributer there will be the rotor.. Its in the middle and it has teeth on the one side.. Check those teeth.. If they have buld up or look worn down then replace that too. In my honest opinion you should probibly just replace both anyway... From what i am getting from all of this is that it probibly has never been replaced. I think for both of them it will be like 30 or 40 bucks total. I would try that first. Also when is the last time that you replaced your fuel filter?? That should be apart of your anual tune up. With the shitty gas we have now adays unless your running 93 it can get clogged very very easily.

[kolio]

no diagrams... But what you do is label your wires going to your distributer from the top starting with 1 and working your way down. Then take the wires off of your distributer.. Once they are off there are 2 screws on the passenger side of the distributer.. You have to losen them all the way but they wont come all the way out.. then you take the front cover off.. that is your cap... there are 4 contact points on the cap and then a middle one. The 4 contact points on the side should look like shiny metal. If they are gray and look like they have buildup then you should probibly replace it. Now once you are don inspecting the cap. If you looks back at the distributer there will be the rotor.. Its in the middle and it has teeth on the one side.. Check those teeth.. If they have buld up or look worn down then replace that too. In my honest opinion you should probibly just replace both anyway... From what i am getting from all of this is that it probibly has never been replaced. I think for both of them it will be like 30 or 40 bucks total. I would try that first. Also when is the last time that you replaced your fuel filter?? That should be apart of your anual tune up. With the shitty gas we have now adays unless your running 93 it can get clogged very very easily.

what he said


but actually. my cap has the firing siquence on it. says which wire goes where. and the wires have the number written on them too

[mrjaydeeone]

Skrap I am not sure if the fuel filter has been replaced. Definitely not since I have gotten it and I bought the car back in 07 and have put over 30K miles on it. Where is the fuel filter on the 7G located? The cap and the rotor are that cheap? Are those something that I can get local like at NAPA?
Kolio which wires have numbers on them? I didn't see any of that. I am also curious as to which cylinder is which anyways. looking at the engine from the front is 1 on the right or on the left.
I dont remember off-hand but I believe this is how my wires are. the one all the way the right goes to the top on the cap, the 2nd to right goes to bottom, 3rd from right above that, and left goes just below the one from the right. that right?